Superficial mucoceles in cancer patients: a retrospective series from a Stomatology unit.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to relate all the superficial mucoceles found in a cancer center, described the association with oncological conditions, and discuss its etiology and pathology that we found in the past few years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixteen cases of superficial mucocele were retrieved from the patients' records of the Stomatology Department of the A. C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil, and demographic and clinical data were collected from electronic medical records. RESULTS: There were 16 patients, 8 patients were men and 8 women, with ages varying from 26 to 70 years old. Superficial mucoceles were observed in patients submitted to head and neck radiotherapy (n=6), graft versus host disease (n=4), one associated with oral mucositis related to allogenic bone marrow stem cells transplantation (n=1), systemic lupus (n=1), Sjögren's syndrome (n=1), oral lichenoid lesion associated with pembrolizumab (n=1) and no local or systemic inflammatory associated found (n=2). CONCLUSIONS: This study reports a series of superficial mucoceles from a single stomatology unit. Most patients had superficial mucoceles secondary to head and neck radiotherapy and graft versus host diseases. However, two patients (12.5%) had mucoceles related to systemic inflammatory conditions (Sjögren's Syndrome and Systemic Lupus).

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in young patients: a 26-year clinicopathologic retrospective study in a Brazilian specialized center.

BACKGROUND: To describe the clinicopathologic profile of young patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and compare to middle-aged and elderly adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients' individual records were reviewed for clinicopathologic data. Eighty-nine patients with age 18-45 years old met the inclusion criteria of the study. Two additional groups of middle-aged (n=89) and old (n=89) adults were set to comparative analysis. RESULTS: Young patients represented 11.9% of all patients diagnosed with HNSCC. Women were more affected by HNSCC in the young and elder groups (p= 0.04), and young patients were more prone to be non-smokers (p= 0.01) and have lymph node metastasis at the time of diagnosis (p=0.04). In the young group, patients diagnosed with the disease in advanced stages were more prone to have a positive familial history of cancer (p= 0.04), a positive status of alcohol consumption (p= 0.03), and to be heavy drinkers (p= 0.01). Survival was not different for the young group in comparison to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: HNSCC in young patients had a different profile when compared to older patients, especially regarding sex and exposure to the classic risk factors for this disease. The survival of the young group is similar to the older groups and advanced clinical stage is predictor of worse survival.

Uncommon oral manifestation of lichen sclerosus: critical analysis of cases reported from 1957 to 2016.

BACKGROUND: Lichen sclerosus is a mucocutaneous autoimmune disease which might be initiated by infectious pathogens as Borrelia Bugrdorferi and HPV. This disease shows destructive potential and is rarely diagnosed in oral mucosa. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the characteristics of cases described in literature from 1957 to 2016, looking to provide valuable evidence about clinicopathologic features of this disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A MedLine search was performed aiming to find oral lichen sclerosus cases in literature and discuss its demographical and pathological characteristics as well as treatment methods performed for these cases. RESULTS: 34 oral lichen sclerosus cases with histological confirmation and one clinicopathologic study linked with this disease were found in literature. Oral lichen sclerosus affected most commonly female patients, were asymptomatic and not associated to skin or genital lesions. Furthermore, affected patients in a range of 7 - 70-years old (Average age = 31.81). CONCLUSIONS: Oral lichen sclerosus is a rare pathologic process with slight predilection for prepubertal girls, for which topical corticosterois have demonstrated satisfactory therapeutic value.

Glossopharyngeal-hypoglossal nerve reflex of the frog in metamorphosis.

In adult frogs, a reflex discharge is elicited from the hypoglossal nerve by mechanical and chemical stimuli to the centre of the tongue surface and electrical stimuli to the glossopharyngeal nerve innervating tongue. However, there has been no report concerning the embryological stage at which this reflex develops. The metamorphosis of a frog is divided into three parts, premetamorphic, metamorphic and climax stage. In the climax stage, the forelimbs are lengthened and the tail gradually shortened. The glossopharyngeal-hypoglossal nerve reflex arose in the early climax stage, during which the tongue appeared on the floor of the mouth. At this stage, the conduction velocities of the first compound action potential of the glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerves were about 8.7 and 9.3 m/s, respectively. The latency of the reflex was long, especially the central latency. The response of the glossopharyngeal nerve and the reflex discharge from the hypoglossal nerve upon mechanical stimulation of the tongue were smaller in the tadpole than in the adult frog. As metamorphosis proceeded, the conduction velocity of these nerves increased; the latency shortened, especially the central latency; the reflex response to mechanical stimulus increased. These results suggest that, although the glossopharyngeal-hypoglossal nerve reflex is developed in the early climax stage, it is completed only in the adult frog. Therefore, adult frogs living mainly on land may reject and swallow prey by this reflective tongue movement.

Morphological classification of the masticatory muscles in dogs based on their innervation.

The masticatory muscles and their innervations in dogs are classified, from deep to superficial layers, as follows: 1) medial pterygoid muscle and medial pterygoid nerve, 2) lateral pterygoid muscle and lateral pterygoid nerve, 3) anterior deep part of temporal muscle and anterior deep temporal nerve, 4) posterior deep part of temporal muscle and posterior deep temporal nerve, 5) superficial part of temporal muscle and superficial temporal nerve, the only branch of the temporal nerve which passes out from the infratemporal fossa, 6) zygomaticomandibular part of masseter muscle, which is thought to belong to the masseter muscle, and masseter nerve, 7) deep layer of masseter muscle and masseter nerve, 8) superficial layer of masseter muscle and masseter nerve.

Examination of nerve distribution to masticatory muscles using a silicone permeation technique.

The detailed anatomical distribution of nerves throughout the human body has generally been studied by dissection of fixed cadavers in liquid. In this traditional method, it is difficult to maintain the position of nerves on their respective muscles. It is also difficult to keep the distributed form of the nerves. To understand the morphology of nerves, it is essential to determine their location and distribution precisely. In this study the masseter muscle was removed from a cadaver after fixation with formalin. The muscle was then permeated with silicone using the following procedure. The muscle fixed by 10% formalin was dehydrated with alcohol. After dehydration, alcohol was replaced with methylene chloride. The sample was permeated by silicone in a permeater. Following dissection, enamel was applied to the nerve by hand to fix its position. This new permeation method provided excellent localization of nerves innervating the muscle and has the added advantage of providing a three-dimensional structure of neural anatomy similar to the casting procedures used to visualize blood vessels.

Lamination of the masticatory muscles in the kangaroo according to their innervation.

An analysis of the laminations of the masseteric, zygomaticomandibular and temporalis muscles of the Red Kangaroo (Macropus Rufus) and all of the masticatory muscles of the Eastern Gray Kangaroo (Macropus Giganteus) was carried out based on their innervation. The masseteric muscle was divided into superficial and deep layers; the superficial layer was further subdivided into three laminae from the rostro-lateral portion to caudo-internal portion. The deep layer was divided into lateral, caudo-internal and rostro-internal laminae. The zygomaticomandibular muscle which was located between the masseteric and temporal muscles was divided into lateral, internal and rostral laminae, on the basis of its innervation. The lateral and internal laminae were innervated by the nerve which arises between the masseteric nerve and the posterior deep temporal nerve. A small rostral portion of the muscle was innervated by masseteric nerves, which passed through the internal lamina of the deep layer of the masseteric muscle. The temporalis muscle was innervated by an anterior deep temporal nerve and posterior deep temporal nerve. Only the most rostro-internal lamina of the temporalis muscle was innervated by the anterior deep temporal nerve. The anterior deep temporal nerve and lateral pterygoid nerve had a common trunk. We believe that the rostro-internal lamina was closely related to the lateral pterygoid muscle. The lateral pterygoid muscle displayed one lamina, whereas the medial pterygoid muscle was divided into internal and lateral laminae. The lateral lamina was further divided into rostro-internal and caudo-lateral laminae.

Scanning electron microscopic study on the lingual papillae in the Manchurian chipmunk, Tamias sibiricus asiaticus.

The superfacial structures of the tongues in the Manchurian Chipmunk, Tamias sibiricus asiaticus, were observed by scanning electron microscope. The tongues were long, tapering, narrow and thick with a long apical free portion and a small lingual prominence in the posterior half. In this animal, three circumvallate papillae were present in an inverted triangle, a minority of conical papillae on the pharyngeal part and parallel large conical papillae on the lateral border. The fungiform papillae were scanty on the dorsal surface. These characters suggested this animal was more primitive than the others in rodents.

Scanning electron microscopic study on the lingual papillae of the Japanese insectivora.

The tongue and lingual papillae of the Japanese Insectivora, the Shinto shrew (Sorex caecuiens saevus), the long-clawed shrew (S. unguiculatus), the dsinezumi shrew (Crocidura dsinezumi dsinezumi) and the Japanese water shrew (Chimarrogale himalyica platycephala), were observed by scanning electron microscope. The tongue of these animals had two vallate papillae. In two species of the Sorex a papilla in the vallate papilla was surrounded by two separated trenches, but in the other species it was surrounded by only a continuous trench and a clear vallum. The fungiform papillae in the Sorex were less developed than those of the other species. In the Sorex and Crocidura, there was no filiform papilla on the lingual apex. These genera, however, have papillary projections in the margin of the lingual apex. The results of this investigation suggest that the Sorex and Crocidura indicate an ancient form of the mammalian tongue. These characters, furthermore, were compared among seven species in six genera added three species observed by Kobayashi et al. (1983) to this study.

Development of mandibular cartilages in the rat.

BACKGROUND: The mammalian mandible develops around Meckel's cartilage and other secondary cartilages, including the dentary. There have already been many studies of the development of the rat mandible that have employed histological serial sections. However, no previous investigators have captured the three-dimensional features of the developmental process. METHODS: In this study, the technique of double staining with alizarin red S and alcian blue was employed directly on whole body specimens to investigate the three-dimensional development of the rat mandible. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We found that the molar socket obstructs the developing mandible, causing it to emerge medial to Meckel's cartilage. Our results also indicate that the secondary mandibular cartilages may contribute to supplementary growth in response to local factors.

The pterygoideus propius muscle revisited.

The pterygoideus proprius muscle is an anomaly in the infratemporal fossa that has immovable attachments to the infratemporal crest and the lateral pterygoid plate of the sphenoid bone. We report the identification of three cases of this anomaly, suggest its embryological origin, and speculate about its function.

Digastric muscle of the kangaroo: a comparative anatomical study.

Although the human digastric muscle is classified as a suprahyoid muscle, none of the digastric muscles in other mammals are classed as suprahyoid in textbooks of veterinary anatomy. The aim of this study was to describe the anatomical relationship of the digastric muscle in a marsupial, the kangaroo, and to consider factors thought to be important in leading to the different position of the muscle in quadrupeds compared with humans. Eight heads of the common wallaroo (Macropus robustus) were used in this study. They were fixed by injection of 10% formalin solution into the carotid arteries and dissected under a stereomicroscope. The digastric muscle in the common wallaroo arose from the paroccipital process of the temporal bone and inserted into the mandible but had no intermediate tendon or any connection with the hyoid bone. It was supplied by both the mandibular and facial nerves. The hyoglossus muscle attached to the inferior surface of the hyoid bone and its ventral border overlapped the mylohyoid muscle. The hypoglossal nerve passed between these two muscles. Therefore, in contrast to humans, the digastric, hyoglossus, and mylohyoid muscles in the kangaroo were all located inferior to the hyoid bone. Differences in head posture and the position of the larynx between kangaroos and humans may account for the observed difference in the digastric muscle's position relative to the hyoid bone between these species.

The morphology and innervation of the lateral pterygoid muscle of the dog.

The number of heads possessed by the lateral pterygoid muscle was investigated in the dog. Only a single head was observed which it is suggested may correspond to the lower head in other mammals. It inserted both onto the condyle and into the articular disc. The nerve which innervated this muscle arose directly from the mandibular nerve, separate from the medial pterygoid nerve. Because of this, it should be termed the lateral pterygoid nerve and not the pterygoid nerve.

Case report: the cleidocervical muscle with speculation as to its origin.

The occurrence of a cleidocervical muscle, which arose from the anterior tubercle of the transverse process of the 6th cervical vertebra and was inserted onto the superior margin of the clavicle, is described. Detailed observations on its innervation, which was derived from the 5th cervical nerve, and its topographic anatomy suggest that the muscle originated from longus colli.