Mala Kamboj

Micronucleus—an upcoming marker of genotoxic damage

This study was conceived for the early detection of oral precancer and cancer lesions using a noninvasive reliable technique. Micronucleus assay was performed on oral exfoliated cells of chosen subjects having leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) using fluorescent (Acridine Orange) and conventional (Feulgen) stainings. The results were analyzed using Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, Spearman’s Correlation and SPSS statistical package. The frequency of mean percentage occurrence of micronucleated cells increased significantly in comparison to controls with leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma. Subjects with synergism of abnormal oral habits also showed increased micronucleated cells. Fluorescent staining was found to be more sensitive than the conventional one for micronucleus detection. The results clearly demonstrate that micronucleus assay in oral exfoliated cells can be used as a simple reliable marker to assess the genotoxicity and for the early diagnosis of premalignant and malignant lesions. Micronucleus assay is, thus, an easy tool for early detection of cancer.

Condylar Hyperplasia and Facial Asymmetry: Report of Five Cases

Condylar hyperplasia of mandible is overdevelopment of condyle, unilaterally or bilaterally, leading to facial asymmetry, mandibular deviation, malocclusion and articular dysfunction. This is a series of five such patients managed at our centre.

Methylene blue as an early diagnostic marker for oral precancer and cancer

Oral cancer is one of the most common neoplasm’s and is ranked eighth in the cancer incidence worldwide. Early detection is of critical importance because survival rates markedly improve. In vivo staining is a simple, inexpensive, and fairly sensitive method. Involved 120 patients (50 with Premalignant Lesion, 50 with OSCC and 20 controls) stained by Methylene Blue (MB). The results of MB uptake were compared with a simultaneous biopsy of these lesions. Pathologically confirmed precancers and cancers were the positive targets of this screening, while hyperkeratosis without dysplasia and no evidence of malignancy were sorted as negative subjects of screening. The results revealed sensitivity of 91.4%, specificity of 66.6%, positive predictive value 97.7% and negative predictive value 33% leading to diagnostic accuracy of MB stain to 90%. We state that MB staining is useful diagnostic tool in community oral cancer screening programmes for high-risk individuals.

Oral myiasis misinterpreted as salivary gland adenoma

Myiasis (Myia: “Fly” in Greek), the term coined by Hope in 18401,2 is the infestation of living body tissues of animals by fly larvae.3–5 In 1965, Zumpt1 defined it as infestation of live humans and vertebrates with dipterous larvae, which at least for a certain period feed on the host’s dead or living tissue, liquid body substances or ingested food.1 Flies causing myiasis belong to the order Diptera.1,2 In orofacial myiasis, soft tissues of the oral cavity are invaded by parasitic larvae of flies. Lawrence1 first described oral myiasis in 1909.1 It has been reported mainly in developing countries such …

Maxillofacial fibrous dysplasia

Fibrous dysplasia is a non- neoplastic hamartomatous developmental fibro osseous lesion of bone. This paper provides a brief overview of fibrous dysplasia in a historic perspective and highlights the controversies in fibrous dysplasia seen in the cranio- maxillofacial lesions. A case report of a young woman is presented who was diagnosed as having maxillofacial fibrous dysplasia, thereby making an attempt to use this term in cases with relatively limited facial bone disease.

Cholesterol Granuloma in Odontogenic Cyst: An Enigmatic Lesion

Cholesterol granuloma (CG) is the outcome of the foreign body type of response to the accumulation of cholesterol crystals and is frequently present in conjunction with chronic middle ear diseases. Recently, cases of CG in jaws have been reported, but still, very few cases have been found of CG in dental literature. This article presents three rare cases of CG in the wall of odontogenic cysts emphasizing on its possible role in expansion of the associated lesion and bone erosion. It also lays stress on the fact that more cases of CG should be reported so that its nature and pathogenesis in the oral cavity become more perceivable.

Fibrous Dysplasia of the Palate: Report of a Case and Review of Palatal Swellings

Fibrous dysplasia is a benign fibroosseous lesion characterised by the replacement of normal bone by excessive proliferation of cellular fibrous connective tissue which is slowly replaced by bone, osteoid, or cementum-like material. It causes bone pain, deformities, and pathological fractures. Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a sporadic benign skeletal disorder that can affect one bone (monostotic form) or multiple bones (polyostotic form). In this paper, we present case of a monostotic fibrous dysplasia on the hard palate of 14-year-old girl and a tabular review of common palatal swellings.

Ultrastructural analysis of oral exfoliated epithelial cells of tobacco smokers and betel nut chewers: A scanning electron microscopy study

Background: The study was undertaken to correlate epithelial surface pattern changes of oral exfoliated cells of tobacco smokers and betel nut chewers and also to compare them with patients of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of fifty persons were included in the study, out of which thirty formed the study group (15 each tobacco smokers and betel nut chewers) and twenty formed the control group (ten each of OSCC patients – positive control and ten normal buccal mucosa – negative control). Their oral exfoliated cells were scraped, fixed, and studied under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The statistical analysis was determined using ANOVA, Tukey honestly significant difference, Chi-square test, and statistical SPASS software, P < 0.05. Results: OSCC, Individual cell modifications, intercellular relationships and surface characteristics observed by scanning electron microscopy between OSCC, tobacco smokers, betel nut chewers compared to normal oral mucosa have been tabulated. Conclusion: In normal oral mucosa, cell surface morphology depends on the state of keratinization of the tissue. Thus, it could prove helpful in detecting any carcinomatous change at its incipient stage and also give an insight into the ultra-structural details of cellular differentiations in epithelial tissues.

Exemplary Delineation of Osmf Turning Malicious

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a well-recognized, potentially malignant condition of the oral cavity that can affect any part of the oral mucosa. It is strongly associated with a risk of oral cancer, although the biology underlying this association is still unresolved. The purpose of this paper is to show the histopathological prototypical illustration of OSMF turning into oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Epigenetics in oral cancer-neoteric biomarker

A cancer develops when a cell acquires specific growth advantages through the stepwise accumulation of heritable changes in gene function. Cancer genes may be changed by several mechanisms, which potentially alter the protein encoding nucleotide template, change the copy number of genes or leads to increased gene transcription. Epigenetic alterations are increasingly being recognized for their roles in carcinogenesis. Deregulation of gene expression is a hallmark of cancer. Although genetic lesions have been the focus of cancer research for many years, it has become increasingly recognized that aberrant epigenetic modifications also play major roles in the tumorigenic process. These modifications imposed on chromatin, do not change the nucleotide sequence of DNA, and are manifested by specific patterns of gene expression. The field of cancer epigenetics is evolving rapidly on several fronts. Advances in our understanding of chromatin structure, histone modification, and transcriptional activity and DNA methylation have resulted in an increasingly integrated view of epigenetics. Whilst genetic alterations in oral cancer have long been documented, the appreciation of epigenetic changes is more recent. Epigenetic changes alter expression of tumour suppressor genes without changes in DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone methylation and deacetylation have been shown to silence key genes involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and genome integrity and clearly have a central role in oral cancer. Epigenetics is another major player in multistep carcinogenesis of oral cancers. In this article we discuss current literature in the field of the epigenetics of oral cancer, placing a great deal of emphasis on DNA methylation, histone modification and post-transcriptional gene down-regulation by microRNAs.