Health-related quality of life and satisfaction following orthognathic surgery: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: This study investigates the motivations for orthognathic surgery and assesses the quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction among patients treated at a hospital over 12 months. METHODS: We employed an Arabic version of the Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ), used pre-surgery and at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-surgery. This included demographic data, the OQLQ, and visual analogue scales (VAS). The OQLQ, originally by Cunningham et al., was translated and adapted by Al-Asfour et al. Additional validated questions were added to both pre- and post-operative surveys. RESULTS: Of 136 participants (51 males, 85 females, average age 25.1), most underwent surgery for facial aesthetics (85.2%) and bite correction (57.3%). Treatments included various osteotomies. OQLQ scores significantly dropped from 63.3% pre-surgery to 23% at 6 months, showing QoL improvement. 97.8% reported better psychological status post-surgery (p = 0.0001), with 94.1% satisfaction at 6 months (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The orthognathic surgery yielded positive outcomes in functional and psychological aspects, leading to high satisfaction and improved QoL in patients with dentofacial deformity.

Overcoming the Odds: Successful Treatment of Disseminated Mucormycosis with Gastrointestinal and Jaw Involvement in a Patient with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Disseminated mucormycosis is a rare life-threatening fungal infection that is uniquely seen in severely immunocompromised patients including those with hematological malignancies. We report a case of disseminated mucormycosis with a biopsy-proven gastrointestinal and oral cavity involvement in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia during induction chemotherapy. The patient had a successful outcome with limited resection of the involvement bowel segment, multiple maxillary dental extractions, debridement of the alveolus and hard palate, and combined antifungal therapy. After clinical improvement, stable infection on serial abdominal imaging, and completion of 6 weeks of combined antifungal therapy, consolidation chemotherapy was given, and molecular remission was achieved. The patient remained clinically well on secondary antifungal prophylaxis.

The Impact of Traffic Law Enforcement Regulations on the Incidence and Severity of Maxillofacial Injuries.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the new traffic law enforcement regulations (TLERs) on the incidence and severity of maxillofacial injuries in Oman, as road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the main cause of facial injuries in Oman. Methods: A retrospective longitudinal analytic study was conducted at three tertiary care hospitals in Muscat, Oman. All patients with RTA-related maxillofacial injuries during a five-year period from January 2005 to December 2009 (before the new TLERs) and the five-year period from January 2015 to December 2019 (after the new TLERs) were included in the study. Results: A total of 1,127 patients were included in the study. Of these, 646 (57.3%) patients sustained RTA-related maxillofacial injuries before the implementation of the new TLERs compared to 481 (42.7%) after the introduction of TLERs. No significant gender-based difference was found between the two study periods. The incidence of injury before the implementation of the new TLERs was 22.7 per 100,000 population, which then reduced significantly to 11 per 100,000 after the TLERs were implemented. Overall, the mean facial injury severity score reduced significantly, from 3.2 to 2.3, after the implementation of the new TLERs. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that the newly introduced TLERs have resulted in a reduction in the incidence and severity of RTA-related maxillofacial injuries. Continuous improvement and reinforcement of TLERs will further help reduce the burden of these injuries to society in general and health services in particular.

Unilateral Condylar Hyperplasia: Two Case Reports and a Literature Review.

Condylar hyperplasia (CH) is a rare idiopathic condition affecting the mandibular condyle where the growth of the condylar head and/or neck continues beyond the normal growth period. The disorder presents clinically as facial asymmetry and occlusal discrepancy. Here, we present two cases of CH managed at our centers between 2012 and 2017 with a successful outcome. We highlight the clinical presentation, investigation, and surgical management and give a brief literature review.

Chondroid Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor: A Rare Case Involving the Infratemporal Fossa.

Tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) is a benign soft-tissue neoplasm that rarely occurs in the craniofacial region. We report a case of a 27-year-old male who presented to our unit in September 2017 with severe temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and progressive limitation opening his mouth. Based on clinical and imaging examinations, a well-defined soft tissue lesion was identified within the right infratemporal fossa, causing pressure on the TMJ and the surrounding structures. The lesion was surgically excised through trans-mandibular and endoscopic approaches. Histopathology diagnosis revealed a rare chondroid subset of TGCT. At 18 months follow-up, the patient showed resolution of the jaw pain, good functional and esthetic outcomes, and no evidence of recurrence.

Modified Le Fort I Osteotomy and Genioplasty for Management of Severe Dentofacial Deformity in ß-Thalassaemia Major: Case report and review of the literature.

ß-thalassaemia major is an autosomal recessive form of haemoglobinopathy that is characterised by complete lack of production of the ß-chains resulting in multiple complications that include severe anaemia, failure to thrive and skeletal abnormalities. Facial deformities induced by ß-thalassaemia major are rare and are very challenging to treat from a surgical point of view. We report a 33-year-old female patient with ß-thalassaemia major who presented to the Dental & Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, in 2017 with gross dentofacial skeletal deformity contributing to her psychosocial issues. The facial deformity was corrected surgically by excision of the enlarged maxilla, modified Le Fort I osteotomy and advancement genioplasty. This case highlights the pre-operative preparation, surgical management, encountered complications and treatment outcome within 24 months of follow-up.

Complications of Third Molar Extraction: A retrospective study from a tertiary healthcare centre in Oman.

OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study aimed to investigate complications associated with the extraction of third molars at a tertiary healthcare centre in Oman. METHODS: All consecutive patients who underwent extraction of one or more impacted third molars under general anaesthesia at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between January 2007 and December 2017 were included. Age, gender, indication for extraction, teeth removed, procedure and complications were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 1,116 third molars (56% mandibular and 44% maxillary) were extracted and the majority (67.7%) were from female patients. The mean age at extraction was 24 ± 5 years and most patients (77.7%) were 20-29 years old. The intraoperative and postoperative complication rates were 3.7% and 8.3%, respectively. The intraoperative complications included tuberosity fracture (1.2%), root fracture (1.1%), bleeding (0.7%), soft tissue injury (0.5%) and adjacent tooth damage (0.2%). Postoperative complications were sensory nerve injuries (7.2%), swelling/pain/trismus (0.6%) and dry socket (0.5%). Nerve injury was temporary in 41 patients and permanent in four cases. A statistically significant relationship was observed between those aged 30-39 years and dry socket (P = 0.010) as well as bone removal and all postoperative complications (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Most complications resulting from third molar extractions were minor and within the reported ranges in the scientific literature. However, increased age and bone removal were associated with a higher risk of complications. These findings may help to guide treatment planning, informed consent and patient education.

Dissecting Aneurysm of the Internal Carotid Artery as a Complication of Facial Bone Trauma.

The involvement of the internal carotid artery in dissecting aneurysm is rarely reported in the literature and may occur as a complication of trauma, surgery, and other medical conditions. We report a case of a 22-year-old male who was involved in a motor vehicle accident with associated multiple orthopedic and maxillofacial fractures. During surgical management, the patient was incidentally diagnosed with a dissecting aneurysm involving the right internal carotid artery.

Maxillary Artery Pseudoaneurysm as a Complication of Maxillofacial Injuries: Report of three cases and literature review.

Traumatic maxillary artery pseudoaneurysm is an uncommonly reported complication in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery. It is usually discovered incidentally, either early after trauma or weeks-to-months later. Quick recognition and prompt management are essential to avoid devastating consequences. In this paper, we report three uncommon cases of maxillary artery pseudoaneurysm recognised during the surgical management of maxillofacial injuries in Muscat, Oman. All cases presented as sudden brisk bleeding during the intraoperative surgical repair and were subsequently diagnosed and successfully managed by endovascular embolisation with platinum coils. This case report highlights the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of maxillary artery pseudoaneurysm, in addition to a brief review of the literature.

A Triad of Temporomandibular Joint Ankylosis, Mandibular Retrognathia and Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: Case report.

The surgical management of paediatric patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis, mandibular retrognathia and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is challenging. We report a nine-year-old boy who presented to the Department of Oral Health, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, in 2016 with complaints of limited mouth opening, loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. He was diagnosed with TMJ ankylosis, mandibular retrognathia and severe OSA. The patient initially underwent mandibular distraction and, subsequently, release of the TMJ ankylosis and rib graft reconstruction. The overall patient outcome was successful, with improvement in OSA-related symptoms, good facial symmetry and adequate mouth opening.

Jaw Osteomyelitis as a Complication of Sickle Cell Anaemia in Three Omani Patients: Case reports and literature review.

Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is a common haemoglobinopathy among people from the Middle East, the Afro-Caribbean region, the Mediterranean and East India. While osteomyelitis of the long bones is a well-documented complication of SCA, there are few documented cases of SCA patients presenting with jaw osteomyelitis. We report three SCA patients with chronic jaw osteomyelitis who presented to the Department of Oral Health, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between 2009 and 2013. Two of the patients had osteomyelitis of the mandible and the third had osteomyelitis of the maxilla. In addition, a brief review of the literature is presented focusing on the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of jaw osteomyelitis among patients with SCA.

Dental and Anaesthetic Challenges in a Patient with Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Epidermolysis bullosa is a group of rare genetic disorders characterised by skin and mucous membrane fragility and systemic manifestations of variable severity. We report a case of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa in an 18-year-old male patient who presented to the Department of Oral Health at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, in 2015 with recurrent dental pain and infections. Due to the poor dental status of the patient and anticipated operative difficulties due to microstomia and limited mouth opening, the patient underwent full dental clearance under general anaesthesia. This article discusses the dental and anaesthetic challenges encountered during the management of this patient and provides a brief literature review.

Relapse of Multiple Myeloma Presenting as Lower Lip Numbness.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an uncommon malignancy characterised by the proliferation of clonal plasma cells. There are few published reports describing the extramedullary presentation of MM manifesting primarily in the head and neck region. In addition, the occurrence of an isolated relapse of MM in these sites is exceedingly rare. We report a 56-year-old female who presented to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, in 2010 with sudden-onset numbness of the lower lip. She had a history of MM in remission following chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. Clinical and radiographic examinations were indicative of a possible relapse of MM, which was subsequently confirmed by bone marrow aspiration and histopathological evaluation. This unique case highlights the unusual site of relapse of a haematolymphoid malignancy.

Temporomandibular Joint Ankylosis as a Complication of Neonatal Septic Arthritis: Report of two cases.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis as a complication of neonatal septic arthritis is rarely reported in the literature. We report two clinical cases of unilateral TMJ ankylosis occurring in paediatric patients subsequent to neonatal septic arthritis. The first case was a 15-month-old male infant who presented to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, in May 2010. According to the published English scientific literature, he is the youngest person yet to be diagnosed with this condition. The second case was a five-year-old female who presented to the Al-Nahda Hospital, Muscat, Oman, in October 2011. Both cases presented with facial asymmetry and trismus. They subsequently underwent gap arthroplasty and interpositional temporalis muscle and fascia grafts which resulted in an immediate improvement in mouth opening. Postoperatively, the patients underwent active jaw physiotherapy which was initially successful. Both patients were followed up for a minimum of two years following their surgeries.

Relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the jaw.

This case report describes the clinical case of relapse of precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the jaw of a 19-year-old female patient who presented with facial swelling, sensory disturbances of the face, and teeth mobility 10 months after a successful allogenic bone marrow transplant. The oral and dental presentations were the only features indicating leukemic relapse in this patient.

Minor Oral Surgery Procedures in Patients Taking Warfarin: A 5-year retrospective study at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Sultanate of Oman.

OBJECTIVES: Minor oral surgery (MOS) procedures in warfarinised patients carry the risk of post-operative bleeding. The aim of this study was to conduct a retrospective analysis and to describe the profile of warfarinised patients who underwent MOS procedures at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital. METHODS: A retrospective study of 124 warfarinised patients (41 men and 83 women), who had a pre-operative international normalised ratio (INR) of ≤ 3.5 and underwent different MOS procedures under local anaesthesia, without discontinuation of their warfarin therapy, was carried out over a 5-year period from January 2004 to December 2008. RESULTS: Ninety (72.6%) patients had simple dental extractions, 26 (21%) surgical extractions, 6 (4.8%) soft tissue biopsies and 2 (1.6%) had apicectomies with cyst enucleations. Local measures were applied in all patients, which included the use of oxidizing regenerated cellulose haemostatic agent (Surgicel) and suturing. A total of eight patients (6.5%), five who had surgical extractions and three who had simple extractions, bled enough post-operatively to require a return to hospital. All cases of post-operative bleeding were managed conservatively by repacking the bleeding site with haemostatic agent and re-suturing without the need for hospital admission. CONCLUSION: Minor oral surgery procedures can be safely conducted in warfarinised patients without interruption of warfarin regimen when the pre-operative INR is ≤ 3.5 and appropriate local haemostatic measures are used.

Factors Contributing to the Spread of Odontogenic Infections: A prospective pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: Spreading odontogenic infections (SOI) are the commonest type of serious infections encountered in the orofacial region. A prospective multi-centre study was conducted in the West of Scotland to investigate the contributing role of social, systemic and microbial factors in the pathogenesis of SOI. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with severe odontogenic infections were recruited over a period of six months. At admission, clinical assessment included temperature rise, haematological and biochemical investigations. Demographic data, social and past medical histories were obtained. Microbiology samples were collected to identify causative microorganisms and the clinical management of each infection was recorded. RESULTS: Most infections were associated with teeth or roots. Eighty percent of the patients were tobacco smokers and 72% came from deprived areas. Five patients were intravenous drug users, four admitted chronic alcohol abuse, six had underlying systemic disorders and two were at high risk of malnutrition. A raised C-reactive protein at admission was a useful indicator of the severity of infection. Inappropriate prior antibiotic treatment in the absence of surgical drainage was common. Microbiology results showed a predominance of strict anaerobes, notably anaerobic streptococci, Prevotella and Fusobacterium species. CONCLUSION: SOIs remain surprisingly common and our present pilot study showed a particular association with social deprivation and tobacco smoking. Further elucidation of the role of malnutrition in SOI would be of interest. Molecular characterisation of the microflora associated with SOI may help to highlight whether bacterial factors play a role in converting a localised dentoalveolar abscess into a serious, spreading odontogenic infection.

Maxillary hyperplasia and hyperostosis cranialis: a rare manifestation of renal osteodystrophy in a patient with hyperparathyroidism secondary to chronic renal failure.

This case report describes a 21-year-old female patient with a complex medical condition of end-stage chronic renal failure and secondary hyperparathyroidism presenting with a history of gradual enlargement of the facial bones over a period of one year. The facial enlargement primarily involves the maxilla causing a bizarre facial and dental deformity. Based on the clinical, radiographic, and laboratory investigations the facial deformity was confirmed as a rare manifestation of renal osteodystrophy presenting as maxillary hyperplasia and hyperostosis cranialis.

Removal of bone plates in patients with maxillofacial trauma: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the incidence of and indication for the removal of bone plates over a 5-year period in patients with maxillofacial trauma who had received treatment at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Al-Nahda Hospital, Muscat, Oman. STUDY DESIGN: The medical records of all patients who underwent removal of bone plates after facial bone trauma were reviewed over a 5-year period (2000 to 2004). Data concerning age and gender distribution, cause of trauma, year of removal, time between insertion and removal, indication for removal, site of removal, and general medical factors were evaluated for each patient. RESULTS: Facial bone fractures in 1,177 cases were diagnosed during the study period, of which 465 cases underwent open reduction and internal fixation using bone plates and screws. In 109 cases bone plates were removed (79 males and 30 females), with an overall removal rate of 23.4%. The most common indication for removal was young age (53.4%) followed by infection (25%). The mandible was the most common site of removal (80%). Most of the plates (86%) that required removal in adults were removed within the first year after insertion. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this study, the incidence of bone plate removal was relatively low, and the most common indications for plate removal were young age followed by infection.