Maxillofacial Implications of Scleroderma and Systemic Sclerosis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Scleroderma and more generally systemic sclerosis comprise a group of autoimmune diseases characterized by increased collagen synthesis and deposition within connective tissue. The Scleroderma Foundation estimates that as many as 300,000 persons in the United States have scleroderma. Although the etiology of the disease is unknown, it is thought to be related to chronic inflammation secondary to autoimmune tissue damage. Scleroderma has variable presentations and may result in changes to the skin, blood vessels, muscles, and internal organs. Oral and maxillofacial findings can include limited mouth opening; xerostomia; periodontal disease; widening of the periodontal ligament space; zygomatic arch resorption; and resorption of the mandibular angle, coronoid process, and condyle. We present the case of a 26-year-old female patient with scleroderma who exhibited extreme maxillofacial manifestations of the disease.

Interdisciplinary Management of a Class III Anterior Open Bite Malocclusion in a Patient With Cerebral Palsy.

Dentofacial disharmony in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) can lead to low self-esteem and functional limitations. However, medical and behavioral challenges in patients with developmental disorders often prevent dental practitioners from offering the necessary treatment. This report describes the clinical interdisciplinary management of a 20-year-old man with CP, including orthodontic, periodontal, and orthognathic surgery therapy. The patient presented with the chief complaint of having difficulty chewing, was wheelchair dependent, had poor orofacial muscle control, and exhibited a Class III malocclusion with a skeletal anterior open bite. The lower midline was shifted 3 mm to the right, there was severe maxillary spacing, and the patient had gingival overgrowth. A combined orthodontic, periodontal, and orthognathic surgery treatment approach was chosen to meet the patient's interdisciplinary needs. Because of his physical limitations, it was necessary to avoid complicated and prolonged orthodontic treatment mechanics. Interdisciplinary therapy improved the patient's oral function, periodontal health, and facial esthetics and led to a good occlusion, which remained stable 1 year after treatment. Regardless of the treatment challenges, combined orthodontic and surgical therapy in the present patient with CP led to favorable treatment results and improved the patient's self-esteem, confidence in social interactions, and speaking and chewing abilities.

Concomitant Suppurative Parotitis and Condylar Osteomyelitis.

Parotitis is a common occurrence in the immunocompromised, dehydrated, and malnourished patient as a result of dysfunctional ductal and parotid cells. Inflammation can be acute or chronic based on clinical history, and it can be suppurative based on the presence of micro or macro abscess formation within the substance of the gland. This report presents a case of concomitant condylar osteomyelitis and chronic suppurative parotitis in the setting of previous methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus foot infection. Ultimately, resection of osteomyelitis, drainage of parotid infection, and intravenous antibiotic therapy led to full resolution of the infection and symptoms. The final pathology of osteomyelitis of the temporomandibular joint and methicillin-resistant S aureus infection is an unusual consequence of chronic parotitis. The patient was restored with a total joint replacement approximately 3 months after resection with no recurrence of infection after 24 months.

Multiple primary squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity.

PURPOSE: There is a subset of patients who develop multiple primary squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the oral cavity. The aim of this study was to better characterize this group of patients and determine whether there are any associated risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of all patients treated for oral SCCs at the University of Maryland Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from November 1989 to February 2013. The inclusion criteria were patients who developed at least 3 primary oral cancers. Lesions were considered separate primaries if they involved different anatomic regions within the oral cavity and were more than 2 cm apart or if they occurred more than 5 years apart. RESULTS: Of 1,478 patients treated during this time frame, 20 met the inclusion criteria. There were 14 women and 6 men (female-to-male ratio, 2.3:1). Nineteen were Caucasian and 1 was of Indian ethnicity. The average number of primaries per patient was 3.9 (range, 3 to 6 primaries). The mean age at first diagnosis was 63.3 years (44 to 86 yr). The mean interval between the different primaries was 32 months (0 to 228 months). The most common site involved was the gingiva (45% of cases), followed by the tongue, buccal mucosa, retromolar fossa, and soft or hard palate. The mean follow-up was 118 months (22 to 342 months). Eleven patients developed nodal disease. Of those 11 patients, 9 died of the disease (<20% survival). The average time to neck involvement was 66.4 months. The average time from last neck involvement to death was 11.5 months. More than half the patients were nonsmokers or had quit more than 10 years before the first diagnosis. All patients quit smoking during the course of their treatment yet continued to develop multiple primaries. Three patients had proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL), and 4 patients had biopsy-proved lichen planus. CONCLUSION: The incidence of multiple primary SCCs within the oral cavity appears to more commonly involve Caucasian women without risk factors, although lichen planus and PVL might play a role. The gingiva appears to be the most commonly involved primary site, and subsequent primaries tend to be restricted to the oral cavity. Close observation and early expectant treatment appear to improve prognosis and survival in these patients. Cervical nodal metastases adversely affected survival (P = .02) as did the development of more than 4 primary carcinomas (P = .04).

Prosthetic temporomandibular joint replacement (TJR): Stock or custom? A single institution pilot comparison.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare stock (Biomet-Lorenz Stock, Parsippany, NJ) and custom (TMJ Concepts, Inc., Ventura, CA) total temporomandibular joint (TMJ) replacement prosthetics. METHOD: This was a retrospective cohort study of 17 consecutive patients operated by the same surgeon from 2015 to 2020 comparing stock and custom options for total joint replacement (TJR). The inclusion criteria were patients who documented 1 year of follow-up post-TJR without previous TMJ replacement surgery. The predictor variable was the TMJ prosthetic replacement. The primary clinical outcome variables was pain via Visual Analog Scale (VAS) measured at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively and maximum incisal opening measured pre and post-surgery. The other variables were grouped into the following categories: surgery time, length of stay, and unilateral vs bilateral replacements. RESULTS: Our review showed no statistically significant difference in maximum incisal opening, subjective pain score, hospital stay, surgical time, or complication rate between Biomet-Lorenz stock and TMJ Concepts, Inc. custom total joint replacement. Bilateral TJR, irrespective of prosthesis type, did have greater improvement in maximal incisal opening (MIO) compared with unilateral that was statistically significant (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistically significant difference in the pain VAS or MIO using either stock or custom TJR. Both should be considered good surgical options for improvements in patient function and long-term jaw stability.

Controversies in Traditional Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction.

Traditional reconstruction of the head and neck and significantly evolved over the last 20 to 30 years with advances in microvascular surgery, biologic materials such as bone morphogenic protein, and dental implant predictability. Earlier and more definitive reconstruction can now be achieved with combining therapies, allowing patients immediate restoration of function and improved cosmetics. Antiresorptive medications, such as Denosumab and bisphosphonates, have complicated bony reconstruction treatments with altered biology and less-predictable results. Virtual surgical planning is a major advancement for reconstruction pretreatment planning and designing of intraoperative tools to expedite the operation and achieve more predictable results.