The tongue has been globally considered as an indicator of general health for millennia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of tongue lesions in an Iranian population. In this retrospective study, data from 6,435 oral biopsy reports over a 22-year period (1992-2014) were retrieved from archives of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Department, Shahid Beheshti Dental School, Tehran, Iran. These reports were analyzed according to age, sex, type of lesion and location. Prevalence of tongue lesions were reported as percentages. Out of total oral lesions, 238 (3.7%) were found in the tongue, with the incidence peak (42%) being between 41-60 years. Men constituted 53% and women 47%of patients. The youngest patient was a 3-year-old girl with pyogenic granuloma and the oldest one was a 93-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC was the most common (25%) lesion generally found in the lateral border of the tongue with a male predilection. The second and third most prevalent lesions of the tongue were benign keratosis (frictional keratosis) (13.4%) and leukoplakia (13%).White-red lesions (38.6%) were the most frequent subgroup followed by neoplastic lesions (28%). Moreover, irritation fibroma, non-specific ulcers, squamous papilloma, and hemangioma were found as the most frequent lesions in their related subgroups.Given the high rate of SCC of the tongue in Iranian patients, this area should be examined more carefully by dental practitioners and physicians.

Osteomas are benign slow growing tumors of bone. Tumors are usually asymptomatic until they attain remarkable size and cause asymmetry or dysfunction. In view of few reported cases of giant osteoma of mandible, this article presents a case of giant osteoma of left mandible in a 53-year old male causing dyspnea due to compression of air way space.

Desmoplastic fibroma (DF) is a rare and locally aggressive intraosseous tumor with unknown etiology. The mandible is the common site of involvement in the maxillofacial region. However, it is believed that DF can arise in any bone of the body. A wide age distribution has been reported for DF occurrence, extending from birth to the sixth decade of life, with a peak incidence at 10 to 19 years of age. In this study, diagnostic and therapeutic management of a 6-year-old girl with a desmoplastic fibroma of the inferior orbital rim and zygomatic buttress are discussed. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) revealed a mixed lesion in infraorbital rim, which had ill-defined borders and a straight thick bony septum inside the lesion. It also involved the zygomatic process of maxilla and zygomatic bone. According to radiologic concepts, this rare lesion may mimic fibro-osseous, benign and especially malignant lesions. Regarding different treatment plans, identification of this lesion is essential. Furthermore, presence of coarse and irregular or straight septa along with some imaging criteria for malignant lesions such as destruction of the cortex, periosteal reaction and soft tissue invasion would be helpful to differentiate this lesion from malignant and multilocular benign lesions.

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External root resorption can induce the degeneration of dental cementum and dentine and may extend towards the pulp reductive. Digital subtraction radiography can function as a useful tool in diagnosing degenerative carious lesions. This study investigated the diagnostic value of digital subtraction radiography in detecting external root resorption. This was a descriptive study conducted using the lab trial method. Artificially-induced external root resorption was created in different sizes at the coronal and apical aspects of 20 premolar teeth. Digital radiographs were obtained of each tooth under standard conditions and these radiographs were subtracted by imaging devices. The subtracted images and the digital radiographs were observed by three radiologists. Chi-square, Kappa test, and Z-test were used to analyze the data. The mean of general sensitivity of digital subtraction radiography and direct digital radiography was low in diagnosing 0.05 mm lesions (Sen = 35%), yet, the accuracy index was good for all lesions (Acc ≥ 65%). Other diagnostic parameters were also acceptable. Both types of radiography worked better in diagnosing coronal * Corresponding author. N. M. Goorabjavari et al. 440 than apical lesions (P > 0.05). The interpreters (observers) showed a better performance in diagnosing external root resorption using digital subtraction radiography compared to digital radiography. Both modalities were exact and accurate in detecting 0.05 mm lesions as well as other lesions. However, the results of digital subtraction radiography were not significantly different from those of direct digital radiography.