Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with metastasis and tumor recurrence resulting in 90 % of cancer associated mortality. COX-2, an inflammatory biomarker, has been shown to play a significant role in tumorigenesis of OSCC. To study the expression of COX-2 in OSCC by immunohistochemistry and investigate its association with the clinicopathological parameters including patient survival. A cross sectional study was carried out in 75 histologically confirmed cases of OSCC. COX-2 expression was evaluated by indirect streptavidin biotin method. The expression was semi-quantitatively assessed using established criteria. The expression profile of COX-2 was correlated with the clinicopathological details like tumor size, regional lymphnode metastasis, distant metastasis, clinical stage, local recurrence of tumor, histological grade, and survival of patient. Chi square and Kaplan Meier statistical tests were applied for assessing this association. COX-2 expression was absent in normal oral mucosa. Over expression of COX-2 was seen in 58 out of 75 specimens of OSCC. Overexpression of COX-2 was significantly associated with the lymphnode involvement, histological grade, local recurrence of tumor and patient survival. COX-2 expression represents an important biomarker of prognostic significance that may be used to identify a subset of patients at high risk and to predict patient survival.

EpCAM serves as a potential biomarker of prognostic significance that could be used to identify patients at high risk and to predict patient survival. Moreover, EpCAM antigen represents an attractive target for immunotherapeutic approaches in a subgroup of patients with EpCAM-positive OSCC.

About 20% of the world's population uses some form of betel nut, which suggests that the incidence of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is higher than current estimates. OSF has the potential to undergo malignant transformation; thus, there is a need to identify relevant markers to assess its aggressiveness. We evaluated changes in COX-2, p53, and MDM2 expressions in progressive OSF. Expressions of COX-2, p53, and MDM2 increased with OSF progression. There was a strong association between COX-2 overexpression and recurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.001) and a positive relation between increased MDM2 expression and failure of radiotherapy (P = 0.007). These findings suggest that COX-2 is an important marker of disease progression and that MDM2 expression is useful for treatment planning. (J Oral Sci 57, [169][170][171][172][173][174][175][176] 2015)

A 4-month-old infant was referred by a paediatrician for a rapidly growing swelling on the right side of the mandible of 1.5 months duration. His medical and family history was unremarkable. Palpation divulged a firm and tender enlargement with the overlying soft tissue showing no significant alteration in colour. CT scan revealed cortical irregularity involving the ramus on the right side along with right masseter muscle hypertrophy. Routine haematological investigation yielded values within normal limits except for a raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Histopathological examination of the tissue submitted following an open biopsy procedure showed reactive lamellar bone and trabeculae with fibrous marrow exhibiting inflammation. The final diagnosis of infantile cortical hyperostosis was clinched based on the clinicopathological correlation. A rare reactive bone dystrophy which could pose a certain diagnostic dilemma is addressed herewith.

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We appraise a case of central odontogenic fibroma (COF) with unusual histologic features of entrapped neural elements and mast cells. The presence of mast cells attributed to the release of stem cell factor, the principal growth and activating factor of mast cells. A putative role for C-kit and mast cells in the pathogenesis of COF is described.