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AIM: Warthin's tumor (WT) is the second commonest parotid gland neoplasm after pleomorphic adenoma (PA). It mainly arises from the lower pole of the superficial parotid lobe (i.e., tail of gland), a site with the greatest distribution of intra-parotid lymph nodes, and its definitive etiopathogenesis is still unclear. The aim of this study was to support the strict topic and etiologic link hypothesised between this tumor and the intraparotid lymph nodes, as being massively present in the tail, by assessing the WT distribution within the parotid gland. METHODS: Seventy-one WTs excised from 64 patients were compared retrospectively with 134 PAs from 133 patients, as controls. In all sample, staging of parotid gland tumors was defined by sonography and magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, tumor localization, size, bilaterality and multifocality were assessed according to radiological, intraoperative and histopathological findings. RESULTS: WTs were mainly detected in the tail (73%), less in the superficial lobe (23%) and the deep one (4%). WT presented with bilateral and synchronous lesions in 10% of cases vs. 0.75% of controls. CONCLUSION: Since the tail has been well known to present the greatest distribution of intra-parotid lymph nodes, our clinical findings on WT parotid localization could suggest the possible origin of this tumor from epithelial salivary gland ductal inclusions, as being likely entrapped during embryogenesis within the intra-parotid lymph nodes, and could support the hypothesis of a heterotopy in the pathogenesis of WT. However, this suggestive hypothesis based only on clinical and "topographic" data should be confirmed by histopathological studies about the presence of the salivary ductal elements trapped within the intra-parotid lymph nodes.

Purpose: To investigate the plaque inhibiting effects of two commercially available mouthrinses containing essential oils (EO). Both products contained the same concentration of EO, but one of them did not contain ethanol. Methods: The study was an observer-masked, randomized, 4 × 4 Latin square cross-over design, balanced for carryover effects, involving 12 participants in a 4-day plaque regrowth model. A 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) rinse and a saline solution served as positive and negative controls, respectively. On Day 1, subjects received professional prophylaxis, suspended oral hygiene measures, and commenced rinsing with their allocated rinses. On Day 5, subjects were scored for disclosed plaque. Results: Differences among treatments were highly significant (P< 0.0001), with greater plaque inhibition by CHX compared to EO rinse containing ethanol (P= 0.012), which, in turn, was significantly more effective than the rinse without ethanol and the saline (P< 0.001). The reduction in plaque regrowth seen with the EO rinse without ethanol was quite similar to that elicited by saline (P> 0.05). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The ethanol-free essential oil mouthrinse did not show anti-plaque efficacy in the absence of toothbrushing.

Intravenous bisphosphonates (BP) play a key role in the treatment of bone metastases. As a long-term side effects BP, a form of avascular osteonecrosis of the jaw has been reported. Although, invasive oral local procedures are often present in clinical history of patients suffering from bisphosphonates-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ), about up to 50% of BRONJ are spontaneous. We report a case of a 68-year-old female with a spontaneous wide bone sequestration of the left mandibular body onset after infusion of zoledronic acid for 18 cycles for osseous metastasis due to metastatic anaplastic thyroidal carcinoma. Surprisingly the clinical aspects of the patient initially reminded us of the famous pathology described in 1899 called phossy jaw. This case is remarkable not only for the spontaneity of the osteonecrosis, but, above all, for the clinical similarity with cases of phossy jaw, described for the first time in the literature, thereby suggesting a potential common pathogenesis.

Objectives: Self-injury (SI) is defined as a behavioral disturbance consisting of a deliberate harm to one’s own body without suicidal intent, it is not uncommon and ranges in severity from simple nail-biting to more extreme forms of self-mutilation. The head neck region may be the target of such lesions. SI is associated with several medical conditions, of which it can represent the first clinical sign. Aim of this paper is to describe a series of oral SI, giving special emphasis to the clinical findings, etiology and the management of lesions. Material and Methods: A total of 19 patients with oral SI were prospectively examined; attention was paid to the occurrence and characterization of oral lesions. The management of the lesion also varied depending on the patient medical history, on the etiology of the psychiatric behavior, and on the severity, frequency, and method of inflicting injury. Periodic examinations were performed (after two weeks, three months and six months) and registered. Results: All the patients healed gradually and healing was conditioned by the disease underlying. The treatment consisted of behavior modification in 11 cases, pharmacological treatment in 11 cases, psychotherapy in 2 cases, mouth guard in 9 cases, surgery in 2 cases, extractions in 1 case. Conclusions: Oral SI are uncommon in the clinical practice. They may be associated with a known disease or may be the consequence of this, but often they may be the first sign of a psychiatric disorder. Key words:Oral self-mutilation, self-inflicted lesions, self-injurious behavior, ulcers, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, mental retardation.

Sodium hyaluronate has been widely used in order to promote wound healing in oral cavity for its anti-inflammatory effects. Aim of this clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy of aminoacids added to topical sodium hyaluronate, in minor oral surgery. After surgery by means of Quantic molecular resonance scalpel, in 27 patients a gel with sodium hyaluronate has been applied directly on the surgical wound, in order to favorite healing by secondary intention. Furthermore, gel has been applied 3-4times/day, after meals and oral hygiene. Hemostatic effect, edema and pain symptoms by VAS (Visual Analogue Scale;0-100), and clinical healing (full, partial, absent) have been evaluated at T#1(2hrs after surgery), T#2(after 24hrs), T#3(after 72hrs), T#4(after 7days) and T#5(after 14days). Regarding pain symptom, mean values registered were at T#0 6.7(± 20 DS;range: 0-60), at T#1 12.2(± 25,4 DS,range: 0-70), at T#2 4.4(± 7.3 DS,range: 0-20), at T#3 1.1(± 4,4 DS;range 0-10), while at T#4 and T#5 no patient complained pain. Evaluation of the intra-group symptom score at T#0, T#1, T#2 and T#3 showed no statistically significant differences in T#1 vs T#0(p = 0.5930,z = -0.535), T#2 vs T#1(p = 0.2850,z = -1.069) and T#3 vs T#2(p = 0.1088,z = -1.604), revealing a good early performance. In all patients have been found to complete clinical resolution of the surgical wound within 2 weeks after surgery. Only one slight bleeding at T#1 was observed, post-operative edema until T#3 was never present. In historical control1(cold scalpel), regarding about pain evaluation, mean values were in general worst [at T#0 was 20(±17,97), at T#1 15,0(±14,4) and at T#4 5,8(±9,5)]. In conclusion, aminoacids combined to sodium hyaluronate application seems to be advantageous in oral surgery, due to its hemostatic effect, reduction of pain symptoms, simple application, absence of infectious complications, and rapid healing of surgical wounds.

Since the activity of several conventional anticancer drugs is restricted by resistance mechanisms and dose-limiting side-effects, the design of formulations for local application on malignant lesions seems to be an efficient and promising drug delivery approach. In this study, the effect of locally applied 5-FU on cell death was evaluated both in a SCC4/HEK001 model and in a newly proposed 3D outgrowth model of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Initially, the optimal drug dose was established by delivery of solutions containing different amounts of 5-FU. The solution containing 1% (w/v) of 5-FU resulted effective in inducing cell death with complete eradication of cell colonies. Buccal tablets were designed to deliver 5-FU locoregionally to the cancer lesions of the oral cavity. Tablets were prepared using a drug loaded matrix of acrylic/methacrylic acid copolymer containing 1% (w/w) of 5-FU and applied on 3D outgrowths. The drug release from tablets appeared to be sufficient to induce cell death as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and enzymatic assay (TUNEL). After 120 h of treatment, when about 90% of the drug had been discharged from the tablets into the culture environment, 5-FU caused loss of cell-cell communications and apoptotic cell death. After 192 h, a complete disaggregation of the 3D oral outgrowths and the death of all the cells was observed. Buccal matrix tablets could be considered a promising new approach to the locoregional treatment of OSCC. Risks of systemic toxicity are avoided since very low drug doses are delivered.

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Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the main oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) within a hospital base and to provide an anamnestic, diagnostic model based on homogeneity analysis of some variables. Methods: The demographic and behavioural data (i.e. gender, age, smoking status, alcohol consumption and therapeutic drug usage) of 1753 patients with at least one OML were considered. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and multivariate tests of the simultaneous marginal homogeneity hypothesis (SMH) were used to analyse the evidence of any differences between the demographic and behavioural profiles relating to OMLs diagnoses. Statistical significance of P

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the plaque inhibiting effects of two commercially available mouthrinses containing essential oils (EO): Listerine (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Healthcare, S. Palomba-Pomezia, I) and Curasept Daycare (Curaden Healthcare, Saronno, I). Both products contain the same concentration of EO, but Curasept Daycare does not contain ethanol as a solvent. Material and Methods: The study was a single-center, observermasked, cross-over design with 12 subjects randomly allocated to treatment sequence according to three replicates of a 4x4 Latin square, incorporating balance for any carryover. A 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) rinse and a saline solution served as positive and negative controls, respectively. On day 1, subjects received professional prophylaxis, suspended oral hygiene measures, and commenced rinsing with their allocated rinses. On day 5, subjects were scored for disclosed plaque. Results: Differences among treatments were highly significant (P0.05). Conclusion: The two EO-containing mouthrinses, although containing the same active ingredients, did not exert similar plaque inhibition. Moreover, the rinse without ethanol was found to inhibit plaque regrowth to the same extent than the saline solution (negative control). These findings suggest that the EO rinse without ethanol would provide poor plaque control benefits when used alongside toothbrushing.

Modern pharmaceutical science has provided us with a wide range of substances to be administered with a wide large variety of dosage forms. Local drug delivery systems have been used for a long time; in particular, for the local therapy of diseases affecting the oral cavity. Although these diseases are often extremely responsive to local therapy, the mouth often presents various difficulties in the application of topical compounds (owing to saliva and the mouth's different functions), resulting in a short retention time of dosage forms with a consequent low therapeutic efficacy. To resolve these limitations, research today concentrates on the development of bioadhesive formulations. This review focuses on the permeability features of oral mucosa, the rationale of oral local drug delivery, and new potential bioadhesive local delivery systems. Furthermore, the most promising mucoadhesive systems proposed to locally treat oral diseases are discussed.

Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory condition implicating T cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and involving oral mucosal surfaces. Several therapeutic regimens have been evaluated to treat OLP and pain related, but often without high level of evidence. Topical formulations are the favourite for the majority of cases; bioadhesive formulations have been considered very useful and practical for local drug delivery in oral mucosa, due to the increased residence time on the oral mucosa of the dosage forms and better therapeutic efficacy. In this narrative review, authors try to illustrate the current topical managements for OLP from the accessible literature on this topic. Steroids are very helpful in discomfort and making better quality of life: they are considered the first-line treatment even if they could cause secondary candidosis, and sometimes bad taste, nausea, dry mouth, sore throat or swollen mouth. Other substances or devices by topical administration are adopted especially when the first line approach is refractory. This is the case when retinol with its synthetic and natural analogues (retinoids), hyaluronic acid, or Aloe Vera are chosen. Recent topical applications for OLP therapy include phototherapy and low/high energy pulsing light; the treatment with extracorporeal photochemotherapy is also reasonable and promising. Finally, calcineurin inhibitors (i.e. cyclosporine, tacrolimus and pimecrolimus), antioxidant and biologics (i.e alefacept, efalizumab, basiliximab, TNF-α inhibitors - infliximab, rituximab) may be alternative approaches when OLP does not respond to the standard protocols. In this scenario, there are several studies on molecules different from glucocorticosteroids, but not sufficient or statistically adequate to justify their evidence-based use in OLP; large randomized placebo controlled trials are required to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of these non conventional therapies. In conclusion, since OLP is a chronic disease and requires long-term management, the dental/medical practitioner, who treats OLP patients, needs to know the natural history of OLP, how to monitor, and how to treat, taking in account all of the available modalities conventional and not, with pros and cons.

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Background Recurrent aphthosis is a common oral ulcerative condition consisting also of a subset of similar ulcers, properly named 'aphthous-like' ulcers (ALU), linked to systemic diseases and among these, to iron, folic acid and vitamin B(12) deficiencies. Objectives The main objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate the association between recurrent aphthosis and the most common predisposing factors; (ii) to assess the frequency of ALU in recurrent aphthosis; (iii) to verify the efficacy of a replacement therapy in all ALU patients. Methods Thirty-two adults with recurrent aphthosis and 29 otherwise healthy controls were consecutively recruited, interviewed and subjected to haematological investigations. Results Family history of recurrent aphthosis was significantly associated (P < 0.01). The overall frequency of haematinic deficiencies was 56.2% in recurrent aphthosis patients vs. 7% in controls (P < 0.0001). All ALU patients with a negative family history showed a complete remission of the ulcerative episodes after replacement therapy, while those with a positive family history only had a reduction in frequency and severity. In the logistic regression model, only family history was associated with recurrent aphthosis (P = 0.0137). Conclusion The strong association with familiarity, the unexpected higher frequency of ALU (compared with the idiopathic variant) and the good response to replacement therapy means that familiarity should always be investigated. Furthermore, routine haematological screening and tests for serum iron, folic acid and vitamin B(12) deficiencies should be assessed in all patients with recurrent aphthosis to treat any nutritional deficiency and to prevent more important related systemic manifestations.

Changing demographics, including an increase in life expectancy and the growing numbers of elderly has recently focused attention on the need for geriatric dental care. Ageing affects oral tissues in addition to other parts of the human body, and oral health (including oral mucosa, lips, teeth and associated structures, and their functional activity) is an integral component of general health; indeed, oral disease can cause pain, difficulty in speaking, mastication, swallowing, maintaining a balanced diet, not to mention aesthetical considerations and facial alterations leading to anxiety and depression. The World Health Organization recommends the adoption of certain strategies for improving the oral health of the elderly, including the management and maintenance of oral conditions which are necessary for re-establishing effective masticatory function. Oral health is often neglected in the elderly, and oral diseases associated with aging are complex, adversely affecting the quality of life. Although oral health problems are not usually associated with death, oral cancers result in nearly 8,000 deaths each year, and more than half of these occur at an age of 65 years plus. This report, which is dedicated to geriatric physicians, geriatric dentistry and specialists in oral medicine reviews age-related oral changes in elderly patients and efforts to summarize the effects of aging in hard and soft oral tissues.

Background: Eosinophilic granuloma (EG) is a clinical variant of the Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) characterized by unifocal or multifocal bone lesions which predominantly affects children, adolescents, and young adults. Case Report: A case is reported of a 13-year-old Caucasian boy who presented unifocal EG in the mandible as the first clinic manifestation. Radiographic examination and skeletal scintigraphy revealed a further localization with an osteolytic lesion in the right femur. The therapeutic protocol used for the mandibular lesion included causal periodontal therapy, extraction of the compromised teeth, alveolar curettage, and intralesional injections of corticosteroids, in correspondence with femoral and mandibular bone lesions. Conclusions: Early diagnosis of LCH is considered an important factor which can improve the patient's prognosis and quality of life and also the cost-effectiveness of therapy. Dentists could play a fundamental role in the diagnosis and management of EG. The aim of the treatment is to eradicate EG lesions and provide adequate oral rehabilitation after the tooth loss. A careful multidisciplinary follow-up program is mandatory to identify any signs of local recurrence or dissemination.

Background Known as “the great imitator,” secondary syphilis may clinically manifest itself in myriad of ways, involving different organs (including the oral cavity), and mimicking, both clinically and histologically, several diseases, thereby making diagnosis a challenge for clinicians. Case report We highlight an interesting case of a 45-year-old man on whose diagnosis of secondary syphilis was based on the presence of unusual oral lesions, consisting of a well delimited, raised, nonhomogeneous, and corrugated white plaque on the right buccal mucosa which mimicked, clinically and histologically, a “leukoplakia-like” plaque and several whitish oral mucous patches localized on the lower labial mucosa and the right lateral margin of the tongue. After the oral lesions, the patient developed a symmetric maculopapular cutaneous rash on the palms, soles, and the trunk of the body. Furthermore, during the anamnesis the patient stated an asymptomatic ulcerative lesion on the glans penis, which had appeared 7 months before the onset of the oral lesions and spontaneously disappeared after 2 weeks. The history of these genital and cutaneous lesions suggested performing serologic tests for syphilis, revealing strongly positive titers and leading us to making a diagnosis of secondary syphilis. Conclusion This case is remarkable because it displays an unusual oral sign, associated with secondary syphilis; in fact, only occasionally does syphilis manifest itself with a “leukoplakia-like” plaque. Dentists should consider secondary syphilis in the differential diagnosis of white and/or ulcerative oral lesions, above all in at-risk patients, given the continuing rise of syphilis in western Europe.

BACKGROUND: The jejunal mucosa is the major site involved in celiac disease, but modifications have also been found in the gastric, rectal and esophageal mucosa. Few studies have focused on the histomorphological features of the oral mucosa in celiac disease patients. Our objectives were: (i) to assess the presence, quality and intensity of lymphocytic infiltrate in clinically healthy oral mucosa and its relation to celiac disease severity (villous height to crypt depth ratio); and (ii) to detect any other histological features connected to celiac disease. METHODS: Twenty-one untreated celiac disease patients (age range 13-68 years) with clinically healthy oral mucosa were enrolled and compared with 14 controls. Intestinal and oral biopsies were carried out and specimens were evaluated after staining with hematoxylin and eosin. RESULTS: Intra-epithelial lymphocyte B and T infiltrates of the oral mucosa were found to be similar in both groups; likewise, intensity of the lymphocytic infiltrate in the lamina propria was similar in both groups and was not related to intestinal damage; important signs of spongiosis were found to be more significantly present in celiac disease patients compared with controls (P = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the healthy oral mucosa of untreated patients does not reflect the intestinal damage by celiac disease, but it is unexpectedly affected by spongiosis, as being detected for the first time in the literature. This latter feature could be related to gliadin ingestion and could contribute to explain the higher susceptibility of celiac disease patients to suffering from oral mucosa lesions.

Persistent oral ulcers and erosions can be the final common manifestation, sometimes clinically indistinguishable, of a diverse spectrum of conditions ranging from traumatic lesions, infectious diseases, systemic and local immune-mediated lesions up to neoplasms. The process of making correct diagnosis for persistent oral ulcers still represents a challenge to clinicians. Major diagnostic criteria should include the clinical appearance of both ulcer and surrounding non-ulcerated mucosa, together with the evaluation of associated signs and symptoms, such as: number (single or multiple), shape, severity of the ulcer(s), conditions of remaining mucosa (white, red or with vesiculo-bullous lesions) and systemic involvement (e.g. fever, lymphadenopathy or evaluation of haematological changes). The aim of this paper was to review the literature relating to persistent oral ulcers and provide a helpful, clinical-based diagnostic tool for recognising long-standing ulcers in clinical dental practice. The authors, therefore, suggest distinguishing simple, complex and destroying (S-C-D system) ulcerations, as each requires different diagnostic evaluations and management. This classification has arisen from studying the current English literature relating to this topic, performed using MEDLINE / PubMed / Ovid databases.