Detection of human papillomavirus DNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded squamous papillomas of the oral cavity

Squamous papillomas are exophytic proliferations of surface oral epithelium. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is widely accepted as the etiology of squamous papillomas however the virus cannot be detected in a significant percentage of lesions. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we tested 35 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) squamous papillomas for the presence of HPV DNA. Six papillomas (17%) tested positive for HPV DNA; four contained HPV-6 and two contained HPV-11. Given that ??globin DNA was only identified in half of the samples, DNA degradation appears to have significantly impacted the results. The results likely represent an underestimation of the true number of HPV-positive specimens in our study. Potential explanations for HPV-negative squamous papillomas include transient HPV infection, failure of the experiment to detect HPV if present, or the possibility that some lesions may not result from HPV infection

Weekly chemotherapy with radiation versus high‐dose cisplatin with radiation as organ preservation for patients with HPV‐positive and HPV‐negative locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106948/1/hed23339.pd

Minor salivary gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma in children and adolescents: a case series and review of the literature

Abstract Introduction Because well-documented cases of mucoepidermoid carcinomas that are of minor salivary gland origin and occur in children and adolescents have rarely been reported, little information regarding their clinical features and biologic behavior is available. This case report represents a retrospective clinical analysis of five minor salivary gland mucoepidermoid carcinomas accessioned from a 35-year period at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry and combines the data with 15 well-documented cases from the English language literature. Case presentation The five mucoepidermoid carcinomas in patients from birth to 19 years of age accounted for 1.3% of the accessioned minor salivary gland neoplasms. There were an additional 15 well-documented cases in the literature. Combining the data for the 20 mucoepidermoid carcinomas resulted in a mean age of 13.5 years and a 2.3:1 female-to-male ratio. Collectively, the hard palate, soft palate, and hard palate/soft palate junction accounted for 85% of the cases. Thirty-five percent of the cases presented as a fluctuant submucosal swelling with surface color alterations. The average duration was five months, and bone involvement occurred in seven cases. A histologic grade of low to intermediate predominated (95%). Surgical removal was the treatment in all cases. Thirteen cases had adequate follow-up of three years or more, and recurrence was documented in only one case. There were no cases of death or metastasis in this series. Conclusions In children and adolescents, mucoepidermoid carcinomas have a female predilection and occur most commonly on the hard or soft palate or both. A fluctuant submucosal lump with a bluish color is a helpful diagnostic clue. The histologic grades of most mucoepidermoid carcinomas in the first and second decades of life are low and, to a lesser degree, intermediate. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice and results in a recurrence rate of less than 10%.</p

Odontogenic sarcoma with smooth muscle differentiation: Report of a case and review of the literature

SummaryA case of odontogenic sarcoma with smooth muscle differentiation arising in a 70-year-old woman is described. The lesion grew out of an extraction socket and enlarged rapidly. Radiographically, a large radiolucent lesion with ill-defined margins was observed in the left posterior mandible. Histopathologically, islands of odontogenic epithelium with a surrounding malignant mesenchymal proliferation were noted. The latter exhibited hyperchromatic oval and spindle-shaped cells with 3–4 mitoses in some high-power fields and foci of necrosis. Lesional cells demonstrated immunoreactivity with vimentin and alpha smooth muscle actin, but were negative for antibodies directed against S100, CD34 and CD31. Cytokeratins highlighted the epithelial islands, but did not react with the mesenchymal proliferation. To date, fewer than 70 cases of odontogenic sarcoma have been described in the literature. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an odontogenic malignancy showing smooth muscle differentiation