Chronic hyperplastic candidosis/candidiasis (candidal leukoplakia)

Chronic hyperplastic candidosis/candidiasis (CHC; syn. candidal leukoplakia) is a variant of oral candidosis that typically presents as a white patch on the commissures of the oral mucosa. The major etiologic agent of the disease is the oral fungal pathogen Candida predominantly belonging to Candida albicans, although other systemic co-factors, such as vitamin deficiency and generalized immune suppression, may play a contributory role. Clinically, the lesions are symptomless and regress after appropriate antifungal therapy and correction of underlying nutritional or other deficiencies. If the lesions are untreated, a minor proportion may demonstrate dysplasia and develop into carcinomas. This review outlines the demographic features, etiopathogenesis, immunological features, histopathology, and the role of Candida in the disease process. In the final part of the review, newer molecular biological aspects of the disease are considered together with the management protocols that are currently available, and directions for future research.published_or_final_versio

Role of Dentists in the Management of Behcet’s Disease: A Case Report

Behcet’s disease (BD) is a multi-system recurrent inflammatory disorder occurring in the form of vasculitis of an unknown etiology. It most frequently affects oral and genital mucosa, skin, eyes, joints, and blood vessels. The definitive diagnosis of BD is based on major symptoms such as recurrent oral and genital ulcers and recurrent skin and ocular lesions, accompanied by symptoms related to various systems. However, early BD manifestations are very similar to recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). Several years from its first appearance are often required for a definitive diagnosis. Objective: To describe a dentist’s role in BD management in a patient with a history of highly recurrent RAS. Case Report: We evaluated a 38-year-old man with a 10-year history of recurrent oral ulcers, accompanied by skin and eyes lesions. His intraoral examination revealed multi-sized ulcers with a yellowish-white base and regular edges, surrounded by an erythematous halo. Ulcers were located on the tongue, floor of the mouth, and gingival mucosa. Although BD diagnosis was not histopathologically confirmed, the patient’s lesions met the International Criteria for Behcet’s disease with a score of 5. Oral ulcers were managed with chlorhexidine mouthwash 2 times/day and supportive measures. A multidisciplinary approach was used for this patient to provide comprehensive treatment. Conclusion: Dentists can be the first clinicians to detect the possible development of BD in patients with symptoms similar to RAS, but additionally having skin and eye lesions

Revisiting the association between candidal infection and carcinoma, particularly oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background: Tobacco and alcohol are risk factors associated with cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract, but increasingly the role of infection and chronic inflammation is recognized as being significant in cancer development. Bacteria, particularly Helicobacter pylori, and viruses such as members of the human papilloma virus family and hepatitis B and C are strongly implicated as etiological factors in certain cancers. There is less evidence for an association between fungi and cancer, although it has been recognized for many years that white patches on the oral mucosa, which are infected with Candida, have a greater likelihood of undergoing malignant transformation than those that are not infected. Objective: This article reviews the association between the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma in potentially malignant oral lesions with chronic candidal infection and describes mechanisms that may be involved in Candida-associated malignant transformation

Oral potentially malignant disorders: Risk of progression to malignancy

© 2017 Elsevier Inc. Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) have a statistically increased risk of progressing to cancer, but the risk varies according to a range of patient- or lesion-related factors. It is difficult to predict the risk of progression in any individual patient, and the clinician must make a judgment based on assessment of each case. The most commonly encountered OPMD is leukoplakia, but others, including lichen planus, oral submucous fibrosis, and erythroplakia, may also be seen. Factors associated with an increased risk of malignant transformation include sex; site and type of lesion; habits, such as smoking and alcohol consumption; and the presence of epithelial dysplasia on histologic examination. In this review, we attempt to identify important risk factors and present a simple algorithm that can be used as a guide for risk assessment at each stage of the clinical evaluation of a patient

Exploring ethical dimensions of AI-enhanced language education: A literature perspective

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in generative AI, continue to affect language education paradigms. The integration of AI in language education raises deep-seated ethical concerns such as privacy and data security, potential biases and hidden ideologies in the output, transparency and accountability, dependency and autonomy, digital divide, and job displacement and professional development. The article analyzes these ethical concerns and introduces the multifaceted dimensions of ethics associated with AI in language education. This article comprehensively examines the potential biases of AI in language education. These biases can be algorithmic, demographic, cultural, linguistic, temporal, confirmation, ideological and political. The analysis includes factors contributing to biases, such as training data , labelling and annotation, product design decisions, policy decisions, and algorithms. This paper analyzes algorithmic transparency and advocates for more transparent AI systems to address bias in algorithms. Violations of student privacy emerge as one of the profound ethical issues in the discourse on AI-enhanced language education. The article also examines the challenges and risks associated with the protection of student data privacy, emphasizing the need for robust privacy frameworks to alleviate concerns regarding privacy, human agency and the lack of transparency in the collection of an excessive amount of personal information. By synthesizing the key findings, the paper will conclude with a potential framework of ethical guidelines for the responsible and ethical integration of AI in language education.

Exploring ethical dimensions of AI-enhanced language education: A literature perspective

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in generative AI, continue to affect language education paradigms. The integration of AI in language education raises deep-seated ethical concerns such as privacy and data security, potential biases and hidden ideologies in the output, transparency and accountability, dependency and autonomy, digital divide, and job displacement and professional development. The article analyzes these ethical concerns and introduces the multifaceted dimensions of ethics associated with AI in language education. This article comprehensively examines the potential biases of AI in language education. These biases can be algorithmic, demographic, cultural, linguistic, temporal, confirmation, ideological and political. The analysis includes factors contributing to biases, such as training data , labelling and annotation, product design decisions, policy decisions, and algorithms. This paper analyzes algorithmic transparency and advocates for more transparent AI systems to address bias in algorithms. Violations of student privacy emerge as one of the profound ethical issues in the discourse on AI-enhanced language education. The article also examines the challenges and risks associated with the protection of student data privacy, emphasizing the need for robust privacy frameworks to alleviate concerns regarding privacy, human agency and the lack of transparency in the collection of an excessive amount of personal information. By synthesizing the key findings, the paper will conclude with a potential framework of ethical guidelines for the responsible and ethical integration of AI in language education