Oral fibrolipoma

Lipoma is a benign mesenchymal tumor of adipocytes.1 It is most common in mid-aged adults with no gender predilection.2 It is uncommon in the oral cavity and represents 1 to 4% of all benign lesions in this area. Oral lipoma was first described by Roux in 1848 as “yellow epulis”.3 Clinically, it presents as a painless, soft, slow-growing mass covered by normal mucosa that may be yellowish depending on its depth. It can be pedunculated or sessile.4 Histopathologically, several subtypes were described, such as angiomyolipomas, myelolipomas, fibrolipomas, ossifying lipoma, hibernomas, spindle cell lipomas, pleomorphic lipomas, chondroid lipomas, and neural fibrolipomas.5 Fibrolipomas count as 1.6% of all lipomas.3 The mean diameter in the oral cavity is 2 cm, frequently causing esthetic deformity, chewing, and speaking problems.3 The treatment is surgical excision. With complete excision of the capsule, the recurrence rate is very low.5 The etiology of lipomas remains unclear. Some hypotheses suggested that trauma and inflammation stimulate preadipocyte differentiation and maturation. Genetic factors were also observed in a few cases, with familial hereditary forms of multiple lesions and chromosomal aberration in 12q, 13q, and 6p chromosomes in other cases. Other studies proposed endocrine imbalance in the pathogenesis of fibrolipoma and was linked to diabetes, hormonal therapy, and lipid metabolism disorders.1,3,5 Typically, the diagnosis of oral lipoma is made clinically and does not require radiographic examination. However, soft tissue radiography is mandatory in case of pain, rapid growth, giant size, or fixation to the surrounding tissues.1 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been reported to be the most required imaging technique for diagnosing lipomas; they display high signal intensity and appear to be well-encapsulated masses on both T1- and T2-weighted images.6 Differential diagnosis includes herniated buccal fat, fibroma, neurofibroma, dermoid cyst, benign salivary gland tumor, hibernomas, angiolipomas, and liposarcoma.4 Rare cases of intramuscular and intraosseous lipomas were reported.5 Multiple lipomas can be a manifestation of syndromes like multiple familial lipomatosis, benign symmetric lipomatosis (Madelung disease), Gardner syndrome, and adiposis dolorosa.1 Histopathologically, the fibrolipoma variant is characterized by focally increased fibrous tissue intermixed with lobules of mature adipose cells.5 In immunohistochemistry, it shows vimentin positivity. Also, higher Ki-67 antibody expression in fibrolipoma compared to other lipoma variants is indicative of higher proliferative activity and thus related to higher recurrence and malignant transformation. Consequently, fibrolipoma requires a more meticulous follow-up.4 Figure 1 refers to a 49-year-old man referred to the oral surgery department for a buccal nodule that has been evolving for 17 years. He reported slight discomfort in chewing, slow growth of the mass, and no pain. Personal and family histories were noncontributory. Clinical examination revealed a 2 cm pedunculated, pink-yellow, soft nodule on the right buccal mucosa (Figure 1A). This typical presentation was sufficient to suspect the diagnosis of lipoma, and radiographic examination was not required. The mass was wholly removed surgically (Figure 1B). The histological examination showed mature adipose proliferation associated with paucicellular fibrous tissue, consistent with a fibrolipoma (Figure 1C-1D). The patient remains under regular follow-up. Figure 1 Oral fibrolipoma, A - intraoral view of a 2 cm pedunculated nodule on the right buccal mucosa; B - macroscopic view of the excised specimen cut in the middle (scale bar= 1 cm); C and D - mature adipose proliferation associated with paucicellular fibrous tissue (C: H&E x100; D: H&Ex400).

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Wormwood ( Artemisia absinthium

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical variability of wormwood extracts as affected by the growing region. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were also investigated. The essential oil composition variability of A. absinthium L. aerial parts collected from four different Tunisian regions was assessed by gas chromatography (GC/FID) and by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In addition, total polyphenols, flavonoids, and condensed tannins as well as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities of methanolic extract and essential oils were undertaken. Chromatographic analysis of wormwood essential oils showed the predominance of monoterpene hydrocarbons represented mainly by chamazulene. RP-HPLC analysis of wormwood methanolic extract revealed the predominance of phenolic acids. Antiradical activity was region-dependant and the methanolic extract of Bou Salem region has the strongest activity (CI50=9.38±0.82 µg/mL). Concerning the reducing power, the methanolic extract of Bou Salem, Jérissa, and Boukornine regions was more active than the positive control. Obtained results of antimicrobial activities showed that wormwood essential oil is endowed with important antibacterial activity which was strongly related to the organoleptic quality of oil which appeared strongly region-dependant. A. absinthium L. EOs investigated are quite interesting from a pharmaceutical standpoint because of their biological activities

L’ouvert, le propre et le fermé : trois catégories pour qualifier le paysage dans les Alpes du Nord

National audienceDans le Parc national de la Vanoise, certains milieux naturels sont qualifiés de paysages « ouverts », d’autres de paysages « propres », d’autres encore de paysages « fermés ». L’hypothèse développée ici est que l’emploi de chacun de ces adjectifs renvoie à une catégorie au sens des ethnosciences. Ces catégories permettent aux différents acteurs impliqués dans la gestion de l’espace, qu’ils soient gestionnaires d’espaces protégés, scientifiques, alpagistes, ou naturalistes militants, d’exprimer une perception spécifique de l’environnement et de défendre des manières d’aménager l’espace qui sont propres à chacun. Dans ce texte, sont mis en lumière les différents modèles paysagers auxquels se réfèrent les acteurs, et les relations construites autour d’un même espace sont analysées. Cela permet de comprendre les controverses existantes à propos de la qualification du paysage dans un Parc national, tout en analysant les débats actuels et passés

Maghreb and French cooperation in the field of scientific research and university teaching between national traditions and European neo-liberalism standards

International audienc

La protection de la nature en France: De la protection des paysages à l’expérimentation coloniale

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L’émergence d’un champ scientifique. L’ethnosociologie et la sociologie en Tunisie (1881-1970)

Selmi Adel. L’émergence d’un champ scientifique. L’ethnosociologie et la sociologie en Tunisie (1881-1970). In: Gradhiva : revue d'histoire et d'archives de l'anthropologie, n°29, 2001. Dossier : Collectes, collecteurs, collections. pp. 43-58

Administration de la nature dans les espaces protégés

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Colonial Experiment in the Birth of the Politics of Environment

International audienc