Two cases of childhood acute lymphotic leukemia with significant radiographic changes in dental germs

Abstract

The incidence of leukemic cell infiltration to the jaw bones has been reported to be relatively higher than supposed, especially in younger patients. However, tooth germ involvement has rarely been reported in the literature.
In the two cases of childhood, i.e., a 2-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy herein reported, enlarged and highly radiolucent changes of the tooth germs were the characteristic, initial radiographical findings suggestive of the clinical diagnosis. Organization potential of the tooth germs may be high enough to be the site of the initial targets of the leukemic cell infiltration. Careful analysis of the panoramic radiographs appears to be valuable for detection of the lesions even in the earliest infiltration stage.