CYTOMORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF EROSIONS IN ACUTE HERPETIC STOMATISIS IN CHILDREN

Abstract

The objective is to determine the cytomorphological erosions peculiarities in acute herpetic stomatitis in children.
The cytomorphological peculiarities of erosions in acute herpetic stomatitis in children were assessed by analyzing 60 micropreparations from the surface of herpetic erosions in comparison with 40 preparations taken from the integumentary mucous membrane of the oral cavity in healthy children.
In each cytological preparation the quantitative ratio of epithelial cells, leukocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes per 100 cells was taken into account. The number of undamaged and damaged epithelial cells in the microslide was counted. The shape and size of epithelial cells, the shape and size of nuclei were assessed, and the cell cytoplasm was characterized. The presence or absence of giant multinucleated cells in the preparation was noted. The cells of the connective tissue population were also assessed: the total number of leukocytes, the number of unchanged and destroyed neutrophils, phagocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes. The presence or absence of erythrocytes in the preparation was taken into account. Microflora quantity and morphotypes was determined in the cytogram.
Statistical processing of the data obtained as a result of a cytological study showed that on the erosion surface there was a predominance of epithelial cells with signs of destruction (34.80±1.48%) over intact ones (5.80±0.99%) by 6 times in patients with acute herpetic stomatitis. The opposite ratio of epithelial cells was observed in the preparations: undamaged epithelial cells predominated (83.38±2.68%) over damaged ones (1.43±0.27%) in healthy children.
The connective tissue population in acute herpetic stomatitis was represented by leukocytes, in particular unchanged neutrophils, neutrophils with signs of degenerative changes, phagocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes. Inflammatory elements were predominantly represented by neutrophilic leukocytes. Unchanged neutrophils in patients amounted to 26.40±1.64%. Neutrophils of varying degrees of degeneration accounted for 13.70±0.91%, which was statistically significantly (p<0.05) higher than this figure in healthy children (1.00±0.00%). The connective tissue population of cells in cytological preparations from the surface of the integumentary mucosa in healthy children was represented by single cells, predominantly neutrophils. In microslides of children with stomatitis monocytes and erythrocytes were found, which were not detected in healthy ones. In patients with acute herpetic stomatitis a statistically significant (p <0.05) increase in the number of microorganisms by 2.52 times was observed in the cytogram from the erosion surface compared with the same indicator in healthy children. Fungal microflora was also much more common in sick children.
In patients with acute herpetic stomatitis a cytogram with erosion showed an increase in the number of cells of the epithelial and connective tissue populations in the visual fields; the appearance of giant multinucleated cells; change in the ratio of damaged and undamaged epithelial cells; an increase in each individual group of cells of the connective tissue population; the appearance of cells that are not typical for healthy ones (monocytes, erythrocytes); an increase in the number of microorganisms in general and an increase in the frequency of fungi detection.