Rare case of granular cell tumour at 16 years – A case report

Rationale: Granular cell tumours (GCTs) of the tongue are a rare, soft tissue pathological entity at young ages. This case report aims to present one such case. Patient Concerns: A 16?year?old female patient sought treatment for a small, slow?growing, painless nodule in the dorsum of the tongue since six months. She underwent successful orthodontic treatment in recent past and is in the retention phase. Diagnosis: Excisional biopsy revealed the lesion to be a GCT under histopathology. Treatment: The patient was treated for an abnormal, small, slow?growing, painless nodule in the dorsum of the tongue. Outcomes: The patient had satisfactory esthetics and early diagnosis. The active intervention dispelled the confusion about the role of trauma and orthodontics appliance in the etiology of GCT in this particular case to the patient. Take?away Lessons: GCT can occur at any age. Early diagnosis and corrective surgery would help to avoid late complications.

Unusual Number of Phleboliths in a Lip Vascular Malformation – A Case Report

Rationale: Vascular malformation (VM) associated with jaws may cause jaw size discrepancy. Multiple phleboliths in VM are relatively rare. This case report aims to present one such case. Patient Concerns: A 33?year?old female patient sought surgical correction of her abnormally sized jaw and on examination, she was identified with VM. Diagnosis: Subsequent imaging tests revealed the presence of several phleboliths. Treatment: The patient was treated for an abnormal?sized mandible as well as partial removal of the superficial part of VM. Outcomes: The patient had satisfactory esthetics and there was less bleeding than anticipated. Take?away Lessons: VMs could cause jaw size discrepancy and the extent of the malformation could cause blood flow abnormalities leading to multiple phlebolith formation. Proper surgical planning and education of the patient are essential for successful treatment.

Tobacco Harm Reduction Approach in Clinical Practice: A Qualitative Study among Multi-Specialty Healthcare Professionals in an Indian Metropolitan City

Background:Tobacco harm reduction when advocated by care providers as continuum of care towards the goal of tobacco cessation might result in long-term abstinence than it is currently seen. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the healthcare professionals approach and self-reported practices related to tobacco harm reduction and smoking cessation. Methods: A purposive sample (N=36) of multi-specialty healthcare professionals providing tobacco related cessation services at six private medical teaching institutes were engaged in semi-structured qualitative interviews between July 2020 and October 2020 in Chennai. Results: The results indicated that majority of the healthcare professional抯 lack conceptual understanding about tobacco harm reduction. Harm reduction was practised and nicotine replacement therapy was prescribed by psychiatrists in this study. Majority of the healthcare professionals were found to have misconceptions that promoting harm reducing practices instead of cessation might result in continued addiction to nicotine products among the clientele. Conclusions: The findings reveal that tobacco harm reduction remains an under-utilized clinical practise in Indian setting due to knowledge and awareness gaps among multi-specialty healthcare professionals. Improved sensitization through continuous medical education updates is needed to inform effective clinician-affirmative tobacco harm reduction practices.

Maxillary rehabilitation after complete destruction by fungal osteomyelitis

Treatment of uncommon fungal infection such as Rhinosporidiosis is challenging, especially when occurring in a non-immunocompromised patient in non-invasive form. Extensive involvement, extending into maxillary jawbone would need aggressive, chemotherapeutic and surgical approach. There are few reports of successful rehabilitation of maxillary jaw with dental implants after treatment of such fungal infection. After adequate medical treatment, the iliac graft and recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-2 was effectively utilized to reconstruct the lost maxillary bone. Later, dental implants were placed, that osseointegrated well.

Tracheostomy and mandibular distraction in acute sleep apnea

Severe restriction of airway volume in the orofacial region, caused by temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis, may lead to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If the TMJ ankylosis is progressive, rarely, the caregivers may fail to notice the problem. Such patients may have only symptoms of snoring, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, inability to concentrate, and irritability. At times, emergency tracheostomy may be needed to increase the oxygen supply. Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a less invasive surgical technique in the management of such OSA by correcting the reduced airway space. In DO, the angulation of the distractors and the pace of activation determine the success of the neo-generation of segments of bone. The formation of a well-corticated mandibular canal (MC) in the newly generated bone is an evidence of the success of the procedure. Such bilateral formation of the MC is not reported from this part of the world. We report a case of a 4-year-old boy who was struggling with OSA due to TMJ ankylosis. He was successfully treated by bilateral mandibular DO. The formation and cortication of the MC is discussed with emphasis on the neural regeneration.

Epiphora drainage by DCR – Long-term results

Background: Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) refers to the surgical procedure that is used to relieve the chronic obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO). In a maxillofacial setting, NLDO may arise subsequent to a facial trauma or orthognathic surgery. There is a dearth of literature from this part of the world. This article intends to provide a single maxillofacial center experience in DCR. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, noncomparative, noninterventional, record audit type of study of all consecutive patients fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria. All patients with epiphora and diagnosed with lacrimal apparatus damage between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2017 requiring DCR were considered for the study. Details of demographics, phase of treatment (primary/retreatment), types of bones involved, age, complications, period suffering from epiphora, and follow-up were obtained. All data were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Service (version 16; IBM). Descriptive statistics of the frequency and mean ± standard deviation (SD) as appropriate were presented. Chi-square test and one-way analysis of variance were used appropriately. P ≤ 0.05 was taken to be statistically significant. Results: In all, 83 patients fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. It is more common in males (n = 56, 67.47%) with a mean ± SD of 32.24 ± 10.80 (18–59 years) with 27 (32.53%) of them presenting primarily after fractures. Fracture was the most common pathology seen in 81.93% (n = 68) of cases, while the rest were as a result of orthognathic cases. Le Fort II and III set of bones contributed to 59% of cases, while the orbitonasal complex contributed to only three cases. NLD obstruction was seen in 68 (81.9%) of cases. On an average, the patients suffered for 9.3 ± 6.74 months (range 0.5–22 months) before seeking treatment and the average follow-up was 31.07 ± 11.69 months (range 15–54 months). Discussion and Conclusion: Fractures and surgeries involving nasal bones carry an innate risk of damaging the NLD system. The pattern of need for DCR and occurrence of NLDO in this part of the world have been described. The extent of the anatomical variations and need for proper surgical planning are highlighted.

Transzygomatic, transcondylar excision of the sarcoma of infratemporal fossa

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare pathologic lesion in a patient with solitary neurofibroma. A 32-year-old man presented with a firm and slightly tender mass in the right infratemporal region involving the right preauricular and temporomandibular joint area. The patient has a history of removal of a solitary neurofibroma 22 years back in the same region. The lesion had enlarged rapidly over the past 3 months, and a spindle cell lesion was diagnosed through a superficial incisional biopsy. Surgical removal of the lesion using modified preauricular transzygomatic approach was done. Histopathologically, it was diagnosed as an MPNST.

Central giant cell granuloma – A case report

Central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) of the jaws is a benign, intraosseous, osteolytic lesion of debatable etiology. CGCG lacks in clinical and radiographical pathognomonic features to distinguish from common lesions occurring in this region. Histopathology still remains the predominant diagnostic modality to identify the disorder. Clinically aggressive lesions and atypical lesions can lead to early damage and may necessitate aggressive therapy to prevent recurrences. A case of an aggressive type of CGCG of the maxilla in a young adult male patient with diagnostic and treatment challenge is presented.

Diagnostic efficacy of urine dipstick in detecting chronic kidney disease

Background: Proponents of routine urine dipstick screening to identify patients at risk for ESRD in the primary care setting have argued that urine dipsticks are inexpensive, low risk, acceptable to patients, and now, more accurate. Proponents believe that urine dipstick screening has the potential to improve outcomes for people with early disease and increase awareness of CKD. Most primary care physicians agree that populations who are at high risk for CKD should be tested and appropriately treated to decrease complications of ESRD. However, proponents of mass screening may not appreciate the challenges, limitations, and potential harms of screening. Urine dipstick testing does not meet all of the criteria for a good screening test. The aim of the study: To elucidate the diagnostic efficacy of the urine dipstick in detecting chronic kidney disease by assessing its validity as a screening test for detecting CKD. Materials and methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 287 subjects aged 20 years and above residing in the P.K. Garden area of Chennai during November 2018 to January 2019. Subjects were interviewed with a questionnaire and blood samples were collected to estimate serum creatinine and a urine sample was collected to estimate the proteinuria using urine S. Thirumavalavan, Noormohamed, Balaji S.M., R Vijaya Kumar. Diagnostic efficacy of urine dipstick in detecting chronic kidney disease. IAIM, 2019; 6(3): 137-142. Page 138 dipstick. eGFR was calculated using CKD – EPI equation and CKD was diagnosed using KDOQI CKD guidelines. Results: The prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (<60 ml/min eGFR) in the study group was 10.45%. The Area under Curve (AUC) of the ROC curve for urine dipstick in detecting CKD was 0.948 (0.900 – 0.996) and the 2+ proteinuria was closest to the ideal test point. When proteinuria criteria set at dipstick 2+ or more, the sensitivity was 83.33% and specificity was 98.36%, positive predictive value was 83.33% and κ coefficient of agreement of proteinuria with CKD was 0.81. Conclusion: The urine dipstick test can be used as an effective screening tool in detecting CKD in primary care level. Non Communicable Diseases screening at primary health care level should include the screening of proteinuria using urine dipstick especially for people with risk factors like Diabetes and Hypertension.

Burden of oral diseases and noncommunicable diseases: An asia-pacific perspective

At a population level, there are no systematic data to correlate the pattern of prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) with oral disease burden in South Asian countries. The influence of the age, gender, and geographical distribution on these diseases is not reported. We attempt to provide a population level correlation of occurrence using the Global Burden of Disease approach. Materials and Methods: Using the data from the Global Burden of Diseases, 2016, the occurrence of oral diseases (dental caries of permanent teeth, edentulism (including severe tooth loss), and periodontal diseases) and various NCDs, based on geographical region, gender and age groups were collected and subjected to correlation statistics. Statistical Package for Social Services (Version 23) was used to analyze the results. P ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Geographical location and age had a significant role in the occurrence of dental diseases. There was a considerable difference in rates of dental diseases and NCD prevalence in the various regions of Asia-Pacific. It was observed that for most of the NCDs, there was a linear significant relationship for edentulism as well as periodontal diseases with high statistical significance. Discussion: The factors that contribute to the discrepancies, phenomenon, and relationship between the oral diseases and NCDs are discussed. The current state of the importance of oral health, in maintaining overall health is discussed. Methods by which policymakers could bring about a change by utilizing the principles of “Overton window” for mobilizing the support of people are presented.

Rare granular cell tumor affecting a 13-year-old boy

Granular cell tumor (GCT) is a rare soft-tissue neoplasm, first described in 1926. GCT often manifests as a single, painless nodule that shows a slow enlargement in the cutaneous, subcutaneous, or submucosal tissues. It is commonly reported in adults in the third to sixth decade of life. This case report is of an incidental finding in a young boy, who was radiologically examined for orthodontic treatment purpose and found to have a radiolucent lesion in the mandible. The lesion was later diagnosed as GCT. Central GCT is rare, and the presentation in a child is even rare. Although GCT is reported to be benign, it can turn malignant in 2% of the cases and possibly metastasize too. The local recurrence within a year is characteristic for malignant GCT. The 1-year follow-up of the present case indicated no local recurrence. The case stresses the need for the frequent dental examination, specialist reference. GCT should be included in the differential diagnosis of head and neck masses, even when inside jaws. It shall be remembered that such tumors may arise in any atypical locations and there is a possibility of malignancy.

Surgical management of chronic temporomandibular joint dislocations

Temporomandibular joint dislocation is described as the movement of mandibular condyle out of the fossa beyond its anatomical and functional boundaries causing pain and discomfort. It is often managed by conservative methods, but in long-standing, chronic conditions, surgical treatment is the only option. The goal of surgical treatment is to reposition the condyle and prevent further recurrences. Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis involving a single center and a surgeon with 19 patients and 23 joint surgeries performed over a 10-year period. Patients who fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria and had earlier undergone surgical correction with hook-shaped miniplates and miniscrews fixed with or without bone grafts formed the study group. Results: In all, 12 were female (mean age, 41.9 ± 12.07 years) and the rest 9 were male (mean age, 39.8 ± 13.6 years), ranging from 32 years to 58 years. All patients had the dislocation for an average period of 19.26 ± 12.6 months before the surgery. The mean maximal mouth opening (without pain) preoperatively was 17.78 ± 2.13 mm (12–25 mm) while postoperatively it was 32.28 ± 3.17 mm (27–37 mm). There were no immediate or late surgical complications in the follow-up period that ranged from 8 to 37 months. Discussion: When proper case selection is employed and properly done, using hook-shaped miniplates with or without bone graft is more cost-effective, giving excellent short- and long-term effects. Conclusion: The results in this Indian population are very similar to that reported from other parts of the world.