Mitzi J. Palazzolo, DDS, MS, Maj, USAF, DC, is a staff member in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology in the 59th Dental Training Squadron and an associate professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. She is also a diplomate of the Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and a fellow of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.
Potentially signaling a number of oral health issues, diagnosing this radiopaque mass proved clinically challenging due to multiple possible etiologies.
Refining their diagnostic skills and knowledge of anatomy will help clinicians recognize the most common variations in normal radiographs — as well as the most frequently encountered incidental findings.