Pathology · single question
The bluish discoloration on this patient's gingiva (with adjacent amalgam restorations) is caused by:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Foreign material (amalgam particles)
- A. Correct. The pigment is embedded foreign metallic material (amalgam) — a foreign-body pigmentation.
- B. A varix is a dilated vein (often ventral tongue/lip) that blanches; not related to amalgam.
- C. Melanin pigmentation is endogenous, not from a metallic foreign body.
- D. Hemorrhage would resolve over days and would not be persistent/radiopaque.