Oral cancer: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: To determine the prevalence and clinicopathologic features of the oral cancer patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Biopsy records of the participating institutions were reviewed for oral cancer cases diagnosed from 2005 to 2014. Demographic data and site of the lesions were collected. Sites of the lesion were subdivided into lip, tongue, floor of the mouth, gingiva, alveolar mucosa, palate, buccal/labial mucosa, maxilla and mandible. Oral cancer was subdivided into 7 categories: epithelial tumors, salivary gland tumors, hematologic tumors, bone tumors, mesenchymal tumors, odontogenic tumors, and others. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics using SPSS software version 17.0. RESULTS: Of the 474,851 accessioned cases, 6,151 cases (1.30%) were diagnosed in the category of oral cancer. The mean age of the patients was 58.37±15.77 years. A total of 4,238 cases (68.90%) were diagnosed in males, whereas 1911 cases (31.07%) were diagnosed in females. The male-to-female ratio was 2.22:1. The sites of predilection for oral cancer were tongue, labial/buccal mucosa, gingiva, palate, and alveolar mucosa, respectively. The three most common oral cancer in the descending order of frequency were squamous cell carcinoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence of oral cancer is not high compared to other entities, oral cancer pose significant mortality and morbidity in the patients, especially when discovered late in the course of the disease. This study highlights some anatomical locations where oral cancers are frequently encountered. As a result, clinicians should pay attention to not only teeth, but oral mucosa especially in the high prevalence area as well since early detection of precancerous lesions or cancers in the early stage increase the chance of patient being cured and greatly reduce the mortality and morbidity. This study also shows some differences between pediatric and elderly oral cancer patients as well as between Asian and non-Asian oral cancer patients.

Hepatitis C virus infection in Thai patients with oral lichen planus.

OBJECTIVE: Many studies focusing on the association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and oral lichen planus (OLP) have been conducted. Diversities of geographical locations could be a major factor influencing the prevalence of HCV. This study was aimed to define whether there was a relationship between the OLP and HCV infection in Thailand. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum samples of 60 patients (with OLP) and 60 controls (without OLP), whose age and gender were matched, were respectively screened for anti-HCV by ELISA (third generation), and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for HCV-RNA. RESULTS: We found five patients (8.33%) with OLP infected with HCV: three patients were positive for both anti-HCV and HCV-RNA; one patient was only positive for anti-HCV; and one patient was only positive for HCV-RNA; whereas all the controls were negative for both anti-HCV and HCV-RNA (P=0.029). Three of five cases of OLP with HCV infection had histories of blood transfusions over 10 years ago. CONCLUSION: The present study reports a small, but statistically significant high prevalence of HCV infection among patients with OLP, although the underlying mechanism still remains unknown.

[Dental practice and AIDS].

In Thailand nowadays AIDS is not completely under control. This is evident from reports which show an increasing number of HIV-positive patients. Since an unknown number of HIV-infected persons who are either undiagnosed or asymptomatic come to get dental service, fears of getting infected with HIV have been developed among dental professionals. This article summarizes a number of past studies and reports on HIV transmission in dental work and discusses the possibility of AIDS infection and dental occupational risk. It also urges dental professionals to take effective safety precaution against the infection. This is for their own and their patients' well-being and hopefully for Thailand's success in controlling AIDS.

PIP: In Thailand AIDS is currently not completely under control. This is clear from report which show an increasing number of HIV-positive patients. Since an unknown number of HIV-infected individuals are either undiagnosed or asymptomatic when seeking dental service, dental professionals have become fearful of becoming infected with HIV. This article provides a summary of a number of past studies and reports on HIV transmission in dentistry and discusses the possibility of AIDS infection and dental occupational risk. It also urges dental professionals to take effective safety precautions against infection. This is both for their own and their patients' well-being and will hopefully help Thailand in the control of AIDS. (author's modified)

[Gigantic giant cell fibroma in Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University].

An unusual case of gigantic giant cell fibroma was reported and included in the series of 3 cases seen at Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, during the past 14 and a half years since this particular lesion was first described in 1974. These 3 cases, representing 0.5% of all fibrous lesions, were presented and discussed according to their distribution, location, sex, incidence, clinical and histologic appearance in reference to the literature. This article also discussed the importance of biopsy and recommended that it should be routinely done to obtain a definite diagnosis of the lesion.