On the other hand, eminent pathologists have been struggling to determine the true nature of OKC so that a definite line of action can be devised. Over the years, the oral pathologists have been trying to understand the nature, identification, and management of diseases affecting full article the oral and maxillofacial regions. In this process, all what has been achieved is to classify, classify, and reclassify these diseases. Many prior attempts have been made to classify these cysts in a logical manner. It all started as early as 1887, when Bland�CSutton subdivided odontomes into cysts. Later Gabell, James, and Payne in 1914; Thoma and Goldman in 1946; Pindborg and Clausen 1958; World Health Organization (WHO) in 1971; and finally WHO in 1992 followed this ritual of classifying and reclassifying odontogenic cysts.

[1] Despite of many classifications and nomenclature, unfortunately the clinicians still have to face difficulties in the management of this commonly found jaw lesion. This article is an effort to provide an overview of various aspects of OKC with emphasis on nomenclature, recurrence, molecular aspects, and management of OKC. The ��cholesteatoma�� Odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is an enigmatic developmental cyst, which Mikulicz in 1876 first described it as a part of a familial condition affecting the jaws. However in 1926 it was first known as a ��cholesteatoma.��[2] Cholesteatoma simply means a cystic or ��open�� mass of keratin squames with a living ��matrix��.[3] To know the history of this mysterious cyst, we should look at the account of cysts of the jaws in general.

Cystic swellings of the jaws appear first to have been described in 1654 by Scultetus, and it was not until 1728 that Fauchard suggested that they might be connected with the teeth.[4] Cysts were recognized long before the invention of x-rays in 1896, by John Hunter, who described a dental cyst in 1774.[5] Fauchard’s series of articles to describe dental cysts continued. Paget’s in 1853 coined the term ��dentigerous cyst.��[6] The ��primordial cyst�� The concept of ��Primordial cyst�� was first mentioned by Robinson[7] in 1945 because the cysts were believed to have a more primordial origin as they arose from remnants of the dental lamina or the enamel organs before enamel formation has had taken place.

Forssell and Sainio[8] had a preference for the term ��primordial cyst,�� and showed that in these lesions (genuine keratocysts) the epithelium was distinctly parakeratotic with cuboidal or columnar palisaded basal cells, and occasionally orthokeratotic. The ��odontogenic keratocyst�� Philipsen in 1956,[9] while still a senior dental student working with Jens J Pindborg in Copenhagen, named and described the ��odontogenic keratocyst.�� The designation ��keratocyst�� was used Anacetrapib to describe any jaw cyst in which keratin was formed to a large extent.