Luis Naval Gias

Marginal and segmental mandibulectomy in patients with oral cancer: a statistical analysis of 106 cases

PURPOSE The treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma may require mandibular resection to secure adequate margin. This bone resection often is segmental or marginal mandibulectomy. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the local control and survival after surgical treatment of oral cancer, according to these 2 different mandibular resection procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of a 20-year cohort of 106 patients who underwent marginal or segmental mandibulectomy for oral cancer. All patients had a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma involving either the floor of the mouth, mandibular gingiva, retromolar trigone, tongue, buccal mucosa, or oropharynx. The type of mandibular resection and treatment outcome were compared, using an univariate analysis by the Pearson chi(2) test, logistic regression model for multivariate analysis, and Kaplan-Meier method to determine survival. RESULTS The 5-year observed survival rate was 60.35%. The presence of histologic mandibular invasion increased the local recurrence rate. Early tumor stages (P =.02) were found to be associated with decreased local recurrence rates. Our findings indicate that tumor stage and size of mandibulectomy are more important than the type of mandibulectomy in predicting histologic bone involvement. The cases treated with a greater than 4 cm bone resection showed a lower survival rate than those treated with less than 4 cm mandibulectomy (P =.01). Patients in advanced stages (P =.006) and those with surgical margin (P =.0001) or the bone (P =.003) affected by the tumor showed a statistically significant lower survival rate. However, no statistically significant differences were found between patients treated by marginal or segmental mandibulectomy. CONCLUSIONS Among the prognostic factors studied, the status of the surgical resection margin, the bony involvement and the size of mandibulectomy affected the prognosis for oral carcinoma. Mandibular conservation surgery is oncologically safe for patients with squamous carcinoma in early stages. The marginal technique was not associated with worse prognosis.

Osseointegrated Implant Rehabilitation of Irradiated Oral Cancer Patients

PURPOSE The aim of this study is to analyze implant survival in patients who received radiotherapy treatment for oral malignancies and in patients who had suffered mandibular osteoradionecrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed retrospectively 225 implants placed in 30 patients who had received radiotherapy as part of the oncologic treatment. Radiation doses ranged between 50 and 70 Gy. 39 implants were placed after a combined treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Data referred to tumour type and reconstruction, presence of osteoradionecrosis, region of implant installation and type of prostheses were recorded. Survival rates were calculated with cumulative Kaplan-Meier survival curves and compared between different groups with a log-rank test. RESULTS 152 osseointegrated implants were placed in patients who presented previous reconstruction procedure. Five patients developed osteorradionecrosis as a complication of the radiotherapy treatment. Once osteoradionecrosis had healed in these patients, 41 implants were installed. The overall 5 year survival rate in irradiated patients was 92.6%. Irradiated patients had a marginally significantly higher implant loss than non-irradiated patients. (p = 0.063). The 5 year survival rate in the osteoradionecrosis group was of 48.3% and in the non-osteoradionecrosis group 92.3%, with a statistically significant difference between both groups. (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION Osseointegrated implants enhance oral rehabilitation in most irradiated patients, even being an acceptable option for patients who had suffered osteoradionecrosis. Totally implant supported prostheses are recommended after irradiation providing functional, stable and aesthetically satisfactory rehabilitation.

Rim versus sagittal mandibulectomy for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma: Two types of mandibular preservation

The role of conservative mandibulectomy for patients with bone invasion from squamous cell carcinoma remains poorly defined. However, marginal mandibular resection is biomechanically secure in its design while maintaining the mandibular continuity. This procedure has proven to be a successful method of treating squamous cell carcinoma with limited mandibular involvement.

Primary mandibular reconstruction with bridging plates

Summary 25 cases in which the mandible was resected and reconstructed using a reconstruction plate (AO titanium reconstruction system and Leibinger titanium reconstruction system) are presented. 16 patients suffered from oral carcinoma, 7 presented with odontogenic tumours and 2 had chronic osteomyelitis of the mandible. The mean age was 54.2 years, the male to female ratio was 2.6:1. 3 patients had a reconstruction plate for mandibular resection without continuity defect (marginal resection), in all the other patients the reconstruction plate bridged a mandibular resection with a continuity defect: 13 were located in the body, body-angle or ascending ramus with preservation of the mandibular condyle; 4 hemimandibulectomies with disarticulation of the TMJ; and 5 involved the anterior arch, crossing the midline. 12 patients received radiotherapy (3 pre-operatively). Only 3 patients with significant local side effects needed the treatment to be stopped for a period of time. There was no perioperative mortality. Only one plate was removed. Although minor complications were noted in 11 patients, the general improvement in the functional and cosmetic balance of the patients when compared with patients in whom no plate was used, justifies the use of this reconstruction system, in our opinion.

Trombosis de la vena yugular interna y mediastinitis aguda necrosante descendente debido a una faringoamigdalitis aguda

Resumen El sindrome de Lemierre es una patologia muy infrecuente en la epoca actual, pero muy grave, y siempre debe considerarse ante un cuadro de fiebre con antecedente de infeccion orofaringea, tumefaccion laterocervical a lo largo del musculo esternocleidomastoideo y signos de sepsis. El diagnostico de este sindrome es fundamentalmente clinico, y las pruebas complementarias tan solo ayudan a confirmar el cuadro. Presentamos el caso de un varon de 31 anos que acudio a urgencias con clinica de faringoamigdalitis junto con tumefaccion en la region submandibular izquierda e importante dolor cervical ipsilateral, que mostro un deterioro rapido y progresivo del estado general pese al tratamiento antibiotico intravenoso. Finalmente tuvo que ser intervenido debido al desarrollo de mediastinitis aguda necrosante descendente desde la region pretiroidea hasta el diafragma, con trombosis de la vena yugular interna izquierda. Se le realizo toracotomia urgente y cervicotomia izquierda con drenaje de abundante material purulento y ligadura de la vena yugular interna.