Skeletal and soft-tissue incidental findings on cone-beam computed tomography images.

Cone-beam computed tomography provides orthodontists with 3-dimensional images of the craniofacial region and valuable information for diagnosis and treatment planning of craniofacial or dental anomalies. However, a narrow focus on the skeletal and dental contributions to malocclusion can cause failure to identify skeletal or soft-tissue pathologies of the craniofacial structures unrelated to the orthodontic concerns. Two cases are presented that demonstrate skeletal and soft-tissue anomalies identified as incidental findings on cone-beam computed tomography scans of asymptomatic orthodontics patients. One patient was diagnosed with craniofacial fibrous dysplasia; the other had an intrahemispheric lipoma. Their cone-beam computed tomography images are presented, along with a literature review on their pathologies.