Assessment of Carotid Plaque Enhancement on Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound as a Predictor for Severe Coronary Artery Disease.

Background and Aim Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can reliably identify vulnerable plaques. As atherosclerosis is a systemic disease, we evaluated whether contrast enhancement of carotid plaque (CECP) can predict severe coronary artery disease (CAD) by comparing CECP in patients who have had acute coronary syndromes (ACS) recently with asymptomatic individuals. Settings and Design This case-control study was done at a tertiary care center during 2022. Materials and Methods Fourteen participants were recruited in each group, after screening in-patients for carotid plaques and inclusion and exclusion criteria. Those who had history of ACS were enrolled as cases, while those who did not were enrolled as controls. All these patients underwent grayscale, Doppler, and CEUS examination for characterization of the carotid plaque. For cases, findings on CEUS were also compared with the severity of CAD on catheter coronary angiography. Statistical Analysis Diagnostic parameters including sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated and proportions were compared by using Fisher's exact test. Results Eight out of 28 patients showed CECP. CECP and CAD were positively associated with p -Value of 0.033. Eighty-three percent patients with triple vessel disease and 50% patients with double vessel disease on coronary angiography showed CECP. Sensitivity and specificity of CECP for prediction of CAD were 50 and 92.9%, respectively. Conclusion CECP on CEUS can predict CAD and is a more reliable indicator of severe CAD than plaque characteristics on grayscale and Doppler imaging; making it useful for screening of patients at risk of having CAD.

Dens Evaginatus and Dens Invaginatus in Dilacerated Maxillary Lateral Incisor Diagnosed Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography - A Case Report and Review of Literature.

INTRODUCTION: Dens invaginatus (DI) and Dens evaginatus (DE), the developmental anomalies affecting the morphology of the tooth structure are extremely rare to occur. DI occurs because of invagination of a crown into dental papillae. DE is a tubercular emergence from occlusal surfaces of posterior teeth and lingual surfaces of anterior teeth. The two anomalies on separate teeth are frequently mentioned, but their co-occurrence in a single tooth is a rare entity. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 20-year-old male patient presented with the rare combination of DE and DI on a dilacerated maxillary right lateral incisor diagnosed using cone beam CT. Treatment: The patient was managed conservatively and is undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment for malocclusion. Despite its uniqueness, very few localized cases have been documented. TAKEAWAY LESSONS: These anomalies act as an etiological factor for several dental problems for neighboring & opposing tooth. Early diagnosis of such anomalies should be done so that prophylactic management can be initiated.