Soulafa A Almazrooa1, Vikki Noonan2, Sook-Bin Woo3. 1. Graduate student, Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: soulafa_almazrooa@hsdm.harvard.edu. 2. Associate Professor, Boston University Henry Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Associate Pathologist, StrataDx Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA. 3. Associate Professor, Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Associate Surgeon, Division of Oral Medicine and Dentistry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Co-director, Oral Pathology Center, StrataDx Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Resorbable collagen membranes (RCMs) are commonly used by oral surgeons, periodontists, and endodontists for multiple purposes. We report 6 cases of RCMs that did not resorb as expected and describe the histopathologic features. STUDY DESIGN: Cases of an unusual fibrillar foreign material were noted in biopsy specimens curetted from bone. Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome stains were performed. Clinicians were contacted for detailed clinical information. RESULTS: There were 3 men and 3 women. RCMs presented as hyalinized, paucicellular, delicate eosinophilic fibrils or a meshwork without a foreign body reaction. They were refractile and stained for Masson trichrome as expected. These RCMs persisted longer than expected (2-6 weeks) in 3 cases and may have retarded healing in 5 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Although RCM is supposed to be fairly rapidly resorbable, this material sometimes persists within wound sites without any obvious foreign body reaction and may retard healing.
OBJECTIVE: Resorbable collagen membranes (RCMs) are commonly used by oral surgeons, periodontists, and endodontists for multiple purposes. We report 6 cases of RCMs that did not resorb as expected and describe the histopathologic features. STUDY DESIGN: Cases of an unusual fibrillar foreign material were noted in biopsy specimens curetted from bone. Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome stains were performed. Clinicians were contacted for detailed clinical information. RESULTS: There were 3 men and 3 women. RCMs presented as hyalinized, paucicellular, delicate eosinophilic fibrils or a meshwork without a foreign body reaction. They were refractile and stained for Masson trichrome as expected. These RCMs persisted longer than expected (2-6 weeks) in 3 cases and may have retarded healing in 5 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Although RCM is supposed to be fairly rapidly resorbable, this material sometimes persists within wound sites without any obvious foreign body reaction and may retard healing.