Comparison of Effectiveness of Moringa Oleifera Leaves Extract Gel (2%) with Retino A (0.1%) Cream for Treatment of Oral Leukoplakia: Double Blinded Randomized Control Trial

AIM

The study aims to evaluate and compare the efficacy of Moringa oleifera leaf extract gel (2%) & Retino A cream (0.1%) in reducing the size of lesions in oral leukoplakia.

OBJECTIVES

The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two interventions, Moringa oleifera mucoadhesive gel and Retino-A cream, in reducing the size of lesions in patients with oral leukoplakia. Specifically, the objectives were: (1) to assess the efficacy of Moringa oleifera mucoadhesive gel in determining the reduction in lesion size, (2) to assess the efficacy of Retino-A cream in determining the reduction in lesion size, and (3) to compare the efficacy of Moringa oleifera mucoadhesive gel (2%) in determining the change in lesion size in oral leukoplakia patients.

METHODS

Clinically diagnosed cases of oral Leukoplakia were included in this study. The sample size is 72. Thirty-six patients had lesion sizes ranging from 2- 4 cm, and 36 patients had lesion sizes ranging from 4.1 - 6 cm that were equally distributed in the case and control groups using the chit system. The case and control groups had 36 patients with an equal size range of lesions. The case and control group participants will be advised topical application of the intervention and Retino-A thrice daily using a sterile cotton bud.

RESULTS

M. oleifera gel (2%) was found to be more effective in the reduction in the size of the lesion as compared to Retino-A in the treatment of oral leukoplakia patients.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that M. oleifera mucoadhesive gel (2%) is an effective and safe treatment option for oral leukoplakia patients. It demonstrated a significant reduction in lesion size compared to Retino-A cream (0.1%) after 3 months of therapy, without any reported adverse effects. However, long-term follow-up studies are needed to evaluate its long-term effectiveness. The potent antioxidant property of M. oleifera makes it a promising candidate for further studies with concentration variations and in other potentially malignant oral disorders, such as lichen planus and OSMF. The development of chemotherapeutic drugs from M. oleifera for cancer treatment should also be considered. Overall, M. oleifera appears to be a promising natural alternative to synthetic drugs for the treatment of oral leukoplakia.

KEY WORDS

Leukoplakia, Oral leukoplakia, premalignant lesion, precancer, potentially malignant disorders.

COVID-19 associated rhinomaxillary mucormycosis

During COVID-19 pandemic, fulminant deep fungal infection started emerging in India, known as Mucormycosis. This type of mucormycosis was termed as COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM). These patients had previous history of COVID-19 infection. Such cases were mainly reported in immunocompromised patients such as patients with poorly controlled diabetes and chronic renal diseases etc. Rhinomaxillary mucormycosis is an aggressive, fulminant, fatal deep fungal infection of head and neck region. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with the disease; hence we present case series of rhinomaxillary mucormycosis to create awareness amongst dental surgeons.

Comparative efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to TENS and therapeutic ultrasound in management of TMDs: a systematic review & meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To assess the reduction in pain, muscle tenderness, joint clicking, and improvement in mouth opening (MO) after low-level laser therapy (LLLT) compared to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and therapeutic ultrasound (US) among temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) patients.

METHODS

A systematic search of online sources of electronic databases was undertaken. The quality of the study was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

RESULTS

Twelve RCTs were included in the systematic review, and 9 were included in the meta-analysis. For reduction in pain between LLLT and TENS, LLLT was found to be better than TENS, at 95% CI. LLLT was also proven to be better in reducing pain than therapeutic US, at 81% CI.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the effectiveness of LLLT, TENS, and therapeutic US in TMD. LLLT provided relatively more effective pain relief and improvement in MO.

Oral hobnail hemangioma: a case report

Hobnail hemangioma is a benign vascular lesion and intraoral of the lesions are relatively rare. Histopathologically, it shows distinctive biphasic pattern with vascular channels lined by endothelial cells showing characteristic "hobnail" cytomorphology. Since hobnail hemangioma shares similar clinical and histopathologic features with many other benign and malignant vascular tumors, accurate diagnosis is mandatory for proper treatment and prognosis. In the present study, emphasis was given to discuss the differential diagnosis and delineate the hobnail hemangioma from other vascular lesions. Further, immunohistochemical study was performed which showed strong immunopositivity for CD31 and factor VIII in all endothelial cells lining the vascular channels. CD34 was moderately immunopositive and vascular endothelial growth factor was negative.