Solid malignant metastases in the jaw bones.

Metastatic tumours to the jaw bones are rare, and usually develop during the final stages of cancer. Some, such as those of lung, breast, and kidney, are more likely to metastasise to the jaw. We have therefore analysed the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with metastatic tumours. We retrieved the notes of 4 478 patients with metastatic tumours to the jawbones who were treated in the Clinical Hospital Centre Dubrava in Zagreb, Croatia, during the 15 years 2002-17 and made a retrospective analysis of patients' age, sex, site of primary tumour, site and clinical presentation of the metastases, time interval since diagnosis of the primary tumour and oral metastases, and time interval from diagnosis of oral metastases to death. Of the 10 who were diagnosed with metastases to the jaw, there were four male and six female patients (mean age 57 (range 51-84) years) and the most common primary tumours were kidney (n=5), lung (n=2), breast (n=1), colon (n=1) and unknown (n=1). The mandible was more often affected (n=7) than the maxilla (n=3), and the most common histological type was adenocarcinoma (n=6). The primary tumour in most of the patients (n=7) was diagnosed before the oral metastatic lesion. A metastasis in the jaw was the first sign of metastatic tumour in three patients, and in one case the metastasis and the primary tumour were diagnosed at the same time. Most of the patients had some oral problems. The time intervals from diagnosis of an oral metastasis to death varied from one month - five years. Because of the rarity of the presentation, the diagnosis of an oral metastatic lesion remains challenging, so metastases in the jaw should be suspected in every patient with such cancers and lesions in the jaw.

One year treatment of Barrett's oesophagus with proton pump inhibitors (a multi-center study).

OBJECTIVES: Aim of the study was to investigate the effects of 1-year therapy by different proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on epithelial tissue and surrounding inflammatory changes in Barrett's oesophagus, in patients who have abandoned invasive therapy. METHODS: A group of 120 patients (sampled in 60-month period, from 61201 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies) who were diagnosed both, endoscopically and pathohistologically with Barrett's oesophagus, and who have abandoned invasive therapeutic approach were enrolled in study. Treatment with different PPIs was initiated and continued for a year. At the end of treatment, patients were reassessed by endoscopy with tissue biopsy and pathohistological analysis. RESULTS: No difference in regenerating squamous epithelium or degree of dysplasia was seen between different treatment groups. Interestingly, most patients receiving pantoprazole (94%) ended up with thinner squamous epithel (P<0.0001). The squamous epithel was consider thinner only if its total thickness, measured on histological specimen, was smaller for more than 50% of the thickness before therapy. Significantly less of difference (P<0.0014) was seen with patients receiving lansoprazole (65%) and (P<0.003) omeprazole (50%). CONCLUSION: Regeneration of the squamous epithel was the same for all PPIs but not good enough to stop the progression of the disease.