RESEARCH AND REVIEWS: JOURNAL OF DENTAL SCIENCES Evaluation of 115 Radicular Cysts: Histologic and Etiopathogenic Aspects for Clinicians

Radicular cysts (RCs) show distinct histopathological findings may be lined wholly or in part by non-stratified squamous epithelium, the scar fibrous connective tissue, few unexpected neoplasms have been reported and this an important insight into the knowledge of the histological variations of RCs. A total of 115 cases of RCs from the archives of Department of Oral Pathology evaluated for different varieties of epithelium among them 20% were non-stratified squamous epithelium, 27.82% with arcading pattern 7.82% cysts with sheets of epithelial cells with cleft formation 44.34% cysts without epithelial lining. The presence of only inflammatory connective tissue, which had modest to moderate intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate, 4.35% foamy macrophages/hyaline bodies and 6.96% cholesterol crystals. Most clinicians discard periapical tissue after surgical procedure rather than submitting those for histopathologic evaluation, and then losing potentially valuable illuminating information. The apical soft tissue lesion should be evaluated histopathologically, not to distinguish cyst versus granuloma, but to rule out unexpected neoplasms or more aggressive cysts.