Primary melanoma of the oral cavity: ten cases and review of 177 cases from literature.

UNLABELLED: Oral melanoma is an infrequent but aggressive neoplasm. In contrast to cutaneous melanoma, it does not have a defined set of clinical and pathologic classification criteria. We present 10 cases of primary melanoma of the oral mucosa, and review 177 cases published in the international literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compiled a database of patients seen at our department between years 1990 and 2004. A retrospective study of this data was performed. Age, sex, localization and histopathology were all considered. Tobacco consumption and the presence of traumatic factors in the oral cavity were also compared. We compiled another database with 177 cases reported in the international literature during the same time period. Primary and metastatic cases were included. Age, sex and localization were among the factors taken into account. RESULTS: Of the total of 23,685 patients seen at our department in this period, 399 (1.68%) were diagnosed with cancer, 10 (2.5%) of whom were diagnosed with primary oral melanoma. The gender distribution was 1:1, and ages ranged from 30 to 88 years old, with a mean of 67.5 years old. In 80% of the cases, the oral melanoma was localized in the maxillary, and in 20% of the cases, it was localized in the mandible. No connection was found with tobacco consumption. In 60% of the cases, we believe there was a link with prosthetic microtrauma. Of the 177 cases described in the literature, 89% were primary and 11% secondary. The gender distribution was 46.9% female and 53.1% male. Ages ranged from 16 to 91 years old, with a mean of 59.2 years old. Localization: 68.36% maxillary, 11.30% mandible and 20.34% in various oral localizations.

Helicobacter pylori and oral pathology: relationship with the gastric infection.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been found in the oral cavity and stomach, and its infection is one of the most frequent worldwide. We reviewed the literature and conducted a Topic Highlight, which identified studies reporting an association between H. pylori-infection in the oral cavity and H. pylori-positive stomach bacterium. This work was designed to determine whether H. pylori is the etiologic agent in periodontal disease, recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), squamous cell carcinoma, burning and halitosis. Record selection focused on the highest quality studies and meta-analyses. We selected 48 articles reporting on the association between saliva and plaque and H. pylori-infection. In order to assess periodontal disease data, we included 12 clinical trials and 1 meta-analysis. We evaluated 13 published articles that addressed the potential association with RAS, and 6 with squamous cell carcinoma. Fourteen publications focused on our questions on burning and halitosis. There is a close relation between H. pylori infection in the oral cavity and the stomach. The mouth is the first extra-gastric reservoir. Regarding the role of H. pylori in the etiology of squamous cell carcinoma, no evidence is still available.