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Background: Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterised by pigmentary anomalies of the skin, hairs, eyes and various defects of other neural crest derived tissues. It accounts for over 2% of congenital hearing impairment. At least four types are recognized on the basis of clinical and genetic criteria., Patients and Methods: Based on a screening of congenitally hearing impaired children, 12 families with WS type II were detected. Of special interest was the phenotype of these families, in particular the reduced penetrance of hearing impairment within the families., Results and Conclusion: In all cases a high variability of the disease phenotype was detected and the penetrance of the clinical traits varied accordingly. Therefore, it is not possible to predict the clinical phenotype even in a single family. Based on these studies, we plan to identify the pathogenetic cause of the disease in order to perform a detailed genotype/phenotype analysis.

Objective: To compare c-erbB2 (HER-2/Neu) immunohistochemical staining results obtained in 2 pathology departments and evaluate the reproducibility of staining and assessments., Study Design: Ninety primary invasive ductal carcinoma cases constituted the material of this study. For concordant assessment, serial sections from the same tissue blocks were prepared in both Turkey and Greece and were sent to each other. Evaluation of c-erbB2 (HER-2/Neu) staining was done independently in 2 departments by experienced pathologists. Stained slides were evaluated semiquantitatively in Turkey and both semiquantitatively and automatically in Greece., Results: There was complete agreement on staining density in 58 (64.4%) cases in both centers. In 15 cases there were major discordances in staining degrees, and in 17 cases there was a major discordance. Hypothetical treatment decisions based on these results showed that 82% of patients would have been handled the same way., Conclusion: Comparison of immunostaining patterns performed at 2 centers provided valuable data that may be used in the development of quality assurance policies. The present study showed the usefulness of multicenter comparative studies in initiating the development of guidelines.

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the mechanism of nitrogen mustard on skin., Methods: Nitrogen mustard was applied on ventral skin of 30 rats. Sequential biopsies were taken during the postexposure period. Slides were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and keratin PAN and high molecular weight cytokeratin and keratin 5., Results: The earliest findings are minimal polymorphonuclear leukocytes extravasation and edema. Heavy inflammation with formation of vesicles and bulla were present at 24 hours. At 6 hours, the upper epidermal cells showed weak staining with high molecular weight cytokeratin and keratin PAN. At 24 and 48 hours, only patchy areas of staining with high molecular weight cytokeratin and keratin 5 were present., Conclusion: One of the major mechanisms of injury by nitrogen mustard may be the disruption of cytoskeletal filament network.

Extracortical location of dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT) is rare. We present a case of DNT localized in the left lateral ventricle of a 21-year-old female patient. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed a round mass lesion in the floor of the anterior horn of the left lateral ventricle. The lesion was hypointense on T (1)-weighted images and slightly hyperintense on T (2)-weighted images without contrast enhancement. Total removal of the yellowish-white colored soft tumor was performed through a transcallosal approach. Histologically, the tumor was of simple type of DNT that was composed of small oligodendrogliocytes clustered tightly about perivascular spaces with neurons floating in mucoid pools showing an eosinophilic fibrillary matrix in the background. The recognition of DNT with an unusual location in lateral ventricle has therapeutic and prognostic significance since DNT is curable by surgical excision and radiation therapy is of no obvious benefit.

Background: The present study was designed to assess histopathologically whether the systemic administration of aminobisphosphonate (alendronate), 0.5 mg/kg body weight, is effective in preventing alveolar bone resorption following mucoperiosteal flap surgery, and whether alendronate modulates tissue factors., Methods: The effect of alendronate on bone resorption was evaluated in mucoperiosteal flaps used as a resorptive model. The animals were given subcutaneous injections of either saline (control group) or 0.5 mg/kg of alendronate (experimental group). The alendronate or saline was administered subcutaneously 1 week prior to surgery, immediately prior to surgery, and 1 week after surgery. The parameters determined with a semiquantitative subjective method for histopathological evaluation were as follows: inflammatory cell infiltration (ICI) of adjacent periodontal tissue, degree of fibrosis and collagen bundle formation, number and morphology of osteoclasts of the alveolar bone and interdental septum, resorption lacunae (osteoclast surfaces), and osteoblastic activity (forming surfaces)., Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the saline and alendronate groups with regard to inflammatory cell infiltration, number of osteoclasts, and osteoblastic activity. Fibrosis and collagen bundle formation, osteoclast morphologies, and resorption lacunae formation were significantly different between the two groups, in favor of the alendronate group., Conclusions: The systemic administration of 0.5 mg/kg alendronate was effective in preventing alveolar bone loss and in modulating tissue factors. These findings indicate that alendronate would be a valuable addition to the therapeutic armamentarium available for the treatment of periodontal diseases, either alone or in combination with regenerative components such as anti-inflammatory drugs, bone graft materials, and guided tissue regeneration techniques, and even with dental implants.

We present 13 cases of oral mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) and review the literature. The cases were retrieved from the archives of Ondokuz Mayis University and Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Turkey, between 1997 and 2002. Inclusion criteria were clinical findings of oral MMP verified by histological and immunofluorescent examination. Thirteen patients (two males and 11 females), aged 16-72 years, were identified. Involvement was confined to the mouth in all cases except one, in which the conjunctiva was also affected. Two individuals in the study were < 20 years old, an age group rarely affected. The oral mucosa is often the initial site of MMP lesions, so it is important that dentists as well as physicians are aware of the symptoms and signs. A swift diagnosis, made in consultation with other specialists such as ophthalmologists and dermatologists, is needed in order to prevent a delay in treatment.

Background: Hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF) is a fibrotic enlargement of the gingiva. The mechanism that leads to the accumulation of abnormal amounts of gingival tissue in HGF is still unknown. The aim of this report was to present the clinical and histopathologic characteristics of a patient with gingival fibromatosis and to evaluate the proliferation of HGF fibroblasts., Methods: We examined the proliferation rate of fibroblasts in this case by using Ki-67 immunohistochemical staining and compared the rate to fibroblasts of non-fibromatosis gingival tissues from 5 healthy patients serving as controls., Results: There were no Ki-67-positive cells in the lesional tissue, and the control gingiva revealed no immunostaining. The number of Ki-67 antigen-positive epithelial cell nuclei was observed to be low in the basal cell layers of hyperplastic gingival epithelia, similar to the control group., Conclusions: In the present case, there was no increase in the proliferation rate of lesional fibroblasts observed by Ki-67 immunohistochemical staining as a proliferation marker; only the epithelium was stained. It seems likely that the underlying mechanism of HGF may be an increase in the biosynthesis of collagen and glycosaminoglycans rather than cell proliferation.

Purpose: Structural changes in muscles may affect the process during and after distraction osteogenesis (DO) of the mandible. However, the response of the masticatory muscles is still not well defined after gradual lengthening of the mandible. In this experimental study, short-term structural changes in masseter muscles of the rabbits are evaluated after mandibular DO., Materials and Methods: Left mandibles of 10 New Zealand rabbits were lengthened by DO for 7 days in the rate of 1 mm/day. Mandibles of all animals were removed at the end of the consolidation period. Muscle biopsy samples of distracted and contralateral sides were histopathologically investigated, and histomorphometric results were statistically analyzed., Results: Atrophy, hypertrophy, regeneration, and concomitant mild interstitial edema and fibrosis were found more evident in experimental side biopsy samples 30 days after distraction. Histomorphometric analysis revealed a statistically significant decrease in the mean regions of masseter muscle fibers of the distracted sides compared with the control sides (P <.05)., Conclusion: This experimental study showed that the structure of masseter muscle is influenced during and shortly after mandibular distraction osteogenesis. Atrophic changes of the ipsilateral masseter muscles may be regarded as regenerative response that occurs during and shortly after distraction period., (Copyright 2003 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons)

Objective: To investigate the nuclear morphometric features of epithelial cells lining keratocysts and some other odontogenic cysts., Study Design: All cases were selected from the archives of the Department of Pathology, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, as follows: 20 keratocysts and 10 dentigerous and 10 radicular cysts. Nuclear morphometric variables were measured on hematoxylin and eosin-stained histologic slides. Basal and intermediate cells of the epithelium were evaluated separately. Nuclei of the cells were outlined interactively and measured using a specially written macro program. Area, feret ratio (ratio of the longest nuclear axis to the shortest one) and circularity (F circle) of the nuclei were calculated. Additionally, nuclear densitometric analysis was performed on the keratocyst cases., Results: The number of cells in the basal layer (cell density) was higher in keratocysts than in other cysts. The mean nuclear area of basal cells was smaller than of intermediate cells in both keratocysts and other cysts (P < .001). The feret ratio values revealed that basal cell nuclei of keratocysts were more ovoid as compared to those of other cysts (P < .001). Nuclear densitometric findings showed that the DNA indices of all keratocyst cases were close to 1.0, and the cells were considered diploid., Conclusion: Increased cell density, a more ovoid nuclear shape and more variation in the size of basal layer cell nuclei in keratocysts were helpful in differentiating these lesions from other odontogenic cysts.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop an experimental model for the assessment of bone augmentation, and in doing so, compare the use of beta-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) bone grafts in combination with Gore-Tex augmentation material (GTAM) and GTAM without TCP., Method and Materials: Calvarial sites in eight Sprague Dawley rats were prepared for bone augmentation. Graft materials and Hermann stainless steel bone pins were used for localized bone augmentation. Specimens were subjected to macroscopic and histological evaluation at the sixth week., Results: Bone formation was significantly higher in the group with the graft support., Conclusion: TCP bone grafts used in conjunction with supporting pins may contribute to successful bone regeneration by osseoconduction and by maintaining the membrane-created space. At the sixth week, guided bone regeneration utilizing Gore-Tex augmentation material and TCP bone grafts resulted in the formation of viable new bone.

Objective: To investigate the nuclear DNA content of pleomorphic adenomas with cytologic atypia., Study Design: Analysis was performed on new, fuchsin-stained samples of 10 selected cases of pleomorphic adenoma with cytologic atypia. Morphometric analysis was done by a computer-assisted image cytometry system and consisted of the determination of DNA indices, Auer DNA histogram types, and 3c and 5c exceeding rates., Results: Eight cases were diploid and two cases aneuploid according to the DNA index. The Auer histogram was type I in five cases and type III in the others. In the two aneuploid cases the 3c exceeding rate was > 10% and the 5c exceeding rate > 1%., Conclusion: Atypical cells in pleomorphic adenomas with cytologic atypia carry abnormal amounts of DNA. Image cytometry can make detecting very low numbers of aneuploid cells easier due to its higher resolution as compared to that of flow cytometry.

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to present 35 new cases of peripheral osteoma of the oral and maxillofacial region with an analysis of the literature., Patients and Methods: We performed a search of our files for the past 5 years for peripheral osteoma of the oral and maxillofacial region. The criteria used to diagnose osteoma included the radiographic and histologic features., Results: The 35 patients, which included 23 males (65%) and 12 females (35%), ranged in age from 14 to 58 years, with a mean age of 29.4 years. Most of the osteomas were located in frontal bone (28.57%), mandible (22.85%), and maxilla (14.28%)., Conclusion: Peripheral osteomas of the jaw bones are uncommon, and accordingly, patients with osteoma should be evaluated for Gardner's syndrome. In addition, it is appropriate to provide both clinical and radiographic follow-up after surgical excision of a peripheral osteoma., (Copyright 2002 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 60:1299-1301, 2002)

Direct or indirect trauma to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) may cause several injuries such as fibrous adhesion, ankylosis and fracture. The aim of this study was to examine and compare the histological changes of TMJ and adjacent soft tissue after direct or indirect trauma to TMJ. In this study, a total of 35 healthy young adult guinea pigs were exposed to direct and indirect trauma to their TMJ, and histologic evaluation was done after 24 h, 7, 15 and 45 days. Hemorrhage was the most frequent complication, following that enlargement of the disc, adhesion of the disc to the condyle and fracture of the condyle were seen in both groups. There were regenerative changes in adjacent muscles of the TMJ in indirect trauma group when compared to direct trauma group. Regenerative changes were more obvious on days 15 and 45. As a result, it may be suggested that when a trauma comes to the maxillo-mandibular complex, even TMJ is indirectly affected, TMJ and its adjacent soft tissues should also be examined clinically and followed closely.

Purpose: Bone healing is impaired in diabetes mellitus, particularly due to increased collagen breakdown. Recently, tetracyclines have been used to treat experimental bone defects because they have anticollagenolytic properties, and positive effects on the healing process have been obtained. The objective of this study was to develop a computer-assisted histomorphometric technique to quantitatively determine the amount of regenerating bone within experimental bone defects in a diabetic rodent model., Materials and Methods: This study examined the effects of systemic doxycycline administration on the healing of tibial bone defects in healthy albino rats and in experimentally induced diabetic rats. Twenty-four female albino rats were assigned to 4 groups: diabetic, diabetic plus doxycycline, control, or control plus doxycycline. The standardized bone defects were histomorphometrically examined 10 and 30 days postoperatively. Histomorphometric analysis of the amount of new bone formation was performed using the Zeiss Vision image analysis program KS 400 (Kontron Elektron GmbH, Eching, Germany)., Results: At 10 days of healing, the diabetic groups exhibited inferior healing compared with the control groups in terms of the amount of new bone formation within the defects. However, the effect of doxycycline administration to the diabetic and control groups was not statistically different. At 30 days of healing, there were no statistically significant differences between the amount of newly formed bone in any of the groups., Conclusions: This study found that doxycycline administration did not significantly alter the amount of new bone formation during the healing of bone defects in control and diabetic rats., (Copyright 2002 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.)

Tinea capitis is a fungal infection of the skin and the hair with involvement of the hair shaft and the pilosebaceous unit. It may be the most common of all cutaneous mycoses in children. Tinea capitis can be inflammatory or noninflammatory. It is thought that humoral and cell-mediated immunities play a role in the formation of the clinical types of the disease. We studied twelve patients with acute inflammatory disease, four patients with chronic non-inflammatory disease, and one patient with a black-dot variant of tinea capitis. The composition of inflammatory infiltrates present in lesional skin was analyzed by antibodies to T cells (CD3) and B cells (CD20). Anti-CD3 revealed large numbers of T cells in twelve patients with acute, inflammatory dermatophytosis, whereas anti-CD20 revealed marked infiltrates of both B and T cells in all patients with chronic, non-inflammatory dermatophytosis. As a result, we thought that cell-mediated immunity might play a role in the acute, inflammatory type of tinea capitis and that humoral immunity might do so in the chronic, non-inflammatory type of tinea capitis.

The pituitary fossa, sphenoid rostrum, sphenoid sinus, nasopharynx, pterygopalatine fossa and clivus are the components of the central compartment of the middle cranial base. It is a surgical challenge to gain access to this region. This fact has led to the development of a number of surgical procedures reported in the literature. However, none of these techniques can provide a wide and direct exposure to the middle cranial fossa without morbidity on its own. In this report, nasomaxillary osteotomy is described as a satisfactory alternative to reach the middle cranial fossa. With the nasomaxillary osteotomy technique, a wide access can be obtained to the central compartment of the skull base, caudally till the inferior clivus and upper cervical vertebrae (C1, C2). Since bilateral, internal carotid arteries are in sight laterally, the technique provides a secure resection of tumors with marked lateral extensions. Repositioning the translocated bone segment, surrounding the apertura piriformis, results in satisfactory cosmesis postoperatively. The technique is discussed on the basis of eight cases with the histopathological diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma (1 case), olfactory neuroblastoma (2 cases), chordoma (2 cases) and juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (3 cases). No vascular complication has been encountered. One chordoma patient died of the disease in the follow-up period. All other cases, including one squamous cell carcinoma patient, are alive and disease-free without cosmetic deformity. In conclusion, nasomaxillary osteotomy provides a wide and direct exposure to the central compartment of the skull base in a relatively short period of time, securing the vascular and neural structures. Besides, it offers the advantage that it can be combined with other techniques in extensive tumors, while cosmesis and nasal functions are preserved.

Nodular fasciitis of the cheek is an extremely rare lesion of the oral cavity. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of swellings in the oral mucosa. We describe a case of nodular fasciitis and discuss the difficulties of histological and clinical diagnosis of this condition.

Recent experimental and clinical evidence suggests that the foetus responds to injury in a fashion fundamentally different from the adult. Foetal wound healing occurs without scar formation. The mechanisms causing this difference are still not well defined but absence of inflammation may play a significant role. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of artificially induced inflammation on scarless foetal wound healing. Twelve time-dated pregnant ewes underwent hysterotomies at 70 and 90 days' gestation. A potent chemoattractant agent (N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine) was injected into the upper lip of the foetus in the first operation. In the second operation, a full-thickness incisional wound on the right side and a 3-mm excisional wound on the left side of the upper lip were created and closed primarily. A control wound was created on the lower lip. Macroscopic and histologic examinations of the wounds after birth revealed visible scar lines on the upper-lip wounds but no scar line on the lower lip, and an increase in fibrous tissue and collagen content in the upper-lip wounds. We have shown that injecting a chemotactic agent can stimulate inflammation in a period of gestation when tissue injury can not. Although lack of inflammation due to tissue injury in the early period of foetal life may be an important cause of scarless healing, further experimental studies should be carried out to investigate the pathways that are not activated by tissue injury, the immune status of the foetus and the growth factors involved in the inflammatory response., (Copyright 2001 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons.)

A 44-year-old female presented with a painful mass in the left parotid gland. Histologic examination revealed the characteristic picture of oncocytic mucoepidermoid carcinoma (OMEC) composed mainly of sheets of oncocytic cells with uniform nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm, focally smaller epidermoid cells surrounding poorly formed glandular spaces, and a few cystic structures lined by well-differentiated mucous cells with intracytoplasmic mucin. Immunohistochemical staining with antimitochondrial antibody showed granular cytoplasmic positivity in oncocytic cells. The resulting histogram for DNA ploidy analysis was of diploid type. OMEC of the parotid gland is a recently described rare neoplasm. Only six cases have been previously reported in the literature. For an accurate approach in the management of patients, OMEC should be considered in the differential diagnosis of oncocytic lesions of the parotid gland, most of which are benign.

Background: The present study was designed to examine histopathologically whether local delivery of aminobisphosphonate (alendronate) could be effective in preventing the alveolar bone resorption associated with mucoperiosteal flaps., Methods: Following mucoperiosteal flap elevation in the molar region of the rat mandible, a surgical pellet soaked with aminobisphosphonate was locally applied on the exposed bone surface and covered by flap. The determined parameters with a semi-quantitative subjective method for the histopathological evaluation were as follows: existing inflammatory cell infiltration of the related periodontal tissue; fibrotic component content and bundles of collagen fibers; the number and morphology of osteoclasts of the alveolar bone and interdental septum; existing resorption lacunae (osteoclast surfaces); and existing osteoblastic activity (forming surfaces)., Results: The results showed that while there were no detectable statistically significant differences between the saline and alendronate-treated groups on the existing inflammatory cell infiltration (ICI), number of osteoclasts, and osteoblastic activity, the results for the fibrotic and collagen component, osteoclast morphologies, and existing resorption lacunae were statistically significant., Conclusions: These results suggest that local application of the aminobisphosphonate alendronate can be used as an adjunct in therapy for reducing bone resorption following surgery. It can also be suggested for consideration that, even for the surgical approaches in dentistry where bone graft materials and/or dental implants are needed, using bisphosphonate may achieve a new dimension in periodontal therapy in the near future.

Microspheres of clarithromycin have been prepared from human serum albumin using the emulsion polymerization technique. Albumin microspheres containing the active substance were injected into the tail vein of mice. Mice were sacrificed at intervals and microspheres collected from lungs and livers. The clarithromycin amount in microspheres was determined by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method from the mice organs. Morphological and histopathological observations were also reported. The microsphere accumulation began at 10 min, and increased gradually until 6 h, then a decrease was observed. The microspheres were still present after 24 h. In the liver sample, no microsphere accumulation was observed at any time.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of late adult file. It is extremely rare in children, though, and its existence in the pediatric population remains controversial. Although the most common site of tumor in children is the extremities, which is similar to findings of adults' series, different sites have been reported in children. Because of the rarity of this tumor in childhood, the approach to treatment of MFH is based primarily on the experience with adults. We present the clinical and pathologic features of an eight-year-old boy with MFH located on his left retroperitoneum and also review the literature.

Generalized membranous gingival enlargement due to accumulation of amyloid or fibrin-like material is a rare, destructive and poorly defined disease entity. Some patients also show extraoral manifestations. The lesion is an involvement of periodontal tissues caused by the same process as ligneous conjunctivitis. In this report, 3 new cases, two of whom are siblings, are presented. Defective fibrinolysis and abnormal wound healing seem to be the main pathogenetic mechanism of this unusual disease, which should be evaluated systemically considering other mucosal involvement.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan polymer that has been found to have some beneficial effects on the prevention of adhesions in primary tendon repairs. The need for slow elimination preparations of HA has been identified. We have combined HA and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) in order to get a slow elimination preparation of HA and studied its possible effect on primary tendon healing. A gel form of NaHe (19 mg/ml; mw: 6.5 x 10(6)) was mixed with Na CMC (degree of substitution: 0.8) under sterile conditions. A jelly like mixture was thinned and HA membrane was achieved after drying in the refrigerator. The right legs of Leghorn chickens (n = 30) were prepared under IM ketamine anaesthesia by making partial cuts (75%) of flexor profundus tendons at zone II in the second, third and fourth toes, and repaired using a modified Kessler type suture (5/0 nylon). HA-membranes were applied around the repair sites in the third toes while 0.5 ml of hyaluronic acid and saline were poured on to the repair sites in the second and fourth toes, respectively. Skin incisions were closed and the legs were splinted for 15 days. Biomechanical and histological controls were made at the first, second and third postoperative months. No wound dehiscence or exposure of repaired tendons was observed on the operated toes. After collection of samples by amputation at MP levels, two-phalanx free biomechanical assessment was done. The calculated peaks of differential joint motion were very similar to the corresponding non-operated contralateral toes in the HA-membrane treated group. The toe tip displacement curves also resembled the non-operated ones in this group. HA membrane was detected as blue particles on specimens taken at the 30th day following surgery. There were few adhesions in this group microscopically at the third month. Adhesions were similar in the HA treated group while dense adhesions were seen in the saline treated group. These findings suggest that HA membrane acting as a physicochemical barrier can prevent restrictive adhesions in primary tendon repairs.

Gingival fibromatosis is frequently an isolated condition, but rarely associated with some uncommon syndromes. This paper describes an 11-year-old patient with pronounced gingival enlargement, cherubic facial appearance, and psychomotor retardation and discusses the major aspects of the case. The most striking finding orally was the presence of grossly hyperplastic gingiva, which completely covered all teeth except the occlusal surfaces of some teeth. The swelling in the lower part of the face and the appearance of sclera beneath the iris suggest cherubism. The diagnosis was confirmed by the detection of giant cell regenerative granuloma and perivascular eosinophilic particles and osteoclasts after biopsy of the mandible. In this case, surgery was the only effective way to treat the patient. A full-mouth gingivectomy procedure was performed under general anesthesia in 2 stages. The case was followed for 12 months and no recurrence was seen. An appropriate oral hygiene regimen was established.

Primary or secondary spinal involvement of lymphoma is a rarely reported entity. An eleven-year-old girl with primary cervical dumbbell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) was presented. We could not found any such growth pattern of primary or secondary NHL'S in the literature. For this reason, we reviewed shortly pertinent literature and discussed the pathophysiologic, diagnostic and prognostic features of the lesion with treatment modalities.

Peripheral giant cell granulomas are common proliferative lesions of the oral cavity with a predilection for females. In this study, the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors in 26 peripheral giant cell granuloma cases were studied utilizing the immunoperoxidase technique. In fourteen cases, estrogen receptor positivity was found in stromal cells. In ten of these, osteoclast-type giant cells also exhibited estrogen receptor immunostaining. Progesterone receptor expression was not detected. It was concluded that the cells forming peripheral giant cell granuloma are potential targets for estrogens and that these lesions might be conditioned by sex hormones.

Two cases of ameloblastic fibrodentinoma localized in the posterior mandibular area are presented. The clinical and histological findings are discussed.

We report a case of simple epidermoid cyst of the scrotum with extension into the pelvis. Complete excision was performed transcrotally and the presence of epidermoid cyst confirmed by histopathological examination. Simple excision was sufficient for treatment of this very rare lesion. The patient is now in the follow-up period.

Background: Utilization of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of odontogenic tumors seems to have attracted little attention., Cases: Ten cytologically diagnosed and histologically confirmed ameloblastoma cases were reviewed in order to establish whether it is possible to obtain a reliable cytologic diagnosis of ameloblastomas., Conclusion: Attention to the palisading arrangement of ameloblastlike epithelial cells and digitated, stellate reticulum-like cells may lead to the diagnosis of ameloblastoma. Ameloblastomas can be aspirated easily, and the cytologic features may be sufficiently distinctive.

In this study, a patient database program was prepared for patients admitted to the ENT Department of Ege University Hospital, Izmir. The algorithm of the program was created by using dBASE IV. In order to develop a patient database, a careful preparation and running stage had to be accomplished. However, the most important factor was proper maintenance. The greatest problem during the maintenance stage was compliance of the doctors or secretaries using the program. This was overcome by choosing or making a user-friendly, flexible, practical and beneficial patient database program. The study also showed that doctors could make their own patient databases and use them efficiently if they are interested in computers.

Laryngeal paraganglioma originates in the neural crest cells in the laryngeal paraganglia. Two distinct types may be cited on the basis of clinical features, but biopsy is essential for diagnosis. By light microscopy, the Zellballen pattern appears pathognomonic. The treatment consists of surgical excision. In this article, due to the rareness of the tumour, one case of laryngeal paraganglioma is presented. The general knowledge and the available literature are reviewed. The difficulties in the differential diagnosis are stressed and treatment principles are discussed.

Langerhans' cells (LCs) are intraepithelial immunocompetent cells. Changes in the number of LCs occur in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In this study, the number of gingival LCs in patients with type I diabetes mellitus was compared with those of normal individuals using immunohistochemical methods. Gingival biopsies were obtained from 20 type I diabetics and 10 healthy individuals. Anti-CD1 positive LCs formed an intraepithelial network and showed a marked increase in type I diabetics. This increase was not related to diabetic age. The number of LCs was proportional to the density of subepithelial inflammatory cells. Our findings suggest that LCs may play a role in the development of diabetic gingivitis.

This article describes the occurrence of numerous calcifications, amyloid deposits, and islands of odontogenic epithelium in the gingiva of 3 siblings with familial gingival fibromatosis. These microscopic features have not been reported previously in patients with this condition.

A biological interaction between the oral tissues and base metal alloys may result in corrosion and trace metal ion release, if the materials are not inert in the body. The reactions caused by such an alloy, a nickel-chrome alloy, were established on a woman patient who exhibited dark coloured band-like marks on the gingival tissues adjacent to her metal-ceramic crowns. These crowns were replaced by full ceramic crowns and the old restorations were analysed. The affected gingivae were removed, histopathological, patch and systemic tests were also performed. The results throw doubt on the biocompatibility of this alloy.

Posterior segmental osteotomies were performed on 7 dogs to investigate postoperative changes in the pulpal and periodontal tissue. Osteotomy cuts were made at various distances from the apices of roots. After 3 to 6 months, results were evaluated clinically, radiographically and histopathologically. Clinical and radiographic healing of the osteotomy sites was uneventful. Histological evaluation revealed that when the osteotomy cuts were made at a safe distance (3-5 mm) from the apices of roots, neither important pulpal degeneration nor loss of teeth occurred. Even two of the teeth whose apices were cut off had completely healthy pulpal and periapical tissues. The periodontium in almost all of the cases was also found to be healthy.

In this report, a case of colonic perforation caused by Taenia saginata is presented. Preoperative ultrasonographic examination showed a 'pseudokidney sign' suggestive of colonic carcinoma. Clinical and ultrasonographic appearance of this rare case and the possible perforation mechanism are discussed.

A solitary fibrous tumour is a pleural tumour which may rarely be detected at non-pleural sites. In this report, the case of a solitary fibrous tumour arising from the sublingual salivary gland is described.

Hyaline or amyloid-like substances may be seen in several oral lesions. Some of these originate from epithelial cells and some from connective tissue components. In this study, amyloid-like material causing gingival enlargement in three patients, with eyelid involvement in two, was examined using histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. These accumulations did not share the classical features of amyloid such as green birefringence under polarized light after Congo red staining. Our findings suggest that epithelial degeneration plays an important role in the pathogenesis of these amyloid-like accumulations. These substances may be the result of defective amyloidogenesis and our cases may represent an oral counterpart of ligneous conjunctivitis or colloid milium of the skin.

Fine needle aspiration cytologic findings in two cases of malignant lymphoepithelial lesion (MLEL) of the parotid glands are presented. Aspirates of both cases showed individual or cohesive clusters of tumor cells intermingling with mature lymphocytes. Cervical lymph node aspirates in both cases were similar to those seen in the parotids. Our findings suggest that neither cytology nor histology of the cervical lymph nodes is conclusive in establishing the primary site of a metastatic lymphoepitheliomalike carcinoma. MLEL of the salivary glands must be included in the differential diagnosis.

Two solid and two cystic forms of calcifying odontogenic cysts were stained immunohistochemically to study keratin, carcinoembryonic antigen, epithelial membrane antigen, and S-100 protein expression in ghost cells. The patterns of immunoreactivity were compared with those of dentigerous cysts, odontogenic keratocysts, ameloblastomas, calcifying epitheliomas of Malherbe, and control samples. Immunostaining patterns of calcifying odontogenic cysts were found to be similar to the odontogenic lesions and different from calcifying epithelioma. It is concluded that ghost cells are "keratinizing" odontogenic cells showing aberrant differentiation. These cells should not be regarded as metaplastic. The similarity of the immunostaining patterns of cystic and solid calcifying odontogenic cysts supports the view that these lesions are two morphologic variants of the same entity.