Melanocyte Response Following Depigmentation by Cryosurgery and Mucosal Excision: A Comparative Clinical and...

Area of Science:

• Oral Medicine
• Dermatology
• Histopathology

Background:

• Gingival hyperpigmentation affects the esthetic zone, impacting patient appearance.
• Depigmentation techniques aim to reduce melanin for cosmetic improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical and histopathological melanocyte response to cryosurgery versus mucosal excision for gingival depigmentation over six months.

Main Methods:

• Fifteen patients with gingival hyperpigmentation underwent split-mouth treatment: one side with scalpel excision, the other with cryosurgery.
• Melanocyte activity was assessed using the Masson-Fontana staining technique.
• Clinical (Dummett Oral Pigmentation Index - DOPI) and histological (melanin histopathological count - MHC) evaluations were performed at baseline and six months.

Main Results:

• Both techniques significantly reduced gingival pigmentation scores (DOPI) at six months (P=0.001 for both).
• Cryosurgery resulted in a lower mean DOPI (0.33 ± 0.48) compared to scalpel (1.05 ± 0.23).
• No statistically significant differences were found in melanin histopathological counts (MHC) between the techniques at six months (P=0.795 for scalpel, P=0.285 for cryosurgery).

Conclusions:

• Cryosurgery demonstrated a trend towards lower melanocyte repigmentation compared to the scalpel technique.
• While not statistically significant, cryosurgery may offer reduced recurrence rates for gingival hyperpigmentation.