Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is characterized by the erythematous gingiva, desquamation and erosion of the gingival epithelium, and blister formation. It is a common clinical manifestation in several diseases. Contact allergic reactions to various oral hygiene products and chemical agents have also been reported to represent as DG. The management of DG has been a major problem, largely because the etiology of the disease has been elusive. In this paper, we aimed to review the current literature on the pathogenesis, diagnosis management and prognosis of DG.

Background: Carcinoma of the tongue is the most common intra-oral malignancy in Western countries. Incidence and mortality rates have increased in recent years, and survival has not improved. This study aimed to determine etiologic factors for tongue cancer with age-sex matched case-control data. Materials and Methods: 47 patients with carcinoma of the tongue referred to our oral medicine clinic between years 2005-2006 were analyzed and compared with control group data. The medical records , including family history of cancer, dental trauma, and history of abuse of alcohol and tobacco products was recorded for all subjects. Chi square comparison tests and linear regression analysis were performed using the SPSS program for statistics. Results: Patient and randomly selected control groups each consisted of 30 male and 17 female subjects with mean ages 53.2 (±12.6) and 52.6 (±11.5) years respectively. Smoking and alcohol abuse proportions were significantly higher in the patient group (p=0.0001, p<0.0001 respectively). Chronic mechanical trauma was observed in 44.7% of the patients and 17.0% of the control group (p=0.004). Similarly, family history of cancer of any type (for the first degree relatives) was found to be more common in the patient group (p=0.009). On regression analysis, alcohol abuse, family history of cancer, smoking, chronic mechanical traumas appeared as significant etiologic factors (p=0.0001). Conclusions: We believe that field cancerization may become evident in oral and oropharyngeal mucosa with multiple steps of molecular changes starting from the first sign of dysplasia with chronic exposure to etiological factors. Chronic trauma cases need particular attention to search for very early signs of cancer.

Background and Aim: Although the functional consequences of MDR-1 polymorphisms have been the subject of numerous studies, to the best to our knowledge, associations with clinical side effects of anticancer drugs have yet to be assessed. Our aim was to clarify any role of the C3435T polymorphism of the MDR1 gene in oral mucositis and its relation with elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Materials and Methods: The distribution of the MDR-1 C3435T polymorphism in 47 patients with ALL was determined by RFLP and compared with that of 68 healthy controls. Results: There were no association in distribution of genotypes of MDR-1 C3435T polymorphism and the risk of ALL. Oral mucositis were detected in 78.7% (n=37) of the patients and significantly related to the MDR-1 CT genotype (p=0.042), as confirmed by logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Our preliminary data suggest that children carrying the CT genotype are more prone to develop oral mucositis, which might mean that the heterozygous genotype leads to accumulation of more reactive oxygen species. Since a limited number of patients was investigated, further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a malignant, soft tissue neoplasm consisting of cells derived from the primitive mesenchyme that exhibit a profound tendency to undergo myogenesis. Multimodality therapy for tumors in the head and neck regions has a significant effect on maxillofacial skeletal growth, dental development, and the whole ecologic system of the oral cavity. Here we aimed to discuss the influence of head-neck cancer therapy in pediatric patients with long-term follow-up and present a case with implant-assisted dental rehabilitation and also functional and aesthetic outcomes.

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