Background and Objectives: this pilot study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ChatGPT-4o in analyzing oral mucosal lesions from clinical images. Materials and Methods: a total of 110 clinical images, including 100 pathological lesions and 10 healthy mucosal images, were retrieved from Google Images and analyzed by ChatGPT-4o using a standardized prompt. An expert panel of five clinicians established a reference diagnosis, categorizing lesions as benign or malignant. The AI-generated diagnoses were classified as correct or incorrect and further categorized as plausible or not plausible. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and agreement with the expert panel were analyzed. The Artificial Intelligence Performance Instrument (AIPI) was used to assess the quality of AI-generated recommendations. Results: ChatGPT-4o correctly diagnosed 85% of cases. Among the 15 incorrect diagnoses, 10 were deemed plausible by the expert panel. The AI misclassified three malignant lesions as benign but did not categorize any benign lesions as malignant. Sensitivity and specificity were 91.7% and 100%, respectively. The AIPI score averaged 17.6 ± 1.73, indicating strong diagnostic reasoning. The McNemar test showed no significant differences between AI and expert diagnoses (p = 0.084). Conclusions: In this proof-of-concept pilot study, ChatGPT-4o demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy and strong descriptive capabilities in oral mucosal lesion analysis. A residual 8.3% false-negative rate for malignant lesions underscores the need for specialist oversight; however, the model shows promise as an AI-powered triage aid in settings with limited access to specialized care.
Combined orbital medial wall and floor fractures and large isolated orbital floor fractures commonly require surgical treatment due to the high probability of diplopia and enophthal-mos. Primary reconstruction of these orbital fractures requires a high-level surgeon with a great amount of technical surgical skill. The use of novel technology can greatly improve the accuracy of reconstruction and achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes. Hence, the authors aimed to present our findings and overall experience with respect to extensive floor and medial wall orbital fracture reconstruction according to the Computerized Operation Neuronavigated Surgery Orbital Recent Trauma (CONSORT) protocol, a workflow designed for the primary reconstruction of orbital fractures with customized mesh and intraoperative navigation. A total of 25 consecutively presenting patients presenting with unilateral extensive orbital floor fractures and orbital floor and medial wall fractures were treated following the CONSORT workflow from January 2017 to March 2020. Fractures were surgically treated with a customized implant and intraoperative navigation. Patients underwent surgery within 14 days of the trauma injury. Preopera-tive and postoperative functional and aesthetic outcomes are described herein. All fractures were successfully reconstructed. Postoperatively, all 19 patients with preoperative diplopia reported the resolution of diplopia. Enophthalmos resolved in 18/20 cases. No patients had major complications during follow-up. Thus, the authors conclude that the CONSORT protocol introduced by the authors is an adaptable and reliable workflow for the early treatment of orbital fractures and can clearly optimize functional and aesthetic outcomes, reduce costs and intensive time commitments, and make customized and navigated surgery more available for institutions.
Background: Bromelain and coumarins are recognized as safe and effective therapeutic agents, used by individuals to treat ailments such as postoperative edema, inflammation and other diseases. Bromelain has been proven to be well absorbed by the body after oral administration, and it has no major side effects even after prolonged use. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of bromelain and other nutraceuticals in reducing post-surgical swelling, pain and the need of anti-inflammatory drugs in maxillofacial post-traumatic surgery. Methods: This prospective open-label study was conducted on patients undergoing surgery for trauma of the maxillofacial area. One hundred patients were selected and divided into two groups: one group who underwent therapy with bromelain, Aesculus hippocastanum and Melilotus officinalis and a control group that was not given the drug in postoperative therapy. Results: Patients in the experimental group showed a reduction of edema in the first and second postoperative weeks, a faster complete reduction of facial edema and a lower reduction in maximum mouth opening and needed less anti-inflammatory therapy to control pain. Conclusions: These findings seem to provide evidence that Brovas® may be effective in improving postoperative edema outcomes in patients undergoing surgical treatment of facial fractures.
Purpose: This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of computer-assisted surgery protocol with 3D-preformed orbital titanium mesh (3D-POTM), using presurgical virtual planning and intraoperative navigation in primary inferomedial orbital fracture reconstruction. Methods: Between March 2021 and March 2023, perioperative data of patients undergoing surgery for unilateral inferomedial orbital fracture treated with 3D-POTM were analyzed. Presurgical virtual planning with a Standard Triangle Language file of preformed mesh was conducted using the mirrored unaffected contralateral side as a reference, and intraoperative navigation was used. The reconstruction accuracy was determined by: correspondence between postoperative reconstruction mesh position with presurgical virtual planning and difference among the reconstructed and the unaffected orbital volume. Pre- and postoperative diplopia and enophthalmos were assessed. Results: Twenty-six patients were included. Isolated orbital floor fracture was reported in 14 (53.8%) patients, meanwhile medial wall and floor one in 12 (46.1%) cases. The mean difference between final plate position and ideal digital plan was 0.692 mm (95% CI: 0.601–0.783). The mean volume difference between reconstructed and unaffected orbit was 1.02 mL (95% CI: 0.451–1.589). Preoperative diplopia was settled out in all cases and enophthalmos in 19 (76.2%) of 21 patients. Conclusion: The proposed protocol is an adaptable and reliable workflow for the early treatment of inferomedial orbital fractures. It enables precise preoperative planning and intraoperative procedures, mitigating pitfalls and complications, and delivering excellent reconstruction, all while maintaining reasonable costs and commitment times.
Traditional osteotomic procedures can fail to restore the natural appearance of the face and can sometimes highlight the intrinsic decrease in the volume of soft tissues; in these cases, soft-tissue-improving procedures should be considered. The authors describe a new strategy that can help redistribute facial soft tissues and enhance facial esthetics in orthognathic surgery using a pedicled buccal fat flap to increase the volume of the malar soft tissue envelope. Between January 2017 and January 2021, 47 patients with dentoskeletal deformity who needed to increase the projection of the cheekbone contour underwent orthognathic surgery with simultaneous pedicled buccal fat pad flap for malar augmentation. Preoperative and postoperative facial appearance was evaluated by clinical examination and analysis of photographs to assess the occlusal and esthetic outcomes. A patient questionnaire was used to assess self-evaluation satisfaction scores. A good projection of the cheekbone contour was obtained, and noticeable postoperative facial esthetic improvement was observed in all patients. The overall esthetic improvement was considered “excellent” by 89.36% of patients, and facial esthetic improvement was assessed as “very much improved” or “much improved” by the clinicians in 95.7% of cases. The buccal fat pad flap is a promising and easy technique in orthognathic surgery that helps harmonize the malar region; improve esthetic outcomes with predictable and lasting long-term stability; and ensure very low morbidity and great esthetic satisfaction.