Ameloblastic Fibrosarcoma of the Mandible With Distant Metastases.

Ameloblastic fibrosarcoma is a mixed odontogenic tumor that can originate de novo or from a transformed ameloblastic fibroma. This report describes the case of a 34-year-old woman with a recurrent, rapidly growing, debilitating lesion. This lesion appeared as a large painful mandibular swelling that filled the oral cavity and extended to the infratemporal fossa. The lesion had been previously misdiagnosed as ameloblastoma. Twenty months after final surgery and postoperative chemotherapy, lung metastases were diagnosed after she reported respiratory signs and symptoms.

Closure of large oroantral communication using coronoid process pedicled on temporalis muscle flap: a new alternative approach.

Proximity of maxillary molar teeth roots to the maxillary sinus floor can potentiate oroantral communication (OAC) after extraction. Considering the defect size and situation, surgical treatment may become essential. Surgical treatment modalities are variable and would be indicated in special clinical circumstances.In this article, a chronic case of OAC with a size of 25 × 15 mm(2) in a 30-year old man with history of heavy smoking and drug abuse was treated with combination of buccal fat pad (for covering sinus floor), coronoid process pedicled on temporalis flap, and mucosal closure. There was no complication during and after operation. Short- and long-term follow-up revealed success of this novel technique despite the patient's poor compliance.

Complication following reconstruction of orbital floor with temporalis-coronoid flap after subtotal maxillectomy.

A 33-year-old lady was referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Taleghani hospital in 2008. She complained of firm swelling on the left side of her face with toothache, lacrimation, and nasal stiffness. There was a large mass in the left maxillary sinus with extension to the orbital floor, nasal bone, ethmoid sinus, and infratemporal fossa. The incisional biopsy revealed a neurofibroma of the maxilla. She underwent hemimaxillectomy and simultaneous reconstruction with temporalis-coronoid flap for orbital floor reconstruction. After 2 months' follow-up with no complication, she complained of left globe upward movement during gum chewing. The orbital and visual examinations were otherwise normal. This unusual complication has continued for 4 years with no resolution, although the patient does not worry about it any more.

Exfoliation and simultaneous formation of condylar process following chronic osteomyelitis of the mandible.

A 26-year-old physically challenged man with a history of 7 months' infection and pus discharge was referred to the oral and maxillofacial department. He had undergone right mandibular teeth extraction 1 year ago, which was followed by pus discharge from an extraoral submandibular fistula after 2 months. Again, incision and drainage and wide-spectrum antibiotic were prescribed, which subsided the symptoms for a short period but did not cure the condition. So, sequestrectomy, complete debridements, and antibiotic therapy were planned for him. In the operating room, it was revealed that the sequestrum was the condylar process, and in follow-up cone-beam computed tomography scan, the condyle was being regenerated simultaneously. One-year follow-up showed successful treatment of the condition.

Effects of Qigong exercises on 3 different parameters of human saliva.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of a Qigong program on various parameters of unstimulated saliva, including volume, pH and secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) level. METHODS: Twice a day from the beginning of Fall 2005, twenty-three healthy volunteers aged 22-24 did special Qigong exercises and massage of acupuncture points which stimulated the energy cycle and increased body water energy. The unstimulated saliva volume and pH were recorded every week in Spring (April, May, June) 2005 before the volunteers started to learn and exercise Qigong, and after Qigong intervention in Spring (April, May, June) 2006. During the period of study, saliva was collected in the same location and on similar dates at the Dental Faculty of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The S-IgA levels of the last samples of the last week of Spring 2005 and 2006 were measured. RESULTS: The unstimulated saliva volume after Qigong exercises (2.94 + or - 0.20 mL/5min) was significantly higher as compared to the pre-Qigong phase (1.65 + or -0.102 mL/5min, P<0.05). The S-IgA level was 105.45 + or - 9.41 mg/mL before doing Qigong exercises, and 156.23 + or - 88.56 mg/mL after doing Qigong exercises, and a statistically significant difference was seen between the two measurements (P=0.005). The change in pH was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The application of Qigong is beneficial for increasing salivary volume and other parameters. Moreover, the results suggest that Qigong may be a useful medication for patients with salivary hyposecretion. Further research is recommended in examining the long-term effects of Qigong on improving salivary volume and other parameters in individuals with salivary hyposecretion.

Periodontal health in mothers of preterm and term infants.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have suggested that chronic periodontitis may induce an inflammatory response which can cause premature delivery. This study was designed to assess the association between periodontal health and preterm labor in Iranian female population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, 201 pregnant women without systemic disease or other risk factors for preterm labor were chosen. The control group (n = 99) had term labor (infants > or =37 weeks) and the case group (n = 102) had preterm labor (infants < 37 weeks). Bleeding index, pocket depth and debris index were measured. RESULTS: The data of bleeding index (cases, 0.64 +/- 0.38; controls, 0.57 +/- 0.35), probing depth (cases, 2.80 +/- 0.30; controls, 1.63 +/- 0.23) and debris index (cases, 1.38 +/- 0.67; controls, 0.81 +/- 0.38) revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to the findings of this study, there is a noticeable relationship between periodontal health and duration of pregnancy; periodontal disease could be a risk factor for preterm labor. Oral hygiene is strongly recommended to be included in prenatal care.