Scanning electron microscopic study of apical and intracanal resorption.

Apical radicular and intracanal surfaces of extracted teeth with apical lesions were examined by means of scanning electron microscopy. The distribution of apical and intracanal resorption areas varied with the presence of a granuloma or a cyst. Teeth bearing granulomas showed an apical resorption centered on the main foramina whereas the hard tissue underlying a cyst showed little or no resorption. Intracanal resorption was always marked in the apical third and more scattered in the middle and cervical third. The resorption disrupted the anatomical structures.