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Topically applied 5-fluorouracil has recently gained acceptance in the treatment of actinic keratosis of the lip; however, histologic evidence confirming the effectiveness of the therapy has not yet been established. Pretreatment biopsies were performed on six patients to confirm actinic damage and grade the degree of dysplasia. After 5-fluorouracil therapy, biopsies of tissue adjacent to the previous biopsy sites were performed to determine the success of treatment. Histologic evaluation showed residual dysplasia in all posttreatment biopsy material, even though the clinical stigmata of the actinic lesions had been improved or eliminated.

A 62-year-old male patient with a varied medical history and oral lesions consistent with stomatitis areata migrans is discussed. The stomatitis areata migrans affected essentially all oral soft tissues, including rarely involved gingival tissues. Clinical and histologic documentation of the gingival involvement is presented.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare pathergy associated with systemic diseases such as ulcerative colitis and polycythemia vera. Its recognition in the differential diagnosis of other ulcerative lesions is important in managing an affected patient. A patient who developed lower extremity, oral, and cervical manifestations of this disease on separate occasions is presented. It is imperative that every clinician be aware of this entity because of the potential untoward effects of delayed or improper treatment including unnecessary surgery. Systemic and intralesional steroids are the treatment of choice.

The squamous odontogenic tumor is a rare odontogenic neoplasm occurring primarily in the anterior maxilla and posterior mandible. The clinical presentation is that of tooth mobility with a semicircular or triangular, well-defined radiolucent area. Histologic features include dense fibrous connective stroma with scattered islands of bland epithelium exhibiting no ameloblastomatous features. Conservative surgical treatment in most cases is sufficient; however, lesions in the maxilla may require more extensive surgical procedures to ensure resolution.

The case reported is that of an ameloblastic fibro-odontoma in an 11-year-old male. The radiographic and clinical findings were typical, appearing as a well-defined radiolucent-radiopaque lesion coronal to an erupting permanent tooth. Treatment consisted of surgical removal (enucleation) of the hard and soft tissue mass. Recurrence of the lesion is not anticipated.

The effects of exposure of animals to 100% O2 and NO2 on the rate of prostaglandin metabolism by lung and kidney were studied in vitro. Exposure of guinea pigs to 100% O2 for 48 h inhibited the metabolism of prostaglandin F2 alpha by both NAD+- and NADP+-dependent prostaglandin dehydrogenase in lung, but had no effect on the metabolism in kidney. Succinate dehydrogenase, but not glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, in guinea-pig lung was inhibited by exposure to 100% O2. Exposure to 46 p.p.m. but not 16 or 29 p.p.m. NO2 for 6 h inhibited guinea-pig lung prostaglandin dehydrogenase in vitro. The inhibition of pulmonary prostaglandin dehydrogenase by exposure to 100% O2 or to 49 p.p.m. NO2 was dependent on the duration of exposure, but returned to control values within 7 days after cessation of the exposure. The pulmonary transport system responsible for removing circulating prostaglandins from the blood was not affected by exposure to 100% O2 as measured by using the isolated perfused lung. Kinetic analysis of the inhibition of pulmonary prostaglandin dehydrogenase activity in guinea pig exposed to 100% O2 showed non-competitive inhibition with respect to both prostaglandin F2 alpha and NAD+, which suggests destruction or inactivation of the enzyme. Pulmonary prostaglandin dehydrogenase appears to be inhibited by exposure to oxidant gases, which may lead to elevated prostaglandin concentrations in the lungs or in the systemic circulation.

Vascular tumors (vascular malformations and hemangiomas) of the temporal bone are uncommon, and guidelines for their management have not been published. In an effort to develop an approach to their management, the present study examined the pathological, clinical, and surgical experience with ten of these lesions treated at the Otologic Medical Group, Inc., and St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles from 1960 to 1980. Intratemporal vascular tumors occurred most frequently at two sites, the internal auditory canal and the geniculate ganglion. Histological features and clinical behavior did not correlate. Both vascular malformations and hemangiomata invaded the facial nerve. Surgical excision in these cases required severence and repair of the involved facial nerve. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice of vascular lesions of the temporal bone.

Gingival plane xanthomas are unusual oral presentations of hyperlipidemia and they may be of minimal clinical significance to the patient because they are asymptomatic. However, the presence of gingival xanthomas should be considered as a possible precursor of an underlying life-threatening disease process. Many of these systemic conditions may severely compromise dental therapy; they include atherosclerotic coronary disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, biliary cirrhosis, multiple myelomas, leukemia, and hyperthyroidism. Clinicians should be aware of this association and its important implications.

A case involving a 22-year-old male patient with early aggressive cemento-ossifying fibroma in the mandible is discussed. The historical difficulty in categorizing fibro-osseous lesions is reviewed, and the importance of clinical, radiographic, and surgical findings to the ultimate diagnosis and correct treatment of these lesions is emphasized.

Porcine thyrocalcitonin was modified by enzymatic and chemical treatment for the purpose of studying the interrelationships between structure and hypocalcemic activity. Enzymatic treatment with trypsin, chymotrypsin, pepsin and polyphenyl oxidase led to rapid and complete inactivation of the hypocalcemic activity. We conclude from these experiments that thyrocalcitonin either is a simple polypeptide or contains a peptide moiety which is absolutely essential for hypocalcemic activity. Incubation of thyrocalcitonin in dilute HC1 or neutral Tris buffer at elevated temperature was accompanied by gradual loss of activity. Inactivation was also seen after treatment with hydrogen peroxide, photooxidation and treatment with n-bromosuccinimide, results demonstrating that there is at least one site in the thyrocalcitonin molecule that is sensitive to oxidation. The hypocalcemic activity which was lost during incubation with hydrogen peroxide could not be recovered by treatment of the oxidized products with cysteine...

A case of a vascular leiomyoma of the upper lip has been presented. A review of the literature was completed, and the findings reported. Leiomyomas are rare intraoral neoplasms. When affecting the mouth, they are most likely to occur on the tongue, palate, buccal tissues, and lips. Conservative local excision is the recommended treatment.

Stomatitis areata migrans is an uncommon oral disease that may affect mucous membranes other than the tongue or be concomitant with geographic tongue. The clinical appearance emulates geographic tongue at an ectopic site, and the lesions rarely are symptomatic.

Previous reports of renal sinus lipomatosis (RSL) have emphasized the CT finding of increased fat around the renal pelvis. The authors present a case in which the CT density of the renal sinus was the same as water. This density appears to depend on the relative amounts of fat and fibrous tissue present.