The distribution and morphologic variation of hyaline deposits in odontogenic lesions

The deposits of homogeneous hyaline substances present in epithelium-containing odontogenic lesions were evaluated in 201 tumors. The material was evaluated to establish the types of odontogenic lesions capable of producing the substance, its frequency of occurrence, its microscopic variation, and the different morphologic relationships of the substance to the odontogenic epithelium present in the lesions. The deposits were found in 40.3 percent of the 201 odontogenic tumors and frequently in several other nonneoplastic odontogenic lesions. It was most consistent in odontomas but was found to some extent in all types of epithelium-containing odontogenic tumors. It was present either in a basement membrane location or as a diffuse deposit in the connective tissue. In the latter location, the deposits commonly contained enclaved islands of odontogenic epithelium and had a distinct tendency to calcify. The study also suggests that since some odontogenic tumors may contain large amounts of the hyaline deposits, multiple sections through different parts of the tumor may be required to find the epithelial elements necessary for the correct diagnosis.