Clinico-pathologic review of biopsied tongue lesions in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Background : Varying pathologic conditions can affect the tongue for which the pattern of occurrence may differ. The aim of this study was to review the clinico-pathologic features of histologically diagnosed cases of tongue lesions that presented in our hospital over a 21 years period.Materials and Methods : Data on habits, class of lesion, histological diagnosis, age, gender, and site distributions were analyzed using descriptive frequencies, ranges and means ± SD. Variables were compared using Chi square and ANOVA tests as appropriate. Sites of lesions were coded using the WHO ICD-O code on topography.Results: Tongue lesions were seen in 43 males and 31 females. There was a bimodal peak age of occurrence at 40-49 and 60-69 years of age. Smoking and alcohol intake habits were recorded in 8 cases only. Neoplastic lesions constituted 78.4% of the cases. Using the WHO ICD-O code for topography of lesions, the tongue dorsum (ICD-O-2.0) was the most commonly affected site. Malignant lesions constituted 47.3% of the cases seen. Also, 8.6% of the malignant lesions were seen in younger patients (< 40 years).Conclusions: Tongue lesions showed a bimodal age of occurrence with neoplastic lesions as the most histologically diagnosed lesions in our study.Keywords: Tongue, Clinico-pathology, Squamous cell carcinoma, Non-neoplastic lesion

Effect of vitamin C on glucose metabolism in partial and total paradoxical sleep-deprived male wistar rats

Background: Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with increases in oxidative stress and impaired glucose homeostasis. The effect of vitamin C on glucose metabolism and oxidative stress in sleep deprived animals was investigated in this study.Method: Thirty male Wistar rats (150-200 g) divided into six groups as control; control + vitamin C (CC); partial sleep deprived (PSD); partial sleep deprived + vitamin C (PSDC); total sleep deprived (TSD); and total sleep deprived + vitamin C (TSDC) were used. Paradoxical sleep deprivation was by the modified multiple platform for 20 hours daily in PSD and PSDC or for 24 hours daily in TSD and TSDC for 7 days. Vitamin C (300mg/kg, daily) was administered to animals in CC, PSDC and TSDC groups. After the 7 days SD and/or vitamin C treatment, blood samples were obtained for fasting blood glucose, lactate, Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. Muscle and liver samples were obtained for glycogen determination while hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphatase activities were determined in the liver sample.Results: Body weight decreased significantly in TSD rats; the percentage weight loss was however reduced in TSDC. Serum MDA increased in PSD and TSD compared with control; but lower in PSDC and TSDC compared with PSD and TSD, respectively. Catalase activity was decreased in TSD and TSDC. Fasting blood glucose level, plasma lactate and muscle glycogen were reduced in TSD and TSDC. Hepatic glycogen increased in TSD but decreased in TSDC. Glucose 6-phosphatase activity decreased in PSD but increased in TSD; also, the activity decreased in TSDC with no difference in PSDC compared with control. Hexokinase activity was decreased in TSD but increased in TSDC.Conclusion: Partial sleep deprivation had no effect on glucose metabolism but total sleep deprivation caused derailment in glucose metabolism which was not reversed by vitamin C despite reductions in oxidative stress.Keywords: Sleep deprivation, Glucose metabolism, Vitamin C, Oxidative stress, Rat

Dysplastic Papilliferous Basaloid Ameloblastoma: Report of a Case

Papilliferous ameloblastoma is an uncommon histologic variant of ameloblastoma. About five cases have been reported in the English literature till date. All five showed squamous differentiation with keratin formation and were diagnosed as papilliferous keratoameloblastoma. The present lesionshows basaloid differentiation and mild dysplasia in addition to papilliferous projections, thus termed dysplastic papilliferous basaloid  ameloblastoma.  Ameloblastoma, the most common odostoma has not ceased to intrigue pathologists with its diverse histomorphological patterns. Therefore, we present this uncommon lesion in a 50 year old man with right mandibular swelling. Key words: Papilliferous, Basaloid, Ameloblastoma, Dysplastic, Nonhealing socket

COVID -19 Diagnosis: How Reliable is Saliva Test?

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Salivary flow and composition in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects

The study investigated the effects of type 2 diabetes mellitus on salivary flow and composition in humans compared to healthy sex and age matched controls. Forty adult human subjects divided into 20 diabetic and 20 non-diabetic healthy subjects were included. Saliva samples were collected and analysed for glucose, total protein, calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate. Salivary flow rate was also determined. The results showed that salivary glucose and potassium levels were significantly higher (p = 0.01 and 0.002 respectively) in diabetic patients compared with non-diabetic participants. It was also found that the diabetic patients had significant reduction in salivary flow rate when compared with non-diabetic individuals. In contrast, there was no significant difference in levels of total protein, Na+, Ca++, Cl- and HCO3- between the two groups. These results suggest that some oral diseases associated with diabetes mellitus may be due to altered levels of salivary glucose, potassium and flow

Challenges sssociated with Learning Oral Diagnostic Sciences: A multicenter study in Nigeria

Introduction: Oral diagnostic sciences (ODS) comprise the subjects, oral pathology, oral medicine, oral radiology and the functional integration of these into the oral  diagnostic services. Oral diagnostic science has peculiar challenges with learning  and training in sub-Saharan Africa. Several barriers that may impede effective clinical teaching include inadequate institutional financial support and lack of access to appropriate educational space and resources. The aim of this study was to categorize challenges of learning ODS in Nigeria.Methods: This was a cross sectional survey of undergraduate dental students (UDS) and resident doctors (RDS) in dentistry in five institutions in Nigeria. The study included 286 participants comprised of 199 UDS and 87 RDS. Information about challenges of trainer, trainee and facilities was obtained by using pretested  structured questionnaires. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23 and tests of associations between variables were determined using Chi-square. The level of significance was set at p < 5%. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 27.2 (± 4.6) years and 60.6% were males. The majority, 72.4% of RDS and 64.3% of UDS, indicated that getting a good ODS education was important to them. Few, 19.5% of RDS and 8.5% of UDS indicated that they would consider ODS as a career. While 37.9% of RDS decided that their examinations are fair and  objective, 50.8 % of UDS agreed that their examinations were fair and objective (p < 0.05). The percentage of RDS and UDS which felt that ODS consultants sometimes give contrary information to textbook material were 26.4% and 29.1% respectively, however 28.7% of RDS and 34.2% of UDS were undecided about this issue. Thirty-eight (43.7%) specified that lack of a structured postgraduate curriculum in ODS caused their challenge with learningConclusions: Trainee level affected the participants' perceived challenges of learning ODS. Despite the differences, the results showed that most of the challenges were common to both undergraduate and postgraduate training