PATTERNS OF FACIAL FRACTURES AND ASSOCIATED SOFT TISSUE INJURIES: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON 1007 PATIENTS.

Background: Knowing the severity of a pathology in a population helps to both establish a rapid diagnosis and to prepare medical staff to provide adequate and complete treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the patterns of maxillofacial fractures and their associated soft tissue injuries in order to identify the specific types of maxillofacial fractures with the highest incidence of associated soft tissue injuries. Methods: A 10-year retrospective evaluation of maxillofacial trauma was performed on 1007 patients. All 1007 patients were clinically and paraclinically confirmed to have facial skeletal injuries. Results: The highest incidence of maxillofacial fractures was found in the mandible (62.16%), the mandibular angle being the most frequently involved (28.84%). Most of the fractures were complete (97.82%), displaced (87.98%) and closed (86.30%). Hematoma was the most common associated soft tissue injury (44.79%). In mandibular trauma, the incidence of hematoma and laceration was the highest in angle and simultaneous multiple fracture lines (p=0.002). In the midface, hematoma was more frequently associated with non-comminuted zygomatic bone fractures (p=0.003), while laceration was associated with multiple underlying fracture lines (p=0.002). Conclusions: Patients presenting with hematomas will most frequently have an underlying single closed fracture line, while patients with lacerations will most frequently present underlying multiple and displaced fractures.

Cryobiopsy in Lung Cancer Diagnosis-A Literature Review.

Optimizing the diagnosis of lung cancer represents a challenge, as well as a necessity, for improving the low survival of these patients. Flexible bronchoscopy with forceps biopsy is one of the key diagnostic procedures used for lung tumors. The small sample size and crush artifacts are several factors that can often limit access to a complete diagnosis, therefore leading to the need of repeating the bronchoscopy procedure or other invasive diagnostic methods. The bronchoscopic cryobiopsy is a recent technique that proved its utility in the diagnosis of both endobronchial and peripheral lung tumors. In comparison with conventional forceps biopsy, studies report a higher diagnostic yield and a superior quality of the collected samples for both the histopathological and the molecular diagnosis of lung cancer. This method shows promising results in sampling lung tissue, alone, or in conjunction with fluoroscopy or radial endobronchial ultrasound (r-EBUS). With a good safety and cost-benefit profile, this novel method has the potential to improve the diagnosis, and therefore the management of lung cancer patients. The objective of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive review of the recent data regarding the advantages of cryobiopsy and r-EBUS in lung cancer diagnosis.

An epidemiological analysis of maxillofacial fractures: a 10-year cross-sectional cohort retrospective study of 1007 patients.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data is providing vital indicators for organizing the financial resources related to a particular type of trauma, estimating expenses and training of dental practioners and ambulatory medical staff for collaboration with a certain pattern of patients. Knowing the etiology and epidemiology of a certain pathology is significant for approaching its means of prevention. METHODS: A 10-year retrospective statistical analysis of 1007 patients with maxillofacial fractures treated in a University Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Romania was performed. The data were extracted from patients' medical records. Statistical analysis was performed. A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The incidence of maxillofacial fractures was high among patients in the 20-29 age group (35.9%). Male patients (90.57%, M:F = 9.6:1), having a low level of education (46.60%) and living in urban areas (53.50%) were more affected. The main cause of maxillofacial fractures was interpersonal violence (59.37%), both in the mandibular and midface topographic regions (p = 0.001, p = 0.002). In urban areas, fractures caused by interpersonal violence and road traffic accidents were predominant, while in rural areas, most of the fractures were due to interpersonal violence, domestic accidents, work accidents and animal attacks (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Interpersonal violence is the main cause of maxillofacial fractures having epidemic proportions. Male patients aged 20-29 years with a low level of education represent the major risk category. Considering the wide area of interpersonal aggression, both the medical staff in the hospital and in the dental offices must be educated in order to collaborate with possible violent patients. Dentists must be prepared to work on a post-traumatic dento-periodontal field. Taking all measures to prevent inter-human aggression is imperative and will lead to a major decrease in maxillofacial fractures and an overall increase of oral health in a population.

Interrelation between facial soft tissue lessions, underlying fracture patterns and treatment of zygomatic bone trauma: a 10 year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The pattern of zygomatic bone fractures varies in the literature, their features being frequently masked by the presence of associated soft tissue lesions. In this context the clinical diagnosis and the therapeutic indications can be difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of zygomatic bone fractures and their interrelation with concomitant overlying soft tissue injuries, as well as to assess the type of treatment methods applied depending on the fracture pattern and the results achieved depending on the incidence rate of postoperative complications. We will use these results in order to improve the diagnosis and the establishment of correct treatment of this pathology. METHODS: A 10-year retrospective evaluation of midface fractures was performed in patients diagnosed and treated in a tertiary Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Statistical analysis was performed with the MedCalc Statistical Software version 19.2 (MedCalc Software bvba, Ostend, Belgium; 53 https://www.medcalc.org ; 2020). Nominal data were expressed as frequency and percentage. The comparisons of the frequencies of a nominal variable among the categories of another nominal variable were made using the chi-square test. Multivariate logistic regressions were used in order to establish the independent association between variables and lacerations/excoriations. After using the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, a value of p < 0.025 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The study included 242 patients with zygomatic bone fractures. The majority of the fractures were displaced n = 179 (73.9%), closed n = 179 (73.9%) and complete n = 219 (90.5%). Hematoma was the most frequent associated soft tissue lesion n = 102 (42.1%) regardless of the fracture pattern (p = 1.000). Complete zygomatic fracture (OR - 2.68; p = 0.035) and fractures with displacement (OR - 3.66; p = 0.012) were independently associated with the presence of laceration. Fractures with displacement (OR - 7.1; p = 0.003) were independently associated with the presence of excoriation. The most frequent type of treatment applied was Gillies reduction (61.9%), followed by ORIF (30.9%). The most frequent postoperative complication was malunion secondary to Gillies treatment (4,6%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients presenting lacerations and excoriations on clinical soft tissue examination will most frequently have an underlying complete, displaced or comminuted zygomatic fracture. In the case of displaced, open or comminuted fractures we achieved the best results secondary to ORIF treatment method, while in the case of non-displaced and closed fractures, the best results achieved were secondary to conservative treatment.

Epidemiological Analysis of Zygomatic Bone Fractures in North-Western Romanian Population: A 10-Year Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Midface fractures represent a challenge for medical practitioners due to the severe esthetic and functional consequences. This study aimed to determine the causes and to provide a demographic analysis of zygomatic bone fractures in our geographical area, with a view to implementing the necessary prevention methods, training the medical staff for a certain type of patients and decreasing the required costs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective statistical epidemiological analysis of 242 patients with zygomatic bone fractures over a 10-year period was performed. RESULTS: The most affected age group was 20-29 years (27.27%). The most affected were men (n=211, 87.19%) from urban areas (n=140, 57.85%), and without education (n=122, 50.41%). The most frequent cause was interpersonal violence (54.04%), followed by falls (17.36%) and road traffic accidents (16.53%). CONCLUSIONS: Interpersonal violence as a cause of zygomatic bone fractures is currently reaching epidemic proportions. Taking legal measures to prevent aggression is a public health emergency that would considerably decrease the incidence of these fractures in our population.

The pathogenic microbial flora and its antibiotic susceptibility pattern in odontogenic infections.

Suppurative head and neck infections of odontogenic origin are the most frequent type of head and neck infections. According to the literature, 7-10% of all antibiotics are currently prescribed for their treatment. Since penicillin was invented, the overall antibiotic sensitivity and resistance pattern of the isolated pathogenic microflora has continuously changed. The response of microorganisms to antibiotics and the development of resistance to their action is a purely evolutive process characterized by genetic mutations, acquisition of genetic material or alteration of gene expression and metabolic adaptations. All this makes challenging and difficult the correct choice of empirical antibiotic treatment for head and neck space infections even today. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the literature and to evidence the most frequent locations of odontogenic head and neck infections, the dominant pathogenic microbial flora, the genetic mutations and metabolic changes necessary for bacteria in order to aquire antibiotic resistance and as well its susceptibility and resistance to common antibiotics. We also aimed to highlight the possible changes in bacterial resistance to antibiotics over time, and to assess whether or not there is a need for fundamental changes in the empirical antibiotic treatment of these infections and show which these would be.

Post-traumatic occipital psoriatic plaque complicated by extensive necrotizing fasciitis of the head and neck: a case report and literature review.

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a severe infection involving the superficial fascial layers, subcutaneous cellular tissue, and possibly skin. It usually has a fulminant evolution, rapidly leading to death in the absence of early diagnosis and aggressive surgical treatment. We herein report a rare case of NF secondary to a traumatized occipital psoriatic plaque in an alcoholic 47-year-old woman and compare this case with the published literature. The NF extended to the entire scalp, right face, and posterior and lateral cervical region. Despite the initially guarded prognosis, the patient's survival emphasizes the importance of aggressive surgical treatment with wide excision of all necrotic structures without any aesthetic compromise.