METHODS: A sample consisting of 20 OKC cases, 10 DCs and 10 RCs was subjected to immunohistochemical staining for osteopontin, CD44v6 and integrin αv, and podoplanin, and semiquantitative analysis was performed.
RESULTS: All factors (except integrin αv) were detected heterogeneously in the constitutive layers of the lining epithelium in all three cyst types. Key observations were significant upregulation of CD44v6 and podoplanin in OKC compared to DCs and RCs, suggesting that these protein molecules may play crucial roles in promoting local invasiveness in OKC (P<0.05). Osteopontin underexpression and distribution patterns were indistinctive among all three cysts indicating its limited role as pro-invasive factor. Clinical parameters showed no significant correlations with all protein factors investigated.
CONCLUSIONS: Present findings suggest that an osteopontinlow CD44v6high and podoplaninhigh immunoprofile most probably represent epithelial signatures of OKC and are markers of local invasiveness in this cyst.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk of the contralateral mucosa in patients presenting with oral PMDs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty individuals with PMDs were selected for this study. These comprised 32 (53.3%) Indians, 23 (38.3%) Chinese, four (6.7%) Malays and one (1.7%) Nepalese. All selected cases had histopathological confirmation of their primary existing lesion as inclusion criteria. Cases that subsequently presented with a lesion in the corresponding anatomical site also underwent scalpel incisional biopsy on this second lesion to verify its diagnosis. The remaining cases that presented with unilateral PMDs at the time of study were subjected to a cytobrush biopsy on the normal looking contralateral mucosa.
RESULTS: A total of 70 primary PMDs were detected in 60 patients. The most common PMD found was oral lichen planus (n=40, 57.1%). Of the 60 patients studied, 28 (46.6%) exhibited bilateral lesions either synchronously (n=21, 35.0%) or metachronously (n=7, 11.6%). The remaining cases that had undergone cytobrush biopsy on the corresponding anatomical site yielded normal cytological results.
CONCLUSIONS: Present findings demonstrated that patients presenting with PMDs in the upper aerodigestive tract are at a greater risk of developing a second lesion most probably in the contralateral anatomical site.
OBJECTIVES: To design and perform a simple surveillance on OLP patients based on colour-coded topography mouth maps (TMM).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three colour-coded TMM were employed: red for OLP in high risk oral mucosal sites, yellow for cases showing improvement and green for asymptomatic lesions at each recall visit. In this preliminary study, these were applied on 30 histologically confirmed OLP individuals attending the Oral Medicine Clinic at the Department of Oral Pathology, Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya. The sites and extent of OLP lesions were charted on either red, yellow or green TMM based on defined criteria. This surveillance evaluated OLP in relation to patientandapos;s age, race, gender, underlying systemic conditions, oral habits, initial onset of OLP, oral manifestations and presence/absence of clinically suspicious areas.
RESULTS: Study sample comprised 4 (13.3%) Malays, 9 (30.0%) Chinese and 17 (56.7%) Indians. Most OLP patients belong to the green TMM (n= 14, 46.6%) group followed by red (n= 11, 36.7%) and yellow (n= 5, 16.7%) groups. Of the 11 cases with red TMM, rebiopsy was performed on 4 cases but no dysplasia was detected. Any local confounding factors namely periodontal disease or faulty dental restorations were managed accordingly.
CONCLUSIONS: TMM is simple to use and aided the clinicians in terms of time saving and patient management. Hence, follow-up of OLP patients can be carried out more efficiently and appropriately. TMM can be used for surveillance of other oral precancerous lesions and conditions.