Anterior lingual mandibular salivary gland defect. Evaluation of twenty-four cases.

Lingual mandibular salivary gland defects in the posterior part of the mandible are not uncommon. Analogous defects in the anterior region, however, are rare, and the four new cases presented in this report bring the total number of reported cases up to 24. The purpose of the present study was to review and analyze the clinical, radiographic, and histologic features of the previously reported cases together with those of the present study. The majority of these defects were located in the cuspid and/or premolar area and were diagnosed in men in their fifth and sixth decades of life. Almost all defects contained normal salivary gland tissue. The differential diagnosis, treatment, and pathogenesis of these defects are discussed.