Surgical Decompression to treat Periapical Cyst:A Review of Literature

Periapical cyst accounts up to half of cystic lesion of jaws. Large periapical cysts, generally true cyst are self sustaining are less likely to be resolved by conventional ischolar_main canal therapy. Hence, a surgical intervention is needed. Of all the surgical procedures decompression is a more conservative option to treat periapical cyst. It includes surgical exposure of a cyst wall and insertion of a tube or any drain to decompress the lesion during healing and reduces the necessity of surgical enucleation. The decompression technique has a potentially high success rate with low morbidity and reduced loss of bone support, and should be considered for treatment of these lesions. It can reduce risk of perforation in lesions adjacent to the nasal floor, sinus floor, mandibular nerve, and neighboring tooth apices. Despite certain limitations like need for patient compliance and longterm follow-up, decompression is a viable and less invasive method which can counterbalance the fallacies and should be considered as an alternative to conventional surgeries. This review article describes the origin, methods, clinical outcomes, advantages and drawbacks of decompression procedure for periapical cyst.