Pathologies of Oral Patterning - Odontogenic Tumors and Cysts
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| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | The oral cavity is an area of numerous pathologies present not only within, but also outside the dental arch. The presence of supernumerary ectopically located teeth in non-dental areas or pathologies with dental tissue formation in non-dental areas evokes the questions how these pathologies are formed and what their origin is. One of the tissues maintaining an odontogenic potential is the prospective oral vestibule located externally to the developing dentition. In case the signaling is awoken, it might explain the presence of pathologies externally to the dentition with signs of possible tooth-associated structure formation. Also during successional dental lamina disintegration, some lamina cells remain in small islands known as the rests of Serres or as epithelial pearls. These epithelial remnants are of general interest for human clinicians because they can give rise to cysts or odontogenic tumors. Odontogenic cysts are enclosed epithelial sacs with a distinct membrane derived from the rests of the odontogenic epithelium. Odontogenic tumors are pathological lesions derived from the epithelial and/or mesenchymal remnants of tooth germs. In addition, dental hard tissue may or may not be included in these lesions. The precise mechanisms controlling the initiation of odontogenic cysts or tumors are however still unknown. Uncovering the signaling pathologies and altered cell communication between epithelial and mesenchymal components could explain the mechanisms driving the initiation of tumors or cysts in our patients. As this field is largely unexplored, an association of clinical findings with molecular events in individual patients could help us to predict the patient's prognosis and to plan directly targeted treatment. |