Factors related to the incidence and severity of cyclosporin-induced gingival overgrowth in transplant patients. A longitudinal study.

A longitudinal study was conducted during the first 6 months following transplant surgery in 100 heart, liver, or kidney transplant patients to assess the incidence and severity of cyclosporin-induced gingival overgrowth, as well as the most important associated factors. Gingival overgrowth, plaque, and gingivitis indices, in addition to cyclosporin blood concentration, were assessed monthly. Statistical analysis was applied to evaluate the relationship between gingival overgrowth and other study variables and to test the influence of age, sex, time, and transplant type. Forty-three percent (43%) of the patients developed gingival overgrowth. Gingival overgrowth increased significantly during the study, while plaque and gingivitis, subject to an oral hygiene training and motivation program, decreased significantly. The findings from this study would suggest that the basic factor influencing gingival overgrowth is cyclosporin blood concentration, followed by plaque/gingivitis level. The significant differences observed among transplant types, as well as among age groups, might be attributed to the differences in cyclosporin concentrations. An oral hygiene program prior to the transplant surgery is recommended.

Localization of gingival overgrowth in heart transplant patients undergoing cyclosporin therapy.

This research was aimed at determining and comparing the pattern of localization of both cyclosporin-induced gingival overgrowth and associated periodontal variables in heart transplant patients. Thirty-nine patients undergoing cyclosporin treatment were studied for 6 months following transplant surgery. Oral hygiene and gingivitis were evaluated using the Silness-Löe and Löe-Silness indices. Gingival overgrowth was measured using a periodontal probe to determine the height of the gingiva at six points per tooth. Statistical hypothesis testing was applied to calculate the significance of the results. Overgrowth average showed a steady and significant growth. The graphs depicting average overgrowth localization, "standard periodontograms," showed remarkable symmetry, and a significantly anterior mandibular papillary distribution. No overgrowth was observed in edentulous areas. The localization of plaque and gingivitis followed a similar pattern; a highly significant correlation was found with the overgrowth localization pattern. It was concluded that the elimination of plaque is an important preventive measure for cyclosporin-induced gingival overgrowth, and that tooth or periodontium related factors have a significant impact on its pathogenesis.

A histomorphologic study of the effects of periodontal inflammation on the maxillary sinus mucosa.

Twenty blocks of human jaws obtained at autopsy and containing maxillary molar teeth with the contiguous maxillary sinus intact were prepared utilizing conventional histopathologic techniques and were studied by light microscopy. The purpose of this investigation was to confirm earlier clinical reports suggesting a close association between human periodontitis and maxillary sinus thickening and to morphologically document the nature of the sinus changes. Seventeen of 20 jaw specimens demonstrated moderate to advanced periodontal destruction with pervasive extension of the inflammatory infiltrate through the alveolar process beyond the apices of the teeth and extending to the region of the antrum. Of the 20 histologic specimens, 10 showed extensive thickening of the sinus membrane, 9 had moderate hyperplastic changes, and only 1 specimen demonstrated a normal appearing sinus. Pathologic changes in the sinus membrane included inflammatory cell infiltration, edema, fibrosis of the tunica propria, mucous-serous gland proliferation, interstitial pseudo-cyst formation, polyp formation, hyalinization of the connective tissue lining, thrombosis of blood vessels, and metaplastic and degenerative changes in the epithelial lining. This study, based on histopathologic changes, suggests an apparent direct relationship between moderate and severe periodontitis of the maxillary molar teeth and pathologic changes resulting in thickening of the maxillary sinus mucosa.

A rare case of a multicentric peripheral ameloblastoma of the gingiva. A light and electron microscopic study.

A rare case of a multicentric peripheral ameloblastoma of the gingiva in a 54-year-old male patient is described along with a light and electron microscopic study of the excised tumors. The peripheral ameloblastoma is considered to be the gingival counterpart of the more common intraosseous ameloblastoma. Although both tumors have similar histomorphologic characteristics, their clinical appearance and behavior are completely different. The peripheral ameloblastoma is slow growing and non-invasive, and recurrence is uncommon following excision. The more common central ameloblastoma, is locally invasive and can destroy large segments of the jaw. The histogenesis of the peripheral ameloblastoma and several other odontogenic tumors of the gingiva serves to illustrate the proliferative potential of the basal cell layer of gingival epithelium.

Aggressive periodontal destruction and herpes zoster in a suspected AIDS patient.

An unusual case of spontaneous and rapidly destructive lesions involving the periodontal structures is described in a 54 year old, bi-sexual patients suspected of having AIDS. Concomitant with the periodontal breakdown, the patient developed a severe case of Herpes Zoster involving the area of the face innervated by the 5th cranial nerve. The dermal lesions involved the face, nose, eyes and scalp. Similar lesions were noted on the gingival and palatal mucosa on the same side of the jaw as the skin lesions. The differences between this type of periodontal destruction and more conventional forms of periodontitis are discussed.

Histologic studies on the extension of the inflammatory infiltrate in human periodontitis.

This study was undertaken to re-examine early and recent morphologic descriptions of gingival and periodontal inflammation based on a study of gingival biopsies and block sections of human jaws. A collection of 350 autopsy and surgically retrieved jaw sections containing multiple teeth and displaying various stages of periodontal inflammation were subjected to routine histologic preparation and analyzed with step serial sections. 105 gingival biopsies, serially sectioned, including 15 clinically normal specimens, were also studied. The results of these investigations suggest that the inflammatory lesion extends into the alveolar process and elicits a response, often before evidence of crestal resorption or connective tissue attachment loss has occurred. Similarly, deep penetrations of inflammatory cells into the alveolar bone, periodontal ligament and periapical tissues, along with fibrosis and enlargement of the marrow spaces, were common findings with advancing disease. More widespread distributions of inflammatory cells than previously described were found in clinically normal gingiva, while in more inflamed gingiva, the inflammatory cell types found and their pattern of distribution varied greatly from individual to individual. These observations cast doubt on the perception of human periodontitis as a localized and marginal disease and suggest that its effects may be much more pervasive than previously thought.

Enhanced repair and regeneration of periodontal lesions in tetracycline-treated patients. Case reports.

A group of cases is presented in which dramatic repair and regeneration of periodontal tissues lost as a result of periodontitis have occurred following systemic administration of tetracycline either alone or in combination with other forms of periodontal therapy. The nature and extent of regeneration demonstrated in these patients appears to be more dramatic than what has been shown previously when more conventional forms of periodontal therapy were utilized, even including bone grafting and guided tissue regeneration. The type of repair described has been shown in many instances to be long standing and is probably not totally related to the antibacterial characteristics of tetracycline. It is suggested that the ability of this drug to inhibit collagenolytic enzymes (collagenases) may have influenced the favorable clinical results achieved. The anti-collagenolytic properties of tetracycline are being considered with increasing frequency in the treatment of other systemic diseases characterized by collagen breakdown such as corneal ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Given the highly collagenous nature of the tissues of the periodontium, this report suggests that tetracycline could be of considerable value in the treatment of some types of periodontitis.

Repair potential in localized juvenile periodontitis. A case in point.

An aggressive form of localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP) in a 12-year old West African female is reported. The case was treated with scaling, root planing, debridement, and tetracycline therapy, which resulted in complete resolution of the disease, including elimination of periodontal inflammation, regeneration of lost periodontal structures, and spontaneous repositioning of teeth that had pathologically migrated. A hopelessly involved mandibular right first molar was successfully replaced by an incompletely developed maxillary third molar tooth bud whose roots and pulp structure continued to develop after autotransplantation. It is suggested, that LJP can be successfully treated without periodontal surgery and that the potential for repair in LJP cases is apparently greater than what one can anticipate in adult forms of periodontitis.

Studies on root enamel (2). Enamel pearls. A review of their morphology, localization, nomenclature, occurrence, classification, histogenesis and incidence.

Enamel pearls are one of a number of different enamel structures that can be found on the roots of deciduous and permanent teeth. They have a distinct predilection for the furcation areas of molar teeth, particularly the maxillary third and second molars. They can consist primarily of enamel, but in most instances, a core of dentin is contained within them. On rare occasions, even pulpal tissues can be found. Enamel pearls usually occur singularly, but up to 4 enamel pearls have been observed on the same tooth. Depending on the study, enamel pearls on permanent molar teeth have an incidence rate of between 1.1%-9.7% with distinct differences among racial and national groups. The incidence of enamel pearls increases greatly in histological studies, suggesting that they are often obscured by a covering of cementum.

Studies on root enamel. (I). Some historical notes on cervical enamel projections.

This is the first in a series of papers dealing with root enamel. An historical study of cervical enamel projections revealed that they were described as early as the 1st half of the 19th century, while numerous more detailed studies employing microscopy were published in the 1920s. The possible association of cervical enamel extensions and furcation involvements, which had been credited to Masters and Hoskins, was found to be clearly stated by Watson and Woods.

Unusual periodontal findings in an AIDS patient with Burkitt's lymphoma. A case report.

This report deals with a case of AIDS-related Burkitt's lymphoma in which some of the earliest findings were dental and periodontal in nature. The patient presented initially with painless and extremely loose teeth accompanied by progressive paresthesia of the lower jaw. Unique radiographic findings included extensive periodontal ligament space widening and bulbous, granuloma-like lesions about the apices of the teeth. These findings were associated with progressive tumor infiltration of the mandible and do not appear to be related to other reports of aggressive periodontitis associated with impaired immunologic functions in AIDS patients.

Periodontal manifestations of hyperoxaluria and oxalosis.

Dental and periodontal findings associated with primary hyperoxaluria in a 29-year old male patient are described. This is a rare, inherited, metabolic disease which results in excessive calcium oxalate synthesis. The predominant and early manifestation of hyperoxaluria is nephrocalcinosis which results in chronic renal failure. Widespread extrarenal deposits of calcium oxalate crystals, however, is a consistent finding. Extensive infiltration of crystals was noted in the pulps of the teeth, in the marrow spaces of the alveolar bone, in the gingival corium, and in the periodontal ligament. Crystalline calcium oxalate deposits in the periodontal ligament provoked a granulomatous foreign-body reaction. This resulted in aggressive external root resorption leading to pulp exposure and tooth mobility.

Odontogenic epithelial hamartomas in periodontal structures.

4 hamartomas apparently derived from remnants of the dental lamina and enamel organ are reported in a collection of human jaw specimens. These epithelial lesions represent a transitional stage between a developmental anomaly and a distinct odontogenic neoplasm. Earlier reports indicated that such lesions with clinical symptoms are rare; however, this study suggests a more common occurrence on a microscopic level.