Histopathologic comparison of normal and hyperplastic condyles

Objective. The aim of this study was to compare normal and hyperplastic mandibular condyles using two different histopathologic staining techniques. Study Design. Nine cases of condylar hyperplasia and 13 normal cases were studied after hematoxylin and eosin and silver staining. Results. There was a significant difference between the two groups in the thickness of the hyperplastic cartilage layer of condylar soft tissue (P = 0.017). Also, the number of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions was significantly higher in the condylar hyperplasia case group (P = 0.0001). No significant differences could be demonstrated in cartilage island frequency, penetration depth, and distribution in the cancellous bone of condyles. Conclusion. The thickness of the hyperplastic cartilage layer appears significantly increased in condylar hyperplasia. In addition, argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region count may be useful in histopathological identification of condylar hyperplasia.