THE HISTOPATHOLOGY OF THE INCISOR TEETH OF MICE WITH EXPERIMENTALLY PRODUCED TUBERCULOSIS

¹ Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.

A histologic study was made of the incisor teeth of 70 mice with experimentally produced tuberculosis. All but one animal showed marked changes in the ameloblasts and subjacent surface of organic enamel matrix. No dental abnormalities were noted in a group of 22 mice which served as controls.

The characteristic lesions observed, were irregularity and vacuolization of the ameloblasts with pyknosis and karyolysis of their nuclei, and a deposition of enamel-like droplets of varying size subjacent to the injured ameloblastic layer. Also seen, in many instances, was the formation of a layer of tall columnar cells beneath the ameloblasts.

An additional group of 13 uninoculated mice kept in contact with their tuberculous parents for a 4 week postnatal period and then isolated for another 4 weeks, failed to show any dental abnormalities.