Traumatic Neuroma of the Lower Lip

ABSTRACT Traumatic neuroma is a rare disorder that represents a reactive proliferation of neural tissue following damage to an adjacent nerve. Clinically, oral lesions usually appear as a nodule of normal or grayish white smooth surface colouration, and patients may complain of pain as a frequent symptom. We report a case of a painless lower lip traumatic neuroma, clinically misdiagnosed as lipoma, in a 24-year old Caucasian woman. On intraoral examination, a yellowish and smooth sessile, well-delimited, painless, nodular lesion measuring 10 mm x 7 mm x 4 mm in size was observed on the mucosal lower lip. An excisional biopsy was performed and the final diagnosis was traumatic neuroma. After 18 months of follow-up, the patient is asymptomatic and there are no signs of recurrence. Neuroma Traumático del Labio Inferior RESUMEN El neuroma traumático es un trastorno raro que consiste en una proliferación reactiva del tejido neural tras producirse un daño en un nervio adyacente. Clínicamente, las lesiones orales normalmente aparecen como un nódulo de coloración normal o blanca grisácea, de superficie lisa, y los pacientes pueden quejarse de dolor como síntoma frecuente. Reportamos el caso de un neuroma traumático del labio inferior labio sin dolor, clínicamente mal diagnosticado como lipoma, en una mujer blanca de 24 años. En el examen intraoral, se observó una lesión nodular amarillenta, sésil, lisa, bien delimitada, e indolora, que medía 10 mm x 7 mm x 4 mm de tamaño, en la mucosa del labio inferior. Se realizó una biopsia, y el diagnóstico final fue un neuroma traumático. Después de 18 meses de seguimiento, el paciente se halla asintomático y no hay ninguna señal de recurrencia

Potential impacts of climate change on biogeochemical functioning of Cerrado ecosystems

The Cerrado Domain comprises one of the most diverse savannas in the world and is undergoing a rapid loss of habitats due to changes in fire regimes and intense conversion of native areas to agriculture. We reviewed data on the biogeochemical functioning of Cerrado ecosystems and evaluated the potential impacts of regional climate changes. Variation in temperature extremes and in total amount of rainfall and altitude throughout the Cerrado determines marked differences in the composition of species. Cerrado ecosystems are controlled by interactions between water and nutrient availability. In general, nutrient cycles (N, P and base cations) are very conservative, while litter, microbial and plant biomass are important stocks. In terms of C cycling, root systems and especially the soil organic matter are the most important stocks. Typical cerrado ecosystems function as C sinks on an annual basis, although they work as source of C to the atmosphere close to the end of the dry season. Fire is an important factor altering stocks and fluxes of C and nutrients. Predicted changes in temperature, amount and distribution of precipitation vary according to Cerrado sub-regions with more marked changes in the northeastern part of the domain. Higher temperatures, decreases in rainfall with increase in length of the dry season could shift net ecosystem exchanges from C sink to source of C and might intensify burning, reducing nutrient stocks. Interactions between the heterogeneity in the composition and abundance of biological communities throughout the Cerrado Domain and current and future changes in land use make it difficult to project the impacts of future climate scenarios at different temporal and spatial scales and new modeling approaches are needed