A palaeopathological case of a right maxilla's cemento-ossifying fibroma

Cemento‐ossifying fibromas (COFs) are rare benign tumours affecting the maxilla and the mandible. The COF, of nonodontogenic origin, consists of a heterogeneous mixture of bone tissues and cementum. The skeleton of burial 154 excavated from the site of Magnicourt‐ en‐Comté (Pas‐de‐Calais) has been studied palaeopathologically. The cemetery is dated from the Merovingian period (6th–7th century AD) and included 262 burials. In this study, we focus on the differential diagnosis of cemento‐ossifying fibroma and other dyplastic and cystic lesions. Various macroscopic, radiological and histological aspects enable us to make a positive diagnosis of COF. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.