The Contribution of Computed Tomography to the Diagnosis of Torus Palatinus: Two Clinical Cases Observed in Bouaké

Introduction: Oral exostoses are exophytic bone growths that develop from the jawbones. Four main types are described according to their location: torus palatinus, palatal exostosis, mandibular torus, and vestibular exostosis. These slow-growing, progressive formations are considered benign, non-neoplastic and non-pathological. Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the CT scan characteristics of two cases of torus palatinus diagnosed in our practice and to compare these observations with data from the literature. Patients and Observations: Two patients, a 55-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman, were referred by the stomatology department of the Bouaké University Hospital to the Medical Imaging Centre for maxillofacial computed tomography as part of an assessment of palatal masses. Clinical examination revealed a median oval, bumpy, painless, firm swelling without ulceration on each side of the intermaxillary suture, limited to the hard palate. No history of oral exostosis was reported in their respective families. Computed tomography scans revealed a spontaneously hyperdense, oblong, bifid formation with cortico-spongy density, developing at the expense of the bony palate. These findings strongly pointed to a diagnosis of torus palatinus in both cases. Conclusion: The palatal torus is a relatively common benign lesion that is still underdiagnosed in some regions. Computed tomography is the gold standard imaging test for its identification, thanks to typical CT scan findings. However, a definitive diagnosis is still made by histopathological examination, especially in cases of doubt.