Taurodontism in 45,X females.

Orthopantomograms of 87 45,X females, 61 first-degree female relatives of these females, and a population sample of 113 normal females and 44 normal males were examined for the occurrence of taurodontism in mandibular molars. In the sample of 45,X females, two showed taurodont lower molars. In one of them, a hypotaurodont second molar was detected, while hypotaurodont third molars were found in the other. Three of the females' relatives and four of the population control females showed taurodontism, three unilaterally and four bilaterally. In all cases, the affected teeth were hypotaurodont. The results suggest that taurodontism occurs in 45,X females with a frequency similar to that in normal females. This result is not in accordance with the hypothesis that low mitotic activity of the chromosomally abnormal cells is an etiological factor in the development of taurodontism. The present findings, together with earlier results, suggest that the gene content of the X chromosome, rather than the amount of heterochromatin, is the cause of taurodontism in individuals with chromosome aneuploidy.