What are the Characteristics of Oral Injuries Caused by Playground Equipment?

PURPOSE: Studies regarding oral injuries from playground equipment in children remain limited. This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of oral injury caused by playground equipment and identify associations with concomitant head injury. METHODS: Children treated between 2011 and 2021 at an oral surgery clinic for oral injuries from playground equipment were retrospectively investigated. The following factors were analyzed: demographic characteristics, mechanism of injury, type of equipment causing the injury, classification of oral injury, and whether the Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine was consulted regarding the head injury. The data collected were statistically analyzed using the Fisher-Freeman-Halton test with significance adopted at the 5% level. RESULTS: This study analyzed data from 82 children. Injuries were concentrated in age groups of 2 to 3 years (32.9%), 4 to 5 years (28.0%), and 6 to 7 years (25.6%). Regarding the mechanism of injury, falls were more common (89.0%) than impact/striking (11.0%). The type of equipment most frequently causing injury was slides (29.3%), followed by swings (23.2%) and iron bars (18.3%). Injuries were classified as soft tissue injury alone (56.1%) or tooth injury and/or jaw fracture (43.9%). Consultation with the Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine for head injury was uncommon (13.4%), and all consultations for brain injury diagnosed minor injuries. CONCLUSION: Oral injuries caused by playground equipment were frequent between 2 and 7 years old. The most common cause was falls, with most injuries caused by slides, swings, or iron bars. Approximately half of the oral injuries were soft tissue injuries only, while the other half were associated with tooth and/or jaw injuries. Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine consultations for head trauma were uncommon and consistently confirmed minor injuries.

Do maxillary dentures protect the skull base from penetration injury?

Key Clinical Message: Foreign bodies penetrating from the oral cavity can damage surrounding tissues. This case is considered an extremely rare and fortunate instance in which a maxillary denture appeared to weaken the external force and change the direction of the scissors, preventing damage to vital organs. Abstract: The patient was a 73-year-old man. While on a ladder pruning a plant, he accidentally fell. The gardening scissors passed through the maxillary sinus from the maxillary alveolus and penetrated below the zygomatic arch. At the time of injury, the patient was wearing a metal-frame denture on the maxilla, and contact between the cutting edge and the denture was speculated to have weakened the piercing force of the blade and changed the direction of the cutting edge. This extremely rare case demonstrates how a maxillary denture could reduce the severity of a penetrating injury caused by scissors.

Laugier-Hunziker Syndrome: A Rare Cause of Oral Mucosa Pigmentation.

Introduction: Various diseases cause pigmentation of the oral mucosa. Among them, however, Laugier-Hunziker syndrome is not well known to dentists. Laugier-Hunziker syndrome is a benign pigmentary disorder characterized by the unique expression of pigmentation of the mucosa, nails and skin. In this report, we present a rare case of Laugier-Hunziker syndrome that occurred in an elderly person. Case Presentation: The patient was an 84-year-old female resident of an elderly care facility. The institutional dental hygienist reported that she was concerned about the discoloration of the oral mucosa. On examination, she had pigmentation of her oral mucosa and nails. She had no history of any disease or medication that would cause pigmentation. Although this condition was initially unknown to us, a diagnosis of Laugier-Hunziker syndrome was made. Conclusion: We report a case of Laugier-Hunziker syndrome in an elderly woman, which is not a well-known condition among dental professionals. More knowledge about diseases that cause pigmentation of the oral mucosa would be helpful in dental practice, especially at external facilities.

Endovascular coils mimicking accidental ingestion of a dental-related foreign body in radiographic imaging.

If a foreign body is seen on chest or abdominal radiographs, accidental aspiration or ingestion of a dental-related foreign body may be suspected. This report describes a case in which vascular embolization coils seen on radiography were suspected to represent a swallowed dental prosthesis. A 72-year-old man with a history of endovascular embolization of portosystemic shunt was admitted for mandibular fracture. On hospital day 2, a foreign body was noted on chest radiographs taken to confirm pleural effusion. No foreign body had been evident on radiographs of the same area the previous day. The foreign body was suspected to be a dental prosthesis, but intraoral examination ruled out this possibility, and the foreign body turned out to be metal coils used to embolize the shunt. Dentists and oral surgeons should be aware that medical devices such as vascular embolization coils can produce images similar to a dental-related foreign body on chest or abdominal radiographs, and dental-related foreign body ingestion or aspiration should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Cancer Chemotherapy-associated Pigmentation of the Oral Mucosa.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Oral adverse events caused by anticancer drugs are diverse, but few reports have examined pigmentation of the oral mucosa. The aim of this study was to clarify the prevalence of oral mucosal pigmentation caused by anticancer drugs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This single-centre retrospective study investigated patients who underwent oral examination in our hospital during cancer chemotherapy for 3 years from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2021. Inclusion criteria were patients who could be followed-up for ≥3 months after completing chemotherapy with drugs that caused pigmentation. The primary predictive variable was the cancer chemotherapeutic agent used. The primary outcome variable was pigmentation of the oral mucosa. Collected data were statistically analysed using the χ2 test or Fisher's exact test, with the level of significance set at p<0.05. RESULTS: A total of 388 patients were enrolled in the study. Eleven patients (2.8%) showed oral mucosal pigmentation. Drugs causing pigmentation [deposition rate (number of patients with deposits/users)] were TS-1 (combination of tegafur, gimeracil, and oteracil potassium) [12.2% (5/41)], paclitaxel [4.0% (2/50)], gemcitabine [5.0% (1/20)], cyclophosphamide [2.3% (1/42)], carboplatin [1.6% (1/64)], fluorouracil [2.3% (1/43)], and capecitabine [3.4% (1/29)]. CONCLUSION: Oral pigmentation due to cancer chemotherapy was found in 2.8% of patients. TS-1, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, capecitabine, fluorouracil, gemcitabine, and paclitaxel caused pigmentation of the oral mucosa. Among these, TS-1 was the most likely to cause pigmentation, affecting 12.2% of users.

EBV-positive mucocutaneous ulcer arising in methotrexate-treated rheumatoid arthritis patients: a clinicopathological study of 12 cases with analysis of PD-L1 expression.

Epstein-Barr virus-positive mucocutaneous ulcer (EBVMCU) is a newly recognized disease entity characterized by EBV-positive atypical B-cell proliferation. EBVMCU is a localized self-limited disease that affects mucosa and skin, especially the oral cavity. EBVMCU develops in immunosuppressive patients, such as those with methotrexate (MTX)-administrated rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here we clinicopathologically analyzed 12 EBVMCU patients in a single institution. All cases were administrated MTX for RA, and five cases occurred in the oral cavity. All cases except one had demonstrated spontaneous regression after withdrawal of the immunosuppressive agent. We found 4 of 5 cases in the oral cavity had preceding traumatic events in the same site within a week before the onset of EBVMCU. Although there is no detailed and large study that has analyzed the trigger of EBVMCU, a traumatic event would indeed be a significant trigger for EBVMCU in the oral cavity. The cases were histologically classified; six cases were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma-type, five were polymorphous-type, and one was Hodgkin-like lesion type due to morphological appearance and immunophenotype. The PD-L1 expression was also examined by two antibodies for PD-L1 (E1J2J and SP142). Both antibodies revealed identical results for PD-L1 expression, and three cases were positive for PD-L1. The application of SP142 for evaluating the immune status of lymphomagenesis has also been proposed. Nine of 12 cases were negative for PD-L1, which implies that most EBVMCU cases may be caused by an immunodeficiency, rather than an immune-evasion, mechanism. However, as three cases were positive for PD-L1, immune escape may underly the pathogenesis in a subset of EBVMCU cases.

Denture Clasp Injury of the Oral Mucosa.

Purpose: Clasp-penetrating oral injury caused by removable partial dentures is basically a minor injury but can also cause complications such as continuous bleeding. No systematic investigations of clasp injury have been undertaken. The aims of this study were to reveal the characteristics of clasp injury and estimate variables associated with clasp injury of the oral mucosa. Methods: This retrospective study used clasp injury as the outcome variable, with primary predictor variables of demographic characteristics, medical history, local characteristics, and denture design, including the site of the affected clasp. Denture type was examined according to the classification of Kennedy. Collected data were statistically analyzed using the χ2 test or Fisher's exact test and the level of significance adopted was 5%. Results: This report consists of 73 cases (36 men and 37 women), of which 31 cases had precise denture information. Among them, clasp injuries were more common with Class I (51.6%) and Class II (32.3%) dentures (p < .001). Premolar (64.5%) and canine clasps (32.3%) were significantly more frequently involved (p < .001). Conclusion: Clasp injury of the oral mucosa was significantly more common on the tongue, and mandibular free-end saddle dentures with premolar or canine clasps were the most notable risk factor for clasp-penetrating injury of the oral mucosa.

Current Denture Loss in Geriatric Facilities.

Purpose: Denture loss is still being reported as a problem in geriatric facilities, although losses seem less frequent than in the last decade. However, there have been no reports that have examined recent losses of dentures in detail. The aim of this study was to clarify the actual situation of recent denture loss, together with the denture loss rate in Japan. Materials and methods: This retrospective study investigated the number of cases of denture loss, the denture loss rate for denture wearers, and the details of losses in geriatric facilities during the 1-year period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. Results: Eleven special elderly nursing homes and four group homes participated in this research. The number of residents from each was 315 and 40 and the number of denture wearers was 165 and 33, respectively (p < 0.001). The loss of dentures was found in one case from a special elderly nursing home and in one case from a group home. The loss rate for denture wearers was 1.01% in total, with 0.61% for special elderly nursing homes and 3.03% for group homes, with no significant differences between the two types of facilities. Conclusion: In geriatric facilities in Japan, the current 1-year denture loss rate for denture wearers was 1.01%. This seems to represent a considerable decrease when compared with the previous report. Further, proper denture management and staff efforts appear to have contributed to a reduction in denture loss against a background of promoting oral healthcare.

Repeated Occurrence and Recurrence of Secondary Oral Solid Cancers after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Leukaemia: Long-Term Follow-Up.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a common method for patients such as hematologic malignancies. However, HSCT generally has a higher risk of secondary solid cancer development. The aim of this study was to emphasize the need for lifelong follow-up of oral secondary solid cancer. The patient was a male who underwent HSCT for chronic myelogenous leukaemia at the age of 31 years. He underwent ten onsets on oral secondary solid cancers during his subsequent follow-up of more than 20 years. In conclusion, patients after HSCT require lifelong observation of oral secondary solid cancer, which may be accompanied by repeated new and recurrent occurrences.

Hemodialysis-Related Amyloidosis in the Tongue.

Dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA) represents a group of relatively rare disorders characterized by the systemic extracellular deposition of insoluble fibrils of amyloid protein in long-term dialysis patients. We describe herein a case of relatively early DRA on the tongue of a long-term dialysis patient. A 67-year-old man with a 39-year history of dialysis was referred for diagnosis of a tongue mass. On examination, a collection of whitish-yellow papules was identified on the ventral surface of the tongue tip. The pathological diagnosis was DRA. Clinicians should be aware that long-term dialysis can cause oral amyloidosis of the tongue.

Accidental oral bleeding in a dementia patient taking anticoagulants: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Identifying the causes of accidental oral bleeding can be difficult in patients with dementia. The aim of this study was to highlight the effectiveness of multidisciplinary consultation, which proved extremely useful in investigating the cause of bleeding in this case. CASE PRESENTATION: An 86-year-old woman on anticoagulants who had been admitted to a geriatric facility experienced repeated oral bleeding of unknown cause, initially attributed to periodontitis. CONCLUSION: Along with anticoagulant use, a multidisciplinary consultation attributed the bleeding to the use of a spoon at mealtimes and possible scratching at the wound by the patient with her fingers.

Tumor-Specificity, Neurotoxicity, and Possible Involvement of the Nuclear Receptor Response Pathway of 4,6,8-Trimethyl Azulene Amide Derivatives.

BACKGROUND: Very few papers covering the anticancer activity of azulenes have been reported, as compared with those of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity. This led us to investigate the antitumor potential of fifteen 4,6,8-trimethyl azulene amide derivatives against oral malignant cells. METHODS: 4,6,8-Trimethyl azulene amide derivatives were newly synthesized. Anticancer activity was evaluated by tumor-specificity against four human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines over three normal oral cells. Neurotoxicity was evaluated by cytotoxicity against three neuronal cell lines over normal oral cells. Apoptosis induction was evaluated by Western blot and cell cycle analyses. RESULTS: Among fifteen derivatives, compounds 7, 9, and 15 showed the highest anticancer activity, and relatively lower neurotoxicity than doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and melphalan. They induced the accumulation of a comparable amount of a subG1 population, but slightly lower extent of caspase activation, as compared with actinomycin D, used as an apoptosis inducer. The quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis suggests the significant correlation of tumor-specificity with a 3D shape of molecules, and possible involvement of inflammation and hormone receptor response pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Compounds 7 and 15 can be potential candidates of a lead compound for developing novel anticancer drugs.

Inhibition of Neurotoxicity/Anticancer Activity of Bortezomib by Caffeic Acid and Chlorogenic Acid.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Bortezomib, used for the treatment of multiple myeloma, has been reported to induce potent neurotoxicity. The present study investigated whether eight popular polyphenols inhibit bortezomib-induced neurotoxicity without affecting its anticancer activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Viable cell number was determined with the MTT method. Tumor-specificity was determined by the relative cytotoxicity in human oral squamous cell carcinoma vs. normal oral cells. Neurotoxicity was determined by the relative cytotoxicity in differentiated rat neuronal PC12 cells vs. normal cells. Apoptotic cells were quantified by cell cycle analysis. RESULTS: Bortezomib induced cell shrinkage, disruption of neurites, and accumulation of PC-12 cells in subG1. Only chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid protected PC-12 cells from bortezomib-induced neurotoxicity. Ferulic acid that has one of the two hydroxyl groups replaced by a methoxy group showed a significantly reduced neuroprotective effect. Caffeic acid and the chlorogenic acid also neutralized the anticancer potential of bortezomib. CONCLUSION: Caffeic acid and the chlorogenic acid may reduce the biological activity of bortezomib by forming a conjugate.

Cancer Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Adverse Events: Oral Dysesthesia and Toothache - A Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: Due to the development of newly developed anticancer drugs, oral dysesthesia and toothache other than conventional oral mucositis, dry mouth, and dysgeusia are increasing among oral adverse events. The objective of this study was to assess the characteristics of chemotherapy-induced oral dysesthesia and toothache. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were patients referred to the oral surgery clinic for oral adverse events related to cancer chemotherapy and with an observation period of more than 1 month after the last course of chemotherapy. Oral adverse events were divided according to the categories of the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, v5.0. Statistical comparison was made using the binomial test. RESULTS: A total of 180 patients were referred to the oral surgery clinic. Oral dysesthesia and/or toothache was found in 15 cases, which included 13 with oral dysesthesia, 4 with toothache, and 2 with both oral dysesthesia and toothache. Of these 15 cases, 13 had concomitant occurrence of peripheral neuropathy (PN) (86.7%, P = 0.0037) and 12 cases had dysgeusia (80.0%, P = 0.0176). Symptoms of oral dysesthesia and/or toothache continued after chemotherapy in 10 of 15 cases with the continuation of accompanied PN (66.7%) and/or dysgeusia and persisted for more than 6 months in 5 cases (33.3%). DISCUSSION: Although oral dysesthesia and toothache are low-grade chemotherapy-induced adverse events, it is suggested that they may be nervous system disorders rather than gastrointestinal disorders. Clinicians should understand that they potentially persist for a long period after the end of chemotherapy.

Re-Evaluation of Chemotherapeutic Potential of Pyoktanin Blue.

Background: Pyoktanin blue (PB) is used for staining tissues and cells, and it is applied in photodynamic therapy due to its potent bactericidal activity. However, clinical application of PB as an antiviral and antitumor agent has been limited due to its potent toxicity. For clinical application, the antitumor and antiviral activity as well as the neurotoxicity of PB were re-evaluated with a chemotherapeutic index. Methods: Tumor-specificity (TS) was determined by the ratio of CC50 against normal oral cells/oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); neurotoxicity by that of normal oral/neuronal cells; antiviral activity by that of mock-infected/virus-infected cells; and potency-selectivity expression (PSE) by dividing TS by CC50 (OSCC). Results: Antitumor activity of PB (assessed by TS and PSE) was comparable with that of DXR and much higher than that of 5-FU and melphalan. PB induced caspase-3 activation and subG1 cell accumulation in an OSCC cell line (Ca9-22). PB and anticancer drugs showed comparable cytotoxicity against both neuronal cells and OSCC cell lines. PB showed no detectable anti-HIV/HSV activity, in contrast to reverse transferase inhibitors, sulfated glucans, and alkaline extract of leaves of S.P. Conclusions: PB showed first-class anticancer activity and neurotoxicity, suggesting the importance of establishing the safe treatment schedule.

Diverticulum in buccal mucosa: A rare sac-like oral pouch.

OBJECTIVE: This article describes a rare case of oral diverticulum. BACKGROUND: Diverticulum represents a sac-like protrusion of the gastrointestinal tract, commonly arising in the colon wall of elder individuals. Zenker's diverticulum can also occur in the pharyngeal mucosa. However, oral diverticulum appears rare. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The patient was an 88-year-old man with dementia living in a geriatric facility. A dental hygienist incidentally identified a small pouch containing stagnant food residue in the left buccal mucosa during oral hygiene procedures. RESULTS: The small pouch with stagnant food residue was identified as a diverticulum. CONCLUSION: Diverticula may be identified from the stagnation of food residue. Dental specialists who practice oral hygiene should be aware of diverticula as a differential diagnosis.

A Rare Case of Pyogenic Granuloma in the Tooth Extraction Socket.

Pyogenic granuloma (PG) refers to a common, acquired, benign, and vascular tumor that arises in tissues such as the skin and mucous membranes. However, it is extremely rare for PG to arise from an empty socket after tooth extraction. Herein, we describe a rare case of PG that arose from the empty extraction socket of the second molar adjacent to a dentigerous cyst of the left mandibular wisdom tooth in a 57-year-old man. The patient's second molar was extracted during the same procedure in which the wisdom tooth and cyst were removed. Subsequently, at 42 days after surgery, an exophytic mass was found in the socket of the second molar. An excisional biopsy was performed, and the histopathological diagnosis was PG. Since the PG recurred 90 days after the surgery, a complete excision with bone curettage was performed. During the 12 months of follow-up, there has been no recurrence observed. In conclusion, as tooth extraction is a routine dental practice, clinicians should be aware that PGs can also develop from an extraction socket.

Change of body composition, physical strength, and nutritional status of patients with mandibular fractures.

The aim was to determine changes in various parameters indicating physical conditions and nutritional status of patients during surgical and conservative treatment of mandibular fractures. A round by a nutrition support team was done once postoperatively for the surgical treatment group. For the conservative treatment group, three rounds were performed during the period of intermaxillary fixation. Data obtained from the rounds were compared between the groups. There were 29 patients surgically and 30 patients conservatively treated. A significant weight loss was observed in both groups postoperatively. The mean weight loss of the surgical treatment group measured at the postoperative round was 1.73 kg (SD ± 1.78) (P < 0.001) and that of the conservative treatment group at the third round was 2.74 kg (SD ± 2.35) (P < 0.001). During the entire treatment period, weight loss, body fat percentage, skeletal muscle percentage, grip strength and parameters indicating body composition and nutritional status of the conservative treatment group did not substantially differ from those of the surgical group. The influence of the conservative procedure on the nutritional condition of the patients seems to be limited and reversible at the end of the treatment. The weight loss observed here suggests that systematic nutrition support is necessary during both surgical and conservative treatment.

Accidental Oral Injuries by Electric Toothbrush: A Report of Three Cases.

In recent years, electric toothbrushes have become widespread. However, injuries caused by electric toothbrushes have rarely been reported. We describe three cases of oral penetrating injuries caused by electric toothbrushes. Case 1 occurred in a disabled boy while brushing due to unexpected movement. In Case 2, a mother using an electric toothbrush had fallen when bumped by her child. Case 3 involved a man using the toothbrush while taking a bath, who slipped in the bathtub. Cases 1 and 3 were using sonic toothbrushes, and Case 2 was using an oscillating-rotating toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes can cause oral penetrating injuries and infections in the same manner as manual toothbrushes. Prevention of oral trauma requires familiarity with the form and function of electric toothbrushes. Some room for improvement remains in optimizing the form of electric toothbrushes.

Delayed Healing of Tooth Extraction Sockets with Ramucirumab Use.

OBJECTIVE: An angiogenesis inhibitor can cause medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). To our knowledge, there has been no report that an angiogenesis inhibitor causes delayed healing of tooth extraction socket. Here, we describe a case of delayed healing of tooth extraction sockets associated with an angiogenesis inhibitor, ramucirumab, which showed characteristics similar to MRONJ. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 76-year-old male patient, who was diagnosed with gastric cancer with liver metastasis, received tooth extraction twice during continuous chemotherapy comprising paclitaxel and ramucirumab. RESULTS: The first extraction was performed 30 days after ramucirumab discontinuation without complication. The second extraction was conducted without ramucirumab discontinuation. Although tooth socket healing was finally achieved, it took about 150 days. Discussion. This case was considered to be delayed healing of dry sockets rather than MRONJ due to ramucirumab. Dentists and oral surgeons need to be aware that angiogenesis inhibitors can cause not only MRONJ but also dry sockets after tooth extraction.