Lipopigment in odontogenic cysts

Abstract

A study of 105 odontogenic cysts revealed the presence of pigmented cells in the cyst wall in 38% of the cases. The frequency of pigmented cells was higher in the inflammatory odontogenic cysts than in the developmental cysts. Although isolated pigmented cells were seen within the epithelial lining and cyst cavity, the larger collections were closely associated with cholesterol crystals and hemosiderin deposits; they contained light brown cytoplasmie pigment which manifested sudanophilia, acid-fastness, silver reduction capacity, PAS positivity and yellow autofluorescence in ultraviolet light. The morphology, histochemical reactions and autofluorescence suggest that the pigmented cells are macrophages containing ceroids.It has been suggested that the hemosiderin which is found in the cyst wall serves as an oxidation catalyst for the locally hberated lipids, the end result of which is the formation of the ceroid pigment.

Glandular Odontogenic Cyst: The Value of Intraepithelial Hemosiderin

“…One explanation of this finding is a combination of surface epithelium sloughing and epithelial proliferation around entrapped red blood cells. 4 Another explanation is that stromal hemorrhage was observed in most cysts, with or without hemosiderin. Although some of the stromal hemorrhage is caused by surgical procedures or trauma, in many instances the hemorrhage appears to be due to degradation because many hemorrhagic cysts were not associated with surgical manipulation or trauma.…”