Malasse Epithelial Islets

Malasse epithelial (dendritic) islands.

**Malasse** is a concept in medicine that refers to rare diseases of odontogenic origin, characterized by the formation of islands of mucous membrane (epithelium) on the upper jaw in place of immobile teeth. These epithelial areas are usually called "Malassian" islets, which emphasizes its unusual morphological structure and origin.

History of the study

In 1909, a student of prof. Rusanova Mikhail Vasilyevich Petrov described the “spotty condition of the gums”, which was later called “Malassovsky”... his student Professor Tsalvin. Lavrentiev discovered the appearance of mesothelial islets, along with other tissues, during pregnancy. In patients with certain malignant tumors, these dental islands appear in the mouth, forming mucosal defects. With the development of apical periodontitis, the mucous membrane of the alveolar process connects with the tooth root, forming “small ulcers” similar to precancerous or adenomatous growths.

Etiology and pathogenesis of Malassova islets

Malasse is a rare disease that still remains completely unexplored. A number of authors believe that this is a disorder of epithelial development. Some scientists claim the autoimmune nature of this disease. The altered tissues were attributed to Wegener's granulomatosis, tuberculosis and syphilis, but it later turned out that such an origin had not yet been clarified. Three forms of the disease were also presented and described, since its exact physiological or surgical cause is unknown. But at present, the disease is already considered as a genetic disorder of an autoimmune nature.