Myofibroma of the Gingiva: A Rare Case Report and Literature Review

Myofibromas are benign uncommon fibroblastic tumors of the soft tissue, bone, or internal organs affecting all ages. These lesions histopathologically may mimic many other soft tissue tumors of the oral cavity such as spindle cell tumors of neurogenic and smooth muscle cell origin, thus leading to misdiagnosis and mistreatment. This case report describes a rare benign tumor, which presented as a soft tissue swelling on posterior gingiva. Surgical excision of the lesion was carried out under local anaesthesia. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical examination confirmed the diagnosis of myofibroma. Myofibroma should be included in the clinical differential diagnosis of masses of the oral soft tissues; however immunohistochemical examination is essential to establish an accurate diagnosis

Mandibulo-osseous predictors of osteoporosis: A double-blind study on the correlation and comparison of mental index with bone mineral density in post-menopausal women

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by microarchitectural deterioration in bone tissue leading to fractures, and is essentially a preventable disease when detected in the early stages. Novel methods for early identification of osteoporosis can have a great impact in combating this otherwise progressive disease. Aims: The present study was conducted with the objectives of evaluating the precision of a radiomorphometric index [mental index (MI)] measured on a panoramic radiograph in early diagnosis of osteoporosis and finding its correlation with bone mineral density (BMD) measured by digital X-ray radiogrammetry method. Materials and Methods: The study consisted of 71 women who were in natural menopause. The MI was calculated by two investigators, with each investigator recording two sets of measurements. The BMD was assessed and the T-score was obtained by digital X-ray radiogrammetry method. Based on the T-score obtained, the patients were divided into three study groups of normal (n = 24), osteopenic (n = 30), and osteoporotic (n = 17). The values obtained were tabulated for statistical analysis. Results: In the present study, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of MI among normal, osteopenic, and osteoporotic subjects. Normal subjects had significantly higher MI (P < 0.001) than the osteopenic subjects and, similarly, the osteopenic subjects had significantly higher MI (P < 0.001) than the osteoporotic subjects. The inter- and intra-investigator variability was found to be low. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it was concluded that a simple radiomorphometric index (MI) which is relatively easier to measure on a panoramic radiograph can be an indicator of osteoporosis and may aid in early detection and treatment planning of one of the most prevalent metabolic bone diseases

Cytomorphometric analysis: A possible adjunct for age estimation

Background: Age estimation plays a crucial role in identifying an unknown individual in the event of any mass disaster or crime. One of the important noninvasive procedures that may have an impact on determining an individual's age is exfoliative cytology. Aim and Objective: Exfoliated buccal mucosa cells were used in the study to determine the participant's age by assessing the changes in nuclear diameter (ND), nuclear–cytoplasmic (N: C) ratio, and cell diameter (CD). Materials and Methods: With the help of a moistened wooden spatula and a light scraping motion, buccal smears were taken from 100 healthy and normal individuals across various age groups. The samples were then preserved with 95% ethanol and stained using ultrafast Papanicolaou stain. Cell and nuclear diameter were measured for each of these cells using the ImageJ software, and N: C was calculated from the two parameters. The N: C was calculated from CD and ND for each subject. One-way ANOVA tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: A significant difference in the diameter of cell and nucleus with the individual's age (P < 0.05) was noticed. The N: C ratio reduces with increasing age but is not consistent. Conclusion: Buccal smears show age-related alterations that could be utilized as an effective tool for age estimation