Chronic Apical Periodontitis: Clinical and histological aspects

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Chronic apical periodontitis (CAP) is a chronic, slow-onset, often asymptomatic, inflammatory disease involving the tooth apex. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the most relevant clinical and histopathological aspects of the chronic apical periodontitis cases diagnosed at the Center of Reference of Oral Injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was carried out using 82 histopathological reports compatible with CAPs diagnosed from 2006 to 2017. The variables evaluated were clinical and histological aspects of PACs. Statistical analysis was performed by Software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17. RESULTS: The clinical analysis of the lesions showed that they affected the maxilla (94.6%), with lesions measuring up to 10 mm (75%). In the radiographs, the most common were radiolucent lesions with radiopaque halo (32.1%) and radiolucent lesions without radiopaque halo (32.1%). Histologically, there was a prevalence of root cysts (63.4%), presence of connective tissue (95%), collagen deposition (87.5%) and inflammatory infiltrate (100%), with cystic capsules(63.4%). Root cysts represented the majority of clinical suspicions (81.4%), but there was no statistical difference between clinical suspicion and histopathological diagnosis (p = 0.09). FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: It was observed that, in the evaluated population, the root cysts were the most commonly found PACs, and it is important that further studies be performed in order to establish the concordance of clinical and histological diagnosis.