Unusual osteoid osteoma of the mandible: report of case and review of the literature

A 10-year-old boy presented with a swelling on the right side of the jaw. He had undergone excision of the lesion about 10 months ago at a private dental clinic and the swelling began to regrow 4 months after surgery. A panoramic radiograph revealed 4 sclerotic round masses with radiolucent rims surrounded by sclerosis of the right posterior mandible. Computed tomography scan showed 4 round bony masses centered on the buccal cortex and bone marrow space, sclerosis of the adjacent bone and periosteal reaction. He underwent a marginal resection under general anesthesia and the final histopathological report confirmed the diagnosis of osteoid osteoma. Postoperative course was uneventful, and there was no evidence of recurrence at the 5.5-year follow-up. In the review of the literature, 20 osteoid ostemas were found in the jaw and to the best of our knowledge, the present case is the only one showing multifocal nidi.