Oral Mucosal Lesions in Patients Attending Dermatology Outpatient Department of a Tertiary Care Center in Kathmandu: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Oral mucosal lesions though mostly benign, may impair the quality of life of patients. Some may even progress to malignancies. Many physicians, including dermatologists, tend to skip oral examinations, missing many important diagnoses. Understanding the frequency and types of oral mucosal lesions in dermatological settings can help in early diagnosis, referral and adequate treatment. This study was done to determine demographic characteristics and clinical presentations of patients with oral mucosal lesions presenting to the out-patient department (OPD) of dermatology in Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Hospital, Kathmandu. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted after obtaining the ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee of Nepal APF Hospital. Retrospective data of 264 patients presenting with oral mucosal lesions to the dermatology OPD were collected from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2023 by using a pre-formed proforma. Data was entered in SPSS software and descriptive statistics were computed. RESULTS: Out of 13,832 cases, oral mucosal lesion was seen in 264 (1.90%) cases among which 153 (57.96%) cases were males with male female ratio of 1.37:1. Most common age group affected was 31-45 years 96 (36.36%). Buccal mucosa 86 (32.57%) was the commonest site involved followed by tongue 73 (27.65%). Aphthous ulcer 82 (31.06%) was the commonest lesion found followed by oral candidiasis 25 (9.46%) and oral lichen planus 24 (9.09%). CONCLUSIONS: Aphthous ulcer was the commonest oral mucosal lesion seen in patients visiting dermatology outpatient department of Nepal APF Hospital, with buccal mucosa being the commonest site affected.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Clinical Manifestations, Medical Management, and Dental Treatment Modifications.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder that varies in clinical presentation and disease course. SLE has a strong female predilection and is more common in certain racial groups than others. There is no single set of universally accepted diagnostic criteria for SLE, which can make the disease challenging to diagnose. The disorder has the potential to affect nearly every organ system in the body, including the oral cavity. A complete understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of SLE continues to evade the medical profession; however, advances in this area of research have drastically improved the quality of life of SLE patients. There currently is no cure for this condition, so present-day therapies aim to control patient symptoms and reduce SLE flare-ups. This article discusses the pathophysiology, diagnosis, oral and systemic manifestations, therapeutic interventions, and dental management of SLE patients.

Accuracy and consistency of ChatGPT-3.5 and - 4 in providing differential diagnoses in oral and maxillofacial diseases: a comparative diagnostic performance analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the performance of ChatGPT in the differential diagnosis of oral and maxillofacial diseases. METHODS: Thirty-seven oral and maxillofacial lesions findings were presented to ChatGPT-3.5 and - 4, 18 dental surgeons trained in oral medicine/pathology (OMP), 23 general dental surgeons (DDS), and 16 dental students (DS) for differential diagnosis. Additionally, a group of 15 general dentists was asked to describe 11 cases to ChatGPT versions. The ChatGPT-3.5, -4, and human primary and alternative diagnoses were rated by 2 independent investigators with a 4 Likert-Scale. The consistency of ChatGPT-3.5 and - 4 was evaluated with regenerated inputs. RESULTS: Moderate consistency of outputs was observed for ChatGPT-3.5 and - 4 to provide primary (κ = 0.532 and κ = 0.533 respectively) and alternative (κ = 0.337 and κ = 0.367 respectively) hypotheses. The mean of correct diagnoses was 64.86% for ChatGPT-3.5, 80.18% for ChatGPT-4, 86.64% for OMP, 24.32% for DDS, and 16.67% for DS. The mean correct primary hypothesis rates were 45.95% for ChatGPT-3.5, 61.80% for ChatGPT-4, 82.28% for OMP, 22.72% for DDS, and 15.77% for DS. The mean correct diagnosis rate for ChatGPT-3.5 with standard descriptions was 64.86%, compared to 45.95% with participants' descriptions. For ChatGPT-4, the mean was 80.18% with standard descriptions and 61.80% with participant descriptions. CONCLUSION: ChatGPT-4 demonstrates an accuracy comparable to specialists to provide differential diagnosis for oral and maxillofacial diseases. Consistency of ChatGPT to provide diagnostic hypotheses for oral diseases cases is moderate, representing a weakness for clinical application. The quality of case documentation and descriptions impacts significantly on the performance of ChatGPT. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: General dentists, dental students and specialists in oral medicine and pathology may benefit from ChatGPT-4 as an auxiliary method to define differential diagnosis for oral and maxillofacial lesions, but its accuracy is dependent on precise case descriptions.

Assessing the usability and reliability of a web-based teledentistry tool for remote diagnosis of oral lesions: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Oral mucosa lesions are the third most prevalent oral pathology, following caries and periodontal diseases. Teledentistry offers an effective way to manage patients with these lesions. The accuracy of remote diagnoses and consultations relies heavily on the quality of the information and photos sent to remote specialists. This study aims to evaluate the usability and reliability of a teledentistry tool for the remote diagnosis of oral lesions. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included both usability evaluation and reliability assessment. The teledentistry platform, "OralMedTeledent", facilitated synchronous and asynchronous interactions, allowing for patient consultations, remote follow-ups, and doctor-to-doctor consultations. Usability was evaluated by 5 experts using the Nielsen heuristic checklist. Reliability was assessed from August 2022 to September 2023 with 109 patients, using Cohen's kappa coefficient to measure agreement between examiners and the gold standard in diagnosing oral lesions. RESULTS: The findings revealed 66 usability issues, most of which were related to helping users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors, as well as issues with help and documentation. Among these, 11 issues were of minor severity. The reliability test, conducted with 109 participants (57.8% female, 42.2% male) showed that the web-based teleconsultation system performed significantly well. The system demonstrated significant substantial performance (0.81 ≤ κ < 1; P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overall, the web-based teleconsultation system has proven to be reliable for the remote diagnosis of oral lesions, making it a valuable alternative during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, several usability issues have been identified and need to be addressed.

Orofacial Actinomycosis Eroding Through Hard Palate: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Actinomycosis is a rare, chronic, progressive bacterial infection caused by Actinomyces species with a reported incidence of 1 in 300 000. Actinomycosis has variable presentations and is commonly mistaken for malignancy and other infections, leading to delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Actinomyces is a commensal bacteria found in the mouth, gut, and genitourinary tract. Actinomycosis tends to take advantage of anatomical defects for contiguous spread and can cause fistulas, sinus tracts, abscesses, and intrauterine device-associated infections. CASE PRESENTATION: A 78-year-old White male with known dental caries came to a primary care clinic 2 days after noticing a painless, nonbleeding mass eroding from his hard palate. After a tissue biopsy of the mass showed a diagnosis of actinomycosis and advanced imaging showed no intracranial involvement, he was treated with a 6-month course of antibiotics, including oral amoxicillin, oral amoxicillin-clavulanate, and intravenous ertapenem. DISCUSSION: There are several case reports of actinomycosis with variable presentations, such as cutaneous nodules and sinus tracts. These cases frequently are associated with dental infections and procedures, trauma, oral surgery, or prior head and neck radiation. The condition is often mistaken for other infections or malignancy, which can delay appropriate treatment and increase the risk of complications. CONCLUSIONS: Actinomycosis is a rare bacterial infection with variable presentations occurring throughout the body. This patient responded well to a prolonged course of intravenous and oral antibiotics and had complete healing of his hard palate defect. Actinomycosis is frequently misdiagnosed, leading to delays in appropriate treatment.

Oral and Dental Aspects of Child Abuse and Neglect: Clinical Report.

In all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, pediatricians, dental professionals, and other physicians are mandated to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect to social service or law enforcement agencies. The purpose of this clinical report is to review the oral aspects of abuse and dental neglect in children and the role of pediatricians, dental professionals, and other physicians in evaluating such conditions. This clinical report addresses recommendations on the evaluation of bite marks, as well as perioral and intraoral injuries, infections, and diseases that may raise suspicion for child abuse or neglect. Some physicians may have received less education pertaining to oral health, dental injury, and oral disease. These physicians may not detect the mouth and gum findings possibly related to abuse or neglect as readily as abuse injuries involving other areas of the body. Therefore, pediatricians, dental professionals, and other physicians are encouraged to collaborate to increase the prevention, detection, and treatment of these conditions in children.

Oral focal mucinosis: A systematic review.

Oral focal mucinosis (OFM) is a rare lesion first described in 1974, but the aetiology remains unknown. Clinically, OFM presents as an asymptomatic nodular lesion and the similarity of clinical features to other soft tissue injuries makes the diagnosis difficult. The aim of this study was to integrate the demographic, clinical, and histopathological characteristics from previously published cases of OFM into a systematic review. Electronic searches without publication date restriction were performed in the following databases: Embase, PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus. Case reports or case series of OFM published in English and presenting enough clinical and histopathological information were included. This systematic review identified 42 studies from 12 countries, comprising 113 cases of OFM. This lesion affected more females than males, usually in the fourth decade of life. The gingiva was the most common anatomical location, followed by the palate. Clinical presentation was most often an asymptomatic nodule. Imaging exams revealed that most cases did not have bone involvement. Surgical removal was the treatment of choice for most cases and only one recurrent case was reported. In conclusion, OFM is an uncommon pathology, and its diagnosis depends on histopathological analysis. The lesion could be included as a differential diagnosis of benign soft tissue lesions of the oral cavity, especially those affecting the gingiva.

Unusual clinical presentation, microscopy and immunohistochemistry of oral pyogenic granuloma in a paediatric patient.

An unusual clinical presentation of any pathology prompts a diagnostic dilemma, which further brings challenges in treatment planning. Pyogenic granuloma (microscopically lobular capillary haemangioma) is a benign vascular tumour that commonly involves the skin and mucous membranes and usually manifests as a solitary papule with a friable pedunculated base. Rapid exophytic growth and an ulcerated surface with bleeding on provocation are characteristic, with a gingival predominance for the site. This case report aims to elaborate on an unusual clinical presentation of oral pyogenic granuloma in a middle-childhood female patient. The clinical and radiographic characteristics of the lesion were unremarkable to the diagnosis but rather mimicked other intraoral lesions. It is histopathology that could solve the puzzle with the microscopic and immunohistochemical findings that rendered the final diagnosis of lobular capillary haemangioma.

Angioleiomyomatous Hamartoma of Incisive Papilla in an Adolescent.

Hamartomas, a focal excess of normal tissue usually presenting as isolated masses, are rarely found in the head and neck region. The purpose of this report is to discuss a rare case of an intra-oral angioleiomyomatous hamartoma in a 14-year-old male who presented with a congenital nodule over the anterior palatal mucosa. The confirmatory diagnosis was done based on histopathology and immunohistochemistry using various markers. A brief review of the literature and clinical differential diagnoses are discussed, along with the clinical significance of hamartomas associated with syndromes. Hence, the identification of such hamartomas may lead to early diagnosis of associated syndromes in pediatric patients.

A case of larva migrans representing a pitfall in oral diagnosis.

The present work reports a case of a female patient complaining of itching and painful lesions affecting the oral mucosa for 7 months. Buccal and lip mucosa showed swelling and erythema, with serpiginous tracks. The patient was diagnosed with oral larva migrans, and the lesions resolved after ivermectin administration. At 18-month follow-up, no sign of recurrence was observed. Larva migrans can represent a pitfall in oral diagnosis and a stressful condition for the patient. Oral health care providers should be aware of this and keep this disease in mind as a possible differential diagnosis in oral mucosa lesions.

Realizing the clinical utility of saliva for monitoring oral diseases.

In the era of personalized/precision health care, additional effort is being expended to understand the biology and molecular mechanisms of disease processes. How these mechanisms are affected by individual genetics, environmental exposures, and behavioral choices will encompass an expanding role in the future of optimally preventing and treating diseases. Considering saliva as an important biological fluid for analysis to inform oral disease detection/description continues to expand. This review provides an overview of saliva as a diagnostic fluid and the features of various biomarkers that have been reported. We emphasize the use of salivary biomarkers in periodontitis and transport the reader through extant literature, gaps in knowledge, and a structured approach toward validating and determine the utility of biomarkers in periodontitis. A summation of the findings support the likelihood that a panel of biomarkers including both host molecules and specific microorganisms will be required to most effectively identify risk for early transition to disease, ongoing disease activity, progression, and likelihood of response to standard periodontal therapy. The goals would be to develop predictive algorithms that serve as adjunctive diagnostic tools which provide the clinician and patient important information for making informed clinical decisions.

A Roadmap for the Rational Use of Biomarkers in Oral Disease Screening.

Oral health has witnessed a significant transformation with the integration of biomarkers in early-diagnostic processes. This article briefly reviews the types of biomarkers used in the screening and early detection of oral diseases, particularly oral cancer, periodontal diseases, and dental caries, with an emphasis on molecular biomarkers. While the advent of these biomarkers may represent a leap forward in oral healthcare, it also opens the door to potential overtesting, overdiagnosis, and overtreatment. To inform the selection of novel biomarkers and ensure their rational use in screening tests, it is imperative to consider some key characteristics, which are specific to the biomarker (e.g., surrogate biomarkers should reliably reflect the primary health outcome), to the test (e.g., sensitivity and specificity must be balanced based on the disease of interest), and to the disease (e.g., the efficacy of treatment should improve when the condition is diagnosed earlier). For systemic conditions associated with oral diseases, researchers should be extremely cautious when determining who is "at risk", particularly when such risk is small, non-existent, or inconsequent. This framework aims to ensure that advancements in oral health diagnostics translate into genuine improvements in patient care and well-being.

Verruciformes Xanthom an der linken Wange bei einer 56-jährigen Patientin - Diagnostik, Therapie und Nachsorge

The oral verruciform xanthoma (OVX) is a rare, benign lesion that occurs predominantly in the masticatory region of the oral cavity. The OVX is small, slow growing, and mostly free of clinical symptoms. The exact pathogenesis is unknown, and a viral etiology such as from a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has not been proven. Although primarily observed in healthy individuals, there have been cases in patients with autoimmune diseases and with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). The treatment of choice is complete excision of the lesion. This case report showcases a successful surgical removal of an oral verruciform xanthoma on the left buccal mucosa in a 56-year-old patient with GvHD 14 years after allo-genic stem cell transplantation due to a Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

[Oral manifestations in Crohn's disease - Two patient cases from the clinic]. / Orale Manifestationen bei Morbus Crohn

Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal system. It is suspected to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors and changes in the patient's intestinal microbiome. As opposed to colitis ulcerosa, which usually only affects the large intestine, CD may affect various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Many patients show oral lesions related to CD, which sometimes can precede the first gastrointestinal symptoms. Specific oral lesions include granulomatous cheilitis, cobblestone-like mucosal tags and linear ulcerations. Non-specific lesions occur in the form of angular cheilitis and opportunistic candidiasis, aphthous ulcerations, reduced salivation, dental caries and many more. We present two cases of patients suffering from Crohn's disease with different oral manifestations and discuss the dentist's role in early detection of specific oral lesions and the importance of the follow-up care of affected patients.

The innovation of AI-based software in oral diseases: clinical-histopathological correlation diagnostic accuracy primary study.

BACKGROUND: Machine learning (ML) through artificial intelligence (AI) could provide clinicians and oral pathologists to advance diagnostic problems in the field of potentially malignant lesions, oral cancer, periodontal diseases, salivary gland disease, oral infections, immune-mediated disease, and others. AI can detect micro-features beyond human eyes and provide solution in critical diagnostic cases. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was developing a software with all needed feeding data to act as AI-based program to diagnose oral diseases. So our research question was: Can we develop a Computer-Aided Software for accurate diagnosis of oral diseases based on clinical and histopathological data inputs? METHOD: The study sample included clinical images, patient symptoms, radiographic images, histopathological images and texts for the oral diseases of interest in the current study (premalignant lesions, oral cancer, salivary gland neoplasms, immune mediated oral mucosal lesions, oral reactive lesions) total oral diseases enrolled in this study was 28 diseases retrieved from the archives of oral maxillofacial pathology department. Total 11,200 texts and 3000 images (2800 images were used for training data to the program and 100 images were used as test data to the program and 100 cases for calculating accuracy, sensitivity& specificity). RESULTS: The correct diagnosis rates for group 1 (software users), group 2 (microscopic users) and group 3 (hybrid) were 87%, 90.6, 95% respectively. The reliability for inter-observer value was done by calculating Cronbach's alpha and interclass correlation coefficient. The test revealed for group 1, 2 and 3 the following values respectively 0.934, 0.712 & 0.703. All groups showed acceptable reliability especially for Diagnosis Oral Diseases Software (DODS) that revealed higher reliability value than other groups. However, The accuracy, sensitivity & specificity of this software was lower than those of oral pathologists (master's degree). CONCLUSION: The correct diagnosis rate of DODS was comparable to oral pathologists using standard microscopic examination. The DODS program could be utilized as diagnostic guidance tool with high reliability & accuracy.

Case reports of oral choristomas and a review of the literature.

Choristomas are proliferative growths that occur when normal tissue develops in abnormal locations and may resemble tumors. Oral choristomas commonly present as slow-growing, indolent, and firm masses. The diagnosis primarily relies on histopathologic examination. Given their tumor-like growth and developmental pathogenesis, it is critical to differentiate them from neoplasms. In this article, we present two clinical cases of oral choristomas, a cartilaginous choristoma, and an osseous choristoma of the tongue. We also offer a brief review of the literature discussing clinical presentation, microscopic features, and therapeutic options.

The "great imitator": IgG4-related disease of the oral cavity. Two case reports and scoping review.

This study aimed to review the lesser-known intraoral manifestations of immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD). In this paper we report an unprecedented case of oral IgG4-RD mimicking angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE), and another case presenting as plasma cell gingivitis. We then performed a scoping review of published cases of IgG4-RD involving the oral cavity. The following data were collected for each case: age, sex, intraoral site(s) involved, clinical appearance, imaging features, serum IgG4 values, histopathology, treatment, and follow-up duration. Fifty-one cases of oral IgG4-RD were published in literature. The hard palate and jaw bones were the two main locations reported, while the histological identification of a IgG4/IgG plasma cells ratio ≥40% was fundamental for diagnosis. Conversely, the pathological features of storiform fibrosis and obliterative phlebitis were not common. Future reports regarding oral IgG4-RD should report clear adherence to the recognized international diagnostic criteria of the disease.