Odontogenic Cysts: A 10-Year Retrospective Study in an Iranian Population

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of all odontogenic cysts (OCs) along with age range, gender distribution, and the site of involvement over a 10-year period (March 2001 to March 2011) and to compare these data with findings from other surveys.Methods: The archives of departments of oral and maxillofacial pathology from Shahid Beheshti and Tehran University of Medical Sciences were retrieved and analyzed for demographic data such as age, gender, location and histopathological diagnosis of OCs.Results: Of the 8,563 biopsy samples that were received, 1,518 (17.7%) were diagnosed as OCs. Radicular cyst was the most common diagnosis (33.2%), followed by dentigerous cysts (24.1%), and odontogenic keratocysts (18.6%). OC occurred 59.3%, 40.6% in male and female respectively. Mandibular involvement was 62.4% while in maxilla was 37.6%.Conclusion: Our study provided demographic data on a large series in Iran, a Southwest Asian country. In our study, radicular cysts, the most common OC, had a lower frequency compared to that reported in most other studies. On the other hand, calcifying OCs seem to be more prevalent in the Iranian population compared to other populations male to female to female ratio was 1.45:1

Exploring the concept of "inflammatory angiogenesis" in keratocystic odontogenic tumor

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of inflammation in angiogenesis of keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT). Study Design: Twenty inflamed and 20 non-inflamed KCOTs were selected based on quantitative scoring of inflam mation which was also applied on 20 radicular cysts. Microvessel density was assessed in all samples using CD34 antibody and angiogenesis was compared between the three groups. Statistical analysis was performed using one- way analysis of variance followed by post-hoc Scheffe test and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: A statistically significant difference in angiogenesis was found between radicular cysts and both inflamed and non-inflamed KCOTs (P < 0.001), but not between inflamed and non-inflamed KCOTs (P =0.347). Conclusion: Based on the results obtained in the present study, it seems that the effect of inflammation on angio genesis in KCOT is minimal. However further investigation using other methods of evaluation is suggested to fully clarify the role of "inflammatory angiogenesis" in this neoplasm

Reactive lesions of the oral cavity: A retrospective study on 2068 cases

Background: Reactive lesions of the oral cavity are non-neoplastic proliferations with very similar clinical appearance to benign neoplastic proliferation. This similarity is troublesome in the differential diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and distribution of oral cavity reactive lesions. Materials and Methods: The study was a retrospective archive review. The medical records of 2068 patients with histopathologic diagnosis of oral cavity reactive lesions were studied. The patients′ clinical data were registered and evaluated retrospectively. The obtained frequency of patients′ age, gender, and anatomic location were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used for evaluating the registered data. Results: Peripheral giant cell granuloma was the most prevalent lesion (n=623, 30.12%). This was followed by pyogenic granuloma (n=365, 17.65%), epulis fissuratum (n=327, 15.81%), irritation fibroma (n=288, 13.93%), cemento-ossifying fibroma (n=277, 13.40%), inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia (n=177, 8.56%), and inflammatory papillary hyperplasia (n=11, 0.53%). The age ranged from 2 to 85 years, with a mean of 39.56 years. The lesions were more common in males (n=1219, 58.95%) than in females (n=849, 41.05%). Attached gingiva with 1331 (64.36%) cases was the most frequent place of reactive lesions. Conclusion: Peripheral giant cell granuloma was the most prevalent reactive lesion of the oral cavity. The reactive lesions were more common in males, gingival, and the third decade. Some differences have been found between the findings of the present study and previous reports

Synovial sarcoma of the mandible

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a relatively common soft tissue tumor but only 6%-7% of cases are diagnosed in the head and neck region. It typically occurs in young adults and is slightly more common in males. The most common sites in the head and neck region are hypopharynx and parapharyngeal spaces. However, SS can also occur in tonsils, tongue, and orofacial soft tissues. It is not difficult to diagnose SS microscopically with its classic biphasic appearance, but the diagnosis of monophasic forms is more challenging especially in unusual locations. In this article, we report a rare case of monophasic SS of the mandible. The clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical features are discussed and compared with previously reported cases in the literature. To our knowledge, only six primary involvements have been reported in the jaws. Therefore, our case represents the seventh reported case of SS in the area

Evaluation, Implementation and reassessment of the Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology course at the school of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Today, one of the most important challenges in teaching oral and maxillofacial pathology is how to teach it to dental students. The purpose of this study was to review the implementation and evaluation of the Practical Pathology Curriculum in order to achieve the goals of applied pathology education for dental students. Methods: First, a need assessment was conducted so that the view of students in the faculty of Tehran University of Medical Sciences who had completed the practical oral and maxillofacial pathology unit 2 during the last 2 years were collected using a questionnaire. Then, using the view of faculty members and considering the student opinions and reviewing the texts and similar experiences in other universities in the world, amendments were made to the course mentioned above. After the implementation of the modifications, we gathered the student’s view using the same questionnaire. Results: In the need assessment phase, 92 students (controls) and after the implementation of the modification, 62 students (cases) completed the questionnaire. A significant improvement in the assessment of students in some items such as their overall assessment of educational quality (p = 0. 008) and the mean score of the questionnaire (p = 0. 00) was observed. Regarding the students grades in the final exam, after the implementation of the modifications, a slight improvement was observed although this was not statistically significant (p = 0. 431). Conclusion: The above mentioned modifications results an improvement in the overall satisfaction of students with the teaching quality of practical pathology course, although the average score of the final exam did not show a significant increase