Quantitative analysis of cellular composition of human periapical granuloma.

9 The cel lular compos i t i on of 33 solid and cystic periapical g r an u lo m as was quant i t a ted by a differential m o r p h o m e t r i c technique . Macrophages were the p r e d o m i n a n t i n f l ammato ry cell, fo l lowed in descending numer ica l o rde r by lymphocy te s , p lasma ceils, and neutrophi ls . I n f l ammato ry cells compr i sed sl ightly more than half the fo rmed e lements ; the others were connec t ive tissue e lements . There were no significant qual i ta t ive or quant i ta t ive d i f ferences in the i n f l ammato ry c o m p o n e n t s of lesions differ ing in m o r p h o l o g y (solid vs cystic), s y m p t o m a t o l o g y (pain vs no pain), du ra t ion (less than one year vs more than one year) , and t r ea tmen t ( endodon t i c in te rvent ion vs no in tervent ion) . Th e h u m a n periapical g r a n u l o m a thus reflects a complex of immuno log ic and n o n i m m u n o l o g i c in f l ammatory react ions.