Oral amelanotic melanoma of the maxilla.

Amelanotic melanoma is a variant of malignant melanoma comprising 2% to 8% of all malignant melanomas. The amelanotic presentation of melanoma in the oral cavity is extremely rare and has been reported only occasionally in the literature. Moreover, the lack of melanin makes these tumors difficult to diagnose than that of pigmented lesions and the prognosis tends to be poorer. Herein, we report an amelanotic melanoma involving the oral mucosa of the maxilla in a 27 year-old male.

Malignant inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the maxillary sinus.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are extremely rare neoplasms with a variable natural history and biologic behavior, ranging from completely benign to malignant tumors with fatal outcome. They have no common identifiable cause, although some authors have assumed that any inflammatory stimulus may cause these pseudotumors. They are most commonly found in the lungs. Extrapulmonary sites include abdomen, retroperitoneum and extremities. IMTs rarely affect the head and neck, but the most common subsites in this region include the orbit, larynx, mouth, tonsils, parapharyngeal space, thyroid, parotid and lacrimal glands. There are few reports of inflammatory pseudotumors in the paranasal sinuses. In the maxillary sinus, the initial presenting sign is usually a nonspecific sinonasal mass, which has been growing over a period of weeks or months. On rare occasions, IMT may exhibit malignant transformation. Herein we present a rare case of pathologically proved IMT with malignant transformation which originated in the maxillary sinus of a 29-year-old male.

The prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus infection in head and neck non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in Khorasan, northeast of Iran.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the frequency and possible role of Epstein-Barr virus infection in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the oral cavity and maxillofacial region in Khorasan (Northeast of Iran). METHODS: The cross-sectional retrospective study assessed the frequency of Epstein-Barr virus infection in non-immunosuppressed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases of the oral cavity and maxillofacial region. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 34 cases of head and neck non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (17 low-grade B-cell lymphoma, 14 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and 3 peripheral T cell lymphoma) were selected as a case group, and 10 normal lymph node sections were considered as a control group. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the EBV-DNA in tissue specimens. SPSS 16 was used for statistical analysis of the data. RESULTS: EBV-DNA was detected in 26.5% of NHL samples. Among NHLs, Epstein-Barr virus was found to be positive in 50% cases with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and 11.8% of low grade B-cell lymphomas. Epstein-Barr virus was not detected in any cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. CONCLUSION: Although it seems that Epstein-Barr virus appears to be an etiological factor in some subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, especially in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, more researches should be done to investigate the relationship between Epstein-Barr virus infection and head and neck non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

Clinical and histopathological analysis of oral Squamouscell carcinoma of young patients in Mashhad, Iran: A retrospective study and review of literatures

Objectives: Oral Squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is primarily a disease that mainly occurs in males in their sixthand seventh decades of life and is rare in young adults.Study Design: In this retrospective study, records of patients under the age of 40, with the diagnosis of OSCC inthe Oral Medicine Department of Mashhad Dental Faculty during the past 13 years were analyzed. Their socioeconomicdata, demographic, clinical and histopathological characteristics, risk factors, familial history were assessedand applicable studies and case reports in the literatures were reviewed. PCR (Polymerase chain reaction)analysis was also done for detection of human papilloma virus (HPV).Results: From 158 cases of OSCC diagnosed in our centre, 21 patients were younger than 40 years. Most of themwere young men (12 cases). There was no significant risk factor in this group. The most common site of involvementwas the tongue. The most common clinical presentation was exophytic lesion with ulcer. No HPV DNA wasdetected in these patients.Conclusion: Characteristics of OSCC in young patients are different from older age group. Major risk factors (smokingand alcohol consumption and HPV) were not etiologic factors for OSCC in young patients in our province (AU)

Clinical and histopathological analysis of oral squamous cell carcinoma of young patients in Mashhad, Iran: a retrospective study and review of literature.

OBJECTIVES: Oral Squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is primarily a disease that mainly occurs in males in their sixth and seventh decades of life and is rare in young adults. STUDY DESIGN: In this retrospective study, records of patients under the age of 40, with the diagnosis of OSCC in the Oral Medicine Department of Mashhad Dental Faculty during the past 13 years were analyzed. Their socioeconomic data, demographic, clinical and histopathological characteristics, risk factors, familial history were assessed and applicable studies and case reports in the literatures were reviewed. PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) analysis was also done for detection of human papilloma virus (HPV). RESULTS: From 158 cases of OSCC diagnosed in our centre, 21 patients were younger than 40 years. Most of them were young men (12 cases). There was no significant risk factor in this group. The most common site of involvement was the tongue. The most common clinical presentation was exophytic lesion with ulcer. No HPV DNA was detected in these patients. CONCLUSION: Characteristics of OSCC in young patients are different from older age group. Major risk factors (smoking and alcohol consumption and HPV) were not etiologic factors for OSCC in young patients in our province.