Ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma of the jaws: Report of two cases and a literature review.

BACKGROUND: Ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma (GCOC) is a rare malignant odontogenic epithelial tumor with features of benign calcifying odontogenic cysts. Herein, we report two new cases of GCOC and systematically review the previous literature. CASE SUMMARY: In case 1, a 46-year-old man complained of painless swelling of the right maxilla for 3 years, with a 1-mo history of hemorrhinia in the right nasal cavity. In case 2, a 72-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a chief complaint of painful swelling of the right mandible. Initially, the preliminary diagnoses were ameloblastomas. Thus, the two patients underwent resection of the tumor under general anesthesia. Finally, immunohistochemical examination confirmed the diagnosis of GCOC. The patient in case 1 was followed for 2 years, with no evidence of recurrence. However, the patient in case 2 was lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: GCOC is a rare malignant odontogenic epithelial tumor with high recurrence. Local extensive resection is necessary for the definitive treatment of GCOC.

Lingual lymph nodes in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and the floor of the mouth.

BACKGROUND: The treatment failure for oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) frequently takes the form of local and regional recurrences. We investigated the role of lingual lymph nodes (LLNs) in the recurrence of SCC of the tongue and the floor of the mouth. METHODS: A total of 111 patients with SCC of the tongue and the floor of the mouth who received treatment between 2012 and 2017 were included in this study. The patients with lingual lymph nodes that were confirmed to be metastasis on pathological examination were classified into the LNN group. The demographic and clinical data differences between the No-LLN group and the LLN group were compared. Statistical analyses were performed using the Pearson chi-square test RESULTS: The total incidence of LLNs was 17.12% (19/111) and 5 patients (4.5%) demonstrated LLN metastases. All the patients with LLN metastases had a neck lymph node status of N2 classification. The incidence and metastasis of the LLNs were associated with pathological classifications of SCC of the tongue and the floor of the mouth. CONCLUSIONS: LLNs are rare in patients with SCC of the tongue and the floor of the mouth, and they would be ready to be omitted. The dissection of these LLNs would be of benefit to those patients with advanced pathological grade.

Condyle Head Reimplantation Combined With Vascularized Free Flap for Mandibular Reconstruction.

Due to the anatomic and functional complexity, reconstruction of the condylar process after mandibular tumor extirpation remains a surgical challenge. The aim of this study was to present the results and experience of condyle head reimplantation combined with vascularized free flap for mandibular reconstruction in our institution. In the current study, the authors evaluated the clinical features of condyle head reimplantation combined with vascularized free flap for mandibular reconstruction in 5 patients with benign mandibular intraosseous lesions from December 2013 to March 2015 in our institution. All patients showed nearly normal mouth opening, with minimal mandibular deviation and joint symptoms. The radiograph data showed that 4 patients had no obvious bone resorption of condyles while only 1 patient had prominent condyle resorption. All the condyles were cut above the condylar neck, with the biggest remaining condyle height being 2.8 cm and the smallest one being 1.1 cm. Moreover, the original vertical height of mandibular ramus was decreased by 2 to 3 mm during the surgery. In conclusion, this study revealed that combining the condyle reimplantation with vascularized free flap constitutes a reliable method in condylar reconstruction and a slight reduction of the vertical height of condyles may help to diminish unfavorable outcomes.

Propranolol inhibits endothelial progenitor cell homing: a possible treatment mechanism of infantile hemangioma.

BACKGROUND: Propranolol effectively treats infantile hemangioma, but its mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. Although the antiangiogenesis role of propranolol has been previously demonstrated, several lines of evidence suggest that this therapeutic agent may affect the neovascular formation in infantile hemangioma by targeting vasculogenesis. In addition, the homing of endothelial progenitor cells to the lesion of infantile hemangioma plays an important role during the process of vasculogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether propranolol inhibits the vasculogenesis in infantile hemangioma by targeting endothelial progenitor cells recruitment. METHODS: Endothelial progenitor cells were treated with different concentrations (0, 1, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 µM) of propranolol for indicated times (24, 48, 72 h). Cell proliferation and viability were assessed by MTT assay and trypan blue staining. Cell migration was determined by wound healing assay and Boyden chamber assay. The expression levels of extracellular signal regulated kinase, phospho-extracellular signal regulated kinase, Akt, and phospho-Akt were measured by Western blot analysis to explore the molecular mechanism of propranolol on endothelial progenitor cells. In addition, the expression of CXCR4 was measured by Western blot and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Propranolol did not significantly affect the proliferation of endothelial progenitor cells. It inhibited stromal-cell-derived factor 1α-induced migration of endothelial progenitor cells through the Akt and MAPK pathways and the expression of CXCR4 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, the expression of CXCR4 was suppressed by propranolol most likely through the Akt and MAPK pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Propranolol inhibits stromal-cell-derived factor 1α-induced endothelial progenitor cell homing by suppressing the expression of CXCR4 most likely through the Akt and MAPK pathways.