Clinical Evaluation of Efficacy of Triamcinolone Acetonide with Tacrolimus in the Management of Oral Lichen Planus: A Pilot Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Lichen planus (LP) is a relatively common chronic, mucocutaneous disease of autoimmune origin, involves oral mucosa, skin, scalp, nails, and genital mucosa. The prevalence of oral LP (OLP) varies worldwide, commonly seen in middle-aged and elderly people. It usually presents as symmetrical and bilateral or multiple lesions with burning sensation (BS) sometimes accompanied by pain. Corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors have shown promising results in the treatment of OLP, but its chronic course and unpredictable exacerbations/remission continues to result in a high degree of morbidity. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (injection TA) combined with topical application of TA orabase and Tacrolimus (TAC) ointment for symptomatic cases of OLP. Materials and Methods: The prospective study included 52 symptomatic OLP patients to receive (0.5 ml) intralesional injection of TA once a week for the first 4 weeks followed by one injection in the 6th week along with TA mucosal paste (0.1%.) and TAC ointment (0.03%) in tapering dose till 8th week. The subjective symptoms including BS and pain were assessed on a 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS) and objective signs like size and site of the lesion were scored according to criterion scale modified by Thongprasom et al. Differences were compared after 8 weeks treatment course and follow-up observations were performed at 20th week to record any recurrent lesion. Results: 41 patients (78.8%) had complete remission of disease and 11 (21%) had shown partial improvement. The VAS scores for BS and pain improved significantly. Improvement was also noted with decrease in the average size of active lesions and the number of sites with treatment. The relapse was seen in 17 patients (41%) in the 20th week. Conclusion: TA combined with TAC is a valuable therapeutic option for the treatment of symptomatic OLP. Our findings suggest that patients have shown statistically significant improvement.

Disorganized histomorphology: Dentinogenic ghost cell tumor.

Calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) is a term used broadly to define lesions which were either cystic/solid in nature. However, a new term defining dentinogenic ghost cell tumor (DGCT), as its neoplastic counterpart, histopathologically showed the presence of dentinoid-like areas, ghost cells and ameloblastomatous-like odontogenic epithelium. This possesses a great challenge to an oral pathologist in diagnosing and differentiating it from solid multicystic ameloblastoma or COCs so as to ensure the biological behavior and pathogenesis behind its multifaceted nature. The author presents an exceptional case of DGCT, with special emphasis on its pathogenesis, occurring in an 80-year-old female with facial asymmetry and unique histopathology.

Clinical enigma: A rare case of clear cell odontogenic carcinoma.

Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma is a rare, aggressive neoplasm of the jaw with only 74 reported cases. It occurs predominantly in the mandibular anterior region during fifth to seventh decades of life. Clinically it manifests as intra-bony swelling with a variable degree of pain. Microscopically, it reveals nests of cells with clear cytoplasm in connective tissue stroma arranged in different patterns. It is often misdiagnosed due to the rarity of lesion and confusing histopathology. Immunohistochemical staining plays an intricate role to uncertain the native of the clear cell to reach a confirmative diagnosis. The article aims to highlight the clinicopathologic features of clear cell odontogenic carcinoma in a middle-aged man with special emphasis on its differential diagnosis.