Pediatric Odontogenic Tumors.

Pediatric odontogenic tumors are rare, and are often associated with impacted teeth. Although they can develop anywhere in the jaws, odontogenic tumors mainly occur in the posterior mandible. This article discusses the diagnosis and treatment of the most common pediatric odontogenic tumors, such as ameloblastoma, keratocystic odontogenic tumor, odontoma, and cementoblastoma.

Rapid-onset postchemoradiotherapy rhabdomyosarcoma of the maxillofacial region.

Radiation-induced sarcomas of the head and neck are rare and tend to occur decades after treatment. We report a case of rapid-onset postchemoradiotherapy rhabdomyosarcoma of the maxillofacial region and briefly review the literature.

Subcutaneous emphysema to the head and neck resulting from a dental crown preparation.

Case Report: A 59-year-old African-American female presents with subcutaneous emphysema to thehead and neck region resulting from routine dental treatment with a high speed air-driven handpiece. The patient had a chief complaint of generalized edema, dysphagia and pain to her face and neck. The patient subsequently was admitted to the intensive care unit for airway monitoring.

Subcutaneous emphysema to the head and neck resulting from a dental crown preparation.

Case Report: A 59-year-old African-American female presents with subcutaneous emphysema to the head and neck region resulting from routine dental treatment with a high speed air-driven handpiece. The patient had a chief complaint of generalized edema, dysphagia and pain to her face and neck. The patient subsequently was admitted to the intensive care unit for airway monitoring.

Modulation of human beta-defensin-1 (hBD-1) in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC), monocytes, and epithelial cells by influenza virus, Herpes simplex virus, and Sendai virus and its possible role in innate immunity.

hBD comprise a family of antimicrobial peptides that plays a role in bridging the innate and adaptive immune responses to infection. The expression of hBD-2 increases upon stimulation of numerous cell types with LPS and proinflammatory cytokines. In contrast, hBD-1 remains constitutively expressed in most cells in spite of cytokine or LPS stimulation; however, its presence in human PDC suggests it plays a role in viral host defense.