TY - JOUR T1 - Focal Abscess: Description of a clinical case JF - American Dental Hygienists' Association JO - J Dent Hyg SP - 39 LP - 44 VL - 97 IS - 2 AU - Alexis M. Troy AU - Leciel K. Bono AU - JoAnn R. Gurenlian Y1 - 2023/04/01 UR - http://jdh.adha.org/content/97/2/39.abstract N2 - Purpose The purpose of this article is to present a case report of a periapical lesion found in a 24-year-old female who presented to a university dental hygiene clinic with a chief complaint of vestibular pain around tooth #22. Radiographically, the lesion appeared radiolucent and unilocular with well-defined borders and significant bone resorption. The area of radiolucency increased in size over a period of five weeks indicating an aggressive pathosis. Given the clinical and radiographic presentations, the differential diagnosis included an odontogenic keratocystic tumor (odontogenic keratocyst), central giant cell granuloma, periapical cyst, and squamous cell carcinoma. Biopsy revealed the diagnosis of a focal abscess. The patient’s presenting signs and symptoms are reviewed. Management and contributing factors are discussed. ER -