Importance of mast cells in human periapical inflammatory lesions.

The role of mast cells (MCs) in periapical inflammatory lesions is not well understood. The objective of this work was to quantify MC numbers in human periapical lesions with the aim to clarify their role in the pathogenesis of these lesions. We analyzed the slides of 64 human periapical inflammatory lesions stained with pH 8.0 toluidine blue technique, quantified the number of MCs, and evaluated any correlation with age, gender, size, and location. The results of this study suggest that MCs were more numerous in females (p < 0.01); MC numbers were higher in biopsies from granulomas with proliferating epithelium and lower in biopsies from chronic apical abscesses; MC counts did not correlate with patients' age or size. MCs were observed more commonly in areas containing inflammatory infiltrate and degranulation was a frequent finding in these zones. Our results suggest that MCs play an active role in the pathogenesis of the periapical inflammatory lesions. The potential role of MCs related with the initiation, development, and persistence of the periapical inflammatory process are discussed.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma metastatic to the oral cavity / Uterine leiomyosrcoma metastatic to the oral cavity

El leiomiosarcoma es una neoplasia maligna rara que se presenta pocas veces en la cavidad bucal. Esto se debe a que en la boca, el músculo liso solamente se encuentra en las paredes de los vasos sanguíneos y las papilas circunvaladas de la lengua. En nuestra revisión de la literatura, solamente encontramos publicados dos casos de leiomiosarcoma uterino con metástasis a los tejidos bucales. El objetivo de este trabajo es informar sobre el tercer caso de liosmiosarcoma uterino con metástasis a boca, yeyuno y pulmones, que apareció en una paciente de 52 años, tratada previamente por medio de histerectomía y radiación, que murió seis meses después de aparecer la metástasis en boca. Se discuten algunos aspectos relacionados con el papel del cirujano dentista, el cirujano maxilofacial y el especialista en patología bucal en el diangnóstico y manejo de esta entidad