Hepatitis C virus and oral lichen planus/lichenoid reactions: lack of evidence for an association.

Some studies have suggested an association between the mucocutaneous disorder lichen planus and chronic infection with hepatitis C virus. Most of these studies have been based purely on serological markers. The present study sought to detect hepatitis C virus RNA in both peripheral blood and in biopsy material collected from oral mucosal lesions. Twenty-seven patients were studied, six with classical lichen planus and 21 with oral lichenoid reactions. The diagnoses were confirmed by histopathological examination. Reverse transcription PCR was employed to detect hepatitis C virus RNA in the blood specimens. The same method was used to detect hepatitis C virus RNA in lesional tissue, following RNA extraction from sections of the biopsies. The virus was not detected in any of the paired blood and tissue specimens examined. It is concluded that hepatitis C virus is not commonly associated with oral lichen planus or lichenoid reactions in Scotland.

Internal carotid artery aneurysm presenting as orofacial pain.

OBJECTIVES: We report a case of an internal carotid artery aneurysm presenting as orofacial pain. METHOD: Case report and discussion. RESULTS: A 59-year-old patient presented with a four-year history of chronic oral pain accompanied by a right-sided occipital headache. No local organic pathology was detected, and a provisional diagnosis of persistent idiopathic facial pain was made. A neurosurgery referral was made to exclude neurovascular pathology, which resulted in the detection of an aneurysm originating from the right posterior communicating artery. This was successfully treated by coil embolisation, with subsequent resolution of symptoms. CONCLUSION: In this patient, an atypical history of pain with no other neurological signs or symptoms, other than accompanying occipital headache, led to the discovery of an intracranial aneurysm. This case highlights the need for appropriate referral and imaging in cases in which the clinical history and findings are not classical, and also emphasises the need for interdisciplinary management.

Three cases of oral syphilis - an overview.

Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by the organism Treponema pallidum. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of new cases of syphilis in the UK over the past decade. Intra-oral ulceration is often the only presenting feature of the disease, which then enters a latent period. A missed diagnosis can often lead to serious complications and may result in further spread of the disease. Three cases are discussed in this paper with varying clinical presentations of the disease. Such a significant increase of syphilis and its high infectivity require the dental profession to increase their awareness of sexually infectious diseases and the appropriate dental management.

Amalgam-tattoo-associated oral lichenoid lesion.

We report on a lichenoid reaction that developed in association with amalgam particles within an amalgam tattoo of the oral mucosa.

The management of fistulizing oral Crohn's disease with infliximab.

A 20-year-old female patient with oral Crohn's disease developed a fistula in her neck from a focus of intra-oral infection. Despite repeated courses of antimicrobial therapy over a period of several months, the fistula failed to resolve. However, following administration of infliximab, a monoclonal antitumour necrosis factor-alpha antibody, the fistula resolved spontaneously without the need for any further treatment.