Central Giant Cell Granuloma of the Jaws: A Clinical Study of 17 Cases and a Review of the Literature

Objectives: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the outcome of treatment of a group of 17 patients with central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) who were treated in our clinic. Methods: A group of 17 patients with CGCG were treated in the Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the “G. Papanikolaou” hospital in Thessaloniki. The age range was from 7 to 60 years. Eight patients were male and 9 patients were female. Because most of our patients (11) were less than 30 years old, the aim of the treatment was to eradicate the lesions without functional problems. All of the patients were treated by excision via curettage without a continuity defect and peripheral osteotomy. For 2 patients, the treatment was continued (after the first recurrence) with salmon calcitonin. Results: The follow-ups ranged from 1 to 15 years. All of the patients were free of the disease, without features of recurrence and without functional or aesthetic problems. Conclusions: Surgery has usually been considered to be the best method of treatment for CGCG. Most authors have proposed conservative surgical procedures (excision via curettage), especially for young patients. For aggressive lesions, supplementary treatment with calcitonin would provide good results.