Childhood trauma is predictive for clinical staging, alcohol consumption, and emotional symptoms in patients with head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic events in childhood have been associated with the occurrence of anxiety and depression in adulthood. This relation has been investigated in patients with breast cancer; however, it has been little explored in patients with other types of cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of childhood trauma in patients with head and neck cancer and its association with clinicopathological variables and anxiety and depression levels. METHODS: The study included 110 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) before they started cancer treatment. Clinicopathological and biobehavioral data were collected from patients' medical records. Anxiety and depression levels were assessed with the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory, respectively. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was used to evaluate the occurrence of traumatic events in childhood. RESULTS: One hundred five patients (95.5%) experienced at least 1 type of childhood trauma. Emotional neglect was the most reported childhood trauma (43.8%), and multiple regression revealed that it was an independent variable for advanced clinical staging (ß = 2.15, P = .048) and higher alcohol consumption (ß = 2.32, P = .031). Patients with HNSCC who experienced more traumatic events in childhood had an almost 12 times greater chance of increased depression levels during the pretreatment period (ß = 11.89; P = .0002). The occurrence of physical child neglect was a predictive factor for increased anxiety levels (ß = 4.17, P = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic events in childhood are predictive for advanced clinical staging, alcohol consumption, and emotional symptoms in patients with HNSCC, and they should be considered in clinical and psychological intervention strategies during cancer treatment. Cancer 2018;000:000-000. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

Circulating catecholamines are associated with biobehavioral factors and anxiety symptoms in head and neck cancer patients.

Studies have shown that stress-related catecholamines may affect cancer progression. However, little is known about catecholamine secretion profiles in head and neck cancer patients. The present study investigated plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine levels in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients and patients with oral leukoplakia, as well as their association with clinicopathological and biobehavioral variables and anxiety symptoms. A total of 93 patients with HNSCC and 32 patients with oral leukoplakia were included. Plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED), and psychological anxiety levels were measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations were significantly higher in patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) compared to non-cancer patients. Oral SCC patients displayed plasma norepinephrine levels about six times higher than oropharyngeal SCC patients, and nine times higher than oral leukoplakia patients (p < .001). Plasma epinephrine levels in oral SCC patients were higher compared to the oropharyngeal SCC (p = .0097) and leukoplakia (p < .0001) patients. Oropharyngeal SCC patients had higher plasma norepinephrine (p = .0382) and epinephrine levels (p = .045) than patients with oral leukoplakia. Multiple regression analyses showed that a history of high alcohol consumption was predictive for reduced plasma norepinephrine levels in the oral SCC group (p < .001). Anxiety symptom of "hand tremor" measured by the BAI was an independent predictor for higher plasma norepinephrine levels in HNSCC patients (ß = 157.5, p = .0377), while the "heart pounding/racing" symptom was independently associated with higher plasma epinephrine levels in the oropharyngeal SCC group (ß = 15.8, p = .0441). In oral leukoplakia patients, sleep deprivation and worse sleep quality were independent predictors for higher plasma norepinephrine levels, while severe tobacco consumption and higher anxiety levels were factors for higher plasma epinephrine levels. These findings suggest that head and neck cancer patients display sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity, and that changes in circulating catecholamines may be associated with alcohol consumption, as well as withdrawal-related anxiety symptoms.

Lollipop-induced oral lichenoid reaction in a child.

BACKGROUND: Oral lichenoid reactions (OLRs) have been rarely reported in pediatric patients. CASE REPORT: This article reports an unusual case of a 15-year-old girl who had white plaques in tongue and buccal mucosa oral which initially were diagnosed as oral lichen planus (OLP). At first, the patient and her family denied systemic or local medication use. Biopsy was performed, and histopathological aspects were suggestive of OLP. Despite the attempt of treatment with topical corticoid, the lesions did not recede. Patient's behavior and medical history were again investigated and revealed that she had been using almost daily in her school an artificially colored and flavored lollipop. One week after removing lollipop use behavior, the oral lesions showed complete resolution and OLR diagnosis was defined. CONCLUSION: The present case denotes that OLR should be considered in the differential diagnosis of oral white plates in children and artificially colored sweets can be its causal agent.

HPV detection in floor of mouth squamous cell carcinoma by PCR amplification / Detecção do HPV em carcinoma espinocelular de assoalho de boca por amplificação da PCR

ABSTRACT Introduction: Studies conducted during the last years, using new technologies for viral detection, permit to consider human papillomavirus (HPV) an etiologic factor for cervical cancer. Besides the relation to genital regions, other anatomic sites have been associated with HPV, including head and neck regions. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of HPV infection in 35 samples from paraffin-embedded tissues using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) amplification, and correlate it with demographic, clinical, and morphological factors and prognosis. Materials and methods: All samples were first amplified with human β-globin gene primers. Samples with positive amplification were subjected to HPV-DNA detection with general GP5 and GP6 primers. Results Only 30 samples were amplified for the β-globin gene. No floor of mouth squamous cell carcinoma cases showed amplification of HPV DNA. Discussion: The absence of HPV-DNA amplification does not suggest that this virus is absent from the process of oral carcinogenesis, since the selected sample is not in the risk group for the development of oral cancer associated with HPV infection. Conclusions: No correlation was found between HPV infection and floor of mouth carcinogenesis, however further studies are necessary.

RESUMO Introdução: Estudos realizados durante os últimos anos permitem considerar a infecção pelopapilomavírus humano (HPV) um fator etiológico para o câncer cervical. Apesar da íntima relação desse vírus com as regiões genitais, outras localizações anatômicas têm sido associadas a tal infecção, inclusive as regiões de cabeça e pescoço. Objetivos: Investigar a prevalência da infecção pelo HPV em 35 amostras parafinadas de carcinoma espinocelular de assoalho de boca, utilizando a amplificação da reação em cadeia dapolimerase (PCR) como método de detecção do ácido desoxirribonucleico (DNA) viral, bem como correlacionar aspectos demográficos, clínicos e morfológicos com o prognóstico da doença. Materiais e métodos: Todas as amostras foram inicialmente amplificadas com o primerpara detecção do gene da β-globina humana. As que tiveram amplificação positiva para o gene da β-globina foram então submetidas à detecção do DNA viral com os primers GP5 e GP6. Resultados: Apenas 30 amostras foram amplificadas para o gene β-globin. Nenhuma das amostras de carcinoma de assoalho de boca demonstrou resultado positivo para amplificação do DNA viral. Discussão: Apesar de a influência do vírus na carcinogênese oral não ter sido comprovada devido à ausência de DNA viral nas amostras, a relação não pode ser descartada, uma vez que as amostras selecionadas não se encontravam em grupo de risco para o desenvolvimento de carcinoma espinocelular de boca associado à infecção pelo HPV. Conclusão: Não foi detectada relação entre a infecção pelo HPV e o carcinoma de assoalho de boca, no entanto mais estudos são necessários sobre o tema.

Mucous membrane pemphigoid in HIV patient: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid (MMP) is a rare group of chronic autoimmune disorders characterized by blister producing lesions. It is the variant most likely to occur in the oral cavity and eyes. Few studies shows autoimmune bullous diseases associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). CASE PRESENTATION: oral blisters, painful ulcerations and eye symblepharon were observed in a patient with HIV infection. The histopathologic exam showed a subepidermal blister and the overall features were suggestive of MMP. CONCLUSION: In this case, the MMP was associated with HIV. Interactions with the immune system may lead to the development of this autoimmune process.

Gingival metastasis from salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland.

BACKGROUND: This article reports a rare case of metastasis of salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland to the gingiva and reviews the occurrence of metastatic processes to the oral mucosa. METHODS: A 67-year-old white male presented with a chief complaint of a painless nodular tissue growth on the gingiva with reportedly 5 months of evolution. The intraoral examination revealed a reddish, superficially ulcerated nodular lesion ( approximately 2 cm in diameter) on the right mandibular buccal attached gingiva, and the clinical aspect was that of a benign reactive lesion. The patient had undergone a parotidectomy for removal of a salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland almost 1 year before. A biopsy of the gingival lesion was performed, and the biopsied tissue was forwarded for histopathologic examination. RESULTS: The analysis of the histopathologic sections of the gingival lesion revealed histomorphologic characteristics very similar to those of the primary parotid gland tumor. The definitive diagnosis was gingival metastasis from a salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland. The patient died of complications of a pulmonary metastasis 1 month after the diagnosis of the oral metastatic lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Gingival lesions that mimic reactive and hyperplastic lesions may be metastases from malignant neoplasias of diverse origins. An accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial to establish proper and immediate treatment of the metastatic tumor and possibly identify an occult primary malignant neoplasia.