Apical abscess Paget's disease (stage 3)
Characteristics
- Idiopathic, chronic, slow-developing bone disease in the elderly.
- Abnormal resorption and deposition of bone, leading eventually to sclerosis and expansion of the affected bone.
- The jaws are involved in 20% of the cases.
- It can be divided into three stages:
- 1st stage - Bone resorption: Generally radiolucency/osteoporosis)
- 2st stage – Ostoblastic repair (mixed radiolucency/radiopacity)
- 3st stage – Sclerosing phase (haphazard deposition of sclerotic bone, “cotton wool” appearance.
- Other radiographic features: loss of lamina dura and obliteration of the periapical periodontal ligament, hypercementosis, external root resorption.