Early extraction of the mandibular third molar in case of eruption disturbances of the second molar

PURPOSE

General consensus has been reached on extracting mandibular third molars when they are involved in pathologic processes. However, early extraction is advisable in cases of eruption disturbances of the mandibular second molar, before or during orthodontic treatment.

METHODS

Thirty-two patients with early extraction of the mandibular third molar before or during orthodontic treatment were examined.

RESULTS

In these cases either the presence of the third molar presented an obstacle in the eruption path of the second, or third molar germ removal was considered beneficial to the course of orthodontic treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Early extraction of the mandibular third molar facilitates the eruption of the second molar, especially in cases where evidence of crowding and lack of space in the posterior mandibular region exist. Orthodontic treatment may, in some cases, aggravate eruption disturbances of the second molar.

Submerged teeth

Submersion occurs when a previously erupted tooth becomes embedded in the oral tissues. The purpose of this paper is to examine the distribution, the degree of re-impaction, the rate of congenital absence of the successor buds and the treatment in 28 submerged teeth in 17 patients.

Testicular embryonal carcinoma metastatic to the labial mucosa of the upper lip

An unusual case of testicular embryonal carcinoma metastatic to the labial mucosa of the upper lip is reported. The clinical features and the management of the metastatic oral lesion are presented. In patients with known systemic malignancy, oral swellings may be an indication of a metastatic deposit.

Bilateral metastatic breast angiosarcoma to the mandibular gingiva: case report

Metastases to the jaws and oral soft tissues are rare. A case of breast angiosarcoma metastatic to the mandible and the gingiva, bilaterally in the premolar area is presented. The clinical, histological features and the management of the metastatic oral lesions are reported. Our case emphasises the possibility that in patients with history of breast angiosarcoma, oral inflammatory-like lesions may be an indication of a metastatic deposit.

Traumatic cervical cystic hygroma

An unusual case of traumatic cervical cystic lymphangioma in an adult man is presented.

Merkel cell carcinoma in a patient with Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis

A rare case is described of Merkel cell carcinoma of the cheek arising in a cutaneous neurofibroma in a patient with Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis. The relevant literature is reviewed.

Tympanic plate fracture following mandibular trauma

Bleeding from the external auditory canal following head trauma is not unusual. It can be caused by a posterior dislocation of the mandibular condyle associated with a fracture of the tympanic bone. Although posterior dislocation is uncommon, it is the second most frequent complication after antero-medial displacement of the condyle. We report four cases of tympanic plate fracture and present CT images demonstrating the range of injuries seen.

Hemifacial atrophy secondary to poliomyelitis

A 25-year-old woman is presented with hemifacial atrophy due to unilateral bulbar poliomyelitis infection. Although bulbar poliomyelitis is not an uncommon disease, it is rarely a cause of hemifacial asymmetry.

Agenesis of sphenoid sinus. Case report

Although the sphenoid sinuses can be identified in sections of the fetus at 4 months, at birth the sinus remains small and is little more than an evagination of the sphenoethmoid recess. After the 3rd year, invasion of the sphenoid bone is more rapid, and by the age of 7, the sinus has extended posteriorly to the level of the sella turcica. By the age of 12, the sphenoid pneumatization reaches its final form and a size equivalent to the adult, although further enlargement into the basisphenoid may occur in the adult. Agenesis of paranasal sinuses is an uncommon clinical sign and refers mainly to the frontal and secondarily to the maxillary sinuses. Agenesis of sphenoid sinuses is a very rare phenomenon in the literature. We present a 32-year-old male patient with agenesis of sphenoid sinuses that was studied by CT.

Co-existence of Dubowitz and hyper-IgE syndromes: a case report

A case of a 5-year-old girl is described whose clinical features included postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly and characteristic facial appearance. These are recognized as the main features of the Dubowitz syndrome. Apart from these features, our patient had recurrent infections of the sinopulmonary tract, high serum IgE levels, defective chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear cells and defective antibody response, findings characterizing the hyper-IgE syndrome. The co-existence of these two syndromes is rare and we suggest that this is the first such case in the literature.

CONCLUSION

Patients with the Dubowitz syndrome will Dubowitz syndrome will require long-term follow up because there is a considerable risk for the syndrome to co-exist with primary immunodeficiency or for malignancies to develop.

Delayed infantile cortical hyperostosis (Caffey's disease): case report

Late recurrence or a delayed form of Caffey's disease is an exceedingly rare condition of unknown cause. A 3 1/2-year-old boy is presented with delayed Caffey's disease showing unilateral involvement of maxilla and zygoma.

Pathogenesis of bromodeoxyuridine-induced cleft palate in mice

This study was designed to examine the pathogenesis of bromodeoxyuridine-induced (BrdU) clefts of the secondary palate in mice. Intraperitoneal injections of BrdU (500 mg/kg body weight) were given on days 11 and 12 to some pregnant mice and on days 12 and 13, and days 11, 12 and 13 to others. Evaluation of craniofacial relations and palate development in BrdU-treated mice revealed inhibition of vertical development of the palatal shelves, mandibular hypoplasia which led to failure of downward displacement of the tongue and the creation of an obstacle to reorientation of the palatal shelves. The results of this study demonstrate a strong correlation between induction of cleft palate and the presence of structural alterations in the mandible, and the mechanism of BrdU-induced cleft palate resembles the defect in the Pierre Robin anomaly.

Craniofacial manifestations of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome: case report

The Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is characterized by striking craniofacial features, microcephaly, mental deficiency, growth retardation, 2-3 syndactyly of the feet, and genital malformations. We present a patient and discuss dentofacial aspects of the syndrome.

Totally submerged deciduous maxillary molars. Case reports

The total reimpaction or submersion of deciduous teeth is a very uncommon phenomenon and few cases have been reported in the literature. The condition affects the mandibular second deciduous molar most often and the maxillary first deciduous molar least often. Two cases of totally reimpacted maxillary deciduous molars are reported.

A sporadic case of Lenz microphthalmia syndrome

We present a sporadic case of colobomatous microphthalmia associated with multiple congenital anomalies. Our purpose is to add a new case of Lenz microphthalmia syndrome to the literature and to draw attention to the typical pattern of facial features of this disease.

Chronic idiopathic hyperphosphatasemia. Case report

Chronic idiopathic hyperphosphatasemia, or juvenile Paget disease is a very rare syndrome that is characterized by fragile bones, bowing deformities, shortness of stature, large head, premature loss of teeth, radiographic evidence of expanded osteoporotic long bones with coarse trabeculations, and widened bones of the skull. Increased levels of serum alkaline phosphatase and increased levels of urinary total hydroxyproline are notable. We present a case of juvenile Paget disease that was associated with a history of precocious puberty. The patient had odontogenic osteomyelitis of the mandible that was treated by drainage, surgical debridement and antibiotic therapy.

Abducent nerve palsy following transverse fracture of the middle cranial fossa

Transverse sphenoidal fractures may be associated with a variety of skull base injuries and neural deficits. Among those nerve injuries, oculomotor palsies and particularly sixth cranial nerve palsy, are quite common. Blows on the side of the head in the squamous temporal region may run across the floor of the middle cranial fossa through the greater wing of the sphenoid in the transverse cranial axis. We report three cases of patients who had sustained craniofacial injury which included a transverse fracture of the middle cranial fossa through the sphenoid sinus, extending to the petrous apex and producing abducent, facial, and eighth nerve dysfunction. Spontaneous recovery from diplopia occurred in all cases within 4 months. The management of the patients and the patterns of transverse cranial base fractures and their associated clinical features are discussed.

McCune-Albright syndrome. Report of a case

The McCune Albright syndrome is seldom encountered and rarely reported in dental literature. It represents a special category of polyostic fibrous displasia associated with skin pigmentation and endocrine disturbances. We describe the case of a 9-year-old boy with the McCune Albright syndrome, who was treated for a mandibular osteolytic lesion.

Bifid mandibular condyle resulting from a sagittal fracture of the condylar head

Sagittal or vertical fractures of the mandibular condyle and chip fractures of the medial part of the condylar head are very rare entities and their identification is difficult with conventional radiographs. We report a case of a unilateral bifid mandibular condyle which resulted following a sagittal condylar fracture. This was associated with a chip fracture of the medial part of the condylar head on the contralateral side. These types of condylar fracture do not require any surgical treatment, but early mobilization is indicated.

Posterior dislocation of mandibular condyle into external auditory canal. A case report

A case is reported of a 49-year-old edentulous patient who suffered a posterior dislocation of the right fractured mandibular condyle causing a fracture of the tympanic plate. This was associated with a right transverse fracture of the petrous bone and an intact tympanic membrane. Some of the problems related to this condition are discussed.

Exomphalos, inguinal hernia, renal agenesis, skeletal dysplasia, heart disease--a "new" syndrome?

We report a growth retarded, male child with exomphalos, bilateral direct inguinal hernias, unilateral renal agenesis, congenital heart defect, costovertebral dysplasia, microcephaly, ventricular septal defect, and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia associated with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The natural history of that syndrome is poorly understood and provisional suggestion of a new syndrome will depend on further similar observations.