Abstract: Objective This study described the clinical, surgical, and radiographic findings of simple bone cysts. Methods A retrospective study was conducted for patients diagnosed with simple bone cysts in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanchang University from March 2005 to March 2015. Clinical, radiographic, surgical, and follow-up data were gathered. Results were statistically analyzed by central tendency and dispersion using SPSS 20.0 software. Results Eleven cases of simple bone cysts were collected, including three male and eight female patients. Ten cases (90.9%) were asymptomatic and one case developed symptoms of swelling. All of the cases had no history of trauma in the affected area, and all were solitary; ten cases (90.9%) were unilocular, and one (9.1%) was multilocular. The shape of each lesion could be assigned to four categories: cone (3 cases), round (2 cases), oval (4 cases), and irregular (2 cases). The treatment in 10 cases consisted of surgery to explore the cavity and curettage of the bone walls. During surgery, the bone cavity in seven cases (70%) was vacant, whereas serous fluid was found in two cases (20%) and serous-bloody fluid in one case (10%). Of the ten cases, three cases exhibited complete bone healing and seven cases showed new bone formation. Conclusion Simple bone cysts of the jaws are usually asymptomatic and appear incidentally on routine radiographies. The prevalence is higher in the mandible and young people. The patient usually has no history of trauma, and the bone cavity of lesion is mostly vacant. Curettage of the bone walls of the lesion is suggested for simple bone cysts. Systemic clinical and radiologic follow-up are necessary to ensure successful treatment.

Key words: simple bone cyst, jaw, nonodontogenic cyst