Fibro-osseous lesions of the head and neck.

In recent years the term "fibro-osseous lesions" has gained wide acceptance as a general designation for certain pathological processes of the craniofacial bones. These lesions comprise a challenging group of pathologic conditions that cause difficulty in classification and treatment. Common to all of these pathologic entities is the replacement of normal bone architecture by a benign fibrous tissue composed of fibroblasts and collagen and which contains varying amounts of mineralized material. Categorization of the fibro-osseous lesions is dependent upon correlation of the patient's history, clinical findings, radiographic criteria, and histopathologic determination. This article discusses two of the most commonly confused benign fibro-osseous lesions: fibrous dysplasia and ossifying fibroma.