Evaluation of Salivary Cortisol and Anxiety Levels in Myofascial Pain Dysfunction Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome (MPDS), otherwise called myofascial pain is one of the most common temporomandibular disorders, which in turn is the most common cause of orofacial pain of non-dental origin. Its etiology is multifactorial and still poorly understood. Psychological factors have been shown to play a role in the etiology. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between anxiety and salivary cortisol levels in patients with myofascial pain. METHODS: Twenty patients suffering from myofascial pain were recruited as the study group. The same number of age and sex matched healthy individuals were taken as the control group. The salivary samples collected between 9-9:15 am from both groups were analyzed for cortisol levels with the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Anxiety levels of 40 patients were measured using Hamilton's anxiety scale. RESULTS: The mean serum cortisol level of the MPDS group showed a highly significant difference (p < 0.001) from the controls. The mean anxiety scores of the MPDS group showed a highly significant difference (p < 0.001) from the controls. A positive correlation was found between anxiety and the salivary cortisol levels in MPDS patients. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that anxiety plays a vital role in the etio-pathogenesis of MPDS; thus, besides pharmacological treatment, psychological support is also needed.

Imaging characteristics of diffuse large cell extra nodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma involving the palate and maxillary sinus: a case report

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are a group of highly diverse malignancies and have a strong tendency to affect organs and tissues that do not ordinarily contain lymphoid cells. Primary extra nodal lymphoma of the hard palate is rare. Here, we present a case of diffuse large B cell lymphoma in a 60-year-old male patient that manifested as slightly painful ulcerated growth on the edentulous right maxillary alveolar ridge extending onto the palate, closely resembling carcinoma of the alveolar ridge. Computed tomography images showed the involvement of the maxillary sinus and right nasal cavity, along with destruction of hard palate, superiorly extending into the orbit. This case report highlights the importance of imaging to evaluate the exact extent of such large malignant lesions, which is essential for treatment planning.