Orofacial Rhabdomyosarcoma : report of a case and review of the literature

Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are among the most common soft-tissue tumors in children. These tumors are derived from mesenchymal tissue with a tendency toward myogenic differentiation that probably originates from immature and highly invasive satellite cells associated with the embryogenesis of skeletal muscle. Some of these tumors are associated with high rates of recurrence and metastasis. The diagnosis is made by microscopic analysis and auxiliary techniques such as immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, cytogenetic analysis, and molecular biology. We report here a case of orofacial RMS in a 4-year-old child and provide an updated review of the literature, focusing mainly on the clinicopathological aspects, diagnosis and treatment of RMS of the head and neck

Odontogenic cysts : demographic profile in a Brazilian population over a 38-year period

Objective: To determine the distribution of odontogenic cysts diagnosed histologically over a period of 38 years in a Brazilian population according to age, gender and site affected and to compare these data with previously reported studies from other countries. Study design: A total of 1019 cases of odontogenic cysts diagnosed between 1970 and 2007 were studied. Clinical features obtained from the patient records and microscope slides were reviewed according to the 1992 World Health Organization classification. Results: The mean age was 31.0 years, and there was a predominance of females. The most frequent odontogenic cysts were radicular cysts (61.4%), followed by dentigerous cysts (20.1%) and odontogenic keratocysts (6.4%). Radicular cysts were more frequent in females (62.0%), and the maxillary teeth were the site most commonly involved (63.05%). The peak incidence of dentigerous cysts occurred in the second decade of life, with the posterior region of the mandible being the site most affected (46.3%), followed by the anterior region of the maxilla (27.8%). Odontogenic keratocysts showed a peak incidence between the third and fourth decades of life and predominance among females. The posterior region of the mandible was the site most frequently affected (65.6%). Conclusion: The present results showed a similar frequency of odontogenic cysts in this Brazilian population and other populations around the world, with inflammatory cysts being identified as the most frequent odontogenic cyst. Radicular cysts, dentigerous cysts, and odontogenic keratocysts are the most common cystic lesions, accounting for 87.9% of all odontogenic cysts

Intraoral epithelioid hemangioendothelioma : a case report and review of the literature

The epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EH) is an uncommon angiocentric neoplasm of borderline or intermediate malignant potential, between the hemangioma and conventional angiosarcoma. It is characterized by the proliferation of endothelial cells with epithelioid or histiocitóide morphology with vacuolated cytoplasm and occasional eosinophilic spindle cells. Shows potential for local recurrence as well as the ability to metastasize. Rarely affects the oral cavity, it have been described from 1975 until 2008 only 27 oral cases. Morphologically the EHs may be confused with other lesions, from a hemangioma to a squamous cell carcinoma, and thus immunohistochemical analysis is required. This paper reports the clinical and immunohistochemical characteristics of a case of EH in the gingiva of the tooth 35 of a 17 years-old-white-female. We present a review of the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the intraoral epithelioid hemangioendothelioma cases previously reported

Myofibroblasts and increased angiogenesis contribute to periapical cystic injury containment and repair

Myofibroblasts (MF) and angiogenesis are important factors in the development and expansion of cystic lesions, where these cells secrete growth factors and proteases, stimulating angiogenesis, matrix deposition and cell migration, affecting the growth of these periapicopathies. The present study aimed to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of CD34 and ?-SMA in radicular cysts (RC) and residual radicular cysts (RRC), with the purpose of contributing to a better understanding of the expansion and progression of these periapical lesions. The present study os a descriptive, quantitative and comparative analysis of positive CD34 and ?-SMA immunohistochemical expressions in 30 RC and 30 RRC specimens. ?-SMA expression was evaluated in the fibrous capsule of the lesions, at 100x magnification below the epithelial lining. A total of 10 higher immunostaining fields were selected and subsequently, positive cells were quantified at 400x magnification, averaged per field. Regarding the angiogenic index, immuno-labeled microvessel counts for the anti-CD34 antibody were performed in 10 fields at 200x magnification. Statistically significant differences regarding ?-SMA immunostaining were observed (p = 0.035), as well as a correlation between ?-SMA versus CD34 (p = 0.004) in RRC. However, the angiogenic index obtained by immunostaining for CD34 indicated no statistical difference between lesions. Intense inflammatory infiltrates were predominant in RC, while mild and moderate degrees were more commonly observed in RRC (p <0.001). Intense inflammatory infiltrates were also more often noted in larger RRC (p = 0.041). Inflammatory infiltrates showed no significant correlation with ?-SMA and CD34 immunostaining. The results indicate that the significant correlation found between the presence of MF and the angiogenic index are related to the repair process in RRC

Immunoexpression of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in sporadic and Gorlin-Goltz syndrome-related odontogenic keratocysts

Differences in the pathogenesis and biological behavior of sporadic and Gorlin-Goltz syndrome-related odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs) have been reported, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Chemokine CXCL12 and its main receptor CXCR4

Moléculas de Adesão e Câncer Oral: Revisão de Literatura

This paper has reviewed the literature about adhesion molecules. It has showed the role of cell adhesion molecules on cellular physiology by cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Its altered expression can be related in many pathways involved in oral cancer biological behavior, being capable of improving the metastatic potential of neoplastic cells.O presente trabalho consiste em uma revisão de literatura onde se evidencia que as moléculas de adesão desempenham um importante papel nos processos fisiológicos celulares, através das interações célula-célula, célula-matriz extracelular. Sua expressão alterada pode estar associada aos diversos e complexos mecanismos envolvidos no comportamento biológico do câncer oral, podendo aumentar o potencial metastático de células tumorais

Salivary gland tumors : a 13-year clinicopathologic retrospective study in a Brazilian northeast population

The present study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathologic features of salivary gland tumors (SGTs) in a Brazillian northeast population. A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study was performed (1995-2009). All cases of SGTs diagnosed in a priva