Does Surgical Fragmentation of Odontogenic Keratocystic Capsule Interfere With the Recurrence Rate?

We hypothesized that fragmentation of the cystic capsule during surgery would influence the recurrence rate of odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs) regardless of the treatment modality chosen. We reviewed, in a retrospective study, cases diagnosed as OKCs on histopathologic examination at the oral pathology department between 1991 and 2013. Fragmentation data were obtained from the records of the oral surgical department. Fragmentation of the capsules of OKCs during surgery did not affect recurrence, irrespective of the chosen treatment modality. The addition of techniques such as cryotherapy lowered the risk of recurrence of OKCs (P = .013) compared with after enucleation alone. Furthermore, patients with associated nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome had a greater recurrence rate than that of those with no associated syndrome (P = .033). Fragmentation of the cystic capsule does not play an important role in the rate of OKC recurrence. The rate of recurrence can be modified by using additional strategies such as cryotherapy.