Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis: A Case with Self-Inflicted Oral Ulcerations.

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), also known as hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IV, is a rare autosomal recessive condition. CIPA is caused by mutations in the NTRK1 gene, leading to the inability to feel pain and decreased or absent sweating (anhidrosis). The signs and symptoms of CIPA may not be easily diagnosed at birth, but repeated severe injuries or unintentional self-injurious behavior during infancy may prompt further investigation leading to a CIPA diagnosis. We present the case of an 18-month old child who was diagnosed with CIPA, after repeated visits to a hopsital's emergency department for serious tongue and finger biting, which prompted further investigation.

A Rare Case of Gingival Cyst in a Child.

Gingival cysts, which are more frequently reported as gingival cysts of adults (GCA), are soft tissue cystic lesions of odontogenic origin that are infrequently seen, especially in children. These lesions usually appear as localized firm elevations on the facial gingiva in the anterior segment of the mandible. The purpose of this paper is to present a rare case of a gingival cyst discovered on the palatal aspect of the posterior maxilla in a four-year-old child. The lesion was treated with excisional biopsy.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy: a case report.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy is a rare benign pigmented tumour that typically appears in the first year of life. We report an atypical presentation of this tumour, associated with an erupted primary tooth in a 7-month-old boy. We discuss the clinical, radiographic and histologic features of this rare tumour, as well as its surgical management and the follow-up treatment plan.

Bilateral oral focal mucinosis on the palate of a 2-year-old child: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Oral focal mucinosis (OFM) is an uncommon benign oral lesion. The aetiology of the lesion is unknown. Histologically, it appears as a well-circumscribed myxomatous mass surrounded by denser, collagenous connective tissue. Most cases of OFM were found in adults. It is very unusual for young children to have OFM. CASE REPORT: A case of OFM in a 2-year-old child is reported. The patient was presented with non-painful bilateral enlargements on the palate. The overlying mucosa was smooth and not ulcerated and appeared in the same colour as the adjacent tissue. The histology of the lesion showed myxomatous mass indicative of OFM. Treatment consisted of surgically removing the lesions under general anaesthetic. CONCLUSION: Paediatric dentists should consider OFM in their differential diagnosis of soft tissue oral lesions in children.

Risk factors for early childhood caries in Canadian preschool children seeking care.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine family characteristics, beliefs, and habits that contribute to early and severe caries in young children in Canada. METHODS: A survey was administered to: (1) parents of 139 children diagnosed with early childhood caries (ECC) in 5 pediatric dentistry practices in Canada over a 33-month period (group 1); and (2) parents of all normal referrals (carious and noncarious children) in one of the practices over a 3 month period (group 2). Group 2 prevented studying an exclusive or polarized population, and allowed direct comparison between children with decoy and without decoy. The survey responses were compared with caries rates in the children, determined by dental examination, to detect important correlations of family and child factors with the disease level. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses described the strength of the relationships. RESULTS: Parent responses provided information on: (1) demographics; (2) economic status; (3) birth order; (4) parental education; (5) payment methods; (6) feeding and weaning history; (7) fluoride history; (8) food habits; (9) hygiene; (10) behavior; and (11) medication use. Caries presence and severe caries was linked to: (1) leaving the bottle with a child while sleeping; (2) having problems brushing a child's teeth; (3) prolonged holding of liquids in the mouth; and (4) being Caucasian. The authors did find that bottle use in general and having a difficult child were protective influences against decay. CONCLUSIONS: The factors providing the most caries risk are: (1) being left with a bottle while sleeping; (2) parents having problems brushing the child's teeth; (3) holding liquids in the mouth for prolonged times; and (4) ethnicity.