Reviewing the oral pigmented lesions of human immunodeficiency virus with emphasis on the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome a disease with high mortality rates is caused by the well-known human immunodeficiency virus. The disease is characterized by several opportunistic infections owing to the decreased CD4 lymphocyte counts. Oral manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus are vital as they are one of the early manifestations of the disease. Also, they serve as prognostic markers as they correlate with the CD4 lymphocyte counts of the affected individuals. Human immunodeficiency virus is not only common in the adult population but also can affect pediatric patients through vertical transmission. The initial therapeutic strategy for the management of the virus was only the prevention of opportunistic infections. Later in the mid-1990s, antiretroviral therapy was introduced but there was no significant improvement in prognosis. After the advent of combination therapy or the use of three antiretroviral drugs also known as highly active antiretroviral therapy, there has been a marked reduction in human immunodeficiency virus-associated mortality rates. The highly active antiretroviral therapy has several effects on the oral manifestations of the human immunodeficiency virus. The present paper aims to review the oral pigmented lesions associated with human immunodeficiency virus with an emphasis on the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Desmoplastic Ameloblastoma Arising in a Dentigerous Cyst - A Case Report and Discussion.

Dentigerous cyst is a fairly common odontogenic cyst with an uncomplicated prognosis. However, reports of odontogenic and non-odontogenic tumors arising from the cysts have been published for many years. Therefore, the importance of thorough histopathological examination and regular follow-up cannot be overemphasized. Here is a case report of a possible development of desmoplastic ameloblastoma from a dentigerous cyst. This case is unique for two main reasons. Firstly, to our knowledge such a case has not been reported previously. Secondly, the tumor seemed to arise from the capsule and not from lining of the dentigerous cyst. Transformation of odontogenic rests into cysts is known to occur in the syndromic cases of odontogenic keratocysts (resulting in recurrent and daughter cysts) but not in dentigerous cysts. This case report may prompt greater interest in the role of the supposedly inactive odontogenic nests in the capsule of these cysts.

Research experiences, attitudes, and barriers to publishing among the dental postgraduate teachers: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Research is important in medical and dental sciences to improve healthcare. Faculties play an important role in research productivity and student motivation in research. AIM: The aim of this paper was to assess the attitude and experiences of dental post-graduate teachers toward article writing and reading and to discuss the barriers faced by them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 150 dental post-graduate teachers from various Dental Colleges in South India participated as the study group. A questionnaire relating to publishing practices was distributed, and the results were analyzed. RESULT: Majority of the study group (82%) were involved in the publication with many (48.4%) doing so for career progression. Journal prestige was the main reason for selection of journals. Lack of time was the main reason for those not involved in the publication. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the positive attitude of teachers toward scientific reading and writing. They only require motivation and time.

Granuloma with langhans giant cells: An overview.

Granuloma formation with multinucleated giant cells is seen in numerous diseases. A granuloma is a focus of chronic inflammation consisting of a microscopic aggregation of macrophages surrounded by a collar of lymphocytes and plasma cells. In this article, we present a case of granuloma formation with multiple Langhans giant cells along with an overview of the differential diagnoses, which include mycobacterium diseases, other bacterial infections, fungal infections, protozoal infections, and other granulomatous diseases.

Ancient neurilemmoma: A rare oral tumor.

Neurilemmomas are benign tumors of neural origin composed of Schwann cell proliferation in characteristic patterns. Ancient neurilemmomas are usually longstanding growths that exhibit degenerative features that could be mistaken for malignancy. They are extremely rare in the oral cavity and present in older individuals of long duration. The authors report a case of ancient neurilemmoma in a young patient with short duration of growth. This unique case presented with remarkable histopathological features with respect to vascularity and atypia associated with degenerative change. It is essential to not mistake these features as malignant transformation so as to avoid radical procedures.

Oral melanin pigmentation in smoked and smokeless tobacco users in India. Clinico-pathological study.

Tobacco used as smoked and smokeless form induces oral mucosal changes in which intra-oral mucosal pigmentation is one of the clinical manifestations. The melanocyte activity responsible for pigment changes is not well documented in the literature. The present study is undertaken to observe clinical and histological changes in oral buccal and labial mucosa of 41 tobacco users and compared with 8 controls. 95.24% of smokers showed pigmentation of both labial and buccal mucosa. Labial mucosa showed a high degree fo pigmentation (81%) than the buccal mucosa (33.3%). 93.3% of alcoholics showed a high degree of pigmentation. Hypermelanocytosis and melanosis were observed in smokers. Pigmentation at the site of quid placement was absent in smokeless tobacco users but mild pigmentation was observed away from the site of quid placement with the concurrent increase in the number of melanocytes and melanocytic activity.

Intra-oral hypermelanosis in an HIV sero-positive patient--a case report.

A 32 year old HIV sero positive male patient reported to the Ragas Dental College Annexure at Voluntary Health Services Hospital, Chennai for evaluation of oral health status. He had no history of any drug or tobacco usage. Intra oral examination revealed pigmentation in the buccal mucosa on both sides, which was increasing over the past six months. Histopathologic evaluation of the hyper pigmented lesion was done, using routine Haematoxylin & Eosin and Masson-Fontana stains. The hyper pigmentation was observed to be as a result of increased melanin production in the epithelium. The pathogenesis of hypermelanosis intra-orally in HIV sero-positive patients is discussed in this article.