CO2-laser biopsies of oral mucosa: an immunocytological and histological comparative study

The relationship between bioptic technique and tissue preservation has been studied in 18 oral biopsies of young patients obtained by electrosurgery or CO2 laser surgery. Biopsies were formalin fixed, paraffin embedded and histologically, histochemically and immunocytochemically (SBS-DAB method) treated. All the biopsies show inflammatory cell infiltration, epithelial spongiosis, trichocariosis, suprabasal small blisters, and epithelial clefts with lamina detaching from the corium. Histochemistry shows both the presence of edema and acid mucopolysaccharides inside the corium, and variable glycogen content in epithelial cells. Trichocariotic cells show a positive MiB1/Ki67 expression, when they are present. Nevertheless, laser biopsies show a lower amount of basophilic fibrous tissue and of bcl2 bodies detection, connected with a higher amount of glycogen, Cytokeratin and MiB1/Ki67 expression in epithelial cells, compared to bovie biopsies. The results show a higher degree of damages in particular at the epithelial level, in electrosurgery biopsies rather than laser biopsies. The best epithelial and corium preservation showed by laser biopsies suggest a chance of reversible condition, which can lead to a complete recovery due to its higher capability of restoring tissues.