Search

Mucoceles originating in submandibular gland (SMG) which are extravasation type are extremely rare. Because the extraoral approach with potential risks of facial nerve injury and scar formation is commonly performed, we report endoscopically-assisted intraoral removal of submandibular gland mucocele as minimally invasive surgery. A 28-year-old female was referred to our department with an eight-week history of left submandibular painless swelling. Radiological diagnosis was not plunging ranula but SMG mucocele. The patient underwent endoscopically-assisted intraoral removal of SMG under general anesthesia as minimally invasive surgery. A mucosal incision on the left oral floor was made. After soft tissues surrounding the SMG were dissected bluntly, the mucocele and SMG were exposed more prominently by digital pressure applied beneath the lower border of the mandible by an assistant. The SMG was gripped with forceps after aspiration of mucocele, and pulled up through the incision by gland dissection. Because the facial artery penetrated the SMG, the facial artery was ligated and cut. The SMG with mucocele was removed completely in intraoral approach. Although there was no continuity with SMG and sublingual gland (SLG), the SLG was also removed preventively. The pathological diagnosis was SMG mucocele. Although lingual nerve paresthesia occurred postoperatively, the paresthesia was recovered completely 3 weeks after surgery. There was no recurrence 2.5 years after surgery. Because intraoral removal of SMG can be performed without cervical scar and facial nerve injury, this intraoral approach with endoscopic assistance can be an alternative to transcervical approach.

Vascular anomalies in infants and children were separated into hemangiomas and vascular malformations based on their clinical appearance, histopathologic features, and biologic behavior. Whereas vascular malformations are structural abnormalities of capillary, arterial, venous, or lymphatic elements, vascular tumors are characterized by increased endothelial cell turnover. However, misdiagnoses and misperceptions persist around the use of the term "hemangioma". Although venous malformations arising in the submandibular gland are extremely rare, the most have been diagnosed as “hemangioma”. We report a rare submandibular gland venous malformation with multiple phleboliths. A 54-year-old female visited a private dental clinic for the pain of the right mandibular third molar. Panoramic radiograph showed multiple radiopaque lesions below the right mandibular angle. After the diagnosis of submandibular gland stones, she was referred to our department for the treatment. Ultrasonography showed a heterogeneous, hypoechoic lesion with multiple hyperechoic lesions and blood flow in the right submandibular gland. CT showed a well-circumscribed, heterogenous, low-density lesion with multiple calcifications in the right submandibular gland. MRI showed a lesion with signal intensity similar to that of the muscle in the right submandibular gland had multiple low signal intensity lesions on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images. Radiological diagnosis was submandibular gland venous malformation with multiple phleboliths. She underwent intraoral removal of submandibular gland lesion under general anesthesia. Pathological diagnosis was submandibular gland venous malformation with multiple phleboliths.

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma, with three subtypes: endemic, sporadic, and human immunodeficiency associated subtypes. Endemic BL typically involves the mandible, maxilla, and abdomen, whereas sporadic BL usually presents as an abdominal mass involving the mesenteric lymph nodes or ileocecal region, and jaw involvement is uncommon. In pediatric patients, oral BL commonly presents as facial swelling with an intraoral exophytic mass and is usually accompanied by mobile, displaced, and/or painful teeth. We report sporadic BL initially presented as orofacial manifestations in an 8-year-old boy, and conduct a mini-review. He had left facial and gingival swelling. CT revealed the lesions were located at the left anterior maxilla and the masticator muscle, and PET showed multiple lesions. An incisional biopsy of left anterior maxillary gingiva was performed, and the pathological diagnosis was BL. Oral management has been performed since initial chemotherapy, and tumor remission was achieved by chemotherapy with the B-NHL03 study regimen at our pediatric department. There was no recurrence of the tumor 5 years after chemotherapy. Dentists and oral surgeons should be aware that dental problems including floating teeth and/or alveolar bone resorption might be the first clinical manifestation of BL. Because the success of intensive treatment relies on good supportive care, oral management plays an important role to maintain oral hygiene.

Conventional intraoral removal of deeply impacted or ectopic mandibular third molar is challenging for limited surgical access. Because there are potential risks of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury or iatrogenic mandibular fracture, several methods for the removal have been proposed. As minimally invasive and safe surgery, we report image-guided removal of deeply impacted mandibular third molar using navigation system. A 32-year-old male was referred to our department with right mandibular pain and swelling. Panoramic radiograph showed right mandibular third molar was deeply impacted and interrupted the white line of the mandibular canal. Computed tomography (CT) showed deep impacted right mandibular third molar with root projection from the lingual cortical bone, and there was resorption of lingual cortical bone and passing of mandibular nerve between roots. For mandibular navigation surgery, a resin occlusal splint with titanium markers and handle was manufactured to fix reference frame to the mandible. CT was performed preoperatively after the occlusal splint was fixed with patient’s mandibular teeth, and the patient underwent image-guided removal of mandibular third molar with navigation system under general anesthesia. After reference frame was attached to the handle of the occlusal splint fixed with patient’s mandibular teeth, point-based registration was performed. The crown was removed after the sectioning, and the root sectioning with calibrated bur was performed carefully to avoid injury of the IAN under navigational guidance. The roots were completely removed, and the IAN was exposed in the lingual cortical bone defect. Postoperative course was uneventful without paresthesia of the IAN.

Actinomycotic osteomyelitis is an aggressive and persistent disease capable of invading and destroying bone, and chronic osteomyelitis with proliferative periostitis represents new bone formation with periosteal reaction. We report a rare case of actinomycotic osteomyelitis with proliferative periostitis arising in the mandibular ramus and spontaneous bone regeneration after coronoidectomy. A 14-year-old girl was referred for swelling in the right parotid-masseteric region and severe trismus. Contrast-enhanced CT revealed that heterogenous enhancement of the right masseter muscle, and a reactive bone formation over the lateral cortex of the right mandibular ramus and osteolysis of the condyle were seen in plain CT. MRI showed that the mandibular ramus was a low-signal intensity and the reactive bone on the ramus was signal intensity similar to muscle on T1-weighted images. The lesion was clinically and radiologically diagnosed as chronic osteomyelitis of the mandibular ramus. However, a biopsy was performed intraorally under general anesthesia to rule out a malignant bone tumor, and pathological examination showed fibrous bone and Actinomyces druses. Finally, the lesion was diagnosed as actinomycotic osteomyelitis with proliferative periostitis. She underwent image-guided intraoral removal of impacted right third molar and reactive proliferative bone on the right mandibular ramus under general anesthesia. To improve trismus, coronoidectomy also was performed. After the discharge, AMPC was administrated intraorally for 7.5 months. Postoperative panoramic radiograph and CT showed the right mandibular angle resorption and coronoid process regeneration. There was no recurrence of mandibular osteomyelitis 7 years after surgery.

The purpose of this study was to reevaluate preoperative computed tomography lymphography (CTL) and enhanced CT images during follow-up to clarify whether SLNs enhanced by CTL were identified accurately before primary surgery with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for clinically N0 early oral cancer. Thirty two early oral cancer patients without cervical lymph node metastasis were enrolled in this study. To clarify whether SLNs enhanced by CTL were identified accurately before primary surgery with SLNB, we reevaluated preoperative CTL and enhanced CT images during follow-up in all patients. SLNs were detected by CTL in 31 of 32 patients (96.9%). During follow-up after primary surgery with SLNB, 4 of 27 patients without SLN metastasis had occult neck metastasis. Of the 4 patients, only 1 patient with cancer of floor of the mouth had overlooking of SLN, and the overlooking rate of SLN was 3.1%. The overlooked small SLN (2.9 × 3.3 × 3.1 mm) was located at contralateral level IB. The CT numbers before, 2, 5, 10 min after iopamidol injection, were 33 HU, 37 HU, 62 HU, 52 HU, respectively. The CT numbers of overlooked SLN 5 and 10 min after the injection was higher than CT images scanned before the iopamidol injection. The enhancement of SLNs in CTL images after iopamidol injection should be compared sufficiently with CT images before iopamidol injection to avoid overlooking of SLNs in N0 early oral cancer.

Since cellulitis is one of the most important factors for the prognosis of lymphedema, the prevention and prediction of cellulitis are considered to be critical in controlling lymphedema. We hypothesized that patients with lymphedema might show meteoropathy, as abdominal aortic aneurysm ruptures are considered to be influenced by climatic conditions, and the lymphatic system is one of the circulation systems. Thus, we aimed to determine if the onset of cellulitis in limbs affected by lymphedema is related to climatic conditions. We reviewed the clinical records of patients with lymphedema admitted for cellulitis at our institute between January 2007 and December 2017. We identified 40 patients, 25 of whom lived in the same area. We examined the association between the number of patient admissions according to season and meteorological data obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency database. Thirteen of 25 patients were admitted in summer, whereas only one patient was admitted in winter. Both higher temperature and lower atmospheric pressure around the day of admission were associated with the occurrence of cellulitis. Lymphedema may be regarded as a meteoropathic disease, as climatic conditions were shown to be associated with cellulitis in limbs affected by lymphedema.

In oral and maxillofacial surgery such as orthognathic surgery and open treatment of maxillofacial fracture, plate fixation is commonly performed. Although the removal of titanium miniplates is controversial, the plates are removed routinely or symptomatically. By excessive torque during the screw removal, stripping or breaking of screw heads may occur. Although miniplates and screws are used with angled screwdrivers for osteosynthesis in bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) or open treatment of mandibular angle or subcondylar fracture, the removal of a damaged screw, especially with the angled screwdriver, is very difficult. Therefore, we report a simple method with a sterilized surgical glove for removal of the stripped screw.

Radioisotope (RI) tracers are generally used for preoperative mapping of sentinel lymph node (SLN) and intraoperative detection with a portable γ probe. However, the use of RI has several limitations. Therefore, a method without RI is required for the widespread application of SLN biopsy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of SLN biopsy with a handheld cordless magnetic probe following magnetic resonance lymphography (MRL) using superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) and for clinically N0 early oral cancer.MRL using SPIO and SLNB with the handheld cordless magnetic probe were performed for 27 patients with clinically N0 early oral cancer.In all 27 patients (100%), SLNs were detected by MRL, and the total and mean number of SLNs were 73 and 2.7, respectively. All SLNs identified by MRL were detectable using the magnetic probe in all patients.SLNB with handheld cordless magnetic probe following preoperative SLN mapping by MRL using SPIO is feasible, without RI use, for neck management in cases of clinically N0 early oral cancer.

Background: Osteochondromas of the mandibular condyle show facial asymmetry and malocclusion. Because condylar osteochondromas are generally resected in a preauricular approach with risks of facial nerve injury and visible scar, the authors report endoscopically assisted intraoral resection of osteochondroma of the mandibular condyle with a piezoelectric surgical device.Case presentation: A 38-year-old woman presented with malocclusion and facial asymmetry caused by deviation of the chin to the left. Computed tomography showed a hyperdense, well-circumscribed mass arising from the medial aspect of the right mandibular condyle with resorption of the skull base. The patient underwent an endoscopically-assisted intraoral condylectomy with a piezoelectric surgical device. The postoperative course was uneventful without trismus, malocclusion, or facial asymmetry, and there was no recurrence 4 years after surgery.Conclusion:Endoscopically assisted intraoral resection of osteochondroma of the mandibular condyle with a piezoelectric surgical device is a minimally invasive and safe surgery.

Foreign body-induced sialolith is very rare. We report minimally invasive sialendoscopic removal of gold filament thread-induced sialolith in the duct of the parotid gland. A 51-year-old woman with recurrent swelling of the left parotid gland was referred to our hospital. She had undergone insertion of 0.1-mm-diameter gold filament threads into the subdermal skin for facial rejuvenation previously. Computed tomography showed many gold filament threads in the subdermal skin and a sialolith (9.5×4.1×7.9mm) including a gold filament thread in the left parotid duct. The patient underwent endoscopic removal of the sialolith using a 1.6-mm-diameter sialendoscope and Holmium laser under general anesthesia. The sialolith was completely removed with basket and forceps after laser fragmentation, and the broken fragments contained gold filament thread. There was no recurrence of parotid gland swelling after the removal.

Objective Intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors are relatively rare. This study aimed to clarify the frequency and distribution of intra-oral minor salivary gland tumors in Japanese patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the histopathological records of 131 patients with minor salivary gland tumors that were surgically treated between 1967 and 2017 at a single institution. Results Of the 131 minor salivary gland tumors, 61 (47%) were benign and 70 (53%) were malignant. The male:female ratio was 1:1.8 for benign cases and 1:1 for malignant cases. Most of the tumors occurred in the palate, followed by the floor of the mouth. The most frequent minor salivary gland tumor was pleomorphic adenoma among benign tumors and adenoid cystic carcinoma among malignant tumors. The rarest minor salivary gland tumors were Warthin tumors and basal cell adenocarcinoma, accounting for only 0.8% of all cases. Conclusions The present study determined the incidence rates of these rare tumors.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anatomical relationship between the lingual nerve and submandibular duct. This study included 1403 patients with submandibular or sublingual gland diseases who underwent intraoral removal of submandibular gland sialoliths, submandibular glands, or sublingual glands. Of all patients, 33 patients underwent bilateral surgeries. All surgeries were performed a single surgeon, and the anatomical relationship between the lingual nerve and submandibular duct was always identified intraoperatively and recorded in the operation recorded. The anatomical relationship was investigated based on the intraoperative findings. The lingual nerve which crosses above the submandibular duct was detected in 8 of 1436 sides (0.6%). There were 4 in the right sides and 4 in the left sides. The lingual nerve below the submandibular gland was seen in 99.4%. Although the lingual nerve crosses above the submandibular duct with a rarer incidence, surgeons should beware of injuring the lingual nerve during intraoral salivary gland surgery.

The extraoral approach with the risk of facial nerve injury and the visible scar is commonly performed for an elongated styloid process, because intraoral styloidectomy is challenging for the deep and limited surgical field. The authors report minimally invasive intraoral styloidectomy using an endoscope with tissue retractor. A 57-year-old female was referred to our department with a left pharyngeal foreign body sensation and pharyngeal pain after head turning and neck compression. Clinical and radiological diagnosis was an elongated styloid process (Eagle syndrome). Because the styloid process could be palpated intraorally, the patient underwent endoscopically-assisted intraoral styloidectomy without tonsillectomy under general anesthesia as minimally invasive surgery. The styloid process was resected safely with a piezoelectric surgical device under endoscopic guidance. The postoperative course was uneventful without complications.