Pigmented variant of calcifying odontogenic cyst. Report of an additional case and review of the literature.

A case of the pigmented variant of calcifying odontogenic cyst occurring in a 21-year-old Japanese male is reported, and a review of previously reported cases of the lesion is included. In addition to the characteristic histopathologic features of calcifying odontogenic cyst, dendritic cells containing melanin pigment were widely distributed in the epithelial layer and melanin pigment was also found in the epithelial cells including ghost cells in the present case. Although no conclusion could be drawn from the present examination as to the origin of melanin pigment in the calcifying odontogenic cyst, it is thought that the role of racial pigmentation is one of the important factors in occurrence of pigmented odontogenic lesions.