Central giant cell granuloma of the jaws-long-term clinical and radiological outcomes of surgical and pharmacological management.

OBJECTIVES: To compare long-term results of different treatment modalities in central giant cell granuloma of the maxillofacial-skeleton. Primary resection may result in major defects. Alternative treatments include pharmacological agents. As yet there has been no consensus on the use of the variety of treatment options, and few studies have reported clarifying long-term results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study on 22 patients with 25 lesions evaluated clinical, radiological and histological features, treatment preformed and lesion recurrence. Success was defined as regression/calcification and failure as recurrence, progression or un-responsiveness. RESULTS: Of the presenting patients, 77% were under age 40. Lesion prevalence was higher in the anterior mandible and left posterior maxilla. Most cases exhibited pain, tooth-mobility or mucosal-expansion. The appearance was predominantly unilocular in the maxilla and multilocular in the mandible, which also exhibited higher prevalence of cortical perforation. Up to 80% of lesions were classified as aggressive. Intralesional steroids/calcitonin were used in 7 cases. Mean follow-up was 39.8 months. Two cases showed recurrence. In 71% of the cases treated pharmacologically, calcification/regression were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis indicates better outcomes using a combined approach, including both pharmacological and surgical treatments in large aggressive lesions. Pharmacological treatment resulted in decreased size or well-defined lesions, thus reducing the need for extensive bone resection. Dual treatment with corticosteroids and calcitonin showed no superior outcomes, but a larger cohort should be assessed. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There are several protocols for treatment of central-giant-cell-granuloma lesions, but most are not fully established. It is important to report results that contribute to the establishment of proven protocols. This report attempts to establish the relevance of the combined approach: pharmacological treatment followed by surgical resection.

Osteoradionecrosis in a Torus Mandibularis Treated by Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy: A Case Report.

Background: Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the jaws is a late complication after radiotherapy to head and neck cancer. Objective: To describe a rare case of ORN of the torus mandibularis that was successfully managed exclusively with antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). Case report: A 72-year-old man presented an exposed necrotic bone observed in the torus mandibularis, extending to the lingual alveolar ridge with no edema nor suppuration. The treatment provided a noninvasive treatment leading to spontaneous sequestrectomy of the torus in 2 weeks with complete mucosal repair in 5 weeks and absence of lesion signs and/or symptoms even after 6 months of follow-up. Conclusions: The aPDT indicated to be a satisfactory treatment for ORN affecting torus mandibularis, a region with surgical limitations, avoiding surgery.

Mandibular Osteoradionecrosis: Defining the Microbial Milieu and Antimicrobial Resistance at the Time of Rescue Flap Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To report the microorganisms and their antibiotic sensitivity profile from tissue cultures and stains at the time of anterolateral thigh fascia lata (ALTFL) rescue flap for management of mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN). METHODS: Retrospective chart review of patients who underwent ALTFL rescue flap for native mandibular ORN between 2011 and 2022. RESULTS: Twenty-six cases comprising 24 patients (mean age 65.4 years, 65.4% male) with mandibular ORN from whom tissue cultures and gram stain were obtained at the time of ALTFL rescue flap. 57.7% grew bacterial species, while 34.6% grew fungal species. Multibacterial speciation was noted in 26.9% of cultures. A combination of bacterial and fungal growth was also seen in 15.4% of cases. All gram-positive cocci (GPC) were pansensitive to antibiotics except for one case of Staphylococcus aureus, which was resistant to levofloxacin. Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) species were isolated in 50.0% of cases. All fungal growth was due to Candida species. No growth was noted in 23.1% of cases. Multidrug resistance was noted in 53.8% of cases when GNB was isolated. CONCLUSION: We report 76.9% of our cases of mandibular ORN had microbial growth from tissue cultures obtained at the time of the ALTFL rescue flap. Fungal growth was noted in a substantial number of cases and should be obtained as a specimen when pursuing culture-driven antibiotic therapy. Most GPCs were pansensitive to antibiotics, while GNBs were often the harbinger of multidrug resistant mandibular ORN. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:166-169, 2024.

Long-term follow-up of osteoradionecrosis of the mandible.

AIM: Investigating the prevalence of mandibular ORN in a single Swedish Oncology Center. METHODS: A total of 450 patients, treated with radiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma in the oropharynx between 2004 and 2014 were included. Three different techniques of radiotherapy were studied. ORN diagnosis was set when clinical signs according to Marx were observed, or if radiological signs were staged according to Schwartz and Kagan. RESULTS: Using the staging system, 90 patients (20%) were diagnosed with ORN. The mean age of the ORN patients was 56.6 years, the older the patient the lower the risk of developing ORN (p = .01). The risk of developing ORN for patients receiving Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy was lower compared to patients treated with the other techniques in the multivariable analysis. Brachytherapy significantly increases the risk of ORN. The risk of ORN increased by 8% each year after radiation (p = .04). The mean time to the ORN diagnosis was 3.9 years. In the multivariate analysis, the risk of ORN increased by 13% each year after radiation (p = .0013). CONCLUSION: The mean radiation dose was of greater importance for the risk of ORN than the maximum dose. Elderly people with oropharyngeal cancer were less prone to develop ORN.

Extra-mandibular Osteoradionecrosis after the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer.

AIMS: Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a serious toxicity of head and neck radiotherapy. It predominantly affects the mandible. Extra-mandibular ORN is rare. The aim of this study was to report the incidence and outcomes of extra-mandibular ORNs from a large institutional database. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 2303 head and neck cancer patients were treated with radical or adjuvant radiotherapy. Of these, extra-mandibular ORN developed in 13 patients (0.5%). RESULTS: Maxillary ORNs (n = 8) were a consequence of the treatment of various primaries (oropharynx = 3, sinonasal = 2, maxilla = 2, parotid = 1). The median interval from the end of radiotherapy to the development of ORN was 7.5 months (range 3-42 months). The median radiotherapy dose in the centre of the ORN was 48.5 Gy (range 22-66.5 Gy). Four patients (50%) healed in 7, 14, 20 and 41 months. All temporal bone ORNs (n = 5) developed after treatment to the parotid gland (of a total of 115 patients who received radiotherapy for parotid gland malignancy). The median interval from the end of radiotherapy to the development of ORN was 41 months (range 20-68 months). The median total dose in the centre of the ORN was 63.5 Gy (range 60.2-65.3 Gy). ORN healed in only one patient after 32 months of treatment with repeated debridement and topical betamethasone cream. CONCLUSION: Extra-mandibular ORN is a rare late toxicity and this current study provides useful information on its incidence and outcome. The risk of temporal bone ORN should be considered in the treatment of parotid malignancies and patients should be counselled. More research is required to determine the optimal management of extra-mandibular ORN, particularly on the role of the PENTOCLO regimen.

Evaluation of Anterolateral Thigh Fascia Lata Rescue Flap for Mandibular Osteoradionecrosis.

Importance: Mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a progressive disease that can be difficult to treat. Conservative measures often fail, while conventional definitive management requires a morbid segmental resection with osteocutaneous reconstruction. Evidence of the anterolateral thigh fascia lata (ALTFL) rescue flap technique's safety, effectiveness, and long-term outcomes is needed. Objective: To determine the long-term outcomes of the ALTFL rescue flap procedure for treating patients with mandibular ORN. Design, Settings, and Participants: This was a retrospective medical record review performed at a single tertiary-level academic health care institution with patients who were appropriate candidates for the ALTFL procedure to treat mandibular ORN from March 3, 2011, to December 31, 2022. Data analyses were performed from January 1 to March 26, 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: Patient characteristics, preoperative radiographic Notani staging, intraoperative defect size, length of stay, complication rates, and clinical and radiographic findings of progression-free intervals. Results: The study population of 43 patients (mean [SD] age, 66.1 [47-80] years; 24 [55.8%] male individuals) included 52 cases of mandibular ORN. The preoperative Notani staging of the study population was known for 46 of the 52 total cases: 11 cases (23.9%) were stage I; 21 (45.7%), stage II; and 14 (30.4%), stage III. The mean defect area was 20.9 cm2. Successful arrest of ORN disease progression was noted in the clinical and radiographic findings of 50 of the 52 (96.2%) cases, with only 2 (3.8%) cases subsequently requiring fibular free flap reconstruction. The major complication rate was 1.9% (1 case). Clinical and radiographic progression-free intervals were assessed, and no statistically significant differences were noted between Notani staging groups (log-rank P = .43 and P = .43, respectively); ie, patients with stage III disease had no significant difference in risk of clinical (HR, 0.866; 95% CI, 0.054-13.853) or radiographic (HR, 0.959; 95% CI, 0.059-15.474) progression vs those with stage I disease. Weibull profiling revealed 96.9%, 94.6%, and 93.1% successful mandibular ORN arrest at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The major complication rate was 1.9%. Mean (SD) length of stay was 2.7 (0.0-7.0) days. Mean (SD) radiographic follow-up was 29.3 (30.7) months. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this large retrospective patient case series support the continued success of the ALTFL rescue flap technique, a safe and highly effective long-term treatment for mandibular ORN in carefully selected patients.

Stafne’s bone defect: a systematic review

Background: This systematic review integrated the available data published in the literature on Stafne's bone defect (SBD), considering the clinical, imaging and histopathological results. Material and methods: An electronic search was undertaken in six databases. Eligibility criteria were: articles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese describing case reports or case series of SBD, reported up to September/2021. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool. Results: A total of 98 articles were retrieved, involving 465 individuals with SBD and were included for quantitative analysis. Mean age was 52.78 years (range: 11-89 years), with male predilection (n=374/80.85%). Radiographs were the most frequent imagiological exams (n=298/64.09%), followed by computed tomography (n=98/21.08%). SBD was more prevalent in the posterior mandible (n=361/93.77%) as a hypodense radiolucent lesion (n=250/77.40%). Mean size was 1.58 cm (range: 0.3-.8.0 cm). Two-hundred-and-two lesions (97.37%) were unilocular and 126 (91.97%) were classified as well-defined. Clinical symptoms were reported in 73 cases, while 68 cases (93.15%) were asymptomatic. Only 34 cases (12.32%) were submitted to histopathological examination. Mean follow-up time was 26.42 ±25.39 months. Conclusions: SBD is more frequent in male patients in the fifth and sixth decade of life. Classic SBD is radiographically characterized as a single, unilocular and well-defined lesion in the posterior region of the jaw with a radiolucent/hypodense appearance. (AU)

Unilateral Buccal Bifurcation Cyst: A Rare Cystic Lesion in Children and Adolescents.

A buccal bifurcation cyst (BBC) is a rarely occurring, distinct lesion that is limited exclusively to the buccal bifurcation area of mandibular first and second molars in children and adolescents. A definitive diagnosis is formulated based on specific clinical and radiographic features. Management of such cysts depends on the presence of symptoms and the size of the lesion. This case report details the common features of a BBC in a 13-year-old patient and outlines the surgical approach to managing the cystic entity. The importance of a comprehensive clinical examination and appropriate supplemental investigations is emphasized to facilitate accurate diagnosis.

Volumetric changes in the size of odontogenic keratocysts after decompression followed by enucleation, peripheral ostectomy, and Carnoy's solution: A retrospective study.

The study aimed to retrospectively analyze the reduction pattern of odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs) after decompression, followed by enucleation (EN), peripheral ostectomy (PO), and Carnoy's solution (CS) to establish the appropriate time for inserting implants, along with assessing the long-term success of conservative treatment with adjunctive therapy. The predictable variables were the reduction pattern and the study's treatment option. The outcome variable was the volumetric changes in the size of bony defects. These changes were determined using a percentage difference and a reduction rate. They were recorded after decompression and one, three, six, twelve, and eighteen months after EN. P-values of .05 were considered significant. The study included 66 patients with 71 OKCs. Males, younger ages, and mandibular OKCs significantly predominated. The decompression significantly changed the initial volume from 135.40 ± 1.2 cm3 to 101.55 ± 0.1 cm3 with 28.6 percentage difference and 25% reduction rate. At the end of the first and third months after EN, the reduction pattern is 50.0%-75.5% of the initial volume, with no significant prediction for the direction of the reduction pattern. After 18 months, all bony defects disappeared, with no recurrences for the next 18 years. In conclusion, the reduction pattern is 75.5% of its initial volume at the end of the third month after OKC management. Therefore, within the limitations of the study, its treatment approach seems to be an option amongst other protocols that includes a view to early implant based dental rehabilitation.

Rates of osteoradionecrosis in resected oral cavity cancer reconstructed with free tissue transfer in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy era.

BACKGROUND: Resected oral cavity carcinoma defects are often reconstructed with osteocutaneous or soft-tissue free flaps, but risk of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is unknown. METHODS: This retrospective study included oral cavity carcinoma treated with free-tissue reconstruction and postoperative IMRT between 2000 and 2019. Risk-regression assessed risk factors for grade ≥2 ORN. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-five patients (51% male, 28% current smokers, mean age 62 ± 11 years) were included. Median follow-up was 32.6 months (range, 1.0-190.6). Thirty-eight (25%) patients had fibular free flap for mandibular reconstruction, whereas 117 (76%) had soft-tissue reconstruction. Grade ≥2 ORN occurred in 14 (9.0%) patients, at a median 9.8 months (range, 2.4-61.5) after IMRT. Post-radiation teeth extraction was significantly associated with ORN. One-year and 10-year ORN rates were 5.2% and 10%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ORN risk was comparable between osteocutaneous and soft-tissue reconstruction for resected oral cavity carcinoma. Osteocutaneous flaps can be safely performed with no excess concern for mandibular ORN.

Fascio-cutaneous and fascio-periosteal free flaps for treatment of intermediate stage osteoradionecrosis of the jaws.

OBJECTIVES: Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the jaw is a potentially devastating consequence of head and neck irradiation. Despite recent advances, there are patients who fail to respond to conventional therapies. Historically, free flaps were reserved for advanced cases requiring segmental resection and composite reconstruction, with early and intermediate disease treated more conservatively. We have adopted a more active surgical approach in selected intermediate cases. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of patients with intermediate stage ORN who received debridement and either fascio-cutaneous or fascio-periosteal free flap reconstruction was performed. Demographic data, ORN severity, treatment, and outcomes are described. RESULTS: From 2019, 9 cases in 7 patients were identified. All cases were Notani grade II. There were 6 Epstein stage IIa and 3 Epstein stage IIIa. The mandible was the most common site (n = 8). Of the 7 patients, 2 had oropharyngeal primaries treated with chemoradiation, and 5 had oral cavity primaries treated with surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy. Three patients had prior hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and 2 had pentoxifylline/tocopherol therapy. After debridement, the radial forearm, ulnar artery perforator, and antero-lateral thigh fascio-cutaneous free flaps were each used in 1 case and the temporoparietal fascio-periosteal free flap was used in 6 cases. There was no recurrence or progression of ORN at the site of surgery, but 2 patients developed additional sites of ORN. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with unresponsive intermediate ORN, debridement and soft tissue free flap reconstruction is an alternative to ongoing conservative management or composite resection and reconstruction.

Bony Canal Method of Dexamethasone Injections in Aggressive Form of Central Giant Cell Granuloma-Case Series.

Central Giant Cell Granuloma constitutes approximately 7% of benign tumors of the jaws. The aggressive form of CGCG clinically behaves like a classic semi-malignant neoplasm. In the literature, the suggested method of treatment of aggressive forms of CGCG is curettage or resection with the margin of 0.5 cm. Surgical treatment, especially in the developmental age, entails disturbances in the growth and differentiation of tissues and deforms and disturbs the functioning of the stomatognathic system. Alternative treatment methods of the CGCG presented in this article lead to the patient avoiding a mutilating procedure and improve their quality of life. The aim was to present alternative method of treatment of aggressive forms of Central Giant Cell Lesion of the jaws-injections of dexamethasone into the tumor mass through drilled bony canals. Here, we present the three cases of aggressive forms of CGCG of jaws treated with dexamethasone injections into the tumor mass. Two cases resulted in regression of the tumor, which was confirmed in histologic evaluation after remodeling surgery. Those two patients were uneventful and showed no signs of tumor recurrence at 8 and 9 years of thorough follow-up, respectively. The third patient was qualified for the mandible resection due to the enlargement of the lesion and destruction of the cortical bone. According to our observations, if the proper patient discipline, and thorough, careful clinical and radiological examinations are provided, the dexamethasone injections could be a recommended method of treatment of intraosseous giant cell granuloma. The indication is restricted to the cases with preserved bony borders despite deformation. Additionally, leaving vital teeth in the lesion is also possible.