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Mucosal dental sinus tract - Oral Mucosal Lesion
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Mucosal dental sinus tract - Oral Mucosal Lesion

Contributors: Carl Allen DDS, MSD, Sook-Bin Woo MS, DMD, MMSc
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Synopsis

The mucosal dental sinus tract or parulis is a fairly common condition that results from an abscess of odontogenic origin that drains through the bone into the oral cavity. The odontogenic infection may be of endodontic or periodontal origin.

This is usually a condition of adults. However, some developmental tooth malformations (such as dentinal dysplasia) predispose to necrosis of the pulp, apical abscesses and subsequent sinus tracts.

The condition is usually painless since pressure from the abscess within bone is released by drainage of pus through the tract.

Patients who are at risk for recurrent infections (e.g., patients with diabetes mellitus) are prone to develop this because of recurrent odontogenic infections. After a periapical lesion has developed from devitalization of the pulp and depending on host immune factors, the apical infection may erode through bone and break through onto the mucosal surface. Generally, the thinnest portion of the jawbone is involved and therefore the presentation is usually on the buccal aspect/facial aspect of the gingival. The same process is true for periodontal abscesses.

Codes

ICD10CM:
K04.6 – Periapical abscess with sinus

SNOMEDCT:
196341005 – Periapical abscess

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Last Updated:06/12/2014
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Mucosal dental sinus tract - Oral Mucosal Lesion
A medical illustration showing key findings of Mucosal dental sinus tract : Gingival-alveolar mucosa, Oral erosions, Oral papule, Sinus
Clinical image of Mucosal dental sinus tract - imageId=2503603. Click to open in gallery.  caption: 'Red papules on the attached mucosa above the marginal gingiva, at the apex of teeth with caries.'
Red papules on the attached mucosa above the marginal gingiva, at the apex of teeth with caries.
Copyright © 2024 VisualDx®. All rights reserved.