• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.35-39
• /
• 2019

Calcifying aponeurotic fibroma (CAF) is an uncommon benign soft-tissue fibroblastic tumor with characteristic histological features. It mainly occurs in the distal part of the extremities, such as the hands and feet, in children and adolescents. Males are twice as commonly affected as females. CAF exhibits local invasiveness, and hence, its recurrence rate is also high. Therefore, complete surgical excision is both diagnostic and therapeutic. The occurrence of CAF in the maxillofacial region, especially the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), is very rare, and this necessitates its differentiation from other TMJ neoplasms. The differential diagnosis of CAF requires microscopic examination. Herein, we report a rare case of CAF located at the left mandibular condyle, which was confirmed by histopathological analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.294-298
• /
• 2019

Treatment of metastatic carcinoma of the oral cavity can be a challenge due to its rarity. The current case report details metastatic carcinoma of the mandible originating from follicular thyroid carcinoma, which is the second most prevalent tumor of the thyroid. As the mandibular lesion developed, the primary thyroid lesion of thyroid. Here, we report a case of metastatic carcinoma of the mandible in a 67-year-old female that was treated with partial mandibulectomy and fibular free flap.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.65-68
• /
• 2019

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD), involving the masticator system of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and masticator muscle, can be characterized with the cardinal signs and symptoms of jaw pain, noises and limitation of mandibular range of motion. However, TMD requires differential diagnosis due to its heterogeneous characteristics with various causes despite the similar clinical profiles. Oral cancer involving TMJ and the masticator system, although infrequent, can be one of these causes and should be considered one of the most life-threatening disease mimicking TMDs. This report introduces a case of masticator space tumor originally diagnosed as TMD in a 73-year-old Korean female with previous history of brain tumor. The clinical signs and symptoms closely mimic that of TMD which may have disrupted differential diagnosis. We discuss here key points for suspecting TMDs of secondary origin, namely, that of cancer and the implications it has on dental clinicians.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• v.50 no.4
• /
• pp.359-363
• /
• 2020

Ameloblastic carcinoma is a rare odontogenic malignant tumor with the histologic features of both ameloblastoma and carcinoma. It occurs more frequently in the mandible than in the maxilla and it may appear de novo or develop from a preexisting ameloblastoma or odontogenic cyst. Rapidly progressing, painful swelling is the most common symptom, and radiographically, it shows significant bone resorption and cortical perforation. This report described a case of ameloblastic carcinoma in a 45-year-old man who presented with swelling in the left mandible. The lesion showed combined features of benign findings, such as an expansile cortex with a distinct border, and malignant findings, such as a large exophytic mass with frank bone resorption. Excisional biopsy was performed and a final diagnosis of ameloblastic carcinoma was made.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.282-287
• /
• 2020

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is a high-grade neoplasm that is usually located in the extremities and retroperitoneum. In the past, UPS was considered the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adults; due to improvements in diagnostic techniques, most cases have been reclassified as other lineage-specific tumors. Gnathic bones are rarely affected, and the clinicopathological characteristics of this neoplasm when diagnosed in the jaw remain to be better described. In this report, we present a rare case of mandibular UPS affecting an 88-year-old female who demonstrated a painful swelling on the right side of the mandible that was accompanied by a pathological fracture. Microscopic examination revealed a pleomorphic spindle-cell neoplasm with mitotic figures and necrosis. The patient underwent surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy but experienced metastasis after 12 months of follow-up and died. Diagnosis of UPS is challenging, and oral pathologists must be aware of this entity when dealing with aggressive undifferentiated neoplasms.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• v.50 no.4
• /
• pp.319-322
• /
• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of the width-to-length ratio for the differentiation of ameloblastomas and odontogenic keratocysts in the body of the mandible. Materials and Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 9 patients with ameloblastomas and 9 patients with odontogenic keratocysts using cone-beam computed tomography. The width-to-length ratio was determined by measuring the ratio between the greatest buccolingual dimension and the greatest perpendicular anteroposterior dimension of the lesion on the axial view. One-way analysis of variance was used to examine the difference in the width-to-length ratio between the 2 types of lesions. Statistical significance was tested at P<0.05. Results: Ameloblastomas showed a mean width-to-length ratio of 0.64, whereas odontogenic keratocysts showed a mean width-to-length ratio of 0.41. The cut-off value with which the 2 types of lesions were differentiated was 0.5. The width-to-length ratios of ameloblastomas were significantly higher than those of odontogenic keratocysts (P<0.05). Conclusion: The width-to-length ratio might be used to differentiate between ameloblastomas and odontogenic keratocysts.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.315-320
• /
• 2021

Carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) is on the rise as a treatment choice for malignant tumor. Compared to conventional radiotherapy, particle beams have different physical and biological properties. Particle beam provides a low entry dose, deposits most of the energy at the endpoint of the flight path, and forms an asymptotic dose peak (the "Bragg peak"). Compared to protons, carbon with its larger mass decreases beam scattering, resulting in a sharper dose distribution border. We report a 50-year-old male who underwent CIRT without surgical resection on osteosarcoma of the mandible. After CIRT, the patient's pain was gone, and the malignant mass remained stable with accompanying necrosis. Nine months later, however, magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated progression of the left mandibular osteosarcoma with pulmonary metastases. After multidisciplinary discussion, concurrent chemoradiotherapy was conducted. While necrotic bone segments came out of the mandible during subsequent periodic outpatient visits, the tumor itself was stable. Thirty months after his first visit and diagnosis, the patient is waiting for chemotherapy. Although CIRT is superior in treating radioresistant hypoxic disease, CIRT is in its infancy, so care must be taken for its indications and complications.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.62-66
• /
• 2014

Osteoradionecrosis is one of the most serious complications of patients receiving radiation therapy. It is characterized by hypovascularity, hypocellularity, and hypoxia-inducing necrosis of bone and soft tissue following delayed healing. In this case, a 72-year-old man was referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery complaining of trismus following extraction three months before first visit. He had a history of right tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection and radiotherapy performed due to right tonsillar cancer seven years prior. After the diagnosis of osteoradionecrosis on right mandibular body and angle, conservative antibiotic therapy was used first, but an orocutaneous fistula gradually formed, and extensive bony destruction and sequestrum were observed. Sequestrectomy, free particulated iliac bone and umbilical fat pad graft were performed via a submandibular approach under general anesthesia. Preoperative regular exams and delicate wound care led to secondary healing of the wound without vascularized free flap reconstruction.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.229-234
• /
• 2016

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the demographic patterns of maxillofacial prosthetic treatment to identify the characteristics and geographic distribution of patients with maxillofacial prosthetics in the capital region of Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This retrospective analytical multicenter study was performed by chart reviews. This study included patients who visited the department of prosthodontics at four university dental hospitals for maxillofacial prosthetic rehabilitation. Patients with facial and congenital defects or with insufficient medical data were excluded. The patients were classified into three categories based on the location of the defect. Patients' sex, age, and residential area were analyzed. Pearson's chi-square test with a significance level of 0.05 was used to analyze the variables. RESULTS. Among 540 patients with maxillofacial prosthetics, there were 284 (52.59%) male patients and 256 (47.41%) female patients. The number of the patients varied greatly by hospital. Most patients were older than 70, and the most common defect was a hard palate defect. Chi-square analysis did not identify any significant differences in sex, age, and distance to hospital for any defect group (P>.05). CONCLUSION. The results of this study indicated that there was imbalance in the distribution of patients with maxillofacial prosthetic among the hospitals in the capital region of Korea. Considerations on specialists and insurance policies for the improvement of maxillofacial prosthetics in Korea are required.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.40
• /
• pp.19.1-19.6
• /
• 2018

Background: Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition disease (CPDD) is a rare disease in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) space. It forms a calcified crystal mass and induces a limitation of joint movement. Case presentation: The calcified mass in our case was occupied in the left TMJ area and extended to the infratemporal and middle cranial fossa. For a complete excision of this mass, we performed a vertical ramus osteotomy and resected the mass around the mandibular condyle. The calcified mass in the infratemporal fossa was carefully excised, and the segmented mandible was anatomically repositioned. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM)/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) microanalysis was performed to evaluate the calcified mass. The result of SEM/EDS showed that the crystal mass was completely composed of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate. This result strongly suggested that the calcified mass was CPDD in the TMJ area. Conclusions: CPDD in the TMJ is a rare disease and is difficult to differentially diagnose from other neoplasms. A histological examination and quantitative microanalysis are required to confirm the diagnosis. In our patient, CPDD in the TMJ was successfully removed via the extracorporeal approach. SEM/EDS microanalysis was used for the differential diagnosis.