Survey of pathology reports with no definitive diagnosis in oral lesions: the necessary skills for the clinicians

Experiences, perceptions, and decision-making capacity towards oral biopsy among dental students and dentists

The dentist plays a crucial role in identifying oral lesions as it is their responsibility to conduct the clinical examination for diagnosing diseases in this anatomical region. Dentists should be able to perform simple oral biopsies when this procedure is necessary. However, several studies point out that dentists lack experience and perceive themselves incapable of performing biopsies. This analytical cross-sectional study aimed to assess participants' experiences and perceptions regarding a continuing education activity focused on the biopsy procedure. The secondary aim was to evaluate their ability to determine when a biopsy is indicated. The sample consisted of 228 individuals: 143 dentists and 85 undergraduate dental students who completed questionnaires related to a lecture held in May/2021, as part of the continuing educational activities of the "Red May" Project. Participants completed two questionnaires: the first assessed their experience and self-confidence in performing oral biopsies, whereas the second evaluated their capacity to define when the biopsy is indicated by means the evaluation of 10 clinical cases. The results reveal no significant difference in the percentage of correct answers between dental students and dentists. Regarding the frequency of performing the biopsy procedure, most respondents (69.7%) reported doing so rarely or never. Furthermore, while 31.6% of the participants stated that they perform biopsies depending on the case, 68.4% prefer to refer patients to specialists, such as professionals in Stomatology/Oral Medicine. These findings highlight limitations in the educational preparation of the study population concerning biopsy procedures, oral lesions, and their management. They also indicate a concerning tendency to overestimate knowledge in this area. Thus, this study emphasizes the importance of continuing education and underscores the need to revise academic curricula and provide complementary education for all dental professionals.

Pearls and pitfalls in the diagnosis of small oral biopsies

Pathologic processes affecting the oral and maxillofacial region include a heterogenous group of diseases with widely variable biologic behaviors. Proper patient management begins with the establishment of an accurate diagnosis, which often relies on histopathologic interpretation of small tissue samples from oral lesions. While confident diagnosis of small oral biopsies can be challenging, an understanding of oral and maxillofacial disease and consistent clinicopathologic correlation can help pathologists recognize inflammatory confounders and overcome common errors in specimen management, including insufficient sample size and non-representative biopsy samples.

Biopsy of the oral mucosa: Does size matter?

AIM

To analyze the relation between biopsy specimen's size and the definitive diagnosis. In addition, other variables including oral mucosa region, type of disease and general versus specialist practitioner were also assessed.

METHODS

Data from specimens submitted to histopathological examination between 2007 and 2017 were retrospectively analysed.

RESULTS

We analysed data on 792 patients. Out of 1089 archived reports, 81 (7.4%) had no definitive diagnosis. Multivariate analysis rendered biopsy length as the factor influencing the possibility to reach a definitive diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The size of the specimen is an important parameter to achieve a correct histopathological diagnosis of the oral lesions investigated. According to our results, it seems that a 10 mm length is adequate to optimize the biopsy outcome. No statistically differences were observed between GPDs and oral surgery specialists, probably because biopsies were performed by experienced general practitioners, although not formally trained.

Odontogenic keratocyst located in the retromolar trigone

Odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs) are a commonly occurring, benign cystic intraosseous lesion thought to arise from the cell rests of the dental lamina. Most instances of OKC are commonly found in the posterior aspect of the mandible. In rare instances, there have been reported cases of OKCs arising in the peripheral gingiva, but these cases are few and far between. Rarer still are the few documented cases of OKCs arising in other soft tissues of the mouth. There are many divided opinions on the diagnosis of these lesions and whether they are truly odontogenic in origin, given their location when they are enucleated from a soft tissue area. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first reported case of a patient with a peripheral OKC located in the retromolar trigone. We discuss this unique case and review the current literature on peripheral OKCs.