Odontomas in Peromyscus leucopus

A colony of Peromyscus leucopus was established 15 years ago from animals trapped in the deciduous forest at Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois. A roentgenographic survey of the skeletons of 189 of these untreated animals dying during a 13-month period disclosed 48 odontogenic growths in 21 of the mice. These growths were diagnosed on histopathologic examination as complex odontomas, the incidence of which was higher in males than in females. In this relatively small sample, these benign tumors appeared to be associated with youth rather than old age.