Pathologically significant pericoronal lesions in adults: Histopathologic evaluation.
OBJECTIVE
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons devote a large portion of their practice to the removal of impacted teeth. Many of these teeth have associated soft tissue that is submitted along with or without the tooth for histopathologic examination. This study reports the histopathologic diagnoses of a large series of pericoronal lesions in adults submitted to an oral and maxillofacial pathology biopsy service.


METHODS
Two thousand six hundred forty-six pericoronal lesions received during a 6-year period were reviewed for location, age, and histopathologic diagnosis.


RESULTS
Retrospective evaluation showed that 67.1% of all submissions were nonpathologic follicular tissue. Pathologically significant lesions were diagnosed in 32.9% of cases. Among these lesions were 673 dentigerous cysts (28.4%), 79 dentigerous cysts with mucous cell prosoplasia, 71 odontogenic keratocysts (2.68%), 19 odontomas (0.7%), 13 ameloblastomas (0.5%), 6 carcinomas (0.23%), 6 calcifying odontogenic cysts (0.23%), 4 calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumors, and 1 odontogenic myxoma (0.04%). When stratified by age, the data showed pathologically significant lesions and age are related (chi(2), P <.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Because of selection bias inherent in a study of this nature, population generalizations cannot be made. However, this study serves to show that the potential for the development of significant, even life-threatening, disease associated with impacted teeth is real and should be a factor in the decision-making process when oral surgeons and others are confronted with the dilemma of managing an impacted tooth.
Curran
Alice E
AE
University of Mississippi School of Dentistry, Jackson, MS, USA. Alice_Curran@Dentistry.unc.edu
Damm
Douglas D
DD
Drummond
James F
JF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003657:Decision Making; D003795:Dental Sac / Q000473:pathology*; D005881:Gingiva / Q000473:pathology*; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007571:Jaw Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D007573:Jaw Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D009807:Odontogenic Cysts / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D009808:Odontogenic Tumors / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015983:Selection Bias; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery