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Amalgam tattoo: a cause of sinusitis?
Parizi, José Luiz Santos; Nai, Gisele Alborghetti.
  • Parizi, José Luiz Santos; University of Western São Paulo. Department of Pathology. Presidente Prudente. BR
  • Nai, Gisele Alborghetti; University of Western São Paulo. Department of Pathology. Presidente Prudente. BR
J. appl. oral sci ; 18(1): 100-104, Jan.-Feb. 2010. ilus
Article in English | LILACS | ID: lil-545033
ABSTRACT
Little attention has been paid to the toxicity of silver amalgam fillings, which have been used over the centuries in Dentistry. Amalgam particles may accidentally and/or traumatically be embedded into the submucosal tissue during placement of a restoration and perpetuate in such area. This article presents a case of amalgam tattoo and investigates whether it is related to the patient's repeated episodes of sinusitis. The patient was a 46-year-old woman with a 2 mm diameter radiopaque lesion in the right oral mucosa detected on a panoramic radiograph and presented as a black macula clinically. A complete surgical resection was carried out. The histopathological examination revealed deposits of dark-brownish pigments lining the submucosal tissue with adjacent lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate and multinucleated giant cells phagocyting pigments. There was a negative staining for both iron and melanin. One year after lesion removal, the patient reported that the sinusitis crises had ceased after repeated episodes for years. It may be speculated that the inflammatory process related to amalgam tattoo seems to lead to a local immune response that causes sinusitis because it enhances the human leukocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR) tissue expression.
Subject(s)

Full text: Available Index: LILACS (Americas) Main subject: Pigmentation Disorders / Sinusitis / Dental Amalgam / Mouth Diseases Type of study: Diagnostic study Limits: Female / Humans Language: English Journal: J. appl. oral sci Journal subject: Dentistry Year: 2010 Type: Article Affiliation country: Brazil Institution/Affiliation country: University of Western São Paulo/BR

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Full text: Available Index: LILACS (Americas) Main subject: Pigmentation Disorders / Sinusitis / Dental Amalgam / Mouth Diseases Type of study: Diagnostic study Limits: Female / Humans Language: English Journal: J. appl. oral sci Journal subject: Dentistry Year: 2010 Type: Article Affiliation country: Brazil Institution/Affiliation country: University of Western São Paulo/BR