Eruption sequestrum identified in mandibular molar region: Case report and review of literature

We treated a case of eruption sequestrum in an 8-year 1-month old boy. The patient first came to our clinic with a chief complaint of discomfort in the mandibular left first molar region. An intraoral examination revealed a small hard tissue fragment on the occlusal surface of the erupting mandibular left first molar, while a periapical radiograph showed a bone-like radiopaque mass. We diagnosed the lesion as eruption sequestrum, and removed it under topical anesthesia. A histopathological examination of the sectioned extirpated tissue showed necrotic cortical bone without osteocytes within the lacunae. Although eruption sequestra are occasionally encountered in daily practice, there is a limited number of reports describing details of specific cases, with only 14 known cases reported in literature. Herein, we report our findings and summarize those in other reports based on clinical, radiographic and histopathological findings.