Gingival leiomyosarcoma in a young woman: case report and literature review

Leiomyosarcoma [LMS] is a rare mesenchymal malignancy, of which 3-10% of cases occur in the head and neck region. We report a 22-year-old woman who was referred to the University Hospital of Siena, Italy, in 2016 with an ostensibly benign asymptomatic lump on the mandibular gingiva. The lesion grew rapidly, causing otalgia in the right ear. An excisional biopsy was performed and primary LMS was diagnosed histologically. Subsequently, the patient underwent radical re-excision of the perilesional mucosa, a partial bone resection and the extraction of four teeth. No recurrences or metastases were detectable at a 20-month follow-up. This report discusses the differential diagnosis of LMS with regards to other benign and malignant lesions and reviews the recent literature on primary and secondary oral LMS. Due to its innocuous clinical features-including its asymptomatic nature and presentation at a young age-this aggressive malignancy can go undetected; therefore, an early histopathological diagnosis is crucial

A case of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw with a particularly unfavourable course: a case report

Bisphosphonates are drugs used to treat osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, including osteoporosis, Paget disease, multiple myeloma, cancer-related osteolysis, and malignant hypercalcemia. The use of these drugs has increased in recent years as have their complications, especially bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ), which more frequently affects the mandible. Here we report a case of BRONJ with a particularly unfavorable course due to cervical inflammation that developed into necrotizing fasciitis, followed by multiorgan involvement leading to septic shock and death.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and abuse of anabolic steroids

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is characterized by mucocutaneous tenderness and typical hemorrhagic erosions, erythema and epidermal detachment presenting as blisters and areas of denuded skin. SJS is often observed after drug use as well as after bacterial or viral infections. Several drugs are at high risk of inducing SJS, but there are no cases in the English literature regarding anabolic steroid use triggering SJS. In our paper, we describe a case in which use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) was associated with SJS. The patient participated in competitive body-building and regularly took variable doses of AAS. Initial symptoms (headache, weakness, pharyngodynia, and fever) were ignored. After a week he presented to the Emergency Department with a burning sensation on the mouth, lips, and eyes. Painful, erythematous, maculopapular, and vesicular lesions appeared all over the body, including on the genitals. During hospitalization, he also developed a cardiac complication. The patient had not taken any drugs except AAS.

A rare case of osteonecrosis of the jaw related to imatinib

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is commonly described as an adverse effect of the use of bisphosphonates. A few cases of ONJ associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (sunitinib, imatinib) have been reported in the literature and usually they occurred in patients simultaneously treated with bisphosphonates. We report an atypical case of ONJ related only to imatinib. A 72-year-old male patient was treated with imatinib for metastases from gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). The patient developed ONJ after 22 months of imatinib only therapy. During his whole life, the patient had never been treated with bisphosphonates or radiotherapy. Microscope examination of the tissues confirmed the clinical diagnosis of diffuse osteonecrosis and showed absence of neoplastic cells. Thus, secondary localisations from GISTs were ruled out. Osteonecrosis of the lower jaw appeared 22 months after initial and exclusive therapy with imatinib. Therefore, imatinib monotherapy can induce ONJ in patients that have never been treated with bisphosphonates or radiotherapy.

Unusual complications caused by lipoma of the tongue

Lipoma is the most common, benign, soft tissue, mesenchymal tumour and is composed of mature adipose tissue. It is infrequent in the oral cavity (approximately 0.3% of all tongue neoplasias). We describe the case of a 68-year-old man with a swelling at the tongue edge and tongue dysesthesia. Medical history, clinical assessment, radiographic images, and cytological analysis enabled specialists to classify this neoplasia as a lipoma. The patient recovered fully after surgical excision of the affected area, and the neuralgic symptoms regressed. Surgical excision is an elective treatment; however, accurate differential diagnosis, histological examination, and follow-up are required.