Oral Candidosis: Pathophysiology and Best Practice for Diagnosis, Classification, and Successful Management.

Oral candidosis is the most common fungal infection that frequently occurs in patients debilitated by other diseases or conditions. No candidosis happens without a cause; hence oral candidosis has been branded as a disease of the diseased. Prior research has identified oral candidosis as a mark of systemic diseases, such as hematinic deficiency, diabetes mellitus, leukopenia, HIV/AIDS, malignancies, and carbohydrate-rich diet, drugs, or immunosuppressive conditions.

The status of jaw lesions and medication-related osteonecrosis of jaw in patients with multiple myeloma.

Background/purpose: Myeloma jaw lesions are not uncommon. The study aimed to investigate the status of jaw lesions and medication-related osteonecrosis of jaw (MRONJ) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-two consecutive newly-diagnosed MM patients seeking dental care at a hospital of southern Taiwan was examined according to jaw lesions with complete follow-up data.

Treatment effectiveness of levamisole plus prednisolone on oral lichen planus patients with emphasis on levamisole-induced agranulocytosis or pancytopenia.

Background/purpose: Physicians' and dentists' knowledge of levamisole-induced agranulocytosis or pancytopenia remains incomplete. This study aimed to evaluate the treatment effectiveness of levamisole plus prednisolone on oral lichen planus (OLP) patients with emphasis on levamisole-induced hematological changes.

Methods: Ninety patients with erosive OLP were given 120 mg/day new levamisole (Levazol) and 15 mg/day prednisolone for three consecutive days each week.

Management of dental extractions in patients on warfarin and antiplatelet therapy.

Background/purpose: Planning dental extractions for Taiwanese patients on antithrombotic therapy remains controversial. This study aimed to examine management of dental extraction in patients on warfarin and antiplatelet therapy.

Methods: Subjects comprised 1331 patients, with (1) 60 on warfarin with intentional normalized ratio (INR) below 4.

Oral lichen planus - Differential diagnoses, serum autoantibodies, hematinic deficiencies, and management.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory oral mucosal disease that occurs more frequently in middle-aged and elderly female patients. Previous studies indicate that OLP is a T-cell dysfunction-induced localized autoimmune disease. Clinically, six types of OLP, namely reticular, papular, plaque-like, atrophic/erosive, ulcerative, and bullous types, can be identified.

Numb chin with mandibular pain or masticatory weakness as indicator for systemic malignancy - A case series study.

Background/purpose: Numb chin syndrome (NCS) is a critical sign of systemic malignancy; however it remains largely unknown by clinicians and dentists. The aim of this study was to investigate NCS that is more often associated with metastatic cancers than with benign diseases.

Methods: Sixteen patients with NCS were diagnosed and treated.

Environment-noise-free optical heterodyne retardation measurement using a double-pass acousto-optic frequency shifter.

We demonstrate an environment-noise-free optical heterodyne interferometer (OHI) based on a double-pass acousto-optic frequency shifter (AOFS) for phase retardation measurements. The OHI generates intermediate-frequency (IF) heterodyne beat signals for each orthogonal linear polarization mode of a birefringence sample. The phase differences of the IF signals are compared by using a wide-bandwidth lock-in amplifier.

Perception of iron deficiency from oral mucosa alterations that show a high prevalence of Candida infection.

Background/purpose: Iron deficiency (ID) is the most common cause of anemia. The aim of this study was to investigate patients with oral mucosa alterations as the initial manifestation of ID or ID anemia (IDA).

Methods: Sixty-four patients (50 IDA and 14 ID) with a wide range of sore mouth were diagnosed and treated.

Seroprevalence of anti-HCV among patients with oral lichen planus in Southern Taiwan.

A possible association between oral lichen planus (OLP) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been documented in certain populations such as Japan and Southern Europe; however, the issue remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HCV antibodies among patients with OLP in Southern Taiwan, and to assess the possible association between OLP and HCV infection. All patients enrolled in the study sought care at a hospital dental clinic.

Resolution of an active peri-implantitis in a chronic steroid user by bone augmentation with PepGen P-15 and a barrier membrane.

Dental implant treatment can be complicated with infection. A list of possible causes includes overheating during the osteotomy, bacterial contamination from an adjacent tooth, residual bacteria from the infected tooth that previously occupied the site, bone microfractures from overloading or loading too soon, and residual space left around the implant after it is seated. Most treatments entail surgical debridement of the lesion and chemical detoxification of the apical or exposed portion of the implant surface with citric acid, tetracycline, or chlorhexidine gluconate as well as guided tissue regenerative or guided bone regenerative procedures.

Initial diagnosis of anemia from sore mouth and improved classification of anemias by MCV and RDW in 30 patients.

Thirty patients with a wide range of sore mouth that led to the diagnosis of iron deficiency in 12 patients, pernicious anemia in 8 patients, combined deficiency of iron and vitamin B12 in 2 patients, and anemia of chronic disease in 8 patients were investigated. The oral signs and symptoms included glossitis, glossodynia, angular cheilitis, recurrent oral ulcer, oral candidosis, diffuse erythematous mucositis, and pale oral mucosa. The values of hemoglobin in 30 patients varied from normal to severe life-threatening levels, but none had developed generalized symptoms sufficiently advanced to arouse suspicions of anemia before they visited the Oral Medicine Clinic.

Secondary syphilis-related oral ulcers: report of four cases.

Establishing a diagnosis of syphilis, whatever the stage of the disease, can be difficult because syphilis is a great mimic in clinical morphology and histology. Many patients infected with venereal diseases have oral manifestations, but very few dentists and physicians have the proper experience to diagnose syphilis or other STDs from oral lesions. Oral secondary syphilis appears to be very uncommon, and few cases have been reported over the recent past.

Levamisole aids in treatment of refractory oral candidiasis in two patients with thymoma associated with myasthenia gravis: report of two cases.

Oral candidiasis is associated with defects in cell-mediated immunity and is common among patients undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy, or corticosteroid or antibiotic therapy, and those patients seropositive for AIDS and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). This paper demonstrates the important role of cell-mediated immunity in oral candidiasis in 2 cases of thymoma associated with myasthenia gravis. Both suffered from recurrent oral candidiasis after a thymectomy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.