Research Papers
Calcifying ghost cell odontogenic cyst: A review on terminologies and classifications
Calcifying ghost cell odontogenic cyst (CGCOC) is a relatively uncommon odontogenic lesion characterized by varied clinical, radiographical features and biological behavior. CGCOC can exhibit either as a cystic or a solid lesion. Since its first description by Gorlin et al, in 1962, it has been known by different names and classified and sub‐classified into various types. In this article we present a case of CGCOC and discuss the related literature regarding the terminology, classification and biological behavior of CGCOC.
Pycnodysostosis: A Case Report of Rare Entity
Pcynodysostosis is a rare, genetic bone disorder characterised by generalised bone sclerosis, short stature and increase in mandibular angle. Here we report a cases of pycnodysostosis presented with classical intraoral features.
Schwannoma of the Tongue – A Rare Clinical Entity
Schwannoma is a nerve sheath tumour originating from the Schwann cell of nerve sheath. We present case report of a 30 year old female who presented with a swelling on the right lateral border of the tongue since 1 1⁄2 years with notable increase in size for past two months. The swelling was a solitary, mobile, well defined mass, firm in consistency. It was associated with constant irritation from the palatally placed lower right canine. Regional nodes were not palpable. A provisional diagnosis of traumatic fibroma was made. The patient underwent complete enucleation with primary closure. Histological examination after surgical excision revealed schwannoma. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery. There was no recurrence after the removal of the mass during the past 2 years of follow up.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Pectoralis Major Myocutaneous Flap Donor Site
The pectoralis major myocutaneous flap is considered a workhorse flap in the reconstruction of head and neck defects after cancer ablative surgeries and remains one of the most widely used reconstructive options. Complications at the donor site after the use of this flap, although rare, do occur and are usually restricted to minor infections, hematoma, and seroma formation. Metastasis to the flap donor site is a rare complication with limited documentation. Metastasis at the donor site usually follows local recurrence at the primary site, supporting the probable hypothesis of re-establishment of lymphatic drainage to the primary site by the flap pedicle. Tumor implantation, although a probable cause for metastasis at the donor site, cannot be confidently distinguished from other mechanisms, such as hematogenous spread or lymphogenous metastasis. This report describes a case that supports a seeding or tumor implantation mechanism of metastasis exclusively.
Probiotics in Dentistry
Probiotics are bacterial cultures or living microorganisms which, upon ingestion in certain numbers, exert health benefits beyond inherent general nutrition and support a good and healthy intestinal bacterial flora. The concept of Probiotics evolved at the turn of the 20th century from a hypothesis first proposed by Russian scientist Elie Metchnikoff. Potential future uses of Probiotics include inflammatory disease control, the treatment and prevention of allergies, cancer prevention, immune stimulation, and a reduction in respiratory diseases. The use of Probiotics plays an important aspect in dentistry ever since the oral infections occupied the prime space among the other infections affecting the humans. This concept of microbial ecologic change both for medical and dental changes has accumulated a lot of evidence in recent times.
A Case of Cleft Hypoplastic Maxilla corrected by Single-stage Lefort 1 Osteotomy to improve Esthetics and Function
Among the congenital anomalies, cleft lip and palate take about 14% of the total population; among them, unilateral cleft lip and palate is predominant than bilateral. Cleft lip correction preceding the cleft palate is usually done within a gap of 3 years. Due to the wide median palatal cleft, a perfectly performed Langenbeck pushback closures can leave behind persistent oronasal fistulas during the healing process, due to which severe scarring of palatal mucosa takes place. Secondary alveolar grafting is a procedure performed irrespective of the age for persistent oronasal fistulas. Further closure of nasal and palatal fistula with intervening bone graft is always successful but can compromise the growth of maxilla resulting in hypoplasia. In one such case of a failed secondary alveolar grafting, a Lefort 1 advancement alone was done not only to improve the facial esthetics but also function. This paper discusses in detail the comprehensive surgical procedure performed.
Natural Antioxidants in Dentistry
Antioxidants are being widely used in routine general clinical practice. Here the uses of natural antioxidants in the dentistry are noted, where the properties of most of the antioxidant have been noted to implicate the actions in dentistry. There are some debates about research methods, protocols on proper doses, the increasing evidences are raising hopes about antioxidants for human health and to make it a boon in dentistry.
A case report of juvenile cemento-ossifying fibroma of maxilla with two years follow up
Cemento-ossifying fibroma is classified as a benign fibro-osseous lesion of the jaws. It commonly presents as a progressively growing lesion that can attain an enormous size with resultant deformity if left untreated. They commonly affect adult females between the third and fourth decade of life and it is odontogenic in origin. Radiographically, they appear as well-defined unilocular or multilocular intraosseous masses. This lesion is invariably encapsulated and of mixed radiolucent densities. This article reports a case of an 16-year-old female who came to us with the history of recurrent painless swelling at the right maxillary region. The clinical, radiographic and histological features as well as surgical findings are presented.
Malignant Melanoma: A Case Report with Three Years Survival Rate and Review of Literature
Mucosal melanoma, an entity of malignant melanoma is a rare disease among the head and neck cancers with poor prognosis and increased mortality rate. Definitive treatment from surgical to radiotherapy and chemotherapy has been a question of choice in this rare disease. Aggressive resection of the primary tumour with elective neck dissection and adjuvant therapy for prevention of local regional recurrence and metastasis has been a controversy till date.
Juvenile ossifying fibroma
Cemento-ossifying fibroma is classified as a benign fibro-osseous lesion of the jaws. It commonly presents as a progressively growing lesion that can attain an enormous size with resultant deformity if left untreated. They commonly affect adult females between the third and fourth decade of life and it is odontogenic in origin. Radiographically, they appear as well-defined unilocular or multilocular intraosseous masses. This lesion is invariably encapsulated and of mixed radiolucent densities. This article reports a case of an 16 old female who came to us with the history of recurrent painless swelling at the right maxillary region. The clinical, radiographic and histological features as well as surgical findings are presented.
Salivary Duct Carcinoma of Parotid Gland is a Rare Entity: Case Report
A 52-year-old female patient presented to our hospital with complaint of painful swelling in the left side of the face for past 6 months. Patient’s history reveals the swelling was initially small and attained the present size of 8 x 7 cm, associated with a throbbing type of pain. The swelling was hard in consistency, fixed, warm and tender with ulceration with bleeding spots on the surface, with no other secondary changes. The mouth opening was within acceptable limits with no facial nerve involvement. On general examination, the patient was poorly built and nourished with no recent weight loss. Lymph node examination revealed multiple regional lymph node involvement. Contrast enhanced CT scan revealed large moderately enhancing soft tissue density lesion arising from left parotid gland with regional lymph node involvement. Pre-operative aspirated cytology shows evidence of ductal carcinoma of left parotid gland. Treatment co0mprised of wide local excision (left segmental mandibulectomy + total parotidectomy) with compromising facial nerve, selective neck dissection (I-III), and reconstruction made with SSG (split skin graft) harvested from right thigh region. The excised specimen and lymph nodes were sent for histopathological evaluation which reveals that sections studied from the excised mass show a malignant neoplasm arranged in sheets nests and comedo pattern with central necrosis. The circumferential margins and sections from segmental mandibulectomy are free of tumor, involvement of skin, perineural invasion and vascular invasion of tumor is noted. Sections from the lymph node specimen shows secondary carcinomatous deposits. Patient had been sent for adjuvant radiotherapy post operatively.
Various Origins Of Oro-Facial Fistulas: A Case Series
An Oro-facial fistula is a pathologic communication between the cutaneous surface of the face and the oral cavity which leads to esthetic problems due to the continual leakage of saliva from the oral cavity to the face. It is a well documented but uncommon condition, which is often initially misdiagnosed and inappropriately treated. Early diagnosis with a proper history and investigations may spare the patients to provide appropriate treatment and esthetic care. This case series reports patients with cutaneous sinus tracts with various origins and the treatment done for the same.
Angiolymphoid Hyperplasia with Eosinophilia – A rare case report
Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia(ALHE) is a rare idiopathic condition characterised by isolated or diffuse grouped nodules in the head and neck region, particularly in the periauricular region. The oral mucosa is the less involved site. Kimura’s disease, which shares many characteristics with ALHE, should be distinguished. Histologic findings could point to more aggressive angiomatous neoplasms such as angiosarcoma or malignant angioendothelioma. In this article, we present a case of ALHE in the skin of the face, periauricular region of the scalp, and oral mucosa of an adult male with clinical, classical histopathological features, as well as interesting doppler ultrasound (USG), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. It is necessary for dental surgeons to be aware of this condition and its management.
Facial Asymmetry due to Hemifacial Microsomia Managed by an Interdisciplinary Approach: A Case Report
Aim and objective: The aim of this case report is on an interdisciplinary orthodontic and surgical treatment approach of facial asymmetry due to congenital hemifacial microsomia (HFM).
Background: Hemifacial microsomia is the second common congenital craniofacial deformity after cleft lip and palate, which presents with different clinical characteristics, including an extremely variable asymmetrical presentation. And there is no standardized treatment protocol for this type of asymmetry hence individualized treatment plan for every patient can result in the best esthetic and functional stability.
Case description: This case study emphasizes on an adult patient who has congenital HFM with class I skeletal malocclusion involving asymmetry from the supraorbital level to the lower border of the face. Pre-surgical orthodontics is done initially by aligning the teeth and placing asymmetrical bite block, followed by LeFort I osteotomy with differential impaction (transverse) and bilateral sagittal split osteotomy with rotation along with advancement genioplasty, and finally, post-orthodontic settling done.
Conclusion: A team effort of surgical orthodontists and surgeons with the aid of advanced imaging and software technology made us make an amazing change in patient’s life both esthetically and functionally.
Clinical significance: This new innovative method is both a time-saving and conservative method both for patients and dentists.
In Vivo Efficacy of Povidone-iodine Mouth Gargles in Reducing Salivary Viral Load in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review
Aim and objective: Based on the published research, this article aims to systematically review the in vivo effectiveness of povidone-iodine
(PVP-I) mouth gargles in reducing salivary viral load in COVID-19 patients.
Materials and methods: The inhibitory potential of different variables such as PVP-I, chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), saline, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were tested against SARS-CoV-2 in recent clinical trials. In this systematic review, appropriate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for the evidence-based question: “what is the efficacy of PVP-I mouth gargle in reducing salivary viral load in COVID-19 patients?” were searched in Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Embase, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library database from January 15, 2020, to June 15, 2021, based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. From the selected articles, their references and reviews relevant to our topic were also looked for any missed studies.
Results: After a pertinent search for appropriate studies, five in vivo RCTs were selected and others were excluded. All the trials used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for mRNA detection and quantitation. Povidone-iodine mouth gargle (0.5–1%) used by COVID- 19 patients 4th hourly effectively reduced salivary SARS-CoV-2 viral load, thereby reducing the carriage of infectious virion in adults. Statistically significant increase in Ct values, post 5, 15, and 45 minutes, 3 and 6 hours post-rinsing demonstrated the strong antiviral effect of PVP-I.
Conclusion: In this COVID-19 pandemic, based on the published evidence of a few in vivo RCTs, it can be concluded that 0.5 to 1% PVP-I mouth gargle has the potency to effectively reduce the salivary SARS-CoV-2 viral load. To reinforce the use of PVP-I mouth gargles against SARS-CoV-2, this systematic review emphasizes the necessity for future research that is highly focused, robust, and has consistent techniques and a large sample size.
Clinical significance: Research on the efficacy of PVP-I mouth gargle should be framed to focus on the most effective minimal concentration, exposure time, and volume of mouth gargle as well as the SARS-CoV-2 strain. The effect of PVP-I mouth gargles on viral infectivity and their cytotoxic effect on epithelial cells were not distinguished in the studies reviewed. Hence, viral cell culture technique should be employed to establish the potential virucidal activity of PVP-I against SARS-CoV-2. Host immunity against SARS-CoV-2 should also be considered in assessing the effectiveness of mouth gargles.
Management of Class II Hyperdivergent Mandible by Surgically Altering Occlusal Plane Pattern through Counterclockwise Rotation of Mandible
Aim and objective: To evaluate the facial esthetic of class II hyperdivergent mandible by altering the high mandibular plane angle into an orthognathic mandibular plane angle by counterclockwise (CCW) rotation of the mandible. Materials and methods: Five patients with class II hyperdivergent mandible were selected for this study. Initially, preorthodontics was done by aligning the teeth. Then, surgically, bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) advancement with CCW rotation of mandible with a posterior open bite of 4 mm was done. Eleven linear and 11 angular measurements were taken. Pre- and postsurgical values were evaluated by composite cephalometric analysis, and the changes in the occlusal plane and facial height were statistically analyzed by using paired t-test. Jarabak ratio was calculated for facial height measurements. Further finishing will be done by postsurgical orthodontic procedures to get functional occlusion. Results: Change in occlusion to class I is seen in values of Jarabak ratio and Go-Gn. Jarabak ratio shows an increase in posterior and decreases in anterior facial height. Go-Gn, which implies the CCW movement of the mandible, has reduced the anterior open bite and created a posterior open bite of 4 mm for the supraeruption of teeth. Conclusion: BSSO with CCW rotation of mandible with a posterior open bite has conservatively involved in single-jaw surgery, thereby improving the facial esthetics of all the patients taken this study. Clinical significance: This innovative method of CCW rotation of mandible with open bite mainly prevents the bi-jaw surgery, improves the stability, and gives an esthetically good appearance.
Prevalence of Mandibular Fractures
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the etiology, dissemination of mandibular fractures among different age, gender, and to determine the frequency of anatomic distribution in patients who reported to our institution from February 2015 to September 2015. Materials and Methods: All patients who fulfilled the selection criteria and had mandible fracture were selected for the study. The values were subjected to Z and Chi-square tests. Results: Out of 50 patients, 44 were male patients (88%) and 6 were female patients (12%). We found a peak occurrence of fractures in young adults, with mean age of 36 years. In case of etiology of fracture, road traffic accident was the most common (72%) and parasymphysis was most frequently involved site (n = 13.26%).
Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of mandibular fracture was more prevalent in male patients, especially during the third decade of life. The most common cause was road traffic accident and the more frequently affected region was parasymphysis of the mandible.
Alveolar Cleft Closure with Iliac Bone Graft: A Case Series
Objective: The purpose of the article is to report a series of cleft alveolus patients treated with the application of iliac bone graft irrespective of chronological age.
Methods: Six patients at the group of 9-25 years reported to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery with chief complaint of alveolar cleft in the maxilla while drinking, the water often out from the nose, difficulty in speech and esthetic concern. All the patients were associated with cleft lip or cleft lip and palate and underwent correction at appropriate ages. Currently the patients reported with the purpose to close the cleft.
Results: Based on the clinical and radiographic development of the patient, the treatment for overall seemed success with the obtain of maxillary arch continuity, provide bone that is available for permanent canine to erupt, optimal alar base reconstruction, the fistulae was eliminated, provide a better nasal alar cartilage support, get a stable the maxillary segment for orthodontic treatment, and obtain an ideal alveolar morphology.
Conclusion: Regarding the age at grafting even after late secondary stage provides a good bony support in terms of functional and esthetic outcome. And also the use of alveolar bone graft from the iliac crest achieves a very high rate of success and has a very low incidence of complications.
Osteoblastoma of mandible: A unique entity case report
Osteoblastoma is an uncommon osteoblastic tumor that rarely involves facial bones. It is an uncommon lesion that accounts for 1% of all bone tumors and about 3% of all benign bone tumors. Here, we present a case of 62 year-old female with benign osteoblastoma on the right side of the mandible which was growing for the past 2 months. Clinical presentation, radiologic and histologic features, and treatment and follow-up of this patient are discussed in this paper. Proper diagnosis of this lesion is very important because of its similarity to others lesions. There are very few reported cases of this rare entity; the primary aim of this article is to add more cases of this rare phenomenon to literature and provide a descriptive review.
A Technical Note on Surgical Management of Infected Odontogenic Keratocyst - A Case Report
Odontogenic keratocyst is an aggressive cystic lesion and a common type of tooth derived cyst due to presence of odontogenic epithelial remnants in different regions of jaw. This article is an effort to provide an overview of various aspects of OKC and managed with enucleation in conjunction with adequate chemical cauterization has been done.
Evaluating The Efficacy Of Local Anaesthetic Solution With Lignocaine And Adrenaline Concentration Of 1:80000 And 1:200000 In Surgical Removal Of Mandibular Third Molar – A Comparative Study
Aim and objective: To compare the clinical efficiency of local anaesthetic solution with different concentration of adrenaline and evaluate the safety measures of local anaesthetic usage with different chemical compositions. Materials and methods: This study was conducted on 20 patients requiring surgical removal of tooth. Patients were categorized into 2 groups with 10 samples each. Group I patients were administered 2% lignocaine with 1:80,000 adrenaline and group II patients were administered 2% lignocaine with 1:200,000 adrenaline for the extraction of mandibular molar. Clinical parameters Pain during deposition, onset of action, duration of action, Salivary pH and Blood Pressure are noted before and after administration of local anaesthesia. Results: The mean onset of action in group I was 4.3mins and in group II was 7.5mins, the mean pain during deposition in group I was 9.25 and in group II was 11.75, duration of anesthesia in group I was 261.40 minutes and in group II was 185 minutes, duration of procedure was 30.4 minutes in group I and 32.6 minutes in group II, Blood pressure before procedure in group I was 130/86mmHg and in group II was 126/82mmHg, Blood pressure after procedure in group I was 138/80mmHg and in group II was 128/80mmHg, salivary pH before procedure in group I was 6.38 and in group II was 6.46, Salivary pH after procedure in group I was 6.7 and in group II was 6.78. Conclusion: Lignocaine with 1:80000 adrenaline can be effectively used in oral surgical procedures as there is early onset of action, longer duration of anesthesia, and it causes significant increase in blood pressure compared to Lignocaine with 1:200000 adrenaline.
Exploring the Knowledge, Awareness and Practice Regarding Post COVID-19 Mucormycosis among Dental Professionals in Tamil Nadu, India: A Cross-sectional Survey
Introduction: The incidence of mucormycosis in post Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) cases increased in the second wave. Patients who had COVID-19 infection with pre-existing co-morbidities underwent treatment and resultant immunosuppression made them vulnerable to secondary infections like mucormycosis.
Aim: To analyse the knowledge, level of awareness and practice among the dental professionals towards the mucormycosis infection in patients of post COVID-19 disease. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted from May 2021 to June 2021 among 428 dental professionals residing in Tamil Nadu, India. The 16-item questionnaire consisted of questions about knowledge, awareness and practice regarding post COVID-19 mucormycosis infection. The questionnaire was sent to the dental practitioners through online portals. The responses were tabulated and the results were analysed using Chi-square test. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study participants included 264 (61.68%) females and 164 (38.32%) males dental professionals. The dental professionals who participated were in the age range between 21 years to 45 years with a mean of 29.87±6.52 years. The subjects were categorised under general dental practitioners 254 (59.35%), postgraduate students 96 (22.43%), specialty dental practitioners 78 (18.22%). Total 406 (94.86%) respondents agreed that oral examination is necessary for post COVID-19 patient. Out of 428, 306 (71.5%) of the participants responded that tooth pain associated with headache is a watchful sign in diabetic post COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: This study emphasises the role of dental professionals in diagnosis and management of mucormycosis infection in patients of post COVID-19 disease. Dental professionals demonstrated adequate knowledge about post COVID-19 mucormycosis. This may act as a source of information for the future pandemic crisis.
Utilization of non-vascularized bone graft with regional flap as an alternative for facial reconstruction
Mandibular resections decision is one of the most important steps in oral cavity malignant or nonmalignant lesions associated with the mandible. The role of mandibular reconstruction is not only for cosmesis, but it is also indicated for functional rehabilitation such as swallowing, phonetics, and for facial symmetrical. Even though the free tissue transfer is considered a gold standard for mandibular reconstruction, the importance of nonvascularized bone grafts (NVBGs) such as fibula, calvarium, rib, sternum, and iliac are still persisting in mandibulectomies condition like patient who have not taken radiotherapy or not willing to undergo radiotherapy or not fit for free tissue transfer and provides a good contour of mandibular replacement. The success rate of NVBG depends upon patient selection, preoperative planning, and meticulous nursing care. Addition to NVBG, regional flaps such as pectoralis major myocutaneous (PMMC) flap will help in soft‐tissue replacement of the defect as well as it will help in the situation where primary closure and airtight closure is not possible. This case report will discuss in detail about the management of anterior segmental mandibulectomy due to oncological resection and reconstruction with NVBG with fibula and PMMC.
Insights into Knowledge, Attitude and Perception about Dental Ergonomics and Work-Related Musculo Skeletal Disorders (MSD) among Dental Professionals at Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India: A cross-sectional study
Introduction: Despite all modern technological advances, dentistry is a profession still being affected by various musculoskeletal disorders, because of their prolonged working hours and difficult postures. Hence, this study was undertaken to assess the basic knowledge, attitude and practice of dental ergonomics during routine dental procedures among dental professionals and the second aim of the study focused on knowledge, attitude and practice of dental ergonomics by gender.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 203 dental professionals from January 2021 to February 2021. A structured questionnaire consisting of 15 questions was administered. Descriptive analysis of demographic variables was done and knowledge, attitude and perception scores were performed using the chi-square test.
Results: Among the 203 participants, a considerable majority of the participants which is about 75.9% (male: 71.1% and female: 79.6%) reported that they have awareness of dental ergonomics. There were no statistically significant differences between males and females regarding knowledge score of p=1.280. About 46.4% of participants (male: 54.3 % and female: 43.9%), complained of neck pain followed by 44.3% (male 41.3% and female 45.2%) complained of back pain. About 58.6% reported that the pain was caused strictly because of improper posture and non-ergonomically designed equipment. The difference between the gender variations was statistically significant regarding perception about dental ergonomics (p=0.001* )
Conclusion: Dental professionals have considerable awareness of ergonomics in dental practice. The current study highlights the situation of ergonomics in dental practice in the form of knowledge, attitude, and practices.
Assessment of Knowledge About The Emergency Drugs Available in Dental Office - A Cross Sectional Study
Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge about the emergency drugs in order to manage medical emergencies at their dental offices.
Materials and Methods: The cross sectional survey was conducted among 227 dental professionals residing in Tamil Nadu through an online portal. The questionnaire consisted of four sections that addressed the demographic data, knowledge, awareness and practice regardingknowledge, experience and views of medical emergencies to manage medical emergencies at their dental offices.
Result: Among the participants, 64.7% (n=147) were general dental practitioners, 20.2% (n=46) postgraduate students, and 14.9% (n=34) specialty dental practitioners. The response rate to the questionnaire achieved was 100%. There was a statistically insignificant difference between the dental practitioners based on the level of graduation. Among all the participants 173(76.2%) reported that less than 5 cases of medical emergencies have encountered in dental office in a year. About 209(92.1%) reported Dexamethosone, Nitroglycerine, Diphenhydramine, Diazepam considered as mandatory drug and using it in day to day practice.
Conclusion: Management of medical emergencies should be educated at every level of study period so that the efficient patient management is achieved. In addition to that Basic Life Support should go hand in hand for managing critical patients.
Osteoblastoma of the Jaws: Juggling Jepardy
Clinical facts along with radiological and histological findings are imperative to appropriately diagnose lesions of the jaws. Osteoblastoma is an uncommon, benign, primary lesion of the bone that rarely occurs in the jaw. It presents in the body/ramal region of the posterior mandible and mimics several other swellings which may present at this site. Clinico-pathologically and radiographically there are several lesions that present with almost similar features. The authors present one such case of a large osteoblastoma in an elderly female stressing the importance of correctly diagnosing these lesions.
Quality of life and shoulder function among oral cancer patients treated with selective neck dissection: A cross‐sectional study
Background: There is no doubt about the oncologic effectiveness of neck dissections(NDs). But the quality of life (QoL) of patients with oral cancer and the morbidity associated with ND like shoulder dysfunction remain uncertain. The present study aimed to assess the postoperative ND‐related QoL and shoulder function of oral cancer patients who underwent selective neck dissection (SND).
Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted by using a self‐administered, ND‐related QoL questionnaire and arm abduction test (AAT) in 128 patients who had undergone only SND (up to Level IV) for oral cancer.
Results: Out of the 128 patients, 94 (73.8%) patients had better QoL, and 34 (26.2%) patients had worse QoL. Fifty‐one (39.84%) participants were able to abduct up to or more than 150° but less than 180° (Score 3) followed by 31 (24.22%) participants who could abduct up to or more than 90° but not less than 150°(Score 2). Strong positive correlations (r=1.000) were observed between the ND QoL scores and the AAT scores. It was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.000).
Conclusion: SND, being a more conservative approach sparing the spinal accessory nerve, could still limit the QoL and could affect the shoulder function to a certain extent.