Disseminated necrotic mediastinitis spread from odontogenic abscess: our experience.

AIMS: Deep neck infections are rare but potentially fatal complication of pulpal abscess of the teeth. If an infection can progress rapidly from a toothache to a life threatening infection, then it is critical that dentists be able to recognize the danger signs and identify the patients who are at risk. Mediastinitis is a severe inflammatory process involving the connective tissues that fills the intracellular spaces and surrounds the organs in the middle of the chest. This pathology has both an acute and a chronic form and, in most cases, it has an infectious etiology. This study want to expose the experience acquired in the Oral and Maxillo-facial Sciences Department, Policlinico Umberto I, "Sapienza" University of Rome, regarding two clinical cases of disseminated necrotizing mediastinitis starting from an odontogenic abscess. METHODS: We report two clinical cases of disseminated necrotic mediastinitis with two different medical and surgical approaches. The radiographic and photographic documentation of the patients was collected in the pre-and post-operatively. All patients underwent a CT scan and MRI. RESULTS: Mediastinitis can result from a serious odontogenic abscess, and the extent of its inflammation process must be never underestimated. Dental surgeons play a key role as a correct diagnosis can prevent further increasing of the inflammation process. CONCLUSIONS: A late diagnosis and an inadequate draining represent the major causes of the elevated mortality rate of disseminated necrotizing mediastinitis.

Management and treatment of sinonasal inverted papilloma.

AIMS: The aim of this paper is to describe the surgical experience of 35 patients with Inverted Papilloma (IP) of paranasal sinuses and its recurrence rate after a year of follow-up. MATERIALS: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients presenting with IP of paranasal sinuses. Thirty-five patients comprised the focus of this study. For all patients was performed a pre-surgery TC, and for more 5 patients it was necessary to perform a Magnetic Resonance (MR) with gadolinium. RESULTS: Among 35 patients selected, 18 patients underwent to open surgery, 4 patients had a combined approach with endoscopy and open surgery, while 13 patients were managed only with an endoscopic approach, with a minimum of 1 year of follow-up. Our results highlighted that the global percentage of success 12 months after the treatment was 93% and it not vary according to the tipology of the approach used if a radical excision of the lesion is achieved. More in depth, among 35 cases, only 2 patients were found to have recurrences and were treated with coronal and endoscopic approach. CONCLUSION: It is fundamental to underline that surgery must be carried on in a radical manner to treat these tend to recur. A complete removal of the lesion and bone peripheral border filing are essential to perform a correct and definitive treatment. Also, endoscopic approach can be taken into account when tumors are localized median to a sagittal plan crossing the orbit median wall and when they did not massively compromised paranasal sinus walls.

Aesthetic restoration in maxillo-mandibular malformations: the role of genioplasty.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determinate how orthognatic surgery aids to cure many skull and face abnormalities and to help re-establishing the correct occlusive relation thanks to the repositioning of the maxillo-mandibular skeleton basis. METHODS: The study included 183 male patients and 338 female patients, with an average age of 23 years. The sample series was divided according to specific pathologies. All patients underwent surgical procedures and the therapeutic strategy was determined based on the anomalies presented. RESULTS: 113 patients had a II class dental skeletal occlusion, 180 patients had a III class dental-skeletal occlusion and 222 patients had skull-facial abnormalities. 5 patients underwent only a genioplasty, 82 patients underwent a genioplasty associated with BSSO, 175 patients underwent a genioplasty associated with Le Fort I osteotomy and the remaining 253 patients underwent a genioplasty associated with BSSO and Le Fort I osteotomy. CONCLUSION: The experience shows that genioplasty has been successfully introduced in orthognathic surgical therapeutic procedures, for dental-skeleton abnormalities and mandibular asymmetries treatment. In recent years, the evolution of computer systems has allowed an accurate assessment and programming, by means of the three-dimensional display, which are of great help in the course of diagnosis and evaluation of the displacements to be carried out, in order to obtain optimal aesthetic results.

Fronto-ethmoidal osteoma. Open treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoma is a benign tumour, composed of mature compact or cancellous bone, which can arise in any facial bone. Among the paranasal sinuses, the frontal and ethmoid sinuses are most frequently involved. Osteoma grows very slowly and small lesions are often not symptomatic. On the other hand, sometimes patients present with symptoms such as sinusitis, headache or ophtalmologic manifestations. These findings are secondary to obstruction of the involved sinus cavity with secondary mucocele formation or occasionally an expansile lesion with distortion of the facial contour. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2005 to 2010, twenty-one (21) patients affected with non-syndromic fronto-ethmoidalosteomas were evaluated in our Department. Collected data include patients' age at the time of disorders, gender, presenting signs and symptoms, primary diagnosis, type and characteristics of the treatment performed, radiological findings and post-treatment results. All patients were investigated by CT scans in axial and coronal planes. The treatment and outcomes of this group were reviewed. RESULTS: All patients of the study underwent surgery and had a follow-up of at least 5 years. Surgical excision of the tumour was undertaken. Postoperative CT scans in axial and coronal planes showed complete removal of the tumour in all cases. No complications or recurrences were observed. DISCUSSION: Small, asymptomatic osteomas probably do not need to be treated but should be observed periodically. Surgical management remains the mainstay of treatment for these tumours. It requires total excision via an adequate approach, depending upon the site of presentation. CONCLUSION: A purely endoscopic endonasal approach has the risk of incomplete excision. In our experience open technique provides a wide exposure and better control. Even frontal osteomas can be safely removed by careful open surgery KEY WORDS: Ethmoidal sinus, Frontal sinus, Open treatment, Osteoma, Paranasal sinuses.

Surgical treatment of temporomandibular joint ankyloses: meniscus conservation and relocation.

Ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint is a serious complication, mainly after trauma and local or systemic infection. In rare cases, ankylosis is associated with systemic disease such as ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. According to the functional restriction and the provoked disturbances of facial growth in the youth, an early and effective therapy is desirable. There is a wide variety of surgical approaches to temporomandibular joint ankylosis, ranging from chondro-osseous grafts to prothesis. In the article the authors present the clinical case of a 60-year-old patient who, at the age of 6, accidentally fell from a height of about 2 m. In 60 years old, after removing the temporomandibular ankylosis with surgical technique, patient showed a marked improvement of mandibular kinetics.

Endoscopic approach to maxillo-facial trauma.

AIM: This article reviews the application of endoscope-assisted techniques to the treatment of maxillofacial trauma and discusses some aspects of these techniques and reporting our experience. INTRODUCTION: In the last decades, diagnostical imaging, surgical techniques and surgical instrument development allowed a great progress in management of facial fractures. In recent years, to some Authors, endoscopic approach to maxillofacial trauma has become common for reducing zygomatic arch, orbital blow-out, medial orbital wall, frontal sinus and subcondylar mandibular fractures. The endoscopic reduction of facial fractures as an alternative to open reduction allowed to manage patients with less unwanted complications. In fact, endoscopic approach permit to decrease perisurgical morbidity and offers to surgeons to reach good results. DISCUSSION: Indications to endoscopic reduction are represented by dimension, extension and site of the fracture and to the surgeon's experience. CONCLUSIONS: The use of endoscopy in maxillo-facial surgery represents one of the main realities of modern medicine together with advanced sectors of biomedical engineering research. In this way, not only time of hospitalization will be reduced but also morbidity in maxillofacial surgery.

Compression and stretching in Graves orbitopathy: emergency orbital decompression techniques.

Visual loss from orbital compression and stretching of the optic nerve is an infrequent but well-recognized cause of dysthyroid optic neuropathy, occurring in less than 5% of thyroid eye disease cases. Another important but less recognized cause of vision loss due to thyroid-associated optic neuropathy is protracted stretching of the optic nerve. Of the reported cases of compression and stretch optic neuropathy, none have documented the rate of vision loss due to continuous stretching of the optic nerve.

Dermoid cyst: unusual localization.

Dermoid cysts are embryonic lesions usually observed in the lateral eyebrow region and the midline nose and neck areas. Communication of these lesions with the central nervous system is rare and occurs in the nasal region. There are few clinical reports of temporal dermoid cysts presenting with intracranial extension, and we present a 15-year-old girl with a fronto-orbital dermoid cyst with intracranial extension and bone erosion. Her presenting symptom was a lacrimation reduction of the left eye. Excision of the cyst was done using a coronal approach because of its extension and localization.

Microdeletion 3q syndrome.

The authors present the clinical case of a 5-month-old boy, affected by multimalformative syndrome with features of microdeletion 3q syndrome. In the literature so far, the real incidence is unknown because of its rarity. The goal of this study was to describe the salient findings of this rare malformative syndrome, which needs a multidisciplinary approach. The patient had 3q interstitial chromosome deletion (q22.1-q25.2). He showed the following clinical features: microcephaly, microphthalmia, epicantus inversus, blepharophimosis, palpebral ptosis, short neck with pterygium, brachycephaly, round face, hypotelorism, broad nasal bridge, beaked nose, large and low-set ears, soft cleft palate, retromicrognathia with large mouth, arthrogryposis of the superior limbs and knees in association with clinodactyly, overlapping of second and third digits of both hands and feet, and gastroesophageal reflux. The patient developed physical and motor development delay. He was affected by Dandy-walker malformation, characterized by cerebellum vermis hypoplasia. The placement of the patient in contiguous gene syndrome (Dandy walker syndrome, Pierre-Robin sequence, and Seckel syndrome) was carried out by a multidisciplinary team to have a holistic evaluation of clinical findings. Thanks to this approach, it was possible to establish a complete diagnostic and therapeutic course. The genetic analysis enables to arrange an assistive program. Surgeons' attention was focused on the malformations, which represented an obstacle for normal development and social life.

Medial orbital wall reconstruction with swine bone cortex.

Fractures of the medial orbital wall can be isolated or associated with other orbital defects arising from maxillofacial fractures. However, a medial orbital wall defect results in a relative increase of the orbital volume. The decision regarding surgical intervention in the management of medial orbital wall fractures is influenced by a variety of factors, including the presence and severity of restricted ocular motility, the degree of enophthalmos, the estimated fracture size, and the clinical judgment of the surgeon; however, untreated medial orbital wall fractures can result in secondary enophthalmos. The aim of this study was to describe our experience with deantigenated swine bone cortex for the reconstruction of the fractured medial orbital wall.

Bilateral orbital roof fracture.

Bilateral orbital roof fractures are rare events usually associated with high-energy impact trauma. The clinical picture is often multiple because of involvement of cranial, cerebral, and facial injuries. The primary diagnostic and therapeutic approaches aim to safeguard the cerebral state and to intercept the consequences of severe orbital trauma. The latter may present dramatic events and determine permanent ocular bulb or optic nerve damage, even vision impairment and blindness. Immediate intraorbital decompression decreases the pressure exerting directly or indirectly on the optic nerve. Surgical decompression of the orbit was performed in a young man showing almost complete blindness after bilateral orbital roof fracture. The final result showed good recovery of vision and functional motility of the bulbs.

Ozone therapy in extractive surgery on patients treated with bisphosphonates.

It is certain that oral extractive surgery is a remarkable trigger to avascular osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients treated with pyrophosphate analogous. This acquisition limits the use of endo-oral surgery in those patients, even when they have already developed the lesions. In this study, we present the results obtained in a group of 15 patients deriving from a 33-patient cluster with osteonecrosis of the jaw in treatment at our department with a new protocol based on ozone therapy. The object of this article is to demonstrate how dental extraction becomes possible in a patient with avascular bisphosphonate-related jaw osteonecrosis or in those who simply received pyrophosphate analogous when proper treatment with ozone therapy has been done.

Orbital floor restoration.

Orbital blow-out fractures reconstruction aims to restore the continuity of the orbital floor, to provide support of orbital contents and prevent soft tissues' fibrosis. Different materials have been tested over the years to reach this purpose. Traditionally, autogenous grafts have been used as the material of choice; in recent years alloplastic materials have gained popularity because of their availability and ease of use. The purpose of this study was to review materials used in orbital floor reconstructive surgery at the Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery of University of Rome "La Sapienza", with emphasis on their biocompatibility, their shaping features, and mechanical properties. This report presents the results obtained by the application of these products on 379 patients who underwent surgical treatment for blow-out fractures from 1995 to 2003: the diagnosis of fracture of the orbital floor was based on clinical symptoms and CT axial scanning through coronal reconstruction. Follow-up period spanned from 1 to 8 years.

Ethmoido-orbital tumors: our experience.

No data in the literature report the specific invasion of the orbit from ethmoidal tumors, although such a pattern of involvement of the orbit frequently occurs because of the thin lamina papyracea separating the two structures. From January 1986 to January 2003, 38 patients with untreated primary ethmoidal malignancies were observed at the Unit of Maxillo-Facial Surgery of the University "La Sapienza" in Rome. Personal data were obtained from review of the personal clinical file of each. Orbital invasion was present in 24 patients with ethmoidal malignancy. Three stages of orbital invasion were identified. The average overall survival, with the Kaplan-Meyer method, was 61.4% after 1 year and 51.1% at 5 and 10 years. Intracranial involvement is the main element for short-term negative prognosis. Orbital exenteration is fundamental if grade III orbital invasion occurs because it ensures an improvement of the disease-free survival.

Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the temporomandibular joint.

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a relatively rare disease, affecting the synovial-lined joints. PVNS was first fully described by Jaffè in 1941, who considered it to be a benign inflammatory state of the synovium of an uncertain etiology. Reports of this disease in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are extremely rare. The authors report a case of a 38-year-old woman affected by pigmented villonodular synovitis of the TMJ. Clinical examination revealed the presence of a preauricular mass in the left side; a computed tomography scan showed a 3.0 x 2.0 cm preauricular mass in close continuity to the TMJ capsule. The purpose of this report is to describe the clinicopathological features of a case involving the TMJ. The previously reported cases in the literature are also reviewed.

Fronto-orbital mucoceles: our experience.

Frontal sinus mucoceles are rare benign neoplasms that can result in bony erosion extending from the borders of the sinus into the orbital cavity. The authors report the fronto-orbital mucoceles they have observed in the last 8 years. The authors used an "open surgery" approach in 12 fronto-orbital mucoceles, characterized by an osteoplastic frontal flap, through a coronal incision or Lynch incision. In this way, they were able to expose the frontal sinus and to remove completely the mucocele from the periorbita. Only one recurrence is reported 2 years after surgery. Excellent aesthetic results have been reached in all cases. In the literature, many different positions are reported for the treatment of mucoceles. The endoscopic surgery of the paranasal sinuses has become the procedure of choice for mucoceles of maxillary, ethmoidal, and sphenoidal sinuses. However, few authors have recommended the endoscopic approach for frontal mucoceles. The indications and limitations of endoscopic and "open" surgery are critically discussed in the light of the authors' personal experience and current literature.

Hypophosphaturic mesenchymal tumor of the ethmoid associated with oncogenic osteomalacia.

Oncogenic osteomalacia is an uncommon syndrome characterized by bone pain, proximal muscle weakness, hypophosphatemia, hyperphosphaturia, and a low plasma concentration of 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D. The disease affects both sexes at around 40 years of age, although it can sometimes affect children and adolescents. Generally, the syndrome is associated with a tumor, usually benign, of mesenchymal origin and is resolved after removal of the tumor; this syndrome can sometimes be associated with malignant tumors. These tumors seem to be histologically heterogeneous and are generally localized in soft tissues and bone. In this article, a case of oncogenic osteomalacia associated with a hypophosphaturic mesenchymal tumor of the ethmoid is reported in a 24-year-old man. After surgical and radical removal of the tumor, the patient noted a decrease in the clinical symptoms and signs.