Study of the Focal Aggregations of Cholesterol Crystals and Foamy Macrophages in the Chronic Periapical Lesions of Youngand Elderly Patients

Background: Cholesterol crystals and foamy macrophages can delay the healing of inflammatory periapicallesions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between age and the presence of focalaggregations of cholesterol crystals and foamy macrophages in these lesions.Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, ۷۷۰ samples of inflammatory periapical lesions including۳۳۵ periapical granulomas, ۳۲۹ radicular cysts, and ۱۰۶ residual periapical cysts were evaluatedhistopathologically in order to find at least two focal aggregations of cholesterol crystals and foamymacrophages in two age groups of young (۲۰-۳۵ years old) and elderly (over ۵۰ years old) adults. Finally,the data were entered into SPSS version ۲۳.۰ and analyzed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests.Results: In the present study, ۷۴.۳% of the samples lacked at least two focal aggregations of foamymacrophages, and ۸۴% of the samples lacked at least two focal aggregations of cholesterol crystals. Thefrequency of focal aggregations of cholesterol crystals was not significantly different between the two agegroups (P = ۰.۱۴). However, the frequency of foamy macrophages was significantly higher in the age groupof young adults than in elderly adults (P = ۰.۰۰۲).Conclusions: According to the obtained results, it does not appear that the healing rate of periapical lesionsin young and elderly adults has necessarily significant difference; and whereas, it is lower in the elderlyadults than in young adults, probabely relates to factors other than the accumulation of cholesterol crystalsor foamy macrophages.