Patients with 43 oral mucosal lesions were treated by Cepharanthin^® with gargle-internal use (gargle group) or internal use (internal group), and the clinical effects of the two methods were compared. The dose of Cepharanthin^® was 15mg per day for 2 weeks. The efficacy was classified as excellent, moderate, or poor. In consideration of the incidence of side effects, the usefulness of the two treatments was investigated. In the gargle group, the rate of excellent or moderate efficacy was 83.4% for glossodynia, 100% for aphthous stomatitis, 25.0% for reducing the size of lichen planus, and 75.0% for relieving the pain of lichen planus. Side effects were not observed in the internal group, but in the gargle group, they were observed in five of 32 cases (15.6%). The usefulness of the two treatments significantly differed for stomatitis, but not for glossodynia or lichen planus.

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A hundred-three cases of epulis were clinicostatistically analyzed. The patients were 33 males and 70 females. The age distribution disclosed frequent occurrence in the 3rd and 5th decades for female patients. The lesions were most frequently observed in the anterior region of the maxilla followed by the molar region of the maxilla and anterior region of the mandible. Histological diagnosis was made in 96 cases as follows: epulis fibrosa in 47 cases, epulis granulomatosa in 44 cases, epulis osteoplastica in 2 cases, and epulis hemangiomatosa in 3 cases. There was a tendency that epulis fibrosa is a little larger in size than epulis granulomatosa and of longer clinical course. Small calcified materials were observed in both epulis fibrosa and epulis granulomatosa. There was a tendency that calcified materials were more frequently found in male patients and histologically in epulis fibrosa. Various general and local factors were considered to be the predisposing factors. As the treatment, excision was made in 99 cases, 20 of which were with extraction of the involved tooth. Recurrence was observed in 5 cases and reexcision was performed without recurrence.

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Amyloidosis is a disease characterized by progressive deposition of amyloid substance in various organs and tissues of the body. The patient was a 64-year-old male who was referred to our department with a complaint of painless swelling of the tongue. Examination of a blood sample revealed nothing paticular without slight elevation of β2-microglobulin content. A biopsy specimen was taken from the tongue lesion and the histopathological specimen showed characteristics of amyloidosis. By further examination, amyloid deposition was found in skin andrectum, and diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis was confirmed. The patient died due to myocardial infarction three months later.

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Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disease of unknown cause, which may affect many systemic organs. Report of manifestation of sarcoidosis in oral region is rare. A 76-year-old female visited our department with the chief complaint of a tumor mass in the left buccal mucosa. Sarcoidosis was suspected aflerexamination of the biopsy specimen. However, more systemical examination was required for diagnosis. Another sarcoidosis lesion was found in the eye and the skin. The clinical examination revealed that the level of serum lysozyme was slightly increased, and the immunological disturbance such as negative reaction in the tuberculin test and the high level of serum immunoglobulin were found. Due to these findings, this case was diagnosed as sarcoidosis in nonactive (chronic) stage. Systemic treatment was not required, however, enucleation of buccal tumor was required for the recovery of mastication.

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