Purpose. To review all available data published on central giant cell lesion (CGCL) of the jaws into a comprehensive analysis of its clinical/radiologic features, with emphasis on the predictive factors associated with its recurrence. Methods. Electronic search undertaken in 5 databases (February/2018), looking for publications reporting cases of CGCLs. Results. 365 publications were included, comprising 2270 lesions. CGCLs were more prevalent in women and in the mandible, being usually asymptomatic. Cortical bone perforation occurred in 50% of the cases. Marginal/segmental resection were more often performed in larger lesions, and drug therapy was more frequent in small lesions. Recurrence was reported in 232/1316 cases (17.6%). The recurrence rate of the aggressive lesions (22.8%) after surgical treatment was higher than non-aggressive lesions (7.8%). Four out of five CGCLs showed partial/total regression with pharmacological treatment. Aggressive lesions showed worse response to corticosteroids than non-aggressive lesions. For the lesions submitted to surgery as the first treatment, curettage, enucleation or marginal resection in relation to segmental resection, aggressive lesions, cortical bone perforation, and tooth root resorption were associated with increased recurrence rate. Recurrence related to combination of surgical/pharmacological treatment could not be evaluated due to the variety of protocols. Conclusions. Aggressive CGCLs recur more often than the non-aggressive ones. Despite sometimes showing poor response to corticosteroid injection or surgical curettage, a combination of both treatment strategies should be considered in these aggressive cases in order to reduce morbidities associated with radical surgery. The best protocol to manage aggressive and non-aggressive lesions remains to be determined.