Pathological mandibular fracture: a severe complication of periimplantitis

Nowadays, dental implant treatment is a very common option for patients even in medical compromised conditions. Some complications related to them have been described. Periimplantitis (PI) is one of the biggest concerns of these kind of treatments, probably has a multifactorial aethiology. Usually the consequences of PI are the loss of the implants and prostheses, expenses of money and time for dentists and patients. Very often PI implies the necesity of repeating the treatment . Pathological mandibular fracture due to PI is a severe but infrequent complication after dental implant treatment, especially after PI. In this study we present three cases of mandibular pathologic fractures among patients with different medical and dental records but similar management: two of them had been treated years ago of oral squamous cell carcinoma with surgery and radiotherapy, the other patient received oral bisphosphonates for osteoporosis some years after implantation. We analized the causes, consequences and posible prevention of these fractures as well as the special features of this kind of mandibular fractures and the different existing treatments

Vertical distraction osteogenesis of a free vascularized fibula flap in a reconstructed hemimandible for mandibular reconstruction and optimization of the implant prosthetic rehabilitation. Report of a case

Free vascularized fibular flap is considered the treatment of choice in mandibular reconstruction for extensive bone defects (over 6 centimeters) resulting from trauma, infections or tumor resections. But, when the reconstruction involves a dentate mandible, the fibula has the limit as it does not offer sufficient bone height to restore the alveolar arch up to the occlusal plane. Therefore, the deficiency in bone height makes implant placement impractical. We report a case of vertical distraction osteogenesis of a free vascularized fibula flap used to reconstruct a hemimandible after resection of an odontogenic myxoma, for optimization of the implant prosthetic rehabilitation. The distraction device was applied intraorally. After 10 days of latency period, distraction protocol was performed at a distraction rate of 0.5 mm per day. A consolidation period of 3 months followed. Afterwards the distraction device was removed and 3 osseointegrated dental implants were placed in the distracted area. As a result, the vertical discrepancy between the fibula and the native hemimandible was corrected. The amount of vertical height achieved after distraction was 17 milimeters. The increase of vertical bone height was stable and enabled placement of dental implants without any complications. In conclusion, we consider that vertical distraction osteogenesis of free vascularized flaps is a reliable technique that optimizes implant positioning for ideal prosthetic rehabilitation, after mandibular reconstruction following tumor surger

Cavernous sinus metastasis from oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Metastasis to the cavernous sinus from head and neck cancer is uncommon and has been previously reported by a few authors. It is usually a late manifestation of the primary tumor and may be the first evidence of a widespread dissemination of the disease. Main clinical findings are those related with involvement of cranial nerves III to VI as they pass through the cavernous sinus. Although diagnosis may be difficult, the appearance of clinical and radiological findings of cavernous sinus involvement in a context of head and neck cancer must alert us about an intracranial metastatic infiltration. In most cases treatment is palliative with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The prognosis of this entity is poor, with survival of a few months. We present the case of cavernous sinus metastasis from oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and review the literature about the clinical presentation and management of this rare entity

Solitary cystic lymph neck node metastasis of occult thyroid papillary carcinoma

The appearance of a solitary lateral cervical cystic mass as the only initial presenting symptom of occult thyroid carcinoma is uncommon. Its presence is often misdiagnosed due to the more frequent branchial cyst in young people. Although oronasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has been reported as the main cause of lymph neck node metastasis, thyroid papillary carcinoma may be responsible for solitary cervical cystic masses as the initial manifestation of the disease. This situation has been rarely reported, although solid masses are much more frequent. In most of these cases all such lesions may initially be considered as metastatic foci from a primary thyroid lesion. However, an alternative explanation by means of which ectopic thyroid tissue is associated with a branchial cyst has to be considered, especially if no primary tumour is observed in the histological examination of the thyroid gland. We present a rare case of solitary cystic lymph node metastasis of occult papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. We also discuss possible ethiology for thyroid papillary carcinoma in lateral neck cysts

Melanoma de la mucosa oral: casos clínicos y revisión de la literatura

La aparición de melanomas primarios de la mucosa oral es infrecuente. La agresividad de esta entidad y la ausencia de protocolos de tratamiento estandarizado, hacen que el pronóstico sea infausto. Se han relacionado la dificultad de la resección quirúrgica con márgenes libres, la tendencia elevada a la invasión en profundidad y las metástasis hematógenas tempranas, como consideraciones que justifican un peor pronóstico en relación al melanoma cutáneo. Sin embargo, no existen series clínicas grandes, y las series de casos clínicos constituyen la fuente principal de información en el momento actual. Ante la ausencia de modalidades de tratamiento que aumenten substancialmente la supervivencia a largo plazo, sugerimos el empleo de cirugía de resección con márgenes amplios y el diagnóstico precoz mediante la biopsia de lesiones pigmentadas melánicas sospechosas. En el presente trabajo presentamos 2 nuevos casos de melanoma primario de mucosa oral, con un seguimiento de 72 y 12 meses respectivamente, y realizamos una revisión de la literatura en relación con esta rara neoplasia.The appearance of primary melanomas of the oral mucosa is uncommon. The aggressiveness of this entity and the absence of any standardized treatment protocol make the prognostic unfortunate. The difficulty to obtain free surgical margins, the elevated tendency to invade in depth and the early haematogenous metastasis have been referred as features which may explain its bad prognosis, even in comparison with cutaneous melanoma. However, no large clinical series exist and actually, clinical cases are the main source of information. Due to the absence of any treatment modality which may substantially increase longterm survival, we suggest the use of resective surgery with wide margins and early diagnosis by means of biopsy for suspicious melanotic-pigmented lesions. In this work we present 2 new cases of primary melanoma of the oral mucosa, with a follow-up period of 72 and 12 months respectively, and we make a review of the literature in relation with this rare entity

Mandibular odontogenic myxoma : reconstructive considerations by means of the vascularized fibular free flap

The odontogenic myxoma is a rare entity located in mandible and upper maxilla. Due to its local aggressiveness, wide surgical excision is mandatory. Several surgical techniques have been described for the reconstruction of segmental mandibular defects. In comparison with other free flaps, the vascularized free fibular flap (VFFF) supports the longest amount of bone and, due to the nature of the vascular supply a complete freedom in location of the osteotomy is present. A precise mandibular arc can be performed following bone resection. We suggest the performance of the ?in situ? VFFF technique in order to recreate mandibular contour by means of several osteotomies, while the pedicle is still attached to the leg. Substantial decrease in surgical time is obtained. With the ?double-barrel? technique and subsequent osseointegrated implants, good results are obtained in the reconstruction of dentate patients without maxillary atrophy. We present two new cases of large odontogenic mandibular myxoma. Wide surgical excision by means of hemimandibulectomies and subsequent reconstruction with VFFF were performed

Endoscopically-assisted transoral approach for the treatment of subcondylar fractures of the mandible

Introduction: Treatment of subcondylar fractures of the mandible is one of the most controversial aspects in the field of maxillofacial traumatology. This controversy centers on the positive and negative aspects of open and closed approaches for the treatment of this kind of fractures. Open techniques lead to good reduction and osteosynthesis, but have a high risk of injury to the facial nerve and produce facial scars. Closed techniques (intermaxillary fixation) reduce all the above-mentioned risks but rarely produce correct anatomic reduction, and complications such as ankylosis, condylar necrosis and inhibition of mandibular growth, causing abnormal occlusion, may occur. Despite all the associated risks, closed techniques are currently the most popular treatment. Objectives: To introduce the endoscopically-assisted transoral approach for the treatment of subcondylar fractures, presenting three cases treated in our department. A description of the technique has been included as well as the clinical and radiographic results obtained. Material and Methods: The study is based in three patients with subcondylar fractures of the mandible who were treated by an endoscopically-assisted transoral approach. A description of the surgical technique is included. The results were assessed by postsurgical radiographic control (orthopantomography), maximum mouth opening, occlusion and pain. Results: Three reductions of subcondylar fractures with transoral endoscopically-assisted approach were undertaken. The follow-up period was 6 months. Postsurgical radiographic control showed good reduction of the fracture in all three cases. None of the patients showed any sign of temporomandibular dysfunction after 6 months. Conclusion: Endoscopic treatment by transoral approach combines the positive aspects of both conventional techniques: closed and open reduction; allowing anatomic reduction and a stable fixation leaving no visible facial scars and with a minimum risk of injury to the facial nerve

Bilateral mental nerve neuropathy as the sole presenting symptom of Burkitt´s Lymphoma

There are several pathologies that may cause alteration of the lower lip sensation, therefore a differential diagnosis is needed. Among these pathologies, we have focused on intrabone growing tumours such as Burkitt’s Lymphoma.Burkitt’s Lymphoma is a malignant tumour of B-Cell lymphocyte origin, classified as a Non-Hodgkin;s Lymphoma. Three clinical subtypes are described: endemic, sporadic and HIV associated. It is characterized by very fast growing, undifferentiated lymphocytes and bone marrow infiltration. A high incidence of Burkitt’s Lymphoma has been reported in African children. It is known to have a good response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment. This report describes the case of a 29 year-old Spanish man diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma, in which his first and only symptom was bilateral anaesthesia of the lower lip. We have also described the clinical evolution, steps for diagnosis and treatment

Sinus elevation by in situ utilization of bone scrapers : technique and results

Objectives: The objective was to present a novel technique for antrostomy performed before sinus elevation in atrophic maxilla for subsequent implant placement. Material and methods: The study included 10 sinus elevations performed by the proposed technique in nine consecutive patients presenting with inadequate posterior maxillary height. The technique is described, calculating the antrostomy surface area, volume of bone tissue obtained and final height attained in each case. A total of 16 implants were placed. Results: All ten elevations were accomplished. Mean antrostomy surface area was 0.55 mm2 , mean bone volume obtained was 0.56 cm3 and mean height attained was 11.7 mm from a baseline mean height of 5.6 mm. Out of the 16 implants, 14 were inserted immediately after the elevation and 2 were inserted in a second step, after ossification; 93.7% of the implants were osseointegrated at 6 months after prosthesis placement. Conclusion: The use of bone scrapers to create antrostomy for sinus elevation is a simple and very safe procedure. It provides a variable amount of particulate bone graft that is easily handled and highly useful for packing the cavity that will elevate the sinus membrane