Amalgam tattoo: report of an unusual clinical presentation and the use of energy dispersive X-ray analysis as an aid to diagnosis

Abstract

An unusual appearing gingival amalgam pigmentation (amalgam tattoo) that completely surrounded the maxillary right first premolar in a 13-year-old boy is presented. Because of the wide distribution and apparent clinical progression of the discoloration, an excisional biopsy was performed. The histopathologic diagnosis of amalgam pigmentation was confirmed in paraffin sections by energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. Silver, tin, and mercury were detected in the specimen.