Pediatric oral medicine

Prevalence of recurrent aphthous ulceration in Jordanian dental patients

Background

Reviewing the literature, no studies were cited to report the prevalence of recurrent aphthous ulceration in Jordan. The aim of this study is to report the prevalence of recurrent aphthous ulceration in Jordanian subjects.

Methods

A total of 684 dental patients who attended Jordan University of Science and Technology interviewed and administered to fill questionnaires related to history, size, shape, and duration of recurrent aphthous ulceration. Other related questions were also asked.

Results

About 78% of subjects experienced recurrent aphthous ulceration. Approximately 85% of ulcers were less than one cm in diameter, 66% were circular in shape, 92% were painful, 82% interfered with eating, and 55% located in lips and buccal mucosa. Only 50%of participants related ulcers to stress. Sixty eight percent reported no association with tiredness and 85% no association with types of food ingested. Of the 39% who had blood tests carried out, 7% had vitamin B12 and 4% hemoglobin deficiency.

Conclusion

Recurrent aphthous ulceration is a common problem in Jordanian adults.

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the tongue

We report a 10-month-old girl who, at 4 months, developed a small, reddish, plaquelike lesion on her tongue. This lesion began to enlarge rapidly, resulting in difficulty in swallowing and breathing. On physical examination, there was a large, red, friable, hard in consistency, irregular tumor over the distal portion of her tongue. The histopathology and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. The patient was assigned clinical stage I, group III, and began treatment according to the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study guidelines, on triple-agent chemotherapy consisting of vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide. She only received four cycles because her parents then refused this treatment. After the tumor size was reduced by chemotherapy, a partial anterior glossectomy was performed. After 30 months of follow-up she has had no recurrences.