Gorham’s disease of the mandible: radiological features

The most conspicuous element of Gorham’s disease is its radiographic features, wherein massive disappearance of the mandible is observed. We report a case of an adolescent boy with massive osteolysis of the mandible in whom the diagnosis of Gorham’s disease was made. A 14-year-old boy was referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, for the management of a massive mandibular deformity. He was diagnosed with a hemangioma-like lesion at 1 year of age. The disease had progressed for an unknown number of years. Plain X-rays and computed tomography images were examined for reconstructive surgery planning. Gorham’s disease is self-limiting, but has catastrophic results. The role of imaging is huge, particularly for reconstructive surgery planning.     

Establishing and managing a periodontal biobank for research: the sharing of experience

Periodontal bio‐repositories, which allow banking of clinically validated human data and biological samples, provide an opportunity to derive biomarkers for periodontal diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic activities which are expected to improve patient management. This article presents the establishing of the Malaysian Periodontal Database and Biobank System (MPDBS) which was initiated in 2011 with the aim to facilitate periodontal research. Partnerships were established with collaborating centres. Policies on specimen access, authorship and acknowledgement policies were agreed upon by all participating centres before the initiation of the periodontal biobank. Ethical approval for the collection of samples and data were obtained from institutional ethics review boards. A broad‐based approach for informed consent was used, which covered areas related to quality of life impacts, genetics and molecular aspects of periodontal disease. Sample collection and processing was performed using a standardized protocol. Biobanking resources such as equipment and freezers were shared with the Malaysian Oral Cancer Database and Tissue Bank System (MOCDTBS). In the development of the MPDBS, challenges that were previously faced by the MOCDTBS were considered. Future challenges in terms of ethical and legal issues will be faced when international collaborations necessitate the transportation of specimens across borders.     

Indirect effects of cigarette butt waste on the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Despite major insecticide-based vector control programs, dengue continues to be a major threat to public health in urban areas. The reasons for this failure include the emergence of insecticide resistance and the narrowing of the spectrum of efficient products. Cigarette butts (CBs), the most commonly discarded piece of waste, also represent a major health hazard to human and animal life. CBs are impregnated with thousands of chemical compounds, many of which are highly toxic and none of which has history of resistance in mosquitoes. This study was performed to examine whether exposure to CB alters various biological parameters of parents and their progeny. We examined whether the mosquito changes its ovipositional behaviors, egg hatching, reproductive capacity, longevity and fecundity in response to CB exposure at three different concentrations. Females tended to prefer microcosms containing CBs for egg deposition than those with water only. There were equivalent rates of eclosion success among larvae from eggs that matured in CB and water environments. We also observed decreased life span among adults that survived CB exposure. Extracts of CB waste have detrimental effects on the fecundity and longevity of its offspring, while being attractive to its gravid females. These results altogether indicate that CB waste indirectly affect key adult life traits of Aedes aegypti and could conceivably be developed as a novel dengue vector control strategy, referring to previously documented direct toxicity on the larval stage. But this will require further research on CB waste effects on non-target organisms including humans.     

Autotransplantation of maxillary canine following removal of compound odontome: a case report

Obstruction remains as an important cause of failure in the eruption of a tooth. In this article, a 15-year-old girl was presented with retained upper left primary canine (63) and first primary molar (64), while the contralateral permanent canine (13) and premolars (14 and 15) have erupted. Upon radiographic examination, a mass which was diagnosed later to be compound odontome was detected. The treatment consisted of surgical removal of the odontome, extraction of the primary canine (63) and left permanent canine (23), and transplantation of the permanent canine (23). The management of this case and the literature related to autotransplantation are discussed.     

Managing complications of radiation therapy in head and neck cancer patients: Part II. Management of radiation-induced caries

Head and neck cancer is becoming a more recognizable pathology to the general population and dentists. The modes of treatment include surgery and/or radiation therapy. Where possible, pretreatment dental assessment shall be provided for these patients before they undergo radiation therapy. There are occasions, however, whereby head and neck cancer patients are not prepared optimally for radiation therapy. Because of this, they succumb to complicated oral complications after radiation therapy. The management of xerostomia has been reviewed in Part I of this series. In this article, the management of dental caries, a sequalae of xerostomia following radiation therapy is reviewed.