Marianna Sampaio Serpa

Infiltrating lipomatosis of the face: case series and literature review

Infiltrating lipomatosis of the face is a rare disorder in which mature adipocytes infiltrate tissues, leading to facial asymmetry. We present three cases, emphasizing their clinical and imaging features. In two of our cases, typical clinical features of infiltrating lipomatosis of the face were observed, including enlargement of cheek and bones, as well as early tooth eruption. The other case stood out because of its uncommon clinical presentation: presenting with hemimacroglossia, ipsilateral submandibular gland enlargement, and papillomatosis on the dorsum of the tongue. The presence of infiltrating adipose tissue is essential to confirm the diagnosis.

Central mucoepidermoid carcinoma radiographically mimicking an odontogenic tumor: A case report and literature review

Central mucoepidermoid carcinoma (CMC) of the jaw bones is a rare malignant salivary gland tumor of unknown pathogenesis, comprising about 4% of all mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MECs). Most cases are histologically classified as a low-grade tumor and radiographically appear as a well-defined unilocular or multilocular radiolucent lesion. Block resection or wide local excisions are the treatment of choice and patients usually show a good overall prognosis although a long-term follow-up is necessary. This report describes a case of a 28-year-old male with MEC in the posterior region of the mandible and discusses its clinical, radiographic and histopathological findings. Although rare, CMC may be considered a differential diagnosis in cases of proliferative and osteolytic lesions in the oral cavity even when its clinical and/or radiographic findings do not suggest malignancy.

Expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its receptor in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) act in the proteolysis of basement membrane and extracellular matrix structures, facilitating tumor invasion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between these proteins and clinicopathological parameters in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue (SCCOT). Sixty cases of SCCOT were submitted to immunohistochemistry and analyzed semiquantitatively at the invasion front and in the tumor core. The results were associated with lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, locoregional recurrence, clinical outcome and histological grade of malignancy. A higher expression of uPA was observed in cases of tumors of high-grade versus low-grade malignancy (p = 0.010). Moreover, the cases with the worst pattern of invasion presented an overexpression of uPA (p = 0.011). The presence of locoregional recurrence was associated with uPAR (p = 0.039), and the expression of both biomarkers was much higher at the invasion front than in the tumor core (p < 0.001). The results suggest uPA and uPAR are involved in the progression and aggressiveness of SCCOT, mainly at the tumor-host interface.

Expressão imunoistoquímica da endoglina (CD105) e do fator de von Willebrand em carcinoma epidermoide oral e sua relação com parâmetros clinicopatológicos

Background Angiogenesis has been linked with progression of malignant neoplasms and although studies have been conducted investigating angiogenic markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), contradictory results are reported in the literature. Objectives To evaluate immunohistochemical expression of CD105 and von Willebrand factor (vWF) in OSCC and their relationships with clinical parameters of the tumors. Methods Immunoexpression of these biomarkers was analyzed in 30 cases of OSCC and correlated with clinical parameters of the tumors (age and sex of patients, anatomic site and Tumor, Node and Metastasis clinical staging [TNM]). Results In OSCC specimens, immunostaining was more effective using the anti-vWF antibody than using the anti-CD105 antibody. Angiogenic indices, determined by microvascular count (MVC) technique, were different for the floor of the mouth and the retromolar region, with statistical significance (p = 0.004). There were no statistically significant relationships between results for the two biomarkers and TNM clinical staging or angiogenic indices. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that vascular remodeling is involved in oral carcinogenesis, although there was no evidence of a significant association with clinical stage of lesions.