An unfamiliar presentation of a lateral periodontal cyst.

Lateral periodontal cyst, developmental in origin, typically is observed in the cuspid-bicuspid region of the mandible and less frequently in the maxilla. It may arise initially as a dentigerous cyst developing by expansion of the follicle along the lateral surface of the crown which eventually comes to lie on the lateral aspect of the root if tooth eruption is normal. Alternatively, it may arise from the cell rests of malassez. The incidence of lateral periodontal cysts has been reported to be less than 1% and these cysts represent nearly 0.8% of all central cysts of the maxillary bone. Here we present one such case with unusual findings.