Background: The percentage of cancers of the tongue and palatine tonsils has continued to increase by 2%–4% among younger men. This increased prevalence of a subsection of oropharyngeal carcinoma can be associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). Among the head-and-neck cancers, a strong association with HPV infection is evident with oropharyngeal cancers, particularly tonsillar and basal tongue cancers. Objectives: Oral carcinoma, with an overall incidence of 16.1 adults per 100,000, is one of the leading malignancies worldwide, presenting a noticeable geographic variation in its distribution. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) being the most common of all oral malignancies, the objective of the study is to detect the HPV antigen p16 over-expression in patients with oral SCC using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Materials and Methods: Oral SCC (OSCC) diagnosed formalin-fixed-paraffin embedded blocks were processed for IHC. Results: Out of 50 cases, 3 were deferred due to insufficient tumor sample and 2/47 cases were p16 positive and the site was the lateral border of the tongue. Conclusion: The HPV antigen overexpression in patients with OSCC was investigated to detect the incidence of HPV in SCC of oral cavity. P16 was used as a marker for the detection of OSCC using IHC in HPV-induced OSCC. Positives were detected thus concluding the significance of studying HPV expression during diagnosis.

A 29-year-old male patient reported for replacement of missing teeth. The patient gave history of unerupted right lower posterior teeth and the orthopantomogram revealed transmigrated mandibular second molar to the inferior border of mandible just below the root apices of second premolar associated with enostosis distally toward the ramus of mandible with size of about 21 mm Χ 20 mm. This rare interosseous defect plays a vital role in deciding prosthetic treatment options for missing teeth and utmost care should be taken to preserve the health of the patient during such procedures.

Accidental detection of asymptomatic clinically suspicious lesions is a common occurrence in routine clinical examination of the oral cavity. In certain cases, these lesions may mimic benign lesions further adding to confusion. In this case report, we have discussed the case of a 51-year-old male patient with an asymptomatic palatal mass which was detected during a routine dental check-up and subsequently confirmed to be an adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) arising from the minor salivary glands. The patient underwent right partial maxillectomy followed by radiation therapy and has been disease-free for 6 years and is on follow-up. ACC is a malignant tumour of the salivary glands commonly occurring in the palate, characterized by a slow indolent growth phase, with a high predilection for late recurrences which can be local or systemic. This article describes the importance of recognizing this clinical entity as a differential diagnosis in the evaluation of asymptomatic palatal lesions to enable early diagnosis and institution of appropriate treatment to successfully treat the disease.

No abstract

Pleomorphic sarcomas are extremely rare in the oral cavity, representing only 5% of all soft tissue sarcomas in the extremities of adults. They form a group of highly undifferentiated pleomorphic malignant tumors. A 36-year-old male reported to the OP with a chief complaint of a tooth ache in the right lower quadrant for the past 6 months. The patient gave a history of extraction of a mobile tooth in that region. A radiograph of the region was advised. An incisional biopsy was also done and sent for histopathological examination. The microscopy revealed the presence of spindle-shaped cells showing dysplastic features. A panel of immunohistochemical markers were performed to identify the tissue of origin of the lesion. The article details the clinical, radiographic, and microscopic features of a pleomorphic soft tissue lesion along with the array of immunohistochemical markers, leading to the final diagnosis of such enigmatic lesions.