Large irritation fibroma of hard palate: a case report of a rare clinical entity.

Fibromas are benign tumors of connective tissue common in the oral cavity but rare on hard palate. This paper reports on an asymptomatic, slowly growing mass on the hard palate of a 90-year-old lady, with a reported use of denture for two decades. The patient presented with a 2.2cm, smooth-surfaced, well-circumscribed nodule attached with a stalk to the palatal mucosa. After excision, the histopathological examination revealed a mass of fibrous connective tissue, covered by stratified squamous epithelium with focal low-medium grade hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis. These findings were consistent with irritation fibroma of hard palate, a rare entity, which should be considered as a possible diagnosis for tumors of the area by every physician.

Hyposmia: an underestimated and frequent adverse effect of chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: Optimal function of both the olfactory sensory neurons and the olfactory mucosa is a prerequisite for normal olfactory perception. Both the olfactory neurons and mucosa might be subjects to the neurotoxic and mucotoxic effects of chemotherapy. Despite the recognized importance of olfaction in nutrition and quality of life, the potential olfactory toxicity of chemotherapy regimens has not been adequately assessed. The aim of this study is to investigate whether mucotoxic and/or neurotoxic drugs compromise olfactory performance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-four consecutive patients completed the "Sniffin' Sticks" test, an objective quantitative/qualitative method to assess olfactory function, at diagnosis and immediately before the infusion of the last session of three to four chemotherapy cycles, according to the therapeutic protocol. The patients underwent therapy containing oxaliplatin and antimetabolites (5-FU or capecitabine; O+A group), taxanes and platinum analogues (cisplatin and carboplatin; T+P group), or taxanes and anthracyclines (doxorubicin or liposomal doxorubicin; T+A group). RESULTS: A significant decrease was noted for olfactory threshold (OT), olfactory discrimination (OD), olfactory identification (OI), and the composite threshold-discrimination-identification (TDI) score. A significant deterioration of all olfactory indices was found for each chemotherapy group. Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences between the O+A and the T+P group regarding OT and TDI. TDI scores were significantly lower after chemotherapy in all age groups. Patients older than 50 years were found to be more susceptible to olfactory toxicity than younger patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who undergo chemotherapy experience significant compromise in their olfactory function. A grading system for olfactory toxicity is proposed.