Effect of decompression for patients with various jaw cysts based on a three-dimensional computed tomography analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of decompression according to reduction parameters by measuring cystic volume changes using computed tomography (CT).

STUDY DESIGN: We chose patients who had undergone decompression for a cystic lesion of the jaw at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in our dental hospital between 2006 and 2015. All patients had been examined by CT before and after decompression. We measured the volume of cystic lesions using the threshold method and evaluated the volumetric changes after decompression according to various parameters.

RESULTS: The mean reduction rates of 46 cystic cases was 57.95%. There was a statistically significant difference in reduction rates by initial volume; the group with large initial volume reported higher reduction rates.

CONCLUSION: Decompression is more effective in larger initial lesions when carried out more than 6 months. CT is an efficient method for evaluating the bony healing within the cyst cavity by measuring changes in cystic volume after decompression. However, due to its high cost and radiation dose, a comparative study using another diagnostic radiographic tool should be considered.