Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesion (FORL) : en morfologisk beskrivning

Abstract: Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (FORL) is a painful disease that affects feline teeth and that is increasing in prevalence. The ethiology is still rather unknown. However, research on the ultra structure of the feline tooth may help us understand why FORL is so prevalent in cats and not in other species. Since the ethiology is still unknown, there is yet no profylaxis. The pathogenesis is rather well known; the hard structure of affected teeth gradually undergo odontoclastic resorption and resorptive lesions are often partly replaced with bone- or cementum-like tissue. FORL is classified into five stages where the tooth crown, in the last stage, is fractured off. Different therapies have been tried and used with more or less success. The most accepted treatment today is extraction of the whole tooth or crown amputation. A histopathological study of teeth from cats, diagnosed with FORL, is described in this work. Resorption of hard structure and repair with bone- or cementum-like tissue were frequently found, as well as inflammation of adjacent soft tissues in some cases. The findings in this investigation support observations made in earlier studies.