Author(s)

Masaaki Suemitsu^1*, Yoshikazu Nakayama², Mao Yamamoto², Mitsuko Nakayama¹, Tadahiko Utsunomiya¹, Kayo Kuyama¹

¹Department of Pathology, School of Dentistry at Matsudo, Nihon University, Chiba, Japan.
²Department of Oral Pathology, Nihon University Graduate School Dentistry at Matsudo, Chiba, Japan.

Peri-implant diseases, such as peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis, pose significant challenges to the long-term prognosis of dental implants. This study aimed to comprehensively compare peri-implantitis with periodontitis from cytological and histopathological perspectives, shedding light on the morphological characteristics associated with peri-implantitis. Thirteen patients, including six with peri-implantitis and seven with periodontitis, were included in the study. Cytological examination of affected gingival mucosa revealed distinct differences between the two conditions. Peri-implantitis exhibited an inflammatory background predominantly composed of neutrophils with lobulated nuclei, accompanied by stratified squamous epithelial cells showing signs of keratinization. In contrast, periodontitis showed a similar neutrophilic inflammatory background but with non-keratinized epithelial cells. Histopathological examination further confirmed these differences, with peri-implantitis showing keratinized epithelium in the inner epithelial layer. This histological finding aligns with the notion that peri-implantitis has a distinct mucosal profile compared to periodontitis. Additionally, cytological analysis revealed that peri-implantitis had a lower occurrence rate of Light green-positive cells, indicating a tendency toward keratinization. This finding suggests that the presence of keratinized mucosa might be associated with peri-implant health, although further research is needed to clarify this relationship. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of cytological examination and Papanicolaou staining for assessing mucosal inflammatory conditions and distinguishing between keratinized and non-keratinized cells. These findings underscore the utility of oral mucosal smears as a valuable tool for diagnosing peri-implantitis and enhancing our understanding of its pathogenesis.

Peri-Implant Disease, Peri-Implantitis, Oral Cytology

Suemitsu, M. , Nakayama, Y. , Yamamoto, M. , Nakayama, M. , Utsunomiya, T. and Kuyama, K. (2023) Comparative Cytological and Histopathological Study of Peri-Implantitis and Periodontitis. Open Journal of Stomatology, 13, 385-395. doi: 10.4236/ojst.2023.1311031.