Impact of Age and Sex on Electrical Impedance Values in Healthy Oral Mucosa.

BACKGROUND: Electrical impedance (EI) is a property of all living tissues and represents the resistance to the electric current flow through a living tissue. EI depends on the structure and chemical composition of the tissue. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of age, sex, and electrode pressure on the EI values of healthy oral mucosa. The study involved 101 participants with healthy oral mucosa who were divided into three age groups. EI was measured in seven anatomical regions. RESULTS: Significant differences between different age groups were found. Younger participants (20-40 years) had significantly higher EI values than the older participants (60+). Significantly higher EI values were found in women at all localisations at all measured frequencies, except on the hard palate. EI values measured with higher sub-pressure were significantly lower than values measured with lower sub-pressure at all frequencies and localisations, except the tongue dorsum, tongue border, and sublingual mucosa. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that EI values in healthy oral mucosa depend on age and sex and may also depend on the pressure of the measuring device. These factors should be kept in mind when EI is used as a diagnostic method for different oral lesions.

Mapping Electrical Impedance Spectra of the Healthy Oral Mucosa: a Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: Electrical impedance is the resistance to the electric current flow through a tissue and depends on the tissue's structure and chemical composition. The aim of this study was to map electrical impedance spectra for each region of the healthy oral mucosa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electrical impedance was measured in 30 participants with healthy oral mucosa. Measurements were performed in 14 points on the right and the left side of the oral cavity, and repeated after 7 and 14 days respectively. RESULTS: The lowest values were measured on the tongue dorsum and the highest values were measured on the hard palate. No significant differences were found between the right and the left side. Significantly higher values were found in females on the upper labial mucosa, tongue dorsum and the ventral tongue. Significant difference between smokers and non-smokers on the lower labial mucosa and floor of the mouth was found. Electrical impedance was negatively correlated with salivary flow on the upper labial mucosa, hard palate, tongue dorsum and sublingual mucosa. Higher variability of measurements was found at low frequencies. CONCLUSIONS: Electrical impedance mostly depends on the degree of mucosal keratinization. Demographic and clinical factors probably affect its values. Further studies with bigger number of participants are required.

Oral lichen planus - retrospective study of 563 Croatian patients

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of oral lichen planus (OLP) in a group of Croatian patients seen between 2006 and 2012. Study DESIGN: A group of 563 patients with a diagnosis of OLP was retrospectively reviewed in our clinic. Data regarding age, gender, medical history, drugs, smoking, alcohol, chief complaint, clinical type, localization, histology, treatment and malignant transformation were registered. RESULTS: Of the 563 patients, 414 were females and 149 were males. The average age at the diagnosis was 58 (range 11-94). The most common site was buccal mucosa (82.4%). Most of our patients did not smoke (72.5%) or consume alcohol (69.6%). Patients reported oral soreness (43.3%), mucosal roughness (7%), xerostomia (3%), gingival bleeding (2%) and altered taste (0.5%) as the chief complaint, while almost half of them were asympto matic (44.2%). The most common types of OLP were reticular (64.8%) and erosive (22.9%). Plaque-like (5.7%) atrophic/erythemtous (4.3%) and bullous (2.3%) type were also observed. Malignant transformation rate of 0.7% was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: OLP mostly affects non-smoking middle-aged women. Buccal mucosa is the most commonly af-fected site. In almost half of the cases patients are asymptomatic. In spite of the small risk for malignant transfor-mation all patients should be regularly monitored

Oral lichen planus - retrospective study of 563 Croatian patients.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of oral lichen planus (OLP) in a group of Croatian patients seen between 2006 and 2012. STUDY DESIGN: A group of 563 patients with a diagnosis of OLP was retrospectively reviewed in our clinic. Data regarding age, gender, medical history, drugs, smoking, alcohol, chief complaint, clinical type, localization, histology, treatment and malignant transformation were registered. RESULTS: Of the 563 patients, 414 were females and 149 were males. The average age at the diagnosis was 58 (range 11-94). The most common site was buccal mucosa (82.4%). Most of our patients did not smoke (72.5%) or consume alcohol (69.6%). Patients reported oral soreness (43.3%), mucosal roughness (7%), xerostomia (3%), gingival bleeding (2%) and altered taste (0.5%) as the chief complaint, while almost half of them were asymptomatic (44.2%). The most common types of OLP were reticular (64.8%) and erosive (22.9%). Plaque-like (5.7%) atrophic/erythemtous (4.3%) and bullous (2.3%) type were also observed. Malignant transformation rate of 0.7% was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: OLP mostly affects non-smoking middle-aged women. Buccal mucosa is the most commonly affected site. In almost half of the cases patients are asymptomatic. In spite of the small risk for malignant transformation all patients should be regularly monitored.

CATASTROPHIZING IN PATIENTS WITH BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME.

BACKGROUND: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is an idiopathic painful condition which manifests with burning sensations in the oral cavity in patients with clinically normal oral mucosa and without any local and/or systemic causative factor. Catastrophizing is defined as an exaggerated negative orientation toward pain stimuli and pain experience. The aim of this study was to examine the association between catastrophizing and clinical parameters of BMS, and to examine the association between catastrophizing and the quality of life in patients with BMS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anonymous questionnaire consisting of 3 parts (demographic and clinical data with 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS), Croatian version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) scale and Croatian version of the Pain Catastrophizing scale (PC), was distributed to 30 patients diagnosed with BMS. RESULTS: A higher level of catastrophizing was clinically significant in 30% of the patients. Total catastrophizing score and all three subcomponents of catastrophizing significantly correlated with the intensity of symptoms, but did not correlate with the duration of symptoms. Gender and previous treatment did not affect the catastrophizing. CONCLUSION: Obtaining the information about catastrophizing could help a clinician to identify patients with negative behavioural patterns. Additional psychological intervention in these individuals could reduce/eliminate negative cognitive factors and improve coping with chronic painful condition such as BMS.