SummaryThe use ofThorotrast (25% thorium dioxide), a radiologic contrast agent used up until the mid-1950s, was associated with a wide range of malignancies, mainly of hepatic origin. We report a case of Thorotrast-induced hepatocarcinoma in an 82-year-old woman.
Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a complication of certain pharmacological treatments such as bisphosphonates, denosumab, and angiogenesis inhibitors. There are currently no guidelines on its management, particularly in advanced stages. The human amniotic membrane (hAM) has low immunogenicity and exerts anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, antimicrobial, antiviral, and analgesic effects. It is a source of stem cells and growth factors promoting tissue regeneration. hAM acts as an anatomical barrier with suitable mechanical properties (permeability, stability, elasticity, flexibility, and resorbability) to prevent the proliferation of fibrous tissue and promote early neovascularization at the surgical site. In oral surgery, hAM stimulates healing and facilitates the proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells in the oral mucosa and therefore its regeneration. We proposed using cryopreserved hAM to eight patients suffering from cancer (11 lesions) with stage 2–3 MRONJ on a compassionate use basis. A collagen sponge was added in some cases to facilitate hAM grafting. One or three hAMs were applied and one patient had a reapplication. Three patients had complete closure of the surgical site with proper epithelialization at 2 weeks, and two of them maintained it until the last follow-up. At 1 week after surgery, three patients had partial wound dehiscence with partial healing 3 months later and two patients had complete wound dehiscence. hAM reapplication led to complete healing. All patients remained asymptomatic with excellent immediate significant pain relief, no infections, and a truly positive impact on the patients’ quality of life. No adverse events occurred. At 6 months of follow-up, 80% of lesions had complete or partial wound healing (30 and 50%, respectively), while 62.5% of patients were in stage 3. Radiological evaluations found that 85.7% of patients had stable bone lesions (n = 5) or new bone formation (n = 1). One patient had a worsening MRONJ but remained asymptomatic. One patient did not attend his follow-up radiological examination. For the first time, this prospective pilot study extensively illustrates both the handling and surgical application of hAM in MRONJ, its possible association with a collagen sponge scaffold, its outcome at the site, the application of multiple hAM patches at the same time, and its reapplication.
Introduction: Noma is defined as a gangrenous ulcerative stomatitis whose starting point is endobuccal. Its exact etiology remains unknown, but many risk factors have been described (malnutrition, poor hygiene, etc.). Chronic lymphoid leukemia (LLC) is a lymphoproliferative syndrome characterized by medullary proliferation of a B lymphocyte clone. It is not considered as a risk factor for noma disease. Observation: A 43-year-old patient is admitted in the odontostomatology unit of the Dapaong Regional Hospital Centre (Togo) for a deep lesion of the left cheek. The clinical examination allows to conclude the presence of a noma. Biological examinations also show a LLC at Binet stage C. In our patient, the LLC is associated with an immunosuppression and the development of infections due to the late diagnosis of the LLC. Comment: The immunosuppression and the development of infections are described in the literature as risk factors for noma disease. An association between LLC and noma could therefore exist. However, such association has been reported to date only once in the literature in 1976. Conclusion: Our observation suggests that the LLC could be a risk factor for noma disease. However, further studies based on large samples are necessary to conclude a causal association between LLC and noma.
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