Search

This systematic review is the first to provide evidence regarding demographic, clinical, and imaging characteristics, as well as information related to survival, of patients with oral and maxillofacial metastases of occult primary tumors. Case reports, case series, and cross-sectional studies were included. Ten databases were searched. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tools. Overall, 353 articles (413 patients) were included. Statistically significant associations between survival and multiplicity of metastatic foci, and between each of the main primary sites and some features of the oral lesions were observed. Some clinical and imaging characteristics can help dentists in raising diagnostic suspicions and also in relating to plausible primary sites. Early diagnosis of oral and maxillofacial metastases can positively affect the survival rate when they are the only focus of dissemination, conferring an important role on the dentist.

In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological and prognosis data of patients with myoepithelial carcinoma (MC) of the salivary glands.MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Embase search was performed with the keywords "myoepithelial carcinoma", "malignant myoepithelioma", and "salivary glands". Only primary salivary glands MC that fulfilled the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria were included. The Joanna Briggs Institute tool was used to assess the risk of bias.Forty-three studies (comprising data from 71 cases) met the inclusion criteria. The patients having MC showed a mean age of 56.4 ± 19.6 years with no sex predilection. The parotid was the most affected gland (49.3%) (49.3%). Clinically, the MC presented as an asymptomatic (65.1%) mass (84%). The most common histological findings were the presence of clear tumor cells (39.7%) and multinodular growth patterns (60.7%). Multivariate analysis showed plasmacytoid cell type (p=0.010) and solid growth pattern (p=0.003) were related to decreased disease-free survival (DFS). Surgery alone was the most used treatment (53.5%). Patients with a combination of treatments (surgery, radiation therapy with/without chemotherapy) showed a longer DFS (p=0.049). The 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 67.5% and 46.1% respectively.Salivary gland MC is a rare salivary cancer with no sex predilection, with a higher incidence in the parotid gland. Cell type, growth pattern, and treatment type may be related to a lower DFS. Overall, salivary gland MC presented low recurrence and metastasis rates.

Villitis of unknown etiology (VUE) is an inflammatory disease characterized by the infiltration of maternal CD8 +T cells into the placental villi. Although the pathogenesis of VUE is still debated, dysregulation of the immune system appears to be an important factor in the development of the disease. Interaction of maternal T cells with the fetal antigens seems to be the trigger for the VUE onset. In this context, graft vs host disease (GVHD) and allographic rejection seem to share similarities in the VUE immunopathological mechanism, especially those related to immunoregulation. In this review, we compared the immunological characteristics of VUE with allograft rejection, and GVHD favoring a better knowledge of VUE pathogenesis that may contribute to VUE therapeutics strategies in the future.

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) are the most common malignant tumors that arise in the head and neck. Despite advances in the management of affected patients, the mortality burden of these tumors is increasing every year. The discovery of a vast genetic landscape has revealed new opportunities for therapeutic intervention of head and neck SCC (HNSCC). Molecular alterations of tyrosine kinases are involved in the pathogenesis of cancer and may help keep cancer cells from growing. Currently, many drugs inhibit this enzyme family and are being studied by the pharmaceutical industry opening the room to expand the use and efficacy of this therapeutic modality alone or using combinatorial approaches including checkpoint inhibitors for treatment. In this paper, we explored the role of tyrosine kinases inhibitors of HNSCC, and clinical trials related to these molecules, expecting to provide references for HNSCC therapy.

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal disorder characterized by extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. DNA repair mechanisms are impaired, and minimal sun exposure can lead to the development of cutaneous neoplasms in very young patients. Intraoral carcinomas are uncommon and, when present, are located mainly at the tongue tip. We report an unprecedented case of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the floor of mouth of a 23-year-old woman with XP. The patient was referred to the oncologist, and 2 months after surgical resection, she underwent a single session of chemotherapy plus radiotherapy. However, she died 73 hours after undergoing her first chemotherapy session. Considering the unexpected outcome of this case, we also investigated possible exacerbated adverse effects of antineoplastic treatments (especially cisplatin-based chemotherapy) in patients with XP and reviewed the main characteristics of the disease, especially cases with oral manifestations reported in the literature.

Hyaline ring granuloma (HRG) is a rare and atypical foreign-body granulomatous chronic inflammatory condition. Our aim was to make a critical review of the literature cases and also to illustrate histochemical and immunohistochemical findings of a new case. A modified PICO strategy was used. Inclusion criteria were met by case reports and case series with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of HRG, necessarily in mouth or maxillary bones. Exclusion criteria were no access to the full-text paper. The search was done up to 2019, totalizing 231 selected cases in 54 papers. The new case was analyzed through PAS, Azan-Mallory's trichrome, and CD34 and CD68 reactions. HRG is found mainly in the mandible of men, edentulous and prosthesis users, between 51 and 60 years of age, with 0.5-120 months of duration, usually causing edema and pain or discomfort. Endogenous and exogenous theories may be complementary in HRG. Eosinophilic areas could represent particles of vegetal origin, while the hyaline material could be the result of collagen degradation. Considering the material is not always present or even is ring-shaped, we suggest the change from "hyaline ring granuloma" to "granuloma induced by vegetal inoculation."

We report a case of a 23-year-old woman with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and a painless endophytic ulcer on the mouth floor, measuring approximately 2 cm, with 8 months of evolution. She had a family history of a brother with XP who underwent lower lip resection and denied neurologic disturbances or prior surgical procedures. Weak photophobia and numerous hyperpigmented ephelides throughout the body were observed. Histopathologic examination of the incisional biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. It is known that intra-oral carcinomas are uncommon in XP individuals and, when present, are located mainly at the tongue tip. The patient was referred to the oncologist and 2 months after surgical resection underwent a single chemotherapy and radiotherapy session. However, she died in less than 72 hours after this procedure. Considering the unexpected outcome of this case, we also investigated possible exacerbated adverse effects of antineoplastic treatments in XP patients.