When a diagnostic challenge reveals a simple diagnosis: the role of the operating microscope in Oral Medicine - a case report.

Pedro Franco Ferreira; Hugo Gaêta-Araujo; Ana Carolina Fragoso Motta

doi:10.5327/2525-5711.473

Authors

Pedro Franco Ferreira Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, and Periodontology, Ribeirao Preto School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5321-2291
Hugo Gaêta-Araujo Department of Stomatology, Public Health and Forensic Dentistry, Ribeirao Preto School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5087-5022
Ana Carolina Fragoso Motta Department of Stomatology, Public Health and Forensic Dentistry, Ribeirao Preto School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3887-9239

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5327/2525-5711.473

Keywords:

magnification, oral medicine, dental operating microscope, case report

Abstract

Magnification has been widely established in some fields of dentistry. However, its use in oral medicine is still incipient, and the available literature is scarce. This report describes the case of a 25-year-old male patient that was referred to our Oral Medicine clinic after a two-year diagnostic delay, presenting with a nodular lesion in the anterior maxilla and a history of severe pain and purulent drainage. Conventional radiographic examination was inconclusive while cone-beam computed tomography and ultrasonography suggested either a cystic lesion or a chronic inflammatory process but failed to identify a clear etiological factor. Exploratory microsurgery using a dental operating microscope disclosed an untreated accessory canal, and histopathological analysis confirmed a lateral radicular cyst. In this case, conventional clinical and imaging examinations were insufficient to establish a definitive diagnosis. The dental operating microscope played a decisive role in revealing the lesion’s underlying cause and facilitating appropriate referral for treatment. This case highlights the potential value of magnification as a diagnostic adjunct in Oral Medicine.

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