Even though Candida is one of the oral flora, the prevalence in healthy young subjects without oral disorder has not completed yet. Based on this situation, the aim of this study was to examine the oral carriage of Candida in the host without any systemic disorders and to reveal predisposing factors associated with virulence of Candida in young adults. Samples were collected from oral cavity in 108 students attending the School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, The Nippon Dental University. Average age of subjectives was 23.5 years old and 81 males and 27 females in gender. Before examination, questionairs were corrected concerning to daily mediation or complication of systemic disorders to exclude from healthy groups. Yeasts were isolated according to CHROMagar method and identified using a combination of the API 32C AUX yeast system. Result of 33 examined from 108 subjectives were Candida positive and positive rate was 30.6% respectively. Thirty-three identified species were all Candida albicans and 1 Candida glabrata was simultaneously identified from the same sample judged by mean of CHROMagar. Different host factors were analyzed statistically to establish their importance as predisposing factors to allow Candida colonization. However, relationship between isolation rate of Candida and loss of salivary flow rates was remarked. These results suggest that oral yeast status may be influenced by salivary flow rates.

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Currently, zinc deficiency has been considered to be one of the main causes of taste disorders. Therefore, zinc preparation is the mainstay of the treatment for any taste disorders. However, there have been many cases showing no efficacy of the zinc administration in a clinical setting. Our previous study demonstrated that various oral diseases including candidiasis, dry mouth, and glossitis as well as psychosomatic factors could lead to taste disorder. The aim of this retrospective study was to elucidate whether serum zinc value was actually decreased or not in patients with taste disorder. Serum zinc value and zinc/copper ratio (cut off value: zinc/copper < 0.7) were examined in 144 patients complaining of taste disorder (taste disorder group), compared with 159 patients without taste disturbance (age and sex matched control group). In the present study, 4 cut off values were determined according to serum zinc level: (1) less than 60μg/dl, (2) less than 64μg/dl, (3) less than 70μg/dl, (4) and less than 80μg/dl. Average, median, maximum, and minimum levels of serum zinc in the taste disorder group were 74.4, 72.0, 155, and 45.0μg/dl, respectively, and in the control were 74.2, 73.7, 156, and 49.0μg/dl, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups. When a cut off value of serum zinc was set only less than 60μg/dl (severe serum zinc deficiency), significantly higher percentage of the taste disorder group showed severe serum zinc deficiency than that of the control (14% vs 6%, p < 0.05). Percentage of “zinc/copper < 0.7μ was 64% and 61% in the taste disorder group and in the control, respectively, which also revealed no significant difference between the two groups. This study suggested that there might be no association between taste disorder and serum zinc deficiency except for patients with severely reduced serum zinc level, therefore our results indicated that the serum zinc value does not always reflect subjective symptom of taste disorder.

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Background; We investigated the salivation-promoting effects of nizatidine in Sjögren's syndrome patients with xerostomia.
Methods; In a randomized crossover study using anetholtrithion as the control drug, changes in the salivary secretion with time and the adverse reactions to nizatidine were examined.
Results; Nizatidine produced significant increase of salivary secretion at 8 and 12 weeks as compared with the baseline (p = 0.0084, p = 0.0048). But the subjective symptom score showed no significant changes. The incidences of adverse drug reactions were much lower.
Conclusion; The results suggested that nizatidine is effective in the treatment of xerostomia in Sjögren's syndrome patients.

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Malignant tumors of the oral and maxillofacial region account for 1 to 2% of all carcinomas, and the mental and physical burdens associated with such tumors are major problems for patients. Intractable pain is often present, in patients in advanced or terminal stage and we frequently encounter patients in whom the administration of drugs contraindicated. A clinical evaluation regarding the pain control in patients at our institution with such tumors was conducted. A total of 37 patients (17 men and 20 women)with a malignant tumor of the oral and maxillofacial region, in whom pain control was attempted in our department and the Palliative Care Department between 2005 and March 2010, was evaluated. The patients' age ranged from 51 to 96 years, with a median of 71.8 years. Their outcomes were: death due to or by the primary disease (n = 26), survival with tumor (n = 7), and unknown (n = 3). The number of opioid rotations was zero to four, with an average of 1.56. Six patients had pathological jaw bone fractures. Hypercalcemia was seen in 14 patients; of these, nine patients received zoledronate, two received calcitonin, and three received pamidronate disodium.

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Pyogenic granuloma (PG) is one of the benign non-epithelial tumors derived from connective tissues on skin and mucosa. We had a case of PG, initially which was strongly suspected of malignant tumor. A 71 year-old male was referred to our clinic with chief complain of left upper gingival tumor, which had grown from the extraction socket of left upper third molar. The tumor rapidly grew again after CO₂ laser irradiation. However, the tumor disappeared spontaneously during the observation period, after the resection of a sigmoid colon cancer, which was found simultaneously with the imaging examination.

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Acquired hemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder characterized by the presence of autoantibodies directed factor VIII inhibitor (FVIII). We here describe the case of a 69-year-old Japanese woman who presented with severe bleeding after tooth extraction and found to have acquired hemophilia with reduction of the activity for multiple coagulation factors. Hemostasis was achieved after treatment with hemodynamic stabilizsation and immunosuppression therapies. Although we are not able to confirm the absence of FVIII inhibitor even after 11 years post diagnosis, there is no evidence of re-hemorrhage under the supervision of a specialist in hematology.

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We present a case of rapidly-enlarged and ruptured submucous hematoma of soft and hard palate during warfarin therapy.
The Patient was a 76-year old man. He suddenly had palatal swelling and difficulty in breathing while eating, and was brought to us by ambulance. He has been receiving warfarin therapy and treatments for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. On blood examination normocytic anemia was diagnosed. Blood coagulation test demonstrated an elevated value (1.52) of PT-INR. The mucous membrane was exfoliated from both soft and hard palate without abnormalities in either respiratory or circulatory status. Immediately, suturing of the mucosa to the submucosal tissue was performed along with astriction.
Emphasis should be on soft and hard palatine submucous hematoma as an oral bleeding complication associated with warfarin therapy.

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