Collagen fibres in the wall of odontogenic keratocysts: a study with picrosirius red and polarizing microscopy

The collagen in the walls of 15 keratocysts was studied histochemically by staining sections with picrosirius red and examining them with polarizing m icroscopy, This was compared to 15 cases of dentigerous cyst and 15 cases o f radicular cyst. Polarization colours of the collagen fibres were recorded according to their width. No differences were found between the polarizati on colours of thin fibres (<0.8 mu m) in all three lesions; the polarizatio n colours of thick fibres (1.6-2.4 mu m) in keratocysts were significantly more greenish-yellow when compared with these of dentigerous cysts and radi cular cysts. The staining of the collagen fibres in the keratocysts is simi lar to that reported in odontogenic neoplasms, which suggests that the stro ma of keratocysts could be regarded not just as a structural support of the cyst wall, but as playing a parr in the neoplastic behaviour of the cyst.