A case-control study to detect the extent of DNA damage in oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid reactions using comet assay.

AIM: This study aims to quantify the extent of DNA damage in lymphocytes of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral lichenoid reactions (OLRs) using comet assay. METHODOLOGY: Lymphocytes from peripheral blood were subjected to alkaline comet assay. Comet length (CL), head diameter (HD), percentage of DNA in head, tail length (TL), percentage of DNA in tail, tail intensity, tail mean and tail moment were compared between study group (OLP and OLR) and control group using Student's t-test. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to examine the linear association between the variables. RESULTS: Significantly higher levels of DNA damage was present in study group as reflected by CL, HD and TL, tail intensity and tail moment with P = 0.0001; percentage of DNA in head and tail with P = 0.02 and tail mean with P = 0.012. CONCLUSION: This study brings out the fact that DNA damage measured by comet assay was greater in the study group when compared to the control group. As a reflection of uniqueness, this study crowns the scenario with respect to early detection and prevention of potentially malignant disorders and the process of malignant transformation.

A new venture with sclerotherapy in an oral vascular lesion.

Vascular malformations are one of the most common lesions of the oral cavity. The lesion may be a congenital malformation observed in neonates or arteriovenous malformation observed in adults. Various surgical and medical managements are possible for vascular lesions which include surgical excision, laser therapy, cryotherapy, selective embolization, intralesional sclerosing agents, ß-blockers and steroid therapy. Here we report a case of oral vascular lesion where intralesional injection with 30 mg/ml of sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) was given, which resulted in local complications with severe inflammatory response including pain, swelling, and surface ulceration that remained for 2 weeks. Sclerotherapy with STS still remain an effective agent in treating benign oral vascular lesions and provides alternative or support for surgical methods. Sometimes it can lead to undesirable complications like allergic reactions, local inflammatory response, etc.

Gustatory dysfunction.

Tastes in humans provide a vital tool for screening soluble chemicals for food evaluation, selection, and avoidance of potentially toxic substances. Taste or gustatory dysfunctions are implicated in loss of appetite, unintended weight loss, malnutrition, and reduced quality of life. Dental practitioners are often the first clinicians to be presented with complaints about taste dysfunction. This brief review provides a summary of the common causes of taste disorders, problems associated with assessing taste function in a clinical setting and management options available to the dental practitioner.