Javier Fernández Feijoo

Management of drooling in disabled patients with scopolamine patches.

AIM To evaluate the efficacy of scopolamine administered transdermally for the treatment of drooling in severely disabled patients. METHODS A prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled clinical trial was designed. The study group consisted of 30 handicapped patients with persistent drooling. The exclusion criteria were the specific contra-indications of scopolamine. Severity of drooling was quantified using a modified Thomas-Stonell and Greenberg visual scale simplified into three grades: 1 = dry; 2 = mild/moderate; 3 = severe/fulsome. The frequency of drooling was estimated using the number of bibs used each day. The baseline observational phase was followed by the application of a 1.5 mg scopolamine (Scopoderm TTS; Novartis Consumer Healthcare, UK) or placebo patch every 72 h for a fortnight. This was followed by a 1 week washout period and then crossover of assignments for 2 weeks. RESULTS At baseline, 77% of patients showed grade 3 of drooling. The placebo administration showed no significant reduction in drooling. We found a significant drooling reduction (P < 0.005) in the scopolamine group in the 1 and 2 week controls (69% and 80% respectively <or= grade 3). The mean number of bibs/day decreased during the scopolamine phase from 6/day at baseline to 3/day at the 2 week control. Four patients (13.3%) dropped out because of scopolamine side effects and minor adverse reactions were observed in three other patients. No blood alterations were found during the study period. CONCLUSION Scopolamine can be useful to control drooling in severely disabled patients although it requires appropriate patient selection and is not free from adverse effects.

Oral self-injury: an update.

BACKGROUND Self-inflicted oral injuries of organic origin are particularly common in certain diseases, syndromes, and systemic disorders. In this article, we discuss the characteristics of these oral lesions and their treatment. LITERATURE SEARCH The authors have reviewed the most relevant literature relating to oral self-injury through a search in textbooks and published articles included in the Medline database for the years 1970-2010, and selected published cases from the last two decades. RESULTS The majority of the literature on oral self-injury is in the form of case reports. Self-injury is particularly prevalent in patients with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders, congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, and mental retardation. It is most common in males in the early years of life, and the sites most frequently involved are the lower lip and the tongue. Therapeutic approaches in these patients have included psychological and pharmacological treatment, intraoral devices, and surgical procedures. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Intraoral devices are the best therapeutic option for self-injury of organic origin, although this approach is not free of complications. The current lack of standardized treatment protocols for oral self-injury means that therapy must be individualized.

Oral health status of patients with a mild decrease in glomerular filtration rate

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the oral health status of patients with mildly decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR). STUDY DESIGN The study group comprised 80 adults with GFR 60-89 mL/min. A group of 80 age- and gender-matched control subjects with GFR > or =90 mL/min were selected. Medical history, clinical examination, and biochemistry blood tests were performed in patients and control subjects. Renal function was estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula. A single dentist performed an intraoral examination of each patient and control subject. RESULTS No significant differences were detected between patients and controls in the number of decayed, missing, or filled teeth, supragingival plaque accumulation, calculus deposits, gingival inflammation, depth of periodontal pockets, clinical attachment loss, or dental mobility. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first study on dental health in the early stages of chronic renal failure. The results suggest that in patients with mildly decreased GFR, there are no alterations of the oral health status.

A novel mutation in the OFD1 (Cxorf5) gene may contribute to oral phenotype in patients with oral-facial-digital syndrome type 1

BACKGROUND Oral-facial-digital syndrome (OFDS) type 1 (OFD1) is an X-linked dominant condition associated with embryonic male lethality. It almost always affects the oral cavity, face, and digits. It is considered to be a ciliopathy caused by mutations in the OFD1 gene. A variety of mutations have been described, and a genotype-phenotype correlation has been suggested. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS The proband was an 8-year-old Spanish girl with suspected OFD1. We extended the pedigree to three probands generations, performing a thorough physical examination and screening for OFD1 mutations in nine individuals. RESULTS The proband, her mother, and her sister showed oral findings consistent with OFD1. Ultrasound evaluation revealed the existence of renal cysts only in the probands mother. The rest of the family (all male) had no relevant morphological abnormalities. A single-base deletion in exon 16 of OFD1 (c.2183delG) leading to a frameshift was detected in the proband, her mother, and her sister. CONCLUSION Because all three women had a similar oral phenotype, this new mutation might be involved in the development of the OFD1 oral manifestations. In cases of OFDS, physical examination (including the oral cavity and renal function) and genetic screening of the probands and their relatives are mandatory.

Does Tumour Biological Behaviour Influence Prognosis More than Diagnostic Delay in Oral Cancer

Worldwide, oral cancer has one of the lowest survival rates (lethal disease for over 50% of cases diagnosed annually) and remains unaffected despite recent therapeutic advances. Unfortunately, almost half of the oral cancers are diagnosed at stages III or IV, probably due to delays in reaching a definitive diagnosis. Many preventive approaches (secondary prevention) have been designed assuming the logical hypothesis that the longer the diagnostic delay, the more advanced the cancer and the worse the prognosis. However, a number of studies failed to prove this association or even found an inverse relationship. We hypothesize that tumour’s biological heterogeneity in terms of aggressiveness may explain shorter delays linked to advanced stages and bad prognosis. The assumption of this hypothesis would entail favouring oral cancer and precancer screening strategies at the preclinical stage of the disease, and therefore strategies of opportunistic screening for oral cancer and precancer on asymptomatic at risk population should be reinforced.

Antibiotic Prophylactic Regimens for Infective Endocarditis in Patients Undergoing Dental Procedures

Up to date causal relationship has been demonstrated between dental manipulations and the onset of infective endocarditis (IE). However, since 1955, numerous expert committees have proposed antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) to prevent bacteraemia of oral origin. Controversy regarding the efficacy of AP prior to the dental procedures has intensified in recent years because of the lack of conclusive evidence on its efficacy for the prevention of IE and on its cost-effectiveness, as well as the possibility of allergic reactions and the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Accordingly, AP is now maintained exclusively for patients at highest risk and who require the manipulation of the gingival or periapical regions of the teeth or perforation of the oral mucosa. In the context of a restrictive policy, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) of the United Kingdom published a new guideline in 2008 stating that “AP against IE is not recommended for persons undergoing dental procedures”, regardless of risk status and of the nature of the procedure to be performed. The NICE guideline has generated further controversy, and expert committees in other countries continue to publish prophylactic regimens for the prevention of IE secondary to dental procedures. In this chapter, we discuss the principal guidelines currently applicable in Europe, the USA and Australia, and we draw particular attention to the need for randomised clinical trials.

A novel mutation in the OFD1 (Cxorf5) gene may contribute to oral phenotype in OFD1 patients

BACKGROUND Oral-facial-digital syndrome (OFDS) type 1 (OFD1) is an X-linked dominant condition associated with embryonic male lethality. It almost always affects the oral cavity, face, and digits. It is considered to be a ciliopathy caused by mutations in the OFD1 gene. A variety of mutations have been described, and a genotype-phenotype correlation has been suggested. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS The proband was an 8-year-old Spanish girl with suspected OFD1. We extended the pedigree to three probands generations, performing a thorough physical examination and screening for OFD1 mutations in nine individuals. RESULTS The proband, her mother, and her sister showed oral findings consistent with OFD1. Ultrasound evaluation revealed the existence of renal cysts only in the probands mother. The rest of the family (all male) had no relevant morphological abnormalities. A single-base deletion in exon 16 of OFD1 (c.2183delG) leading to a frameshift was detected in the proband, her mother, and her sister. CONCLUSION Because all three women had a similar oral phenotype, this new mutation might be involved in the development of the OFD1 oral manifestations. In cases of OFDS, physical examination (including the oral cavity and renal function) and genetic screening of the probands and their relatives are mandatory.