A Case of Undiagnosed Harlequin Syndrome Presenting in General Dental Practice.

Harlequin syndrome is a rare, clinically striking syndrome characterized by distinctly demarcated asymmetric facial flushing and sweating. It may be of idiopathic aetiology or caused by demonstrable ipsilateral damage to the sympathetic nervous system. A case is described where a patient presented to her general dental practitioner complaining of distinctly demarcated unilateral facial flushing and sweating. Onward referral resulted in a diagnosis of Harlequin syndrome. CPD/CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This article highlights the neurological signs and symptoms of Harlequin syndrome, making it easier to recognize if it presents in general dental practice.

The impact of structured plaque control for patients with gingival manifestations of oral lichen planus: a randomized controlled study.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of a structured plaque control intervention on clinical and patient-centred outcomes for patients with gingival manifestations of oral lichen planus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-two patients were recruited into a 20-week randomized controlled trial. The intervention was structured plaque control comprising powered tooth brushing and inter-dental cleaning advice. Control subjects continued with their normal dental plaque control regimen. The primary outcome measure was the oral health impact profile (OHIP) with secondary outcomes of pain, plaque index, mucosal disease score and cost-effectiveness. RESULTS: Overall, the intervention patients showed statistically significant improvements in OHIP sum ordinal and OHIP dichotomous scores compared with control. There were improvements in the functional limitation, psychological discomfort and physical disability domains at 4- and 20-weeks and in the psychological disability domain at 20-weeks. The intervention was successful in reducing plaque compared to control (p < 0.001) and improvements were observed using the mucosal disease indices at the 4- and 20-week follow-ups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A structured plaque control intervention was effective in improving the oral health-related quality of life and clinically observed gingival lesions. This study provides evidence to include intensive plaque control within patients' initial and on-going management.

Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia: a general dental practitioner-focused clinical review.

Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL) is a distinct type of oral leukoplakia which has the potential to enlarge or develop into new areas of leukoplakia coupled with areas of a warty surface texture. PVL is usually diagnosed from the fifth decade onwards and is more common in female patients. The most frequent sites involved tend to be gingivae, followed by buccal mucosa and lateral border of tongue. It is one of the oral potentially malignant conditions with a high risk of malignant transformation. It is important for general dental practitioners (GDPs) to identify such lesions to facilitate referral for further investigation and diagnosis. Management is challenging with long-term monitoring and surgical excision when appropriate; however, PVL tends to recur following surgical excision. This article provides an up-to-date review tailored for GDPs on the present knowledge of PVL and illustrates the management challenges with clinical cases.

Skin cancer - what general dental practitioners should look for.

General dental practitioners (GDPs) are well-placed to identify incidental skin lesions when they see patients for routine dental care. Indeed, some patients with an undiagnosed skin malignancy may only see their GDP on a regular basis rather than their general medical practitioner (GMP). GDPs should be able to assess exposed areas of skin, particularly focusing on the head and neck, to identify any lesions of concern and liaise with the patient's GMP where appropriate. We provide an overview focused upon the clinical appearances of isolated benign and malignant lesions, tailored for GDPs.

The management of pemphigus vulgaris and mucous membrane pemphigoid in a joint oral medicine and dermatology clinic: a five-year narrative review.

Pemphigus disease and mucous membrane pemphigoid are autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBDs) which may involve both oral and extra-oral tissues. The Bristol Joint Oral Medicine and Dermatology Combined Clinic was set up in 2014, with the primary aim of improving the standard of care for patients with AIBDs. This interdisciplinary approach aimed to address the medical management challenges due to the multisite nature of these AIBDs.We present a narrative report of the clinical work undertaken within this clinic, focused on the management of this patient cohort within a five-year span (2017-2022). This report outlines the multisite nature of AIBDs and the range of topical and systemic treatments that were employed to achieve adequate disease control and optimise outcomes for patients. We reflect on the experiential benefits of this multidisciplinary clinic extended beyond immediate patient benefits to areas such as specialist training, both from a dermatologist's and oral physician's perspective.

Cost-effectiveness of personalized plaque control for managing the gingival manifestations of oral lichen planus: a randomized controlled study.

AIM: To undertake cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses of an intervention to improve oral health in patients presenting with the gingival manifestations of oral lichen planus (OLP). MATERIALS & METHODS: Eighty-two patients were recruited to a 20-week randomized controlled trial. The intervention was personalized plaque control comprising powered tooth brushing and inter-dental cleaning advice. The primary outcome measure was the oral health impact profile (OHIP) with secondary outcomes of pain, plaque index, mucosal disease score and cost-effectiveness. Private cost data and stated willingness-to-pay (WTP) values for treatment were obtained from intervention patients at 20 weeks. RESULTS: Overall, 81% of intervention patients showed improvement in both plaque index and mucosal disease score at 20 weeks compared to 30% of controls that continued with their usual plaque control regimen. All intervention group patients stated a positive WTP value. The mean net value of the treatment was £172 compared to the incremental cost of the treatment estimated at £122.75. The cost-effectiveness analysis resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £13 per OHIP point. CONCLUSIONS: The tailored plaque control programme was more effective than control in treating the gingival manifestations of oral lichen planus. The programme is cost effective for modest values placed on a point on the OHIP scale and patients generally valued the treatment in excess of the cost.

Recurrent intra-oral herpes simplex 1 infection.

UNLABELLED: Human herpes simplex 1 virus (HSV-1) is a DNA virus that has the ability to lie latent and be subsequently re-activated at any point during a patient's life. In the immunocompetent patient, resolution of clinical signs and symptoms usually occurs spontaneously after 14 days. In the immunocompromised patient, healing is often delayed and the effects are much more debilitating. Indications for therapeutic regimes of systemic antiviral treatment are discussed. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Recurrent oral ulceration caused by HSV-1 may be seen by the general dental practitioner and can cause significant morbidity.

Oral hairy leukoplakia in healthy immunocompetent patients: a small case series.

BACKGROUND: Oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and usually presents in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and systemic immunosuppression. It is rarely seen in patients who are immunocompetent. It is clinically characterised as an asymptomatic, soft, white and corrugated lesion that cannot be scraped from the surface it adheres to. METHODS: Immunocompetent patients with OHL attending Bristol Dental Hospital within the last 6 months were identified. EBV infection was demonstrated using EBV in situ hybridization. Clinical features and medical history were determined by reviewing medical records. CASE REPORT: Four cases of OHL in immunocompetent individuals were identified. All lesions were located on the lateral borders of the tongue. DISCUSSION: OHL should be considered as a differential diagnosis for white patches on the lateral borders of the tongue in apparently healthy immunocompetent patients, even when they do not have a typical corrugated appearance. OHL should no longer be regarded as pathognomonic for HIV infection or systemic immunosuppression.

Aphthous ulcers (recurrent).

INTRODUCTION: Most people with recurrent aphthous ulcers develop a few ulcers less than 10 mm in diameter that heal after 7 to 10 days without scarring. The causes are unknown but local physical trauma may trigger ulcers in susceptible people. In 10% of sufferers, lesions are more than 10 mm in diameter and can cause scarring. METHODS AND OUTCOMES: We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical question: What are the effects of selected topical treatments for recurrent idiopathic aphthous ulcers? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to December 2013 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). RESULTS: We found nine studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: analgesics (local), corticosteroids (topical), tetracycline antibiotic mouthwash, and topical antiseptic agents (chlorhexidine and similar agents).

Recurrence of Wegener's granulomatosis with de novo intraoral presentation treated successfully with rituximab.

We describe a unique case of a recurrence of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) that presented with oral pain involving a left maxillary molar, which thereafter led to an extraction. Oral lesions with a classical appearance of strawberry gingivitis developed following the extraction. The primary disease did not have any oral manifestations. Both the primary disease and recurrence responded to rituximab, a monoclonal B-cell depleting antibody. Rituximab is emerging as a drug with significant potential to improve treatment of primary and, as described in this case, recurrent WG.

Dermographism and delayed pressure urticaria.

There are few papers in the literature that describe pressure urticaria in the maxillofacial region. We present 2 cases and discuss the significance and principles of management. One case describes the diagnosis of pressure urticaria and the second describes the dental management of a patient with severe pressure urticaria.