No NFATC2 fusion in simple bone cyst of the jaw.

AIMS: Simple Bone Cysts (SBCs) predominantly occur in long bones and 59% harbour NFATC2 rearrangements. Jaw SBC is rare and was previously referred to as traumatic bone cyst. It can rarely occur in association with cemento-osseous dysplasia (COD). To determine whether jaw SBCs represent the same entity as SBC of the long bones, or if they have a different molecular signature, we collected 48 jaw SBC cases of 47 patients to assess NFATC2 rearrangement. METHODS AND RESULTS: Out of the 48 cases, 36 could be used for fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH), of which nine (two of which associated with COD) were successful using an NFATC2 split probe. The remaining cases failed to show adequate FISH signals. All nine cases lacked NFATC2 rearrangement and five of these showed no detectable gene fusions using Archer FusionPlex. CONCLUSION: In our study, NFATC2 rearrangement is absent in solitary jaw SBC (n = 7) and COD-associated SBC (n = 2). Our findings suggest that SBC presenting in the jaw is molecularly different from SBC in long bones. Future molecular studies may confirm the absence of clonal molecular aberrations in SBC of the jaw which would support a non-neoplastic, reactive origin.

Oral lymphatic malformations: A multicenter study of 208 cases and literature review.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the frequency and analyze demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals with a histopathological diagnosis of oral lymphatic malformations (OLMs). METHODS: A multicenter study was performed, collecting biopsy record data from a consortium of Brazilian Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Centers. A review was also conducted to compare this data with cases already available in the literature. RESULTS: This study retrieved 208 cases of OLM in the multicenter study and 1035 cases in the literature review. In both, OLMs affected male and female individuals equally, with the most affected site being the tongue. Individuals ≥60 years of age were uncommonly affected. Symptomatic and larger lesions were more commonly reported in the literature review. CONCLUSIONS: This study comprises the largest sample of OLMs to date. OLMs are rare conditions, without sex predilection. The elderly proved to be less frequently affected, and the tongue is the most commonly affected site.

Oral intramuscular hemangioma: Report of three cases.

Intramuscular hemangioma (IMH) represents less than 1% of all hemangiomas. In the head and neck region, it occurs mostly in the masseter, temporalis and sternocleidomastoid muscles. Despite its infiltrative growth pattern and several worrisome histological features, such as increased mitotic activity, plumpness of the nuclei, intraluminal papillary projections or perineural infiltration, the lesion is benign, and complete surgical excision is the preferred treatment for such oral lesions. Herein, we report three rare cases of IMH in the tongue and lip, discuss the clinical and histological aspects, and review the literature regarding this lesion.

Semaphorins and neuropilins expression in salivary gland tumors.

BACKGROUND: Salivary gland tumors (SGT) account for 3-10% of all head and neck neoplasms, and little is known about their angiogenic properties. Despite semaphorins and neuropilins have been demonstrated to be prognostic determinants in many human cancers, they remain to be investigated in SGT. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the clinical significance of the expression of class 3 semaphorins A (Sema3A) and B (Sema3B) and neuropilins-1 (Np-1) and neuropilins-2 (Np-2), in SGT. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-eight SGT were organized in tissue microarray paraffin blocks and expression of CD34, Sema3A, Sema3B, Np-1, and Np-2 was determined through immunohistochemistry. The immunoreactions were quantified using digital algorithms and the results correlated with clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS: Malignant tumors had an increased vascular density than their benign counterparts and their increased vascular area significantly correlated with recurrences (P < 0.05). Patients older than 40 years and the presence of recurrences determined an inferior survival rate (P = 0.0057 and P = 0.0303, respectively). In normal salivary glands, Np-1 and Np-2 expression was restricted to ductal cells, whereas Sema3A and Sema3B were positive in the serous acinar compartment. Tumors were positive for all markers and the co-expression of Np-1/Np-2 significantly correlated with the presence of paresthesia and advanced stages of the tumors (P = 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSION: Sema3A, Sema3B, Np-1, and Np-2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of SGT, but their expression did not present a statistically significant prognostic potential in this study.

Oral verruciform xanthoma: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of 20 cases.

Verruciform xanthoma of the oral cavity is an uncommon benign lesion that usually affects the palate and gingiva mainly as a well-circumscribed solitary yellowish to whitish plaque or nodule, which is promptly recognized microscopically by identification of sub-epithelial foamy macrophages. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of 20 cases of oral verruciform xanthoma. All cases were evaluated by conventional hematoxylin/eosin staining and six of those were submitted to immunohistochemical reactions for CD68, CD63, CD163, syndecan-1 (CD138), S-100 protein and cytokeratins (CK) 8, 14 and 19. Oral verruciform xanthoma presented as yellowish papillary nodules affecting mainly the palate (30%), buccal mucosa (30%) and gingiva (25%) of middle-aged male patients. Most cases presented papillary epithelial hyperplasia and sub-epithelial foamy cells, which were immunopositive for CD68, CD63 and CD163 in all cases. The orange parakeratin superficial layer was negative for CK14 and presented a distinct granular membrane pattern of positivity for CD138. S-100 protein, CK8, and CK19 were negative.