KOREASCHOLAR

Although the mechanism of the abnormal calcification in the calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) was not elucidated so far, it has been known that the ghost cells are closely related to the calcification, producing dystrophic globular cementum-like materials, comparable to pilomatricoma in epithelium1). Here, we presented a case of COC occurred in left maxillary canine area of 23 years old female, exhibiting a collection of aberrant ossification admixed with basophilic ghost cells in comparison with seven cases of COC. In the polarizing microscope observation with Masson trichrome stain the present case clearly disclosed the typical birefringence of bony tissue, stained red in von Gieson stain, indicating the collagenous backbone. Some ghost cells showed the features of interdigitating epithelial attachments, empty spaces of nuclei, and reticular basophilic cytoplasms, which were similar to the basophilic ghost cells of philomatricoma. The present case demonstrated the aberrant ossification by basophilic ghost cells in COC similar to the ossification of pilomatricoma

Ⅰ. Introduction
 Ⅱ. Materials and methods
 Ⅲ. Results
 Ⅳ. Discussion
 Ⅴ. References

• 김연숙(Department of Dental Hygiene, College of Health Sciences, Cheongju University) | Yeon Sook Kim
• 이석근(Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Gangneung-Wonju National University) | Suk Keun Lee correspondence