Cyst of the jaws

Jaw cysts are defined as pathological cavities containing either a liquid or solid substance. These cysts are partially or entirely lined with epithelium and can affect oral and maxillofacial tissues. Various classifications of odontogenic lesions have been developed, starting with the 2017 classification, which categorized jaw cysts into two primary groups: odontogenic cysts of inflammatory origin and odontogenic/non-odontogenic developmental cysts. However, the 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) classification (5th edition) has introduced some changes in entities and terminology related to “cystic” lesions. The term “jaw cysts” is used without further subdivision. One notable addition is the surgical ciliated cyst, which is not considered a new entity but is new to the classification. The purpose of this educational article was to provide an overview, based on a literature review, of the clinical, radiological, and microscopic characteristics of maxillary cysts using clinical cases within the context of the updated classification.