Don-John Summerlin

Osteonecrosis of the mandible or maxilla associated with the use of new generation bisphosphonates.

Objective: The use of bisphosphonates is well established for the treatment of patients with metastatic bone disease, osteoporosis, and Pagets disease. Osteonecrosis of the mandible or maxilla associated with the use of bisphosphonates is a newly described entity never before discussed in the otolaryngology literature. In this paper, we review a series of patients diagnosed with osteonecrosis, all treated with new generation bisphosphonates. Our objective is to inform and educate others, particularly otolaryngologists/head and neck surgeons, about this drug induced entity, a condition that should be recognized early to avoid potential devastating consequences.

Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia: A clinicopathologic study of 221 cases

Classification of cemento-osseous lesions of the jaws has long been a dilemma for pathologists. A group of 221 cemento-osseous lesions exhibited sufficiently distinctive clinicopathologic features to be separated into a specific category: focal cemento-osseous dysplasia. This entity presents as an asymptomatic, focal, mixed radiolucent/radiopaque lesion with ill-defined borders in the tooth-bearing areas. It was found to occur with greater frequency in women (88%) and in the posterior mandible (77%). The average age at presentation was 37 years and a relative predilection for black patients was observed. At surgery these lesions were noted to be hemorrhagic, gritty, and adherent to the surrounding bone. The gross appearance of multiple hemorrhagic fragments is of diagnostic significance. Histologic features include a cellular connective tissue stroma punctuated by irregular osseous and/or cementum-like calcifications. Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia is thought to be of periodontal ligament origin and to be non-neoplastic in nature. Further surgical intervention is not necessary, but periodic follow-up is recommended, because occasional cases were observed to progress into florid osseous dysplasia. Care must be taken to differentiate focal cemento-osseous dysplasia from central cementifying and/or ossifying fibromas, which are true neoplasms and require surgical treatment.

Early soft tissue pathosis associated with impacted third molars without pericoronal radiolucency

OBJECTIVES This study was performed to histologically evaluate soft tissue pathosis in pericoronal tissues of impacted third molars that did not exhibit pathologic pericoronal radiolucency. STUDY DESIGN One hundred impacted third molars without evidence of abnormal pericoronal radiolucency (follicular space <2.0 mm) were removed for reasons other than participation in this study, and the pericoronal tissues were submitted for histopathologic examination. Specimens were fixed and processed routinely and were stained with hematoxylin and eosin before independent evaluation by each of 2 oral pathologists. A subset of both diseased and healthy tissues underwent additional evaluation for the presence of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) for assessment of cellular activity. RESULTS Of the specimens submitted, 34% showed squamous metaplasia suggestive of cystic change equivalent to that found in dentigerous cysts. Soft tissue pathosis was significantly higher in patients over 21 years of age (P =.001). Five of 8 diseased specimens demonstrated PCNA uptake, whereas none of 10 healthy specimens were PCNA positive. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that radiographic appearance may not be a reliable indicator of the absence of disease within a dental follicle. We conclude that the incidence of soft tissue pathologic conditions is higher than generally assumed from radiographic examination alone.

Spindle cell lipoma of the oral cavity.

Spindle cell lipoma is typically seen in the neck/trunk region of middle-aged and older men. Rare cases of oral spindle cell lipoma have been reported. An entity described as myxoid lipoma of the oral cavity has rarely been reported but appears to be more properly classified as spindle cell lipoma. We describe the largest series yet of oral spindle cell lipoma involving the tongue (4), buccal mucosa (1), floor of mouth (1), and lip (1). The patients (3M; 4F) ranged from 31 to 88 years old. All presented with mass lesions. All were circumscribed and composed of mature adipocytes admixed with bland spindled cells. In two cases the adipocytes appeared atrophic, imparting a pseudo-lipoblastic appearance. No true lipoblasts were seen and none had the characteristic vasculature of a myxoid liposarcoma or the characteristic hyperchromatic cells of well-differentiated liposarcoma. The stromal background of all cases contained characteristic wiry collagen and myxoid ground substance. The myxoid ground substance was prominent in four cases. Immunohistochemical stains for CD34 highlighted the bland spindle cells in all cases. The combination of the histologic features and the immunoreactivity for CD34 confirmed the diagnosis. Spindle cell lipoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of oral cavity mesenchymal tumors.

Spindle cell hemangioma: report of a case presenting in the oral cavity.

Background:  Spindle cell hemangioma, formerly termed spindle cell hemangioendothelioma, is an uncommon benign vascular tumor. Presentation in the oral cavity is rare with only two previously reported cases.

Proton therapy for head and neck adenoid cystic carcinoma: Initial clinical outcomes

The purpose of this study was to report outcomes of proton therapy in head and neck adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Prognostic Significance of Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Head and Neck Cancer

IMPORTANCE Head and neck basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) has been considered a more aggressive variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with a poorer prognosis, although case-control studies have reached conflicting conclusions. OBJECTIVE To examine the prognostic significance of head and neck BSCC on overall survival in a large population-based registry. DESIGN AND SETTING Retrospective data review of a population-based registry from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. PARTICIPANTS Individual case data for 34,196 patients treated between January 2004 and December 2009 with head and neck primary SCC (n = 33,554) and BSCC (n = 642) of the oral cavity, oropharyx, larynx, or hypopharynx. Patients with metastatic disease, incomplete staging information, and those who did not receive surgery or radiation were excluded. INTERVENTIONS Patients had been treated with surgery, radiation, or both. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Distribution of patient characteristics between patients of each histology. Hazard ratios, 3-year overall survival, subgroup, and multivariate analysis of patient and treatment characteristics were investigated. RESULTS Across each cohort, patients with BSCC more often had high-grade tumors and treatment with lymph node dissection. Multivariate analysis found that group stage, T stage, N stage, size, lymph node dissection, and age statistically significantly influenced overall survival. In multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio for death for patients with BSCC in the oral cavity and larynx and hypopharynx was not statistically significantly different from that for SCC. In the oropharynx, the hazard ratio for death for BSCC histology compared with SCC histology was 0.73 (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Compared with SCC, BSCC is not an independent adverse prognostic factor for patients with head and neck cancer. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results analysis has limits, including lack of information regarding chemotherapy, but after controlling for disease and treatment variables, including neck dissection and radiotherapy, BSCC histology did not have an independent adverse prognostic effect on overall survival. The reported association between human papillomavirus and BSCC histology may explain the lower hazard ratio for death in patients with oropharynx BSCC.

A systematic review including an additional pediatric case report: Pediatric cases of mammary analogue secretory carcinoma

IMPORTANCE Mammary Analogue Secretory Carcinoma (MASC) is a newly characterized salivary gland carcinoma resembling secretory carcinoma of the breast. Prior to being described, MASC was most commonly misdiagnosed as Acinic Cell Carcinoma. Though MASC is predominantly an adult neoplasm, cases have been reported in the pediatric population. Reporting and summarizing of known cases is imperative to understand the prognosis and clinical behavior of MASC. OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE REVIEW: Web of Science, Medline, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library were searched for studies that included pediatric cases of MASC. Data on clinical presentation, diagnosis and management, and pathology were collected from all pediatric cases. FINDINGS CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Since the first case of MASC in the pediatric population was described in 2011, only 12 cases, including this one, have been described in the literature. With this paucity of information, much remains unknown regarding this new pathologic diagnosis. The collection of clinical outcomes data of children with MASC is needed to better understand the behavior of this malignancy as well as determine optimal treatment regimens.

Head and Neck

Given the complex anatomy of the head and neck, the diversity of the pathology affecting this region is not surprising. As the primary portal of entry to the human body, the upper aerodigestive tract is subjected to environmental exposures that can result in a variety of neoplasms and infections. While ubiquitous squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the upper aerodigestive tract, the jaws and nasal passages are host to many unique, site-specific tumors (i.e., odontogenic neoplasms, olfactory neuroblastoma). Infections play a major role in the pathology of this region with many bacteria, fungi, and viruses serving as significant pathogens. Moreover, primary or secondary manifestations of various autoimmune diseases not uncommonly affect the head and neck. The larynx hosts mucosal-based pathology that parallels that encountered more proximally in the oropharynx and oral cavity. Furthermore, the unique anatomy and functional mechanics of the glottis give rise to its own unique lesions.