There is not a specific theory behind the etiology of the unicameral bone cyst, however, according to many researchers and doctors, there is a commonly known theory hypothesized by Jonathan Cohen in 1970. Cohen studied interstitial fluid in six children undergoing treatment for unicameral bone cysts. He believed that the chemical composition of the fluid found in the bone cyst was similar to the chemical make-up in serum. Cohen theorized that the unicameral bone cyst occurs when interstitial fluids in cancellous bones quickly accumulate in one region from blockage.

One of the other theories is that the cysts result from a disorder of the growth plate. Another is that the cysts result from problems with circulation that are caused by a developmental anomaly in the veins of the affected bone. The role trauma plays in the development of these cysts is unknown. Some speculate that repeated trauma puts the bone at risk for developing a bone cyst. This, however, has not been proven.

Most unicameral bone cysts do not cause any symptoms and are discovered as accidental findings on radiographs or CT scans made for other reasons. Large lesions can cause nearby areas of bone to thin, which may result in a fracture and cause pain.

Recurrence rate of solid form of tumour is lower than classic form.

It is common in age group of 10–30 years. It is second most common tumor of spine and commonest benign tumor of pelvis in pediatric population. Incidence is slightly more in males than females (1.3:1).

A bone cyst or geode is a cyst that forms in bone.

Types include:

- Unicameral bone cyst

- Aneurysmal bone cyst

- Traumatic bone cyst

While the exact cause of enchondroma is not known, it is believed to occur either as an overgrowth of the cartilage that lines the ends of the bones, or as a persistent growth of original, embryonic cartilage.

Simple (Unicameral) Bone Cyst

Some unicameral bone cysts may spontaneously resolve without medical intervention. Specific treatments are determined based on size of the cyst, strength of the bone, medical history, extent of the disease, activity level, symptoms an individual is experiencing, and tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies. The types of methods used to treat this type of cyst are curettage and bone grafting, aspiration, steroid injections, and bone marrow injections. Watchful waiting and activity modifications are the most common nonsurgical treatments that will help resolve and help prevent unicameral bone cysts from occurring and reoccurring.

Aneurysmal Bone Cyst

The aneurysmal bone cyst can be treated with a variety of different methods. These methods include open curettage and bone grafting with or without adjuvant therapy, cryotheraphy, sclerotherapy, ethibloc injections, radionuclide ablation, and selective arterial embolization. En-block resection and reconstruction with strut grafting are the most common treatments and procedures that prevent recurrences of this type of cyst.

Traumatic Bone Cyst

The traumatic bone cyst treatment consists of surgical exploration, curettage of the osseous socket and bony walls, subsequent filling with blood, and intralesional steroid injections. Young athletes can reduce their risk of traumatic bone cyst by wearing protective mouth wear or protective head gear.

Stafne defect is uncommon, and has been reported to develop anywhere between the ages of 11 and 30 years old, (although the defect is developmental, it does not seem to be present form birth, implying that the lesion develops at a later age). Usually the defect is unilateral (on one side only) and most commonly occurs in men.

Traumatic bone cyst, also called a simple bone cyst, is a condition of the jaws. It is more likely to affect men and is more likely to occur in people in their first and second decades. There is no known cause though it is sometimes related to trauma. It appears on radiographs as a well-circumscribed radiolucency (dark area), and it commonly scallops between the roots of teeth. When the lesion is surgically opened, an empty cavity is found.

One study showed female predominance.

An enchondroma may occur as an individual tumor or several tumors. The conditions that involve multiple lesions include the following:

- Ollier disease (enchondromatosis) - when multiple sites in the body develop the tumors. Ollier disease is very rare.

- Maffucci's syndrome - a combination of multiple tumors and angiomas (benign tumors made up of blood vessels).

Recurrence rate is higher in aspirated cysts than in excised ones. Ganglion cysts have been found to recur following surgery in 12% to 41% of patients.

A six-year outcome study of the treatment of ganglion cysts on the dorsum (back) of the wrist compared excision, aspiration, and no treatment. Neither excision nor aspiration provided long-term benefit better than no treatment. Of the untreated ganglion cysts, 58% resolved spontaneously; the post-surgery recurrence rate in this study was 39%. A similar study in 2003 of ganglion cysts occurring on the palmar surface of the wrist states: "At 2 and 5 year follow-up, regardless of treatment, no difference in symptoms was found, regardless of whether the palmar wrist ganglion was excised, aspirated or left alone."

The prognosis depends upon the type, size and location of a cyst. Most cysts are entirely benign, and some may require no treatment. Rarely, some cystic lesions represent locally aggressive tumors that may cause destruction of surrounding bone if left untreated. This type of cyst are usually removed with a margin of healthy bone to prevent recurrence of new cysts. If a cyst expands to a very large size, the mandible may be weakened such that a pathologic fracture occurs.

Radicular cysts are by far the most common cyst occurring in the jaws.

Osteoporotic bone marrow defect is a condition which may be found in the body of the mandible. It is usually painless and found during routine radiographs. It appears as a poorly defined radiolucency (dark area) where there was a previous history of an extraction of a tooth. It may resemble a metastatic disease.

It is a localized increase of hematopoietic bone marrow that creates a radiolucent radiographic defect. They occur more commonly in women in the midyears and show a predilection for the molar region of the mandible. They are especially common in extraction sites. Scattered trabeculae may extend short distances into the defect or, in some instances, through it, giving the defect a fairly characteristic appearance. Naturally there are no clinical symptoms.

The most commonly accepted probable cause of ganglion cysts is the "herniation hypothesis", by which they are thought to occur as "an out-pouching or distention of a weakened portion of a joint capsule or tendon sheath." This description is based on the observations that the cysts occur close to tendons and joints, the microscopic anatomy of the cyst resembles that of the tenosynovial tissue, the fluid is similar in composition to synovial fluid, and dye injected into the joint capsule frequently ends up in the cyst, which may become enlarged after activity. Dye injected into the cyst rarely enters the joint, however, which has been attributed to the apparent formation of an effective and one-way "check valve", allowing fluid out of the joint, but not back in.

In synovials, posttraumatic degeneration of connective tissue and inflammation have been considered as causes. Other possible mechanisms for the development of ganglion cysts include repeated mechanical stress, facet arthrosis, myxoid degeneration of periarticular fibrous tissues and liquefaction with chronic damage, increased production of hyaluronic acid by fibroblasts, and a proliferation of mesenchymal cells. Ganglion cysts also may develop independently from a joint.

In circumstances where other pathologies are excluded (for example, cancer), a pathologic fracture is diagnostic of osteoporosis irrespective of bone mineral density.

The globulomaxillary cyst is a cyst that appears between a maxillary lateral incisor and the adjacent canine. It exhibits as an "inverted pear-shaped radiolucency" on radiographs, or X-ray films.

The globulomaxillary cyst often causes the roots of adjacent teeth to diverge.

This cyst should not be confused with a nasopalatine cyst.

The developmental origin has been disputed. Today, most literature agree based on overwhelming evidence that the cyst is predominantly of tooth origin (odontogenic), demonstrating findings consistent with periapical cysts, odontogenic keratocysts or lateral periodontal cysts.

It is a classed as a pseudocyst, since there is no epithelial lining or fluid content. This defect is usually considered with other cysts of the jaws, since it can be mistaken for such on a radiograph.

Blocked sebaceous glands, swollen hair follicles, high levels of testosterone and the use of androgenic anabolic steroids will cause such cysts.

A case has been reported of a sebaceous cyst being caused by the human botfly.

Hereditary causes of sebaceous cysts include Gardner's syndrome and basal cell nevus syndrome.

This nasolabial cyst, also known as a nasoalveolar cyst, is located superficially in the soft tissues of the upper lip. Unlike most of the other developmental cysts, the nasolabial cyst is an example of an extraosseous cyst, one that occurs outside of bone. It will therefore not show up on a radiograph, or an X-ray film.

This defect may easily be mistaken for a cyst or tumor. Biopsy is required to rule these out.

Pathologic fractures in children and adolescents can result from a diverse array of disorders namely; metabolic, endocrine, neoplastic, infectious, immunologic, and genetic skeletal dysplasias.

- Osteogenesis imperfecta

- Primary hyperparathyroidism

- Simple bone cyst

- Aneurismal bone cyst

- Disuse osteoporosis

- Chronic osteomyelitis

- Osteogenesis imperfecta

- Rickets

- Renal osteodystrophy

- Malignant infantile osteopetrosis

- juvenile osteoporosis

- juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

The standard treatment of COC is enucleation and curettage (E&C). Recurrence following E&C is rare.

Epidermoid cysts commonly result from implantation of epidermis into the dermis, as in trauma or surgery. They can also be caused by a blocked pore adjacent to a body piercing. They are also seen in Gardner's syndrome and Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome on the head and neck. They can be infected by bacteria and form a pimple-like shape.

Cysts derived from CNS tissues are very common in America. They are a subtype of cerebrovascular diseases, which are the third leading cause of death in America. Generally, CNS cysts are present in all geographic regions, races, ages, and sexes. However, certain types of CNS cysts are more prevalent in certain types of individuals than others. Some examples of incidence rates in specific types of cysts include:

- Arachnoid cysts are more prevalent in males than females

- Colloid cysts are more prevalent in adults

- Dermoid cysts are more prevalent in children under 10 years of age

- Epidermoid cysts are more prevalent in middle-aged adults