Noninvasive Imaging Methods to Improve the Diagnosis of Oral Carcinoma and Its Precursors: State of the Art and Proposal of a Three-Step Diagnostic Process

Abstract: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent form of cancer of lips and oral cavity, and its diagnostic delay, caused by misdiagnosis at the early stages, is responsible for high mortality ratios. Biopsy and histopathological assessment are the gold standards for OSCC diagnosis, but they are time-consuming, invasive, and do not always enable the patient’s compliance, mainly in cases of follow-up with the need for more biopsies. The use of adjunctive noninvasive imaging techniques improves the diagnostic approach, making it faster and better accepted by patients. The present review aims to focus on the most consolidated diagnostic techniques, such as vital staining and tissue autofluorescence, and to report the potential role of some of the most promising innovative techniques, such as narrow-band imaging, high-frequency ultrasounds, optical coherence tomography, and in vivo confocal microscopy. According to their contribution to OSCC diagnosis, an ideal three-step diagnostic procedure is proposed, to make the diagnostic path faster, better, and more accurate

Correlation between Oral Lichen Planus and Viral Infections Other Than HCV: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES This review aimed to evaluate the correlation between viral infections (HPV, EBV, HSV-1, CMV) other than HCV and oral lichen planus to assess if there is sufficient evidence to establish if these viruses can play a role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed the literature using different search engines (PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library), employing MeSH terms such as "oral lichen planus" and "OLP" in conjunction with other terms. We utilized the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Study design (PICOS) method to define our study eligibility criteria. RESULTS A total of 43 articles of the 1219 results initially screened were included in the study. We allocated the 43 selected items into four groups, according to each related virus: HPV, EBV, HSV-1, and CMV. CONCLUSIONS Heterogeneous results neither confirm nor exclude a direct correlation between the investigated viral infections and oral lichen planus etiopathogenesis and its feasible malignant transformation. Many viral agents can cause oral lesions and act as cancerizing agents. Future studies could be desirable to produce comparable statistical analyses and enhance the quantity and quality of the outcomes to promote the translation of research into clinical practice

A Calcografia do Arco do Cego e a disseminação de saberes no Império português no final do século XVIII e início do século XIX

This paper analyzes the editorial project Arco do Cego Press within the context of the Enlightenment reform, implemented in the 1750s , in Portugal. Between 1799 and 1801, the Arco do Cego Press published dozens of works whose objective was to disseminate technical and practical knowledge that would broaden the called “useful exploration of colonial products” and also improve the effectiveness of the agricultural production. We investigate specifically the theme of the works published there, trying to understand the extent of the project Arco do Cego Press. Then, we analyze their relevance and limitations.Este artigo analisa o projeto da Calcografia do Arco do Cego dentro do contexto das reformas ilustradas, postas em prática desde a década de 1750, em Portugal. Entre 1799 e 1801, a Calcografia do Arco do Cego publicou dezenas de obras que tinham, por objetivo, difundir conhecimentos práticos que ampliassem a chamada exploração útil dos produtos coloniais e tornassem a produção agrícola mais eficaz. Nós investigamos a temática das obras ali publicadas, tentando compreender a extensão do projeto do Arco do Cego. Em seguida, analisamos a sua relevância e limitações.Este artigo analisa o projeto da Calcografia do Arco do Cego dentro do contexto das reformas ilustradas, postas em prática desde a década de 1750, em Portugal. Entre 1799 e 1801, a Calcografia do Arco do Cego publicou dezenas de obras que tinham, por objetivo, difundir conhecimentos práticos que ampliassem a chamada exploração útil dos produtos coloniais e tornassem a produção agrícola mais eficaz. Nós investigamos a temática das obras ali publicadas, tentando compreender a extensão do projeto do Arco do Cego. Em seguida, analisamos a sua relevância e limitações.Este artigo analisa o projeto da Calcografia do Arco do Cego dentro do contexto das reformas ilustradas, postas em prática desde a década de 1750, em Portugal. Entre 1799 e 1801, a Calcografia do Arco do Cego publicou dezenas de obras que tinham, por objetivo, difundir conhecimentos práticos que ampliassem a chamada exploração útil dos produtos coloniais e tornassem a produção agrícola mais eficaz. Nós investigamos a temática das obras ali publicadas, tentando compreender a extensão do projeto do Arco do Cego. Em seguida, analisamos a sua relevância e limitações

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Implications in the management of patients with colorectal cancer

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has already reached 3,207,248 patients with more than 225,000 deaths all over the world. Colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer worldwide, and the healthcare system is struggling to manage daily activities for elective cancer surgery. This review integrates clinical, microbiological, architectural and surgical aspects to develop indications on strategies to manage colorectal cancer patients and ensure safety during the pandemic. Telephone or virtual clinics must be encouraged and phone follow-up should be implemented. Indications for surgery must be rigorous, balancing the advantage of early surgical treatment and risks of treatment delay. To decrease the occupancy rate of intensive care unit beds, elective surgical treatment should be delayed until local endemic control, according to stage of disease. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection should be treated only after clinical recovery, two consecutive negative oropharyngeal swabs and, if available, a negative stool sample. Before any elective oncologic procedure, a multidisciplinary oncologic team including an anaesthesiologist and an infectious disease specialist must assess every patient to evaluate the risk of infection and its impact on perioperative morbidity, mortality and oncologic prognosis. The hospital should organise to manage all elective oncologic patients in an "infection-free" area or refer them to a non-SARS-CoV-2 hospital

Low loss coatings for the VIRGO large mirrors

présentée par L. PinardThe goal of the VIRGO program is to build a giant Michelson type interferometer (3 kilometer long arms) to detect gravitational waves. Large optical components (350 mm in diameter), having extremely low loss at 1064 nm, are needed. Today, the Ion beam Sputtering is the only deposition technique able to produce optical components with such performances. Consequently, a large ion beam sputtering deposition system was built to coat large optics up to 700 mm in diameter. The performances of this coater are described in term of layer uniformity on large scale and optical losses (absorption and scattering characterization). The VIRGO interferometer needs six main mirrors. The first set was ready in June 2002 and its installation is in progress on the VIRGO site (Italy). The optical performances of this first set are discussed. The requirements at 1064 nm are all satisfied. Indeed, the absorption level is close to 1 ppm (part per million), the scattering is lower than 5 ppm and the R.M.S. wavefront of these optics is lower than 8 nm on 150 mm in diameter. Finally, some solutions are proposed to further improve these performances, especially the absorption level (lower than 0.1 ppm) and the mechanical quality factor Q of the mirrors (thermal noise reduction)

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

Noninvasive in-vivo imaging of oral mucosa: state-of-the-art

Technological development has interested most of the dentistry's branches leading to the use of other medical technolo-gies non previously involved in dental practice. This study aims to evaluate the potential role of non-invasive imaging techniques in oral pathology workflow. Optical coherence tomography has been described by several authors as a promis-ing aid for differential diagnosis of autoimmune diseases and to detect epithelial subversion of the oral mucosa before the clinical manifestation of oral mucositis. High-frequency ultrasound offers the chance to assess lesional dimensions both in benign and malignant lesions with a high dimensional reliability compared with histopathology. Reflectance confocal microscopy seems to be helpful in the early detection of cytological changes due to its high resolution, suggesting a more interesting role in the analysis of malignant lesions. The study presented highlighted the potential role of noninvasive in vivo imaging although further studies are needed for the further validation of these techniques

YoutubeTM Content Analysis as a Means of Information in Oral Medicine: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background: Oral medicine represents a complex branch of dentistry, involved in diagnosing and managing a wide range of disorders. Youtube (TM) offers a huge source of information for users and patients affected by oral diseases. This systematic review aims to evaluate the reliability of Youtube (TM) oral medicine-related content as a valid dissemination aid. Methods: The MeSH terms "Youtube (TM)" and "oral" have been searched by three search engines (PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library), and a systematic review has been performed; the PRISMA checklist has been followed in the search operations. Results: Initial results were 210. Ten studies definitely met our selection criteria. Conclusions: Youtube (TM) represents a dynamic device capable of easy and rapid dissemination of medical-scientific content. Nevertheless, the most of information collected in the literature shows a lack of adequate knowledge and the need to utilize a peer-reviewing tool in order to avoid the spreading of misleading and dangerous content

Microbiota Alterations in Patients with Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid and Pemphigus Vulgaris: A Systematic Review

The human oral cavity comprises an extensive range of microorganisms, viruses, bacteria, fungi, archaea, and protozoa, each having a particular role and interacting with each other and with the host in sickness or health. Changes in the microbiome composition can be crucial in balancing health and disease, locally and systemically. Various microbial species in commensal relationships form the oral microbiota, and when this commensalism undergoes variations the immune system can be pushed towards the activation of inflammatory and autoimmune processes. Through a systematic review of the literature, we set out to investigate the role that the oral microbiota can play in the development and evolution of pemphigus vulgaris and mucous membrane pemphigoid. We performed our systematic review by searching “microbiome OR microbiota” AND “pemphigus OR pemphigoid” on Medline, ISI Web of science and Embase, and we included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), prospective comparison studies, retrospective cohort studies, case–control studies, and case series. These autoimmune diseases need a genetic basis to develop, but as multifactorial pathologies they are influenced by environmental factors and the dysbiosis of the oral microbiota can be a trigger. If the human microbiome plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and manifestation of oral autoimmune diseases, the next step could be new and promising therapeutic approaches such as probiotics or prebiotics

Doenças e parasitos tropicais na expansão interior do Império Colonial português na América: o caso das monções

Esse artigo analisa as doenças e parasitos tropicais que acometiam os viajantes das monções e habitantes dos centros mineradores no interior do Império colonial português na América no século XVIII, devido o contato com mosquitos e carrapatos. Acreditamos que doenças e parasitos tropicais podem ter sido tão desafiadores e perigosos quanto os obstáculos comumente mencionados pela historiografia, mais focada nos ataques de etnias indígenas hostis, questões relativas à topografia e dificuldade de transporte e conservação de alimentos em um ambiente quente e úmido