Fordyce Granules Research Articles

Mismatch Repair Protein Expression in Fordyce Granules.

Fordyce spots are a frequent condition under which sebaceous glands are found in the oral mucosa. There are 2 studies in the literature that have found an association between Fordyce spots and either Muir-Torre syndrome or Lynch syndrome. Despite this, no study on the expression of mismatch repair (MMR) proteins has been performed on biopsies of Fordyce granules. In this study, we intend to study the expression of MMR proteins under Fordyce condition. We investigated 9 cases of Fordyce spots of the oral mucosa from 6 men and 3 women, using immunohistochemistry with antibodies for the MutS protein homolog 6 (MSH6), MutS protein homolog 2 (MSH2), MutL protein homolog 1 (MLH1), and postmeiotic segregation increased 2 (PMS2). All cases showed the preservation of the expression of all markers. Even though a strong association has been demonstrated between Lynch syndrome and Fordyce spots, our study suggests that studying the biopsies of Fordyce condition by immunohistochemistry for MMR proteins might not be necessary.

Oral manifestations presented by patientes attended at stomatology clinic of the University of Southern Santa Catarina

AIM: Determining the prevalence of oral minfestations in patients treated at the Stomatology Clinic of the University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNISUL). MATERIAL AND METHODS: It consisted of a retrospective study conducted in 2014, with 145 medical records of patients seen at the Stomatology clinic in the period of 2010 to 2014. Through a survey form prepared by the authors the normal variations, oral lesions, biopsies performed, histopathologic diagnoses and the correlation between clinical and histopathological diagnoses were registered. RESULTS: The data was then organized in a spreadsheet and descriptively analyzed by simple occurrence counting. Of the 145 records analyzed, 57 were from men and 88 were from women. Their age ranged between 12 and 76 years, with an average age of 47 years and eight months. Among the normal variations, the Fordyce granules were observed in 20.59% (34). The fibrous hyperplasia were the pathology most frequent, 23, 5% (20). The total number of biopsies was 35, and the correlation between the clinical and histological diagnoses was 65.71% (23), in particular for inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia and leukoplasia. CONCLUSIONS: The main variation of normality was the Fordyce beads while the inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia was the main pathology diagnosed.

Fordyce granules and hyperplastic mucosal sebaceous glands as distinctive stigmata in Muir-Torre syndrome patients: characterization with reflectance confocal microscopy.

The Muir-Torre syndrome (MTS), a variant of Lynch syndrome (LS), is characterized by the presence of sebaceous skin adenomas and/or carcinomas and keratoacanthomas associated with visceral malignancies. Fordyce granules (FGs) are oral mucosal lesions previously found in association with LS. The aim of this study was to analyze the specific frequency of FGs in sporadic individuals and gene carriers patients with MTS of known mismatch repair genes mutations. The secondary aim was to characterize FGs by means of reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM). A total of 13 patients belonging to nine different genetically unrelated MTS kindreds (MLH1 gene mutation n = 2; MSH2 gene mutation n = 11) and 140 genetically unrelated healthy controls were examined. Depending on the clinical examination of the oral mucosa surface, subjects were categorized as either FGs positive or FGs negative. FGs were diagnosed in 13 of 13 (100%) of MMR gene carriers patients with MTS vs. 9 of 140 (6.4%) controls. The most common site for FGs in MTS was the vestibular oral mucosa, compared with the gingival mandibular and retromandibular pad in controls. RCM examination found multiple sebaceous acinar cells that appear as round or oval hyper-refractive globules and that create a lobular aspects of the sebaceous glands defined as 'moruliform' or 'berry-like' structures. Clinical and RCM evidences of our study suggest that an activation of the sebaceous glands system occurs in patients with MTS. Fordyce granules and intra-oral sebaceous hyperplasia may constitute an additional clinical parameter, which may be adopted to distinguish individuals with highest likelihood of being affected from MTS.

Intraoral hyperplastic Fordyce granule with destruction of bone: a case presentation.

Fordyce granules of the oral mucosa are often discovered during routine dental examinations. They are considered anatomic variations and are typically seen on the labial and buccal mucosa in adults. The present case report describes for the first time in the literature an atypical location of an enlarged Fordyce granule with local bone destruction. The diagnostic process, surgical treatment, and follow-up are presented and discussed.

Oral mucosal lesions and developmental anomalies in dental patients of a teaching hospital in Northern Taiwan

Background/purposeOral mucosal lesions and developmental anomalies are frequently observed in dental practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions and developmental anomalies in dental patients in a teaching hospital in northern Taiwan. Materials and methodsThe study group comprised 2050 consecutive dental patients. From January 2003 to December 2007, the patients received oral examination and treatment in the dental department of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan). ResultsOnly 7.17% of dental patients had no oral mucosal lesions or developmental anomalies. Twenty-three different types of oral mucosal lesions or developmental anomalies were diagnosed. The most common lesion was Fordyce granules (82.8%), followed by buccal exostosis (34.1%), torus mandibularis (24.2%), torus palatinus (21.1%), lingual varices (16.2%), and recurrent aphthous ulcerations (4.3%). Fordyce granules, lingual varices, and buccal exostosis were the three most common oral developmental anomalies in elderly patients. Fordyce granules, buccal exostosis, torus mandibularis, lingual varices, and oral submucous fibrosis were more prevalent in men than in women. Fordyce granules occurred more commonly in adults than in children and were more commonly present in the labial and buccal mucosae than in any other oral mucosal sites. The anterior region of the jaws frequently contained buccal exostoses. Torus palatinus occurred more frequently in female patients than in male patients. Recurrent aphthous ulcerations were more common in patients under 18 years old. ConclusionThis study provides important data about the types and prevalence of oral mucosal lesions and developmental anomalies in dental patients in a teaching hospital in northern Taiwan.

Prevalence of Oral Mucosal Lesions in an Adult Iranian Population

BackgroundNowadays the importance of oral health to life quality is not obvious to anyone in our world. Oral lesions can interfere with daily social activities in involved patients through impacts on mastication, swallowing and speech and symptoms like xerostomia, halitosis or dysesthesia.ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence and types of oral lesions in a general population in Rasht, Northern Province of Iran.Patients and Methods1581 people aged > 30 years old who were inhabitant of Rasht, Iran, enrolled in a cross-sectional study. For each individual a detailed questionnaire based on the world health organization (WHO) guidelines in order to diagnosis of the lesions was filled and it contained all the required data. Participants were divided into two groups with and without oral mucosal lesions and oral mucosal lesions were divided into two groups with and without. Demographic characteristics and clinical information including age, sex, smoking (cigarette and tobacco), opium consumption, medication and oral and dental hygiene were collected and compared between these two groups.ResultsThe prevalence of mucosal lesions in our study was 19.4%. Our data demonstrated higher prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in males and young adults (30-40 years). The most common mucosal lesion among our participants was Fissured tongue(4%), followed by Fordyce granules(2.8%), geographic tongue(2.6%) , Pigmentation(2.5%), Candida(1.8%), Smoker Plate(1.6%), lingual Varices(1.5%), Petechiae(1.4%) and lingual labial(1.4%) . Leukoplakia was observed only in two people (0.1%).No case of malignant lesions was detected. No statistically significant difference was confirmed between the two groups regarding smoking, opium consumption, medication and oral and dental hygiene.ConclusionsOur data has provided baseline information about epidemiologic aspects of oral mucosal lesions which can be valuable in organized national program targeting on oral health and hygiene in the society.

Prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in patients of the Kuwait University Dental Center

The purpose of this study was to determine the number, types, and locations of oral mucosal lesions in patients who attended the Admission Clinic at the Kuwait University Dental Center to determine prevalence and risk factors for oral lesions. Intraoral soft tissue examination was performed on new patients seen between January 2009 and February 2011. The lesions were divided into six major groups: white, red, pigmented, ulcerative, exophytic, and miscellaneous. Five hundred thirty patients were screened, out of which 308 (58.1%) had one or more lesions. A total of 570 oral lesions and conditions were identified in this study, of which 272 (47.7%) were white, 25 (4.4%) were red, 114 (20.0%) were pigmented, 21 (3.7%) were ulcerative, 108 (18.9%) were exophytic, and 30 (5.3%) were in the miscellaneous group. Overall, Fordyce granules (n=116; 20.4%) were the most frequently detected condition. A significantly higher (p<0.001) percentage of older patients (21-40years and ⩾41years) had oral mucosal lesions than those in the ⩽20years age group. A significantly higher (p<0.01) percentage of smokers had oral mucosal lesions than did nonsmokers. Most of the lesions and conditions were found on the buccal mucosa and gingiva. White, pigmented, and exophytic lesions were the most common types of oral mucosal lesions found in this study. Although most of these lesions are innocuous, the dentist should be able to recognize and differentiate them from the worrisome lesions, and decide on the appropriate treatment.

Clinicopathological Analysis of Common Oral Lesions

Oral health is important to the quality of life of all individuals. Oral lesions can cause discomfort or pain that interferes with mastication, swallowing, and speech. Oral disease is a health problem that is not only a matter of oral hygiene and local condition, but can also be a precursor to other dangerous and potentially life threatening illnesses. The present study was designed to analyze the main clinicopathological aspects of most common oral lesions in patients who visit the Oral Diagnosis Clinic of the College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Kurdistan region, Iraq. Patients and methods: This prospective study was performed on 3144 patients from July 2009-July 2010. In this study a total of 3144 patients were examined. Of these 1507 (47.93%) were males and 1637 (52.06%) females. The patients' age ranged between 10 to 79 years. An interview was conducted to collect information using a structured questionnaire which was completed by each patient. The lesions that could not be diagnosed by clinical examinations alone were analyzed histopathologically. Results: Among 3144 patients, only 799 patients (25.41%) had oral lesions. Females constituted 49.81% (n=398) and males 50.18 (n=401). The age range of the patients was between 10-79 years with a mean age of 33.75 years. Anatomic changes and developmental anomalies were considered as linea alba (16.68%), Fordyce's granules (12.37%), torus mandibularis (0.66%), torus palatinus (0.55%). Common oral lesions after those considered being anatomic changes and developmental anomalies were fissure tongue (18.23%), cheek biting (12.15%), hairy tongue (6.51%), and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (5.85%) , ankyloglossia (3.75%) , lingual varicosities (2.87%) , frictional (traumatic) keratosis (2.87%) , denture stomatitis (2.54%), recurrent herpes simplex virus infection (2.43%), traumatic ulcer (2.43%), geographic tongue (1.98%), fibroepithelial hyperplasia (1.32%), denture induced fibrous hyperplasia (1.21%) , angular cheilitis (0.99%) , oral lichen planus (0.88%) , median rhomboid glossitis (0.88%) , peripheral giant cell granuloma (0.22%) , and gingival hyperplasia (0.33%) . Conclusion: Routine examinations of oral cavities are valuable in identifying several oral lesions and this will help to establish early diagnosis and treatment and better prognosis particularly early precancerous and other oral lesions.

Immunohistochemical study of PDGF, IGF of radiated tooth rat embryo

Background: Oral health is important to the quality of life of all individuals. Oral lesions can cause discomfort or pain that interferes with mastication, swallowing, and speech. Oral disease is a health problem that is not only a matter of oral hygiene and local condition, but can also be a precursor to other dangerous and potentially life threatening illnesses. The present study was designed to analyze the main clinicopathological aspects of most common oral lesions in patients who visit the Oral Diagnosis Clinic of the College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Kurdistan region, Iraq. Patients and methods: This prospective study was performed on 3144 patients from July 2009-July 2010. In this study a total of 3144 patients were examined. Of these 1507 (47.93%) were males and 1637 (52.06%) females. The patients' age ranged between 10 to 79 years. An interview was conducted to collect information using a structured questionnaire which was completed by each patient. The lesions that could not be diagnosed by clinical examinations alone were analyzed histopathologically. Results: Among 3144 patients, only 799 patients (25.41%) had oral lesions. Females constituted 49.81% (n=398) and males 50.18 (n=401). The age range of the patients was between 10-79 years with a mean age of 33.75 years. Anatomic changes and developmental anomalies were considered as linea alba (16.68%), Fordyce's granules (12.37%), torus mandibularis (0.66%), torus palatinus (0.55%). Common oral lesions after those considered being anatomic changes and developmental anomalies were fissure tongue (18.23%), cheek biting (12.15%), hairy tongue (6.51%), and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (5.85%) , ankyloglossia (3.75%) , lingual varicosities (2.87%) , frictional (traumatic) keratosis (2.87%) , denture stomatitis (2.54%), recurrent herpes simplex virus infection (2.43%), traumatic ulcer (2.43%), geographic tongue (1.98%), fibroepithelial hyperplasia (1.32%), denture induced fibrous hyperplasia (1.21%) , angular cheilitis (0.99%) , oral lichen planus (0.88%) , median rhomboid glossitis (0.88%) , peripheral giant cell granuloma (0.22%) , and gingival hyperplasia (0.33%) . Conclusion: Routine examinations of oral cavities are valuable in identifying several oral lesions and this will help to establish early diagnosis and treatment and better prognosis particularly early precancerous and other oral lesions.

Prevalence study of oral mucosal lesions, mucosal variants, and treatment required for patients reporting to a dental school in North India: In accordance with WHO guidelines

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions (OML) in adult patients reporting to the dental outpatient department at the Institute of Dental Studies and Technologies, Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. The purpose was to determine the priorities in oral health education, preventive measures, and identify the group in urgent need of treatment.Materials and Methods:The study was conducted over a period of 6 months in 2010, when 8866 subjects were offered structured interviews and standardized extraoral and intraoral examinations according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.Result:Overall prevalence of OML was 1736 (16.8%), the most prevalent being smoker's palate (10.44%) followed by leukoplakia (2.83%), oral submucous fibrosis (1.97%), oral candidiasis (1.61%), recurrent aphthous stomatitis (1.53%), oral lichen planus (0.8%) and others (0.78%). The highest prevalence of the tobacco habit in both forms was recorded in the group aged 40–44 yearsand those aged between 60 and 64 years who wore dentures. Lesions were most prevalent in those aged 40–44 years with a significant predominance of males at 3:1 (M = 12.6% and F = 4.3%). Patients who consumed tobacco in any form or wore dentures had a significantly higher prevalence of OML (P < 0.001). The highest number of lesions were on the palate (59.7%) followed by buccal mucosa (19.9%). Various normal mucosal variants were recorded. Fordyce's granules (0.13%), fissured tongue (3.3%), leukoedema (1.47%), and lingual varices (2.73%) were also recorded. The tongue showed the highest number of variants (64.4%). Patients were grouped according to the treatment needed under the WHO criteria. One hundred and ninety-seven patients were given oral hygiene instructions only, whereas 1422 patients were advised on change of habit and a follow-up and 674 patients needed definitive treatment.Conclusion:This study thus highlights diagnostic criteria, multifactorial risk factors to make standard measurements of OML a basis for planning and evaluating oral health programs for data collection.

El diagnóstico del pediatra ante la patología bucal benigna del recién nacido

Knowledge of oral pathology of the newborn is important for the pediatric odontologist and also for pediatricians in order to diagnose and adequately approach it. The newborn oral cavity has specific anatomical features which health care team must know how to identify benign oral conditions. The more common are: Bohn nod- ules, Epstein pearls, Fordyce granules, Riga Fede ulcer, eruption hematoma, candidiasis, herpes simplex, difficult dental eruption, lymphangioma, natal and neonatal teeth. For those teeth whether or no they have carried or worn edges should be pulled out if they affect oral function or if they are the cause of Riga Fede ulceration. Surgical treatment is also indicated for congenital epulis, mucocele, ranula and hemangioma. A successful treatment, is based on a good diagnosis and interdisciplinary treatment. This article briefly describes the most common oral conditions of newborns in order to orient the specialist (not the dentist) with practical recommendations for early and timely treatment.

Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum of the Skin with Involvement of the Oral Cavity

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an inherited multisystemic disease of elastic fibers that primarily affects the skin and retina. A case of primary PXE of the skin with late involvement of the upper lip is reported. A 55-year-old woman with a previous diagnosis of PXE affecting her skin developed a lesion on her lower lip. An oral examination identified a yellowish macule of undefined limits. A biopsy from her lip was taken and both light and transmission electron microscopies confirmed the presence of fragmented elastic fibers and calcifications on her mucosa, which was compatible with the diagnosis of oral PXE. Since the manifestation of oral PXE is rare in this region, dental practitioners must be aware that this systemic condition may produce oral lesions, which sometimes may mimic other benign diseases of the oral cavity like Fordyce granules. So, the establishment of an appropriate diagnosis is necessary to provide adequate information and attention to the patient.

Oral mucosa alterations in a socioeconomically deprived region: prevalence and associated factors

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with oral mucosa alterations in patients from Vale do Jequiti-nhonha, Brazil. The sample consisted of 511 patients of both genders. Questionnaires were used to obtain information about patient gender, age, race, systemic disease state, medication use, cigarette use and alcohol consumption. Physical examinations were then performed to identify lesions of the oral mucosa. Descriptive analyses, Chi-squared tests and logistic regressions were then used to analyze the results (p < 0.05, 95% CI). In this population, 84.9% (434/511) of patients were found to have alterations in their oral mucosa. The most common alterations were melanotic maculae (36.0%), linea alba (33.9%), traumatic ulcers (21.5%), Fordyce's granules (20.4%), coated tongue (12.5%) and fissured tongue (10.0%). Melanotic maculae were more frequently observed in black patients, with an odds ration (OR) of 7.51. Being female was a statistically significant predictive factor for having a visible linea alba (OR: 1.90) and a fissured tongue (OR: 2.11). No statistically significant association was found between the presence of oral lesions and systemic disease, medication use, alcohol use and smoking. The high observed prevalence of melanotic maculae and Fordyce's granules suggests that these alterations could be considered typical characteristics of the population of the Vale do Jequitinhonha. Coated tongue may be related to the socioeconomic deprivation in the region. Furthermore, the high prevalence of traumatic ulcers may be associated with the traumatic agents that caused patients to seek dental care.

PREVALENCIA DE PATOLOGÍAS ORALES EN ADULTOS

Objetivo: determinar la prevalencia de patologias orales en adultos y sus condiciones asociadas.Materiales y metodos: se realizo un estudio de prevalencia en una muestra de 100 adultos. En el analisis univariado se determinaron las medidas de resumen y dispersion para todos los datos. El analisis bivariado incluyo la t de Student y la prueba Chi2. Se considero un valor de p ≤ 0,05.Resultados: del total de los adultos examinados, el 67% (67) presentaba lesiones blancas, los Granulos de Fordyce fueron los mas frecuentes con 76,1% (76) seguido de hiperqueratosis friccional con un 7%. Las lesiones rojas estuvieron presentes en el 79% (79) de los examinados y las mas frecuentes fueron las varices linguales (58.2%) (46), la mucositis protesica (48%) (38) y las petequias (10,1%) (8). El 32% (32) de las personas presentaron lesiones pigmentadas, la mas frecuente fue la pigmentacion fisiologica (71,8%) (23).Conclusiones: las lesiones orales mas frecuentes son variaciones de la normalidad como Granulos de Fordyce, varices y pigmentaciones fisiologicas propias del proceso de envejecimiento. Entre las verdaderas patologias, la mas frecuente fue la mucositis subprotesica. Solo se encontro asociacion entre los factores estudiados como necesidad de cambio de protesis y ulceras.[Aranzazu GC, Fernandez AM, Martinez SJ, Sanin LM. Prevalencia de patologias orales en adultos. Ustasalud 2011; 10: 98 - 102]

Prevalence of Oral Mucosal Changes in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh (India) - An Institutional Study

ABSTRACT Objective The objective of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of oral mucosal changes (OML) in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh and to determine possible associations of OML with respect to age, gender and habits. Materials and Methods The study sample consisted of 3035 patients collected from outpatients seeking dental treatment in department of Oral Medicine and radiology. The subjects were interviewed by trained interviewers and underwent a clinical examination of the oral mucosa performed according to WHO guidelines. A specially prepared color atlas of OML was used for lesion recognition and confirmation. Statistical Analysis The data obtained were tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis utilizing the SPSS (statistical package for the social sciences) soft ware version 10.0. Pearson chi-square test was applied to test the significance between mucosal changes with respect age, gender and habits. Results The overall classification among 3035 samples showed 1042 cases presented with one or more mucosal changes/lesions/ conditions, which constituted a total of about 1489 lesions. Among 1489 lesions, 929 mucosal changes were either normal variants or developmental anomalies, 206 were traumatic lesions, 254 were tobacco induced, 22 were of infectious origin and 78 were miscellaneous conditions. Conclusion The overall mucosal changes noted in the study was 49.06% and the most prevalent lesions were linea alba, frictional keratosis and Fordyce granules. Mucosal changes were predominantly noted in males, in buccal mucosa and in the age group of 16-30 yrs.

High‐power diode laser use on Fordyce granule excision: a case report

Fordyce granules are conventionally considered to be a developmental oral lesion with a higher incidence in men. To report a clinical case of surgical lip Fordyce granule excision in a 19-year-old male. Fordyce granules were excised using a high-power diode laser (gallium arsenide [GaAs], Diode Vision®, MDL, 10 Dental Laser Unit, GmbH, Lower Saxony, Germany) with wavelength emission at 980 ± 10 nm, in a continuous wave mode, pulse width of 0.5 μs, fiber optic delivery system of 400 μm in diameter, at 2.5 W. Subsequently, low-intensity laser therapy was applied (gallium-aluminum-arsenide [GaAlAs], at 670 nm, 50 mW, at 4 J/cm(2); Dentoflex®, São Paulo, Brazil] in order to stimulate a faster wound tissue-healing process and less postoperative pain and inflammation. The excellent esthetic result demonstrated the effectiveness of both high- and low-intensity laser therapy on the excision of Fordyce granules.

Sebaceous carcinoma of the oral cavity: a case report and review of the literature

We report the clinical and pathologic features of an intraoral sebaceous carcinoma and review the literature. The intraoral buccal mucosal tumor from a 50-year-old man was a poorly differentiated carcinoma with sebaceous differentiation and expression of androgen receptor. Fordyce granules and a minor salivary gland with a duct were identified in vicinity to the tumor. We discuss the differential diagnosis and histogenesis. The patient underwent surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy.

Evaluation of Oral Mucosal Lesions in 598 Referred Iranian Patients

The mucosal membrane of the oral cavity displays at times classical developmental lesions considered to be variations of normal structures rather than having disease characteristics. Of these lesions leukoedema, Fordyce granules, geographic-, fissured- and hairy tongue, median rhomboid glossitis and lingual varices were studied in 598 patients referred to the School of Dentistry, Tehran, Iran. The prevalence was studied in relation to age, gender, occupation, education, smoking habits, general health, addictions and or drug therapies. Oral developmental lesions were seen in 295 patients (49.3%). Only Fordyce granules (27,9%), fissured tongue (12,9%), leukoedema (12,5%) and hairy tongue (8,9%) had enough cases for statistical analysis. Three of these lesions increased with age but not fissured tongue. All were more common in men. After adjusting for age, the parameters education, occupation and complaints upon referral had little influence on the prevalence of the lesions. Fewer Fordyce granules were seen in oral mucosa of smoking men. Leukoedema and hairy tongue were significantly associated with smoking, leukoedema with diabetes mellitus. We conclude that there was a highly significant association between these oral lesions and age, gender and smoking. Few significant associations were found between oral lesions and general diseases.

Oral health in Jordan

This paper reviews the overall picture for oral hygiene, gingival/periodontal disease, dental caries and oral lesions/conditions in Jordanian subjects and its relationship to socioeconomic status. Furthermore, the trends of certain conditions are described. Only approximately one-third of children brushed their teeth regularly, so the amount of plaque was high and gingivitis was pronounced irrespective of socioeconomic status. Public school children had higher overall scores for decayed, missing, or filled teeth and surfaces than the children in the private schools. In general, boys had higher plaque and gingival scores than girls. The occurrences of shallow and deep pockets in these children were low (0.3-5.3%). Although an improvement in oral hygiene, gingival conditions and dental caries has been reported recently in children, the prevalence of these conditions is still high compared to that found in the developed countries. More than one half of the adults brushed their teeth regularly and high proportions of subjects with shallow and deep pockets were found in the 50-60-year-old age group with about 19% and 11% respectively. Fordyce's granules and tori were the most common lesions among the thirty different oral lesions or conditions diagnosed. It may be concluded that motivation and proper oral hygiene should be emphasised. Secondly, implementation of school-based oral health promotion and prevention programmes is urgently needed.

Spontaneous Ectopic Sebaceous Glands (Fordyce's Granules) in the Oral Mucosa of Sprague-Dawley Rats

Although Sprague-Dawley rats are most frequently used in numerous toxicological studies, there are only few reports dealing with the spontaneous occurrence of ectopic sebaceous glands in the oral tissue (Fordyce's granules) so far. Hence, to clarify the morphological characteristics of Fordyce's granules with their incidence in this strain, 110 male and 110 female CD(SD)IGS rats aged 19 to 112 weeks were examined microscopically. Fordyce's granules were identified in the upper molar gingiva, and most of them were located around the first and third molars. The granules consisted of one or more sebaceous glands without hairs and hair follicles, and had some lobules comprising acini with adipose vacuoles. The short excretory duct was lined with stratified squamous cells and drained to the gingival surface. The sebum constituting disintegrated acinar cells in the duct was also noted. In some cases, the granules were accompanied by cystic dilatation in the ducts and/or inflammatory reactions, without neoplastic or pre-neoplastic lesions. The overall incidence (9.1%) of Fordyce's granules in males was higher than that (0.9%) in females, and it somewhat increased with ascending ages, demonstrating sex- or age-specific difference. Based on the above findings, the nature of Fordyce's granules seen in CD(SD)IGS rats was similar to those of other strains and humans.