Role Of Collagen Fibres In The Expansion Of Odontogenic Cysts – A Histochemical Study.

Objective: To assess the thickness and color of collagen fibres in various odontogenic cysts for its possible role in expansion. Study design: 49 cases of 4 types of odontogenic cysts and 5 normal mucosal tissues were selected as the study and the control group respectively. All slides were stained with both Hemotoxylin and Eosin and the picrosirius red stain. The thickness of collagen fibres were assessed using polarizing microscopy under oil immersion. Results: Irrespective of the control and the study groups, the overall distributions of the thin fibres were predominantly greenish yellow in color and the thick fibres were orange red. Variations were noticed in the fibres of radicular cyst and odontogenic keratocysts where in radicular cyst even the thin fibres expressed more of orange red color and in odontogenic keratocyst the thick fibres also expressed more of greenish yellow color. Conclusion: There is a definite altered staining reaction noticed in the fibres of radicular and the odontogenic keratocyst which suggests that there is a possibility of a biochemical and morphological change in the constituent of the fibres in these cyst groups which could be responsible for their behavior.