Oral manifestations of langerhans cell histiocytosis in a pediatric population: a clinical and histological study of 8 patients.

Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis is a rare and protean disease of unknown etiology, clinically characterized by single or multiple osteolytic and/or soft tissue lesions. Oral involvement may predate systemic manifestations or mimic infectious/inflammatory disorders. In the present series, oral involvement characterized eight cases of pediatric Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis and oral symptoms represented a very early sign of this disease in four patients. A careful clinical investigation and a proper histologic analysis were required for achieving a definite diagnosis and for confirming clinical suspicion of disease relapse. Immunohistochemistry, that nowadays represents a reliable and accessible ancillary histological technique, allowed the definite diagnosis in all cases of our series.

The use of silicon elastomer in maxillofacial rehabilitation as a substitute for or in conjunction with resins.

Maxillofacial prosthetic rehabilitation aims to restore anatomic function when serious tissue defects are present, as a result of congenital factors, trauma, or surgery. The aims are both aesthetic and functional, and results are obtained using devices that contain, reconstruct, and fill. This study introduces a technique using methods and materials that are acceptable to the patient in that they satisfy chewing, phonetic, and aesthetic functions, while respecting bone structure and restoring function to the soft tissues without causing trauma to them. Our techniques do not use innovative materials, but ones that are structurally different and that, until now, have not been connected with attachment systems. Acrylic resin, acetylic resin, and silicon are used, each in such a way as to take maximum advantage of each material's characteristics and thus give the best results.