Frequency and Demographic Profile of Odontogenic Cysts Diagnosed at Tripoli University Hospital, Libya

Odontogenic cysts are a group of lesions that exclusively affect the oral and maxillofacial regions. The current study aimed to determine the relative frequency and demographic features of odontogenic cysts diagnosed histologically at Tripoli University Hospital and to compare our findings with the latest reports. A 22-year retrospective study of odontogenic cysts histologically diagnosed at Tripoli University Hospital, Tripoli, Libya, archived from 2002 to 2023 was performed. Demographic data including, gender, age at diagnosis, location of lesion, and histopathological diagnosis, were collected and analyzed retrospectively. The diagnosis was according to the latest criteria of the 2022 World Health Organization classification. Odontogenic cysts constituted 9.7% of all 2334 registered orofacial biopsy specimens. A total of 227 cases of histologically diagnosed odontogenic cysts were analyzed. Of these, 129 (56.8%) were inflammatory cysts and 98 (43.2%) were developmental cysts. Apical radicular was the most common type of cyst (54.2%), followed by dentigerous cyst (31.3%), and odontogenic keratocyst (5.3%). A slight male predilection was observed with an overall male-to-female ratio of 1.2:1. The age range was from 5 to 85 years with an overall mean age of 33 ± 15.16 years. The peak incidence was in the third and fourth decades of life. The posterior regions of the jaws were the most prevalent sites (34.4%) for all studied cysts. The demographic profile of the odontogenic cysts in this cohort is similar to previous reports in Libyan and other worldwide populations.