Symptomatic subgemmal neurogenous plaque in patients with COVID-19: Is there an association?

BACKGROUND: Subgemmal neurogenous plaques (SNP) are composed of neural structures found in the posterolateral portion of the tongue, rarely biopsied as most of them are asymptomatic or eventually only clinically managed. We aimed to investigate a case series of possible correlation of symptomatic subgemmal neurogenous plaque (SNP) with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Eleven formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cases from patients with previous confirmed COVID-19 (by RT-PCR) were retrieved from two pathology files. Histological sections were morphologically studied, and then submitted to immunohistochemical reactions against S-100 and neurofilament proteins, neuron-specific enolase, Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), synaptophysin, CD56, Ki67, cytokeratins (7, 8-18, 19, 20), nucleocapsid and spike proteins (SARS-CoV-1; and -2) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) antibodies. Clinical data were retrieved from the patients' medical files, including the symptoms and the complete history of the progression of the disease. RESULTS: The patients who had COVID-19 included in this study experienced painful lesions in the tongue that corresponded to prominent or altered SNP. Microscopically, neural structures were positive for S-100, GFAP and neurofilament protein. And the cellular proliferative index (by Ki-67) was very low. CONCLUSION: Thus, based on the current results, we hypothesize that symptomatic SNP may be a late manifestation of COVID-19 infection.

Can the prophylactic use of pentoxifylline and tocopherol before dental extractions prevent osteoradionecrosis? A systematic review.

PURPOSE: This systematic review aimed to determine whether the pentoxifylline and tocopherol (PENTO) protocol effectively reduce the risk of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) in patients undergoing tooth extraction after head and neck radiotherapy. METHODS: We searched PubMed, SCOPUS, LILACS, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases up to August 2022. We considered only studies that included patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer undergoing tooth extraction with PENTO prophylaxis after radiotherapy. RESULTS: Of the 642 studies identified, 4 were included. Across the included studies, 387 patients had 1871 teeth extracted while on PENTO prophylaxis. The interval of the PENTO protocol differed among the studies included. Overall, a total of 12 (3.1%) patients had ORN, whereas at the individual tooth level analysis the ORN rate was 0.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient evidence exists to promote using the PENTO protocol before dental extractions to prevent ORN.

Oral Lymphoepithelial Cyst: A Collaborative Clinicopathologic Study of 132 Cases from Brazil.

The oral lymphoepithelial cyst (OLC) is an uncommon lesion whose pathogenesis remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to report the clinicopathologic features of the OLCs and to verify a possible association between OLCs and subgemmal neurogenous plaque (SNP) in the posterior lateral region of the tongue. A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. A total of 106,282 biopsy records of oral and maxillofacial lesions from six oral pathology services in Brazil were analyzed. All cases of OLCs were reviewed, and clinical and histopathological data were collected. Immunohistochemical reactions for S-100 protein were performed to confirm the diagnosis of SNP. Among all lesions, there were 132 (0.11%) cases of OLCs. The series comprised 83 females (62.9%) and 49 males (37.1%), with a 1.7:1 female-to-male ratio and a mean age of 45.8 ± 17.7 years. Most cases involved the tongue (n = 80; 62.0%) and presented clinically as asymptomatic papules or nodules with a yellow or whitish color. Microscopically, most of the cysts were entirely lined by parakeratinized stratified epithelium (n = 89; 67.4%) and filled with desquamated cells, keratin debris, amorphous eosinophilic material, and inflammatory cells in varying amounts. Connection with the epithelium of oral mucosa was observed in 18 cases (13.6%). SNP was found in 9/80 (11.2%) cases involving the tongue. The clinical and demographic features of OLCs were similar to those described in previous studies. Overall, this lesion has a predilection for the posterior region of the tongue of female adults. Clinicians must include the OLC in the differential diagnosis of yellow/white papules and nodules of the oral cavity.

Binary and WHO dysplasia grading systems for the prediction of malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia and erythroplakia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic review was to examine the evidence of the binary histologic grading system capacity for predicting malignant transformation and to compare it with that of the WHO systems. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review was conducted, using PubMed, EMBASE, LILACS, Web of Science, Scopus, and LIVIVO databases without any language or timeframe restrictions. Studies were included if they compared the binary and the WHO histologic grading systems in the prediction of malignant transformation of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). RESULTS: The capacity of the WHO and binary grading systems to predict malignant transformation ranged from 16 to 80% and from 5 to 80%, respectively. The pooled malignant transformation rate of lesions classified as severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ by the WHO grading was 40% (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.02-0.87; I2 = 92%; P = 0.00), while the corresponding value for lesions classified as high-risk by the binary grading system was 31% (95% CI, 0.00-0.84; I2 = 97%; P = 0.00). Overall, there was no significant difference in prognostication accuracy between the WHO and the binary systems (odds ratio = 2.02; 95% CI, 0.88-4.64). CONCLUSIONS: Although some studies suggest that the binary system is associated with lower inter-rater variability when grading OED, the evidence remains inconclusive on whether this system is superior to that of the WHO at predicting malignant transformation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The reproducibility of the binary system has the potential to be better for prognostic purposes. However, there is no high-quality evidence to confirm if this advantage may assist clinicians in decision-making.

Lingual necrosis leading to the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a chronic vasculitis comprising large- and medium-sized arteries branches originating from the aortic arch. GCA diagnosis might be challenging due to its several clinical characteristics. This clinical report describes a case of a 91-year-old woman who was admitted with tongue necrosis. Medical history revealed mild headache episodes and jaw numbness. Summing up clinical and laboratory findings, the diagnosis of GCA was established. Surgical debridement and corticotherapy led to complete resolution of the tongue lesion with no need for any additional intervention. In this case report, we highlight the importance of GCA early diagnosis in order to avoid more serious complications.

Oral cancer adjacent to dental implants mimicking benign lesions: a case series study.

Despite the long-term survival rates of osseointegrated dental implants, several biological complications are known to affect the peri-implant tissues, such as peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis. Occasionally, the clinical features of these more common benign lesions, or others nonrelated to implants, might be similar to oral malignancies, leading to misdiagnosis. The objective of this study was to present a case series of oral cancer located adjacent to dental implants, aimed to identify the reasons for initial misinterpretation of diagnosis. Thirteen patients, 10 females and 3 males, aged 59 to 90, were assessed. Among the differential diagnoses established, a malignant or premalignant lesion was not considered in 10 out of the 13 patients. Peri-implantitis was the most common preliminary diagnosis, followed by fungal infection, viral infections, and traumatic ulcers. The meantime for the diagnosis of oral cancer was 21.5 months. The clinical presentation of peri-implant malignancy, such as ulceration, white and red plaques, and exophytic lesions, might mimic benign diseases that are more common in the oral cavity. Suspicious lesions with treatment failure that persist for more than 2 weeks require biopsy and histopathological analysis to establish an early definitive diagnosis to improve the prognosis and quality of life of the patients.

Is the Fixed Mandibular 3-Implant Retained Prosthesis Safe and Predicable for Full-Arch Mandibular Prostheses? A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To evaluate implant and prosthetic survival rates of full-arch rehabilitations retained by three implants in patients with edentulous mandibles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This systematic review was developed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. The focused question was: Are fixed mandibular 3-implant retained prostheses safe and predicable for full-arch mandibular prostheses? The Medline/PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were used to conduct the systematic search for clinical trials on fixed mandibular 3-implant retained prostheses published between 1999 and 2020. Only English-language studies that presented information on implant and prosthetic survival were included. RESULTS: A total of 302 studies were identified, of which 13 addressed the inclusion criteria. Additionally, 574 participants were included in these studies. As reported, 73 (4.57%) of 1596 implants failed, with a survival rate of 95.43%. In addition, the mean survival rate of the presented prostheses was 89.66%. The mean marginal bone loss was 1.09 mm. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of the present review, implant and prosthetic survival rates of fixed mandibular 3-implant retained prostheses were similar to those of full-arch mandibular prostheses retained by four or more implants. Further research exploring the topic is necessary.

Epidemiological profile and clinical implications of oral squamous cell carcinoma adjacent to dental implants.

OBJECTIVES: Describe the epidemiological profile of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) around dental implants (DI), investigate the spectrum of clinical and pathological characteristics, and discuss the implications of diagnosis delay of these lesions. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients treated of OSCC adjacent to DI at A.C. Camargo Cancer Center between 2009 and 2020. RESULTS: Thirty one patients were identified, being women the majority (58.1%). The mean age of the patients was 68.8 years. Never smoker corresponds to 46.9% and never alcohol consumer to 54.9% of the sample. OPMD was reported in 45.2% of patients, affecting mainly women (78.5%). Leukoplakia (63.7%) followed by oral lichen planus (36.3%) was the most common OPMD found in women. OSCC adjacent to DI occurred in the inferior gingiva/alveolar mucosa in 48.3% of cases, and ulceration was the most common clinical appearance (87%). Peri-implantitis (PI) was initial clinical diagnosis in 16.1% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Oral squamous cell carcinoma adjacent to DI was more common in women over 70 years old, non-smokers and non-drinker, and the majority had oral leukoplakia before the diagnosis of OSCC. OSCC may present clinical and radiographic features that resemble PI which can delay the diagnosis and impair the prognosis.

Retrospective application of the Milan System for reporting salivary gland cytopathology: A Cancer Center experience.

BACKGROUND: The Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology (MSRSGC) was recently proposed. Herein, we retrospectively applied this nomenclature system to salivary gland lesions sampled by ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA). METHODS: All cases of salivary gland FNA with available surgical follow-up, in the period from 2014 to 2017 at our institution were reviewed and reclassified according to one of the six categories of the MSRSGC, blind to the surgical outcome. Overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated, as well as risks of neoplasm (RON) and risk of malignancy (ROM) for each of the proposed categories. RESULTS: There were 104 salivary gland lesions, with a female predominance (57.7%), most cases from the parotid gland (89.4%). Mean age was 53.2 years. Distribution of the specimens according to the Milan System was as follows: 19.2% nondiagnostic (ND), 8.7% non-neoplastic (NN), 9.6% atypia of undetermined significance (AUS), 40.4% benign neoplasm (BN), 14.4% salivary gland neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential (SUMP), 1.9% suspicious for malignancy (SFM), and 5.8% malignant. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV using MSRSGC were calculated as 75%, 98.4%, 88.9%, and 95.3%, respectively. RON/ROM for each category were 60%/15% for ND, 44.4%/0% for NN, 90%/40% for AUS, 100%/9.5% for BN, 100%/13.3% for SUMP, 50%/50% for SFM and 100%/100% for malignant. CONCLUSION: The use of the Milan System proved to be a useful method to predict the risk of neoplasm and malignancy in the sample studied, with high sensitivity and specificity.

Stafne's bone defect in a metastatic prostate cancer patient: A diagnostic conundrum.

Stafne's bone defect (SBD) is an uncommon bone alteration that affects the mandible and usually presents as an asymptomatic radiolucency located in the posterior region of body or angle of the mandible, below the alveolar canal. Although clinical and radiographic features are more often sufficient for the diagnosis, other lesions and bone alterations have been described in the differential diagnosis and may lead to a misinterpretation and an incorrect diagnosis. Herein, we report a case of an 89-yearold man with metastatic prostate cancer to multiple bones, presenting an asymptomatic solitary well-defined radiolucent image on the right side of the posterior body of the mandible, in close contact with its inferior border. A bone depression was confirmed by computed tomography scans of the mandible and a metastatic inclusion was ruled out by bone scintigraphy with a final diagnosis of SBD. The aim of this report was to highlight the importance of differentiating SBD from metastases in cancer patients and to reinforce the usefulness of multiple imaging modalities in the differential diagnosis of SBD. Key words:Stafne's bone defect, Mandible, Depression, Metastases, Imaging modalities.

In situ analysis of gelatinolytic activity in human dentin.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) such as gelatinases are differentially expressed in human tissues. These enzymes cleave specific substrates involved in cell signaling, tissue development and remodeling and tissue breakdown. Recent evidences show that gelatinases are crucial for normal dentin development and their activity is maintained throughout the entire tooth function in the oral cavity. Due to the lack of information about the exact location and activity of gelatinases in mature human dentin, the present study was designed to examine gelatinolytic levels in sound dentin. In situ zymography using confocal microscopy was performed on both mineralized and demineralized dentin samples. Sites presenting gelatinase activity were identified throughout the entire biological tissue pursuing different gelatinolytic levels for distinct areas: predentin and dentinal tubule regions presented higher gelatinolytic activity compared to intertubular dentin. Dentin regions with higher gelatinolytic activity immunohistochemically were partially correlated with MMP-2 expression. The maintenance of gelatinolytic activity in mature dentin may have biological implications related to biomineralization of predentin and tubular/peritubular dentinal regions, as well as regulation of defensive mechanisms of the dentin-pulp complex.

Synchronous antiresorptive osteonecrosis of the jaws and breast cancer metastasis.

Antiresorptive osteonecrosis of the jaws (ARONJ) is a significant and poorly understood oral complication that may affect patients receiving antiresorptive agents, such as intravenous bisphosphonate therapy. There are scarce reports of the coexistence of ARONJ and metastasis at the same jaw site in the English-language literature. In the present case, a 60-year-old white woman was referred for the evaluation of a nonhealing extraction socket. The patient was undergoing treatment with intravenous zoledronic acid to metastatic breast cancer in bone, and her medical history and clinical characteristics led to the diagnosis of ARONJ. Nevertheless, histologic analysis showed a fragment of necrotic bone and bacterial colonies associated with malignant epithelial cells that were confirmed to be metastatic breast adenocarcinoma. This case showed that jaw metastasis can occur at the same time and site of ARONJ, making diagnosis and management challenging.

Hard palate hyperpigmentation secondary to chronic chloroquine therapy: report of five cases.

Antimalarials are commonly prescribed in medical practice for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, as well as malaria. They are generally well-tolerated, but side effects, although infrequent, are well known. The antimalarial chloroquine diphosphate may be associated with a bluish-gray to black hyperpigmentation of the oral mucosa, mainly on the hard palate. In this report we described five additional cases of palate hyperpigmentation related to the chronic use of chloroquine diphosphate. Professionals must be aware of the adverse effects of antimalarials as chloroquine diphosphate in order to make the correct diagnosis and appropriate management of the patient. Early diagnosis of oral pigmentation by antimalarials may be of great relevance, because it might be an early sign of ocular involvement, and therefore it may be helpful to prevent further complications of antimalarial therapy for the patient.

Single oral paracoccidioidomycosis mimicking other lesions: report of eight cases.

Paracoccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. It is an endemic disease, representing a serious health problem in Latin American countries. This infection primarily affects the lungs and is acquired by inhalation of the fungus. It can spread to other organs and tissues, mainly the oral cavity affecting more adult men from 30 to 50 years of age. On clinical presentation, several signs associated with impaired general and nutritional conditions can be noted. Oral manifestation is more common in the soft palate, gingiva, lower lip, buccal mucosa, and tongue. The classical clinical presentation is a superficial ulcer with granular appearance and hemorrhagic points. Usually, the oral lesion is extensive and generalized. Although uncommon, when the oral manifestation is single, others lesions, particularly squamous cell carcinoma, must be included in the differential diagnosis. In this article, the authors discuss the unusual presentation of eight cases of single oral paracoccidioidomycosis and its diagnostic importance.

Pénfigo vulgar importancia para el odontólogo en el diagnóstico / Pemphigus vulgaris importance of the dentist in its diagnosis

El pénfigo vulgar es una enfermedad vesiculo ampollar crónica y grave que compromete piel y mucosas. La presencia de anticuerpos antidesmosómicos resulta en la disolución de la sustancia cementante intercelular para la destrucción de los desmosomas que mantienen unidas a las células epiteliales generando una separación intraepitelial característica que ocurre luego arriba de la camada de células basales. El pénfigo vulgar es una condición de revelancia odontológica que si no estratada puede resultar en la muerte del paciente. El compromiso de la cavidad bucal en la mayoria de los casos aliado a la importancia del diagnóstico precoz para el pronóstico y tratamiento, refuerzan la necesidad del conocimiento de esa condición por el odontólogo

Pemphigus vulgaris is a chronic and serious auto-imune vesiculo-bullous disease that affects skin and mucous membrane. Antidesmosomal antibodies dissolve intercellular substance that keeps epithelial cells together, resulting in an intraepithelial blister just above basal epithelial layer. Without treatment, pemphigus vulgaris leads patient to die. The fact that this disorder presents oral manifestation in most cases, in addiction to the relevance of a precocious diagnosis to the success of the treatment and prognosis support the importance of about the knowledge of this disease to dentist's notice

O pênfigo vulgar é uma doença auto-imune, vesículo-bolhosa, crônica e grave, que acomete pele e mucosas. A presença de anticorpos antidesmossômicos resulta na dissolução da substância cimentante intercelular pela destruição dos desmossomos que mantêm unidas as células epiteliais gerando uma separação intra-epitelial característica, que ocorre logo acima da camada de células basais. O pênfigo vulgar é uma condição de relevância odontológica que, se não tratada, pode resultar no óbito do paciente. O acometimento da cavidade bucal na maioria dos casos aliado à importância do diagnóstico precoce para o prognóstico e tratamento reforçam a necessidade do conhecimento dessa condição pelo cirurgiãodentista