Prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasizing to the oral cavity / 대한악안면성형재건외과학회지

Background@#Oral metastasis by hepatocellular carcinoma (OMHCC) is extremely rare, and the prognosis had been reported quite poor due to simultaneous multiple organ metastases. In this study, we report clinical features and survival of 10 new cases of OMHCC and suggest the criteria for palliative surgery. @*Methods@#A retrospective clinical study including 10 new cases of oral OMHCC between 2006 and 2016 was performed. Clinical features and survival analysis were examined. The recorded variables were age, sex, site of oral metastases, size of oral tumor (largest diameter), and survival after oral histopathologic diagnosis. @*Results@#There was male (n=8) predilection of OMHCC. The mean survival time was 16.9 months. Patient age ranged from 40 to 71 years (mean 56.5). Eight mandibular and two maxillary lesions were found. One patient showed simultaneously the maxilla and the oral tongue involvement. The most often encountered symptoms were swelling (80%) followed by pain (60%), numbness (60%), bleeding (10%), and tooth mobility (10%). Four patients underwent operation due to spontaneous bleeding and swelling of the cancer. Overall (from onset of hepatocellular carcinoma) and truncated survival (from onset of OMHCC) were 71.9 and 13.1 months respectively. @*Conclusion@#The prognosis of OMHCC was quite poor. Oral and jaw bone examination should be included in patients with multiple metastasis of HCC. Palliative surgery might be performed in patients who reported spontaneous bleeding, severe pain, and oral dysphasia due to tumor enlargement.

Temporomandibular joint disc plication with MITEK mini anchors: surgical outcome of 65 consecutive joint cases using a minimally invasive approach / 대한악안면성형재건외과학회지

Background@#The purpose of this study is to introduce our modified disc plication technique using MITEK mini anchors and to evaluate the clinical outcome for patients with internal derangement (ID) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). @*Patients and methods@#We evaluated 65 joints in 46 patients, comprised 32 women and 14 men, who first visited the Asan Medical Center from December 2012 to December 2016. The age of the patients ranged from 14 to 79 years, with a mean age of 36.6 years. The patients presented with joint problems including pain, joint noise, and mouth opening limitation (MOL). Patients who met our inclusion criteria underwent unilateral or bilateral disc repositioning surgery with our minimally invasive disc plication technique using MITEK mini anchors and No. 2-0 Ethibond® braided polyester sutures. The variables taken into account in this study were the range of maximum mouth opening (MMO), painful symptoms (evaluated with the visual analog scale, VAS), and the type of noise (click, popping, crepitus) in the TMJ. @*Results@#Preoperative examination revealed painful symptoms in 50.7% (n = 35) of the operated joints (n = 69) and the presence of clicks in 56.5% (n = 39). Postoperative examination revealed that 4.3% (n = 3) of the operated joints had painful symptoms with lower intensity than that in the preoperative condition. Additionally, 17.4% (n = 12) had residual noise in the TMJ, among which two were clicking and the other 10 had mild crepitus. The intensity of the postoperative residual noise was significantly decreased in all cases compared to that in the preoperative condition. Among patients with MOL below 38mm (n = 18), the mean MMO was 31.4mm preoperatively and 44.2mm at 6 months postoperatively, with a mean increase of 13.8 mm. A barely visible scar at the operation site was noted during the postoperative observation period, with no significant complications such as facial palsy or permanent occlusal disharmony. @*Conclusion@#Subjective symptoms in all patients improved following the surgery. TMJ disc plication using MITEK mini anchors with our minimally invasive approach may be a feasible and effective surgical option for treating TMJ ID patients who are not responsive to conservative treatment.

Dental Problems Associated with Radiation Therapy / 대한연하장애학회지

Dental problems associated with radiation therapy are difficult to treat because of the irreversible nature of radiation therapy and permanent tissue damage. Common oral complications include oral mucosa ulceration, xerostomia, and radiation caries. Other oral complications found infrequently are mouth opening limitation and osteonecrosis of the jaw bone. The acute complication of oral ulceration is associated with dysphagia. In addition, delayed complications, such as xerostomia and dental caries, could lower the quality of life, particularly in terms of chewing and swallowing. The treatment of each complication is dependent on the condition and severity. Symptomatic treatment to relieve pain and discomfort is typical for oral complications. Surgical and radical resection is required for the advanced stage of osteoradionecrosis. In this review, oral complications and their treatments are suggested for clinical guidance.

Dysphasia due to Oral Anomaly / 대한연하장애학회지

Dysphasia related to oral anomaly is a common situation in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The etiology of oral anomalies causing dysphasia can be divided into congenital and acquired disease. Congenital diseases include teratoma or benign tumors and congenital defects such as cleft lip and palate. Benign tumors include cystic hygroma in the neck and hemangioma in the tongue. Certain syndromes with macroglossia and micrognathia are also related to difficulty in swallowing. The three common syndromes are Pierre-Robin syndrome, Beckwith-Widermann syndrome and ectodermal dysplasia. Taken together, these congenital diseases require a multi-discipline approach to obtain optimal results. Representative disease of acquired dysphasia is the oral cavity cancer. Cancer ablation results in tissue defect and decreased motor function. Free flap reconstruction is the choice of treatment following oral cavity caner operation; however, dysphasia after cancer operation is inevitable. In this review article, the full scopes of oral anomaly associated with dysphasia were classified and treatment was suggested.