Cemento-osseous dysplasia is a benign fibro-osseous lesion of the tooth-bearing region of the jaws with a periodontal ligament origin. It appears predominantly in Black and Asian middle-aged females. Its importance is that it could mimic a periapical lesion in the early, translucent stage. In this report a rare case of familial cemento-osseous dysplasia is presented: a 50-years old Caucasian woman with labial paraesthesia and radiological translucency around the roots of the mandibular incisors and the first molar teeth. The lesion around the first molar was diagnosed as periapical granuloma and a root canal treatment was carried out. The diagnosis of florid cemento-osseous dysplasia and the treatment plan based on two- and three-dimensional radiographic examinations were certified histologically after surgical removal of the lesion. We screened the family members - including the patient’s mother, daughter and son - and identified a periapical version of cemento-osseous dysplasia in the daughter. Our case highlights the difficulties of differential diagnosis of cemento-osseous dysplasia and other periapical pathologies. The inconsistencies in the present classification of cemento-osseous dysplasia are also discussed with a proposal for a different classification based on new aspects that would be very helpful in setting up a correct treatment plan.

Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (MRONJ) is a difficult-to-treat complication of the therapy of osteoporosis and some malignancies cured with bisphosphonates and antiresorptive drugs. The pathomechanism is unclear, but there is increasing observation that Actinomyces infection may play a role in its development and progression. The aim of our study was to demonstrate that histological examination using a validated triple staining procedure for Actinomyces bacteria strains can detect a high rate of Actinomyces infection in patient's samples with MRONJ. 112 previously hematoxylin-eosin (HE) stained samples submitted with the clinical diagnosis of MRONJ were re-evaluated histologically using an appropriate triple special staining validated for the identification of Actinomyces infection. During the first evaluation, when pathologists did not specifically look for Actinomyces, only 8.93% of the samples were reported as positive. In contrast, re-evaluation with triple staining provided a yield of 93.7% positive samples, therefore, we suggest the triple special staining to be standard in MRONJ histology evaluation. These results show that if the clinician suspects Actinomyces infection and brings this to the attention of the pathologist, it could significantly increase the number of correct diagnoses. It serves as an aid for clinicians in therapeutic success of MRONJ by selecting a long-term adequate antibiotic medication which is suitable for the elimination of actinomyces infection.

The main driver of osteoporosis is an imbalance between bone resorption and formation. The pathogenesis of osteoporosis has also been connected to genetic alterations in key osteogenic factors and dysfunction of bone marrow mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BM-MSCs). Tks4 (encoded by the Sh3pxd2b gene) is a scaffold protein involved in podosome organization. Homozygous mutational inactivation of Sh3pxd2b causes Frank-ter Haar syndrome (FTHS), a genetic disease that affects bone tissue as well as eye, ear, and heart functions. To date, the role of Tks4 in adult bone homeostasis has not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the facial and femoral bone phenotypes of Sh3pxd2b knock-out (KO) mice using micro-CT methods. In addition to the analysis of the Sh3pxd2b-KO mice, the bone microstructure of an FTHS patient was also examined. Macro-examination of skulls from Tks4-deficient mice revealed craniofacial malformations that were very similar to symptoms of the FTHS patient. The femurs of the Sh3pxd2b-KO mice had alterations in the trabecular system and showed signs of osteoporosis, and, similarly, the FTHS patient also showed increased trabecular separation/porosity. The expression levels of the Runx2 and osteocalcin bone formation markers were reduced in the bone and bone marrow of the Sh3pxd2b-KO femurs, respectively. Our recent study demonstrated that Sh3pxd2b-KO BM-MSCs have a reduced ability to differentiate into osteoblast lineage cells; therefore, we concluded that the Tks4 scaffold protein is important for osteoblast formation, and that it likely plays a role in bone cell homeostasis.

Introduction: Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) can lead to oral cancer, which is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Prevention is crucial in the avoidance of malignant transformations of OPMDs. Artificial intelligence (AI) provides a new and noninvasive tool for analyzing medical data, such as patient data, radiologic images, and clinical photographs. These AI-based tools can help in the decision-making process. However, histological examination is still the gold standard for diagnosing OPMDs. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of artificial intelligence on intraoral photographs of patients with OPMDs. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on 5 major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science) on November 10, 2023. Included studies compared AI methods to histology examination as the reference. A quantitative analysis was carried out to assess sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), positive likelihood ratio (LR ⁺ ), and negative likelihood ratio (LR ⁻ ) calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Six eligible articles were included, with 898 images out of 4,046 tested using AI-based architectures. Five studies investigated at least 2 AI models. The overall sensitivity, specificity, DOR, LR ⁺ , and LR ⁻ were 0.94 (95% CI, 0.88 to 0.95), 0.95 (95% CI, 0.85 to 0.98), 212.39 (95% CI, 56.39 to 800.00), 16.89 (95% CI, 5.72 to 48.68), and 0.08 (95% CI, 0.05 to 0.13) for the best-performing AI-based architectures in terms of sensitivity, respectively. Conclusion: AI-based diagnostic tools have high negative predictive value that could help identify OPMD lesions using intraoral photographs. Knowledge Transfer Statement: This systematic review on AI-based methods to diagnose oral potentially malignant disorders showed that although their high negative predictive value could reduce unnecessary specialist consultations, clinical judgment remains paramount. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the integration of AI diagnostics into routine care and screening and policies to enhance efficiency and support early detection and prevention of oral cancer.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection of the 21st century, infecting an estimated 630 million people worldwide and contributing to approximately 4.5% to 5% of all cancers. The incidence of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer is increasing. Yet, population screening for oral HPV infection is not recommended by the Food and Drug Administration due to the low prevalence and lack of a universally accepted screening strategy or tool. The study aims to evaluate the link between cervical and oral HPV infection in women and identify high-risk groups. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023477695). The systematic search was performed in 3 databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL) on January 3, 2025. Forty-one analytical observational studies reporting on oral HPV status in women with and without cervical HPV positivity were included. Effect sizes, including proportions and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were analyzed using a random-effects model. Location, population characteristics, and sampling methods were used to perform the subgroup analyses. The meta-analysis revealed an odds ratio of 2.22 (CI: 1.52–3.25) for oral HPV in women with cervical HPV positivity compared with those without it. The prevalence of oral HPV was significantly higher in cervical HPV-positive women (13%, CI: 8%–20%) than in HPV-negative women (4%, CI: 2%–7%). In addition, the prevalence of oral HPV was even higher in cervical HPV-positive women with positive cytology (17%, CI: 6%–39%). Risk-of-bias assessment indicated low risk among all studies using Quality in Prognosis Studies and moderate to low risk among studies assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool. Our findings support the association between cervical HPV positivity and elevated risk for oral HPV infection. Moreover, the highest prevalence of oral HPV carriage was observed in women with positive cytology. As 1 in 8 women with cervical HPV carries oral HPV, screening should be considered for this at-risk population.

High-grade B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified is listed as a new group in the WHO 2017 statement as a subtype of aggressive, mature B-cell lymphomas with a poor prognosis. To our knowledge, no description of this genetic type of maxillary lymphoma has appeared in the literature until now; thus, our case provides valuable data on its symptoms, clinical behavior, response to treatment and survival rate. The present report describes the early diagnosis and treatment of an extremely rare histological subtype of B-cell lymphoma, a case of high-grade B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified, localized in the maxillary sinus and mimicking signs and symptoms of periapical inflammation. After chemotherapy, the presented patient showed complete remission without relapse and systemic spread. As far as we know, this is the first reported case of this rare type of lymphoma associated with the maxillary sinus. Considering that high-grade B-cell lymphomas are aggressive tumors with rapid growth and poor prognosis, which are often misdiagnosed in the early stages as inflammatory disease, it is relevant to highlight the importance of a detailed evaluation of clinical signs and radiological findings during diagnosis, especially if they contradict each other.