Cystic lesions of the jaws comprise a spectrum of inflammatory, developmental and neoplastic changes that can clinically appear strikingly similar. Squamous cell metaplasia due to superinfection can further blur the histologic hallmarks of the individual lesions. In this article an overview of the most important differential diagnoses and the novelties of the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) classification on head and neck tumours released in early 2017 is provided. In contrast to the previous edition, odontogenic cysts have been re-introduced and several changes in terminology and taxonomy have been complemented.
Keywords: Ameloblastoma; Aneurysmal bone cyst; Classification; Keratocysts; Odontogenic cysts.