Applications of OralCDx ® methodology in the diagnosis of oral leukoplakia

Objective: We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the brush biopsy technique using OralCDx ® (OralScan Laboratories Inc., Suffern, NY) as a new method for early diagnosis and control of a 'potentially malignant disorder' such as oral leukoplakia. Design of the study: We performed a study in which samples were taken using OralCDx ® on 24 patients who visited the Master of Oral Medicine, Oral Surgery and Implantology of the University of Santiago de Compostela between February 2009 and May 2010. These patients presented clinical and histological lesions that were consistent with oral leukoplakia. We evaluated the relationship between the keratinization degree of the lesions and cell representation; the diagnosis obtained through OralCDx ® and biopsies; and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). Results: 50% of patients were men and 50% women with an average age of 62.38 years. The Kappa coefficient relating keratinization of lesions and cell representation was 0.33, the OralCDx ® - biopsy diagnostic rate reached a Kappa value of 0.66, recording 72.7%, sensitivity and 92.3% specificity, PPV was 88.8%, while NPV reached 80%. Conclusions: cytology sampling with OralCDx ® showed high sensitivity and specificity values, which make it a good tool for monitoring oral leukoplakia, but nowadays the most reliable method that allows us to confirm the exact diagnosis of the lesions and their anatomical and pathological characteristics still is conventional biopsy using a surgical scalpel. © Medicina Oral S. L

Importance of the vaporization margin during CO2 laser treatment of oral leukoplakia: a survival study

Objectives: the main purpose of this study was to assess the response of oral leukoplakia to CO2 laser vaporization treatment, as well as determining possible factors that may affect recurrence of lesions. Materials and methods: a retrospective study was conducted, in which the medical records of patients who had been clinically and histologically diagnosed with oral leukoplakia and treated with CO2 laser between 1996 and 2019 at the Oral Medicine Teaching Unit of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Santiago de Compostela were reviewed. Results: fifty-eight patients were included: 36 female and 22 male subjects, with a mean age of 63.7 years old (SD ±13.1). The average follow-up time was 57.5 months (SD ±57.9). A relapse rate of 52.6% was determined. Of all the studied variables, the margin was the only one for which a statistically significant association with recurrence of lesions was demonstrated (p < 0.05). Conclusion: the vaporization of lesions using CO2 laser with a safety margin of at least 3 mm from the clinical limits of OL is a key factor in preventing recurrenceS

Counselling toward reducing alcohol use, knowledge about its morbidity and personal consumption among students of medical and dental courses in north-western Spain

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is directly linked to high-risk consumption. Healthcare students have a crucial role to play in its prevention and management. The aim of this study is to analyse alcohol consumption, as well as to consider the knowledge and attitudes regarding morbidity, and the stage of change when providing assistance to quit AUD. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Dentistry and Medical students using specific and validated questionnaires in an anonymous and voluntary way. Initially, 925 students were invited to participate, of them 500 were reached. Among them 85.9% suffered from AUD of whom 75% were women (p<0.001), and it was considered that the female gender constituted an independent risk factor (OR=2.63, CI 95% 1.55-4.45, p<0.001). The majority of the participants did not achieve the pass mark, nonetheless, the results showed improved levels of knowledge among participants in the latter years of their studies (p<0.001). Dental students demonstrated greater shortcomings in terms of their knowledge of general pathology, whereas the medical students? knowledge of oral pathologies proved worse (p<0.001). Most of students believed that identifying cases of AUD-affected patients falls within their competence, nonetheless, they believed that they do not have the necessary competencies. Among participants 58.2% were in a stage of change regarding AUD attitudes. The majority of respondents presented AUD. In general, the participants? knowledge about alcohol was low. Reviewing the syllabuses and evaluating the implementation of gender-differentiated training programmes in both degrees would be considered necessary