title: The gingival Stillman's clefts: histopathology and cellular characteristics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stillman's cleft is a mucogingival triangular-shaped defect on the buccal surface of a root with unknown etiology and pathogenesis. The aim of this study is to examine the Stillman's cleft obtained from excision during root coverage surgical procedures at an histopathological level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Harvesting of cleft was obtained from two periodontally healthy patients with a scalpel and a bevel incision and then placed in a test tube with buffered solution to be processed for light microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microscopic analysis has shown that Stillman's cleft presented a lichenoid hand-like inflammatory infiltration, while in the periodontal patient an inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia was identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stillman's cleft remains to be investigated as for the possible causes of such lesion of the gingival margin, although an inflammatory response seems to be evident and active from a strictly histopathological standpoint.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Section of Periodontology "Sapienza", University of Rome, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, "Tor Vergata" University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cassini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, "Tor Vergata" University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cerroni
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Institute of Anatomic Pathology, "Tor Vergata" University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Amedeo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferlosio
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Institute of Anatomic Pathology, "Tor Vergata" University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Section of Periodontology "Sapienza", University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pilloni
keywords: Stillman’s cleft; gingival margin; histological analysis; inflammation; recessions