Use of the buccal fat pad in the reconstruction and prosthetic rehabilitation of oncological maxillary defects.

We evaluated the effectiveness of the buccal fat pad as a pedicled flap for intraoral reconstruction after partial maxillectomy for neoplastic disease in 24 patients, and subsequently, in providing support for a denture. In all patients the buccal fat pad was covered with a split-skin graft and an acrylic plate. There was complete healing of the buccal fat pad flap within 6 weeks in 18 patients with no major complications, and minimal effects on speech and eating. In six cases there was partial dehiscence of the flap, which healed spontaneously in one patient and was repaired with local flaps in two others. There were no cases of complete breakdown of the flap. Eight patients so far have been rehabilitated with small dentures. In conclusion, the buccal fat pad flap is a simple, quick, and reliable method of reconstruction of small to medium-sized posterior maxillary alveolar defects.

Lingual cyst lined by respiratory and gastric epithelium in a neonate.

Congenital oral cysts of foregut origin include bronchogenic, enteric, and oesophageal cysts, and they are much rarer than the well described dermoid, epidermoid, and thyroglossal cysts. The exact aetiology is poorly understood, but they are thought to arise from misplaced embryonic rests of the primitive foregut. The presentation of cysts lined by respiratory or gastrointestinal epithelium in the oral cavity is unusual. There have been previous reports of bronchogenic or gastrointestinal epithelium-lined lingual cysts, but few report both features occurring within the same cyst. In view of the scarcity of such reports, we present the case of a lesion on the ventral surface of the tongue of a newborn boy. On removal it was found to be a cyst lined by immature squamous, respiratory, and gastric body epithelium.

A diagnostic dilemma of intracranial pathology: coincidence or the result of cranial trauma?

A 21-year-old man presented to the accident and emergency department at St Peter's Hospital, London, in September 2008. Following consumption of alcohol, the patient had been assaulted and had experienced facial trauma. Later, the patient had a witnessed generalised tonic-clonic seizure and the next day noted weakness of the right leg. A CT scan of the brain revealed a solitary lesion in the left presylvian region close to the vertex, involving the leg area of the primary motor cortex. A subsequent MRI scan showed the lesion to be a cavernous haemangioma. The patient had no history of epilepsy. This raised the question as to whether the assault caused the lesion to haemorrhage, resulting in the seizure and spastic monoparesis, or did the formerly asymptomatic cavernoma bleed spontaneously with the assault being coincidental?

Mandibular SCC in a 10 year old child--a clinical rarity.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represents 90%-95% of all malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity and is regarded as an adult disease. It is uncommon in adults under 45 years of age and exceptionally rare in children. We present a case of a 10-year-old boy with advanced mandibular alveolar SCC with no established risk factors and discuss its immediate and long-term management.

The tear-drop sign: a trap door for the unwary?

We describe a patient who presented with features suggestive of an orbital blowout fracture. These were apparently confirmed on imaging and operation was planned. However, further radiological and orthoptic opinions diagnosed both a pre-existing eye condition and benign antral mucosal disease that had been misinterpreted as a single acute problem. The patient was discharged with no need for intervention.