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Refined Topical 5-Fluorouracil Technique for the Targeted Treatment of Odontogenic Keratocysts

Figure 2. Representative example of odontogenic keratocyst treated with refined topical 5-fluorouracil technique. A, Preoperative Panorex radiograph showing a biopsy-confirmed odontogenic keratocyst involving the right mandibular body, and ramus. B, Six-month postoperative Panorex radiograph showing a well-healed, cyst-free right mandible treated with enucleation, peripheral ostectomy, and refined topical 5-fluorouracil technique

Figure 2. Representative example of odontogenic keratocyst treated with refined topical 5-fluorouracil technique. A, Preoperative  radiograph showing a biopsy-confirmed odontogenic keratocyst involving the right mandibular body, and ramus. B, Six-month postoperative Panorex radiograph showing a well-healed, cyst-free right mandible treated with enucleation, peripheral ostectomy, and refined topical 5-fluorouracil technique

What is it?

Odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs) are benign but often aggressive lesions in the jaw. This study represents an investigation of a potentially better way to treat them.

What problem does it aim to solve?

Treatment for OKCs includes application of a drug called 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which is effective, but the way it is administered, using gauze packing material, is often very uncomfortable/painful for patients, and the gauze may be hard to place correctly if the lesion is too small or in a difficult-to-access location.

How does it work?

Thirteen patients were treated with this new method, in which the surgical cavity was irrigated with saline then covered with topical 5% 5-FU using a cotton swab. The final step was to place absorbable gelatin sponge coated with 5% 5-FU. “This refined technique further increases technical ease, decreases operative time, and precludes the need for packing removal, with similar efficacy as the original approach.”

What are the real-world implications?

If results hold up in subsequent studies over time, this method could be a better way of treating OKCs without having to remove packed gauze.

What are the next steps?

“A well-designed, long-term, prospective, randomized, double-blinded,  would further support the above findings. A prospective study is currently underway.”

Source

Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Volume 81, Issue 1, January 2023, Pages 95-100,

Authors

Anthony J. Casino DDS, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook, NY

James LeRoy Jr. DMD, Chief Resident, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook, NY

Rekha Reddy DMD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook, NY

David K.Lam MD, DDS, PhD, Professor & Chair, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Dr. T. Galt and Lee DeHaven Atwood Endowed Professor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Associate Dean for Medical Integration, 91˵, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, San Francisco, CA

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