Stafne’s bone defect is a rare, benign lesion that consists of a mandibular concavity. Its exact aetiology is unknown. 1 The reported incidence ranges from 0.1% to 0.48%, and they are most common in male patients between 50 and 70 years old. 1 The usual presentation is of an asymptomatic incidental finding of a unilocular radiolucency in the mandible during dental imaging. We describe a case of Stafne defect in a male patient aged 66 years. He was referred to the maxillofacial clinic by his dentist for review of a cyst in his left mandible. An orthopantomogram showed a well-defined cystic lesion with peripheral sclerosis measuring up to 15 mm. Enucleation of the cyst was performed, and the tissue sample underwent usual histopathological processing. Samples demonstrated fragments of fibroadipose tissue with seromucinous salivary acini and admixed bony fragments, with no epithelial cyst lining identified. This is consistent with a Stafne defect in the context of supportive radiological results. No treatment is required, and the patient was discharged from the maxillofacial clinic.
Jarvis et al. (Sun,) studied this question.