Morphological characterization of the nasopalatine region in human fetuses and its association to pathologies.

UNLABELLED: The nasopalatine region is composed of structures such as the vomeronasal organ and nasopalatine duct. The nasopalatine duct may provide the communication of the mouth to the nasal cavity in human fetuses and can be obliterated in an adult human. Knowledge on the development of the nasopalatine region and nasopalatine duct in humans is necessary for understanding the morphology and etiopathogenesis of lesions that occur in this region. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to describe the morphological aspects of the nasopalatine region in human fetuses and correlate these aspects with the development of pathologies in this region. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five human fetuses with no facial or palatine abnormalities were used for the acquisition of specimens from the nasopalatine region. After demineralization, the specimens were histologically processed. Histological cuts were stained with methylene blue to orient the cutting plane and hematoxylin-eosin for the descriptive histological analysis. RESULTS: The age of the fetuses was 8.00, 8.25, 9.00 and 9.25 weeks, and it was not possible to determine the age in the last one. The incisive canal was observed in all specimens as an opening delimited laterally by the periosteum and connecting oral and nasal cavity. The nasopalatine duct is an epithelial structure with the greatest morphological variation, with either unilateral or bilateral occurrence and total patent, partial patent and islet forms. The vomeronasal organ is a bilateral epithelized structure located alongside the nasal septum above the incisive canal in all the fetuses. CONCLUSIONS: The incisive canal, nasopalatine duct and vomeronasal organ are distinct anatomic structures. The development of nasopalatine duct cysts may occur in all forms of the nasopalatine duct.

Morphological characterization of the nasopalatine region in human fetuses and its association to pathologies

The nasopalatine region is composed of structures such as the vomeronasal organ and nasopalatine duct. The nasopalatine duct may provide the communication of the mouth to the nasal cavity in human fetuses and can be obliterated in an adult human. Knowledge on the development of the nasopalatine region and nasopalatine duct in humans is necessary for understanding the morphology and etiopathogenesis of lesions that occur in this region. Objective The aim of the present study was to describe the morphological aspects of the nasopalatine region in human fetuses and correlate these aspects with the development of pathologies in this region. Material and Methods Five human fetuses with no facial or palatine abnormalities were used for the acquisition of specimens from the nasopalatine region. After demineralization, the specimens were histologically processed. Histological cuts were stained with methylene blue to orient the cutting plane and hematoxylin-eosin for the descriptive histological analysis. Results The age of the fetuses was 8.00, 8.25, 9.00 and 9.25 weeks, and it was not possible to determine the age in the last one. The incisive canal was observed in all specimens as an opening delimited laterally by the periosteum and connecting oral and nasal cavity. The nasopalatine duct is an epithelial structure with the greatest morphological variation, with either unilateral or bilateral occurrence and total patent, partial patent and islet forms. The vomeronasal organ is a bilateral epithelized structure located alongside the nasal septum above the incisive canal in all the fetuses. Conclusions The incisive canal, nasopalatine duct and vomeronasal organ are distinct anatomic structures. The development of nasopalatine duct cysts may occur in all forms of the nasopalatine duct. .

Cisto do ducto nasopalatino: revisäo da literatura / Nasopalatine duct cyst: review of literature

Os autores mostram através da revisäo da literatura a controvertida etiologia dos cistos nasopalatinos alicerçando-se em teorias e na embriologia da face, descrita por alguns autores

Intraneural and perineural epithelial structures.

The fact that numerous embryologic epithelial remnants are a normal occurrence in the oral region is well known. That some of these epithelial remnants occur within peripheral nerves is less well known. This study presents examples of intraneural epithelial rests from 3 different anatomic sites: the soft tissues of the jaws (a juxtaoral organ of Chievitz), the posterior maxilla (an ondotogenic rest), and the anterior maxilla (a nasopalatine duct remnant). The purpose of this paper is to draw the attention of surgical pathologists to this phenomenon in the head and neck in order to avoid extensive unnecessary surgery.

A histologic and embryologic analysis of so-called globulomaxillary cysts.

In an attempt to clarify the confusing concept of the so-called globulomaxillary cyst, we have reviewed all cases of this lesion occurring in the files of the CMDNJ-NJDS Biopsy Service between 1967--1977. We have discussed our cases in terms of the criteria used inconsistently in the literature of the globulomaxillary cyst: its location, the vitality of adjacent teeth, its histologic structure and its supposed origin from non-odontogenic embryonic epithelial remnants. We concluded that none of the criteria established the globulomaxillary cyst as a distinct entity and suggest that use of the term be discontinued.