Pathological study of the hyperplastic dental follicle.

Abstract

Eleven specimens of hyperplastic dental follicles were studied clinicopathologically, with reference to the patient's sex and age at the time of diagnosis, site of the lesions, and histopathology. The patients comprised 6 males and 5 females with an average age of 15.7 years (range 10 to 23 years). Two cases involved multiple lesions, and 9 a single lesion. The lesions were related to impaction of the canine, second premolar, second molar or third molar. Radiographically, the lesions showed various degrees of radiolucency around the crown of the impacted tooth. Most of the cases were diagnosed clinically as dentigerous cyst. The histopathological features of the lesions were similar to those of normal dental follicular tissue around the developing tooth. No tumorous features such as odontogenic fibroma, odontogenic myxoma or myxofibroma were evident in the lesions.