Involvement of the mandibular canal: early sign of osteogenic sarcoma of the mandible.

A case of osteogenic sarcoma of the mandible is presented. The most striking radiologic finding in this case was irregular widening of the mandibular canal, with areas of narrowing and loss of fine parallel cortical margins of the walls of the canal. These changes were accompanied by widening of the periodontal membrane of the adjoining teeth, an early sign of osteogenic sarcoma described by Garrington and colleagues, and loss of lamina dura of the same teeth and one additional adjacent tooth.