Signs and symptoms - Nasopalatine duct cysts usually present as asymptomatic palatal swellings. - Rarely, they may be accompanied by pain and/or purulent discharge.

Cause and diagnosis - The cause of nasopalatine duct cysts is thought to be the oronasal ducts present within the incisive canals. - The cyst requires histological analysis for a definitive diagnosis. - Radiographically, the cyst appears as a well-demarcated round, ovoid, or heart-shaped structure in the midline of the maxilla.

Treatment - Nasopalatine duct cysts are generally treated by excision.

Epidemiology - The nasopalatine cyst is the most common non-odontogenic cyst of the oral cavity. - It has an estimated occurrence rate of 1%.

References - Meyer, AW. A unique supernumerary paranasal sinus directly above the superior incisors. J Anat 1914;48:118-129. - Vasconcelos, RF, et al. Retrospective analysis of 31 cases of nasopalatine duct cyst. Oral Dis 1999;5:325-328. - Albayram, MS, et al. Radiology quiz case: Nasopalatine duct cyst. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2001;127:1283-1285. - Gnanasekhar, JD, et al. Misdiagnosis and mismanagement of a nasopalatine duct cyst and its corrective therapy: A case report. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1995;80:465-470. - Swanson, KS, et al. Nasopalatine duct cyst: An analysis of 334 cases. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1991;49:268-271.