Key Points Benign neoplasms of the oral cavity are typically best treated with complete surgical excision. Generally, recurrence is rare, as is malignant transformation. Treatment for tumor-like lesions involves either conservative medical management or surgical excision, depending on the particular…
Key Points Temporomandibular disorders is a collective term that describes intracapsular and muscular disorders and myofascial pain dysfunction. The general complaints of temporomandibular disorders include facial pain, earache, and headache. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a diarthrotic joint, and each…
Key Points Odontogenesis Portions of the enamel organ Odontogenic cysts Nomenclature and other cysts of the oral region Orthokeratinizing odontogenic cyst (keratinizing odontogenic cyst), separation from keratocystic odontogenic tumor (odontogenic keratocyst) Odontogenic cyst of undetermined origin definition and discontinued use…
Key Points Leukoplakia carries a small but significant risk of malignant transformation. The proliferative verrucous form has a far greater incidence of recurrence, multifocality, and absence of the usual risk factors and transformation rates of typical leukoplakia. At the moment,…
Key Points Somatosensory innervation of the oral cavity is provided by cranial nerve V (trigeminal nerve), second and third divisions, and cranial nerve IX (glossopharyngeal nerve): (1) V2—maxillary, hard, and soft palates; oral mucosa of the maxillary vestibule; and maxillary…
Key Points Salivary gland malignancies are diverse and heterogeneous. Their behavior and resulting clinical management are highly dependent on their histologic type and, often, their grade. High-grade histologic types include high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, high-grade adenocarcinoma…
Key Points Salivary gland neoplasms are uncommon, representing less than 4% of all head and neck neoplasms. Most salivary gland neoplasms occur within the parotid gland, of which approximately 80% are benign in adults. 50% of submandibular gland and 20%…
Key Points Sialadenitis, most commonly caused by sialolithiasis, should be treated medically in the acute care setting with warm compresses, sialogogues, hydration, and antibiotics. Chronic or persistent disease may require minimally invasive sialendoscopy for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Sialendoscopic techniques…
Key Points Computed tomography is the modality of choice for patients with inflammatory disorders of the salivary glands. Magnetic resonance imaging is the modality of choice for patients with a palpable lesion or expected neoplasm of the salivary glands. Ultrasound…
Key Points Importantly, our current understanding of salivary gland physiology is largely derived from the study of nonhuman salivary glands. Saliva is a complex mixture of electrolytes and macromolecules secreted from three pairs of major salivary glands and numerous minor…