Low-level laser therapy on bone repair: is there any effect outside the irradiated field?

The biological effects of local therapy with laser on bone repair have been well demonstrated; however, this possible effect on bone repair outside the irradiated field has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) (λ = 830 nm) on repair of surgical bone defects outside the irradiated field, in rats. Sixty Wistar rats were submitted to osteotomy on the left femur and randomly separated into four groups (n = 15): group I, control, bone defect only; group II, laser applied on the right femur (distant dose); group III, laser applied locally on the bone defect and also on the right femur (local and distant doses); and group IV, laser applied locally on the left femur (local dose). Laser groups received applications within a 48-h interval in one point per session of density energy (DE) = 210 J/cm(2), P = 50 mW, t = 120 s, and beam diameter of 0.028 cm. Five animals of each group were euthanized 7, 15, and 21 days after surgery. Histologic analysis in all groups showed new bone formation in the region of interest (ROI) at 7 days. After 15 days, bone remodeling with a decrease of bone neoformation in the marrow area was observed in all groups. After 21 days, advanced bone remodeling with new bone mostly located in the cortical area was observed. The histomorphometric analysis showed at 7 days a significant increase of bone formation in groups III and IV compared to groups I and II. At days 15 and 21, histomorphometric analysis showed no significant differences between them. Laser therapy presented a positive local biostimulative effect in the early stage of bone healing, but the LLLT effect was not observed a long distance from the evaluated area.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome: an oral viewpoint.

The Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a severe variant of erythema multiforme (EM) that occasionally can rise to systemic upset and possibly compromise life. In this report, we described important oral and dermatologic aspects of a case of SJS triggered by Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

A case of oral recurrent ulcerative lesions in a patient with lipoid proteinosis (Urbach-Wiethe disease).

Lipoid proteinosis is a rare autosomal recessive genodermatosis characterized by deposition of amorphous hyaline material in different parts of the body, especially the skin, mucous membranes of the upper aerodigestive tract, and internal organs. A clinical manifestation of LP usually begins as a hoarseness and failure cry soon after birth or in the first years of life. However, other conditions may occasionally appear few years later. Oral cavity is most extensively affected area by the disease and the main oral abnormalities include diffusive infiltration of white pea-size plaques and stiffening of the tongue as well as inability to protrude it. In this report, we describe the case of a woman affected by LP presenting recurrent ulcerative lesions in mouth associated with xerostomia.

Multicentric granular cell tumor: report of a patient with oral and cutaneous lesions.

Granular cell tumor (GCT) is an uncommon benign neoplasm of soft tissue that characteristically affects the oral cavity, with increased frequency in the tongue. In this paper, we report a multicentric GCT affecting a 41-year-old black woman, with nodules in perineum, groin, vulva, tongue and lip. Some of these lesions were surgically resected, but in a six-year follow-up, new primary lesions and recurrences were observed. In addition, the patient opted to do not remove some of these lesions, but there were not significant intercurrences. In view of the present findings, aspects related to clinical presentation, multiplicity, malignant potential, and treatment of GCT are discussed.

Progressive dental development in regional odontodysplasia.

Regional odontodysplasia (RO), also known as ghost teeth, is an unusual nonhereditary developmental anomaly of tooth formation that characteristically affects enamel and dentin formation of the primary and/or permanent dentition. In the present paper, we report a case of RO affecting a 7-year-old boy, with 9 years of follow-up. During this time, progressive development of dental tissue was observed, including complete root formation. However, delayed dental eruption was evident. In view of these findings, we discuss the clinical presentation, pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, and treatment of RO.