Morbidity of mandibular bone harvesting: a comparative study.

PURPOSE: To assess the objective and subjective morbidity of mandibular bone harvesting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five patients who had been subjected to mandibular bone harvesting from the chin region (group 1, n = 15), the retromolar region (group 2, n = 15), or the retromolar region after removal of the third molar (group 3, n = 15) participated in this study. Complications, postoperative morbidity, and patient acceptance of the procedure were evaluated by assessing the medical records and performing standardized routine clinical and radiographic examinations up to 12 months after the augmentation procedure. In addition, the patients were asked to complete a questionnaire on the subjective complaints related to the procedure. RESULTS: Analysis of the questionnaire revealed that there was no significant difference between patients of groups 1 and 2 regarding acceptance of the procedure (scores of 8.6 +/- 1.1 and 8.5 +/- 0.9 on a 10-point scale, respectively). Acceptance of the procedure was scored significantly higher by the patients of group 3 (9.3 +/- 0.7; Student t test, P < .05). Six patients of group 1 and 2 patients of groups 2 and 3 reported subjective sensory disturbances related to the donor site. With the exception of 2 patients in group 1, these subjective complaints disappeared within 2 months after surgery. In the 2 patients (group 1) who reported a persistent discrete sensibility disorder in the symphyseal region after 12 months, this disturbance could not be confirmed objectively. CONCLUSION: Mandibular bone harvesting for reconstructing local alveolar defects is a well-accepted procedure with low objective and subjective morbidity. Amongst the procedures evaluated, harvesting bone from the retromolar region combined with removal of the third molar was best accepted by the patients.

Comparison of lacrimal and salivary gland involvement in Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the performance of different tear and salivary tests applied in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and to disclose how these tests relate to common serologic tests in SS. DESIGN: In addition to the routine ocular and oral tests for diagnosing SS (Schirmer test, rose bengal score, unstimulated whole saliva flow, and parotid sialography), tear breakup time and flow rate of glandular saliva (parotid and submandibular-sublingual [SM/SL]) were evaluated in patients referred for diagnosis of SS. Patients were categorized into primary SS, secondary SS, and non-SS groups according to the revised European classification criteria for SS. SETTING: Referral center. PATIENTS: Referred sample of 80 consecutive patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Correlation between ocular and salivary measures. RESULTS: Breakup time performed insufficiently in diagnosing SS, as opposed to the rose bengal score. In patients with primary and secondary SS, a clear correlation was noted between tear and saliva quality and secretion rate, and between the rose bengal score and parotid sialography. Increased rose bengal scores also correlated significantly with hyperglobulinemia and presence of SS-B antibodies in serum, with duration of subjective eye dryness, and with decreased tear-gland function. With regard to the oral tests, whole, parotid, and SM/SL salivary flow decreased significantly with increasing duration of oral complaints, with the stimulated SM/SL flow rate showing the strongest decrease and being more specific in diagnosing SS. Also, parotid sialography was more specific in excluding patients without SS than the commonly applied diagnostic criterion of secretion of unstimulated whole saliva. CONCLUSIONS: The rose bengal score remains the eye test of choice, as it has the highest specificity for SS. Hyperglobulinemia and especially positive serologic findings for SS-B may warrant close monitoring of the eyes, since these serum findings appear to relate to the severity of ocular surface damage. Parotid sialography and stimulated secretion of SM/SL saliva are more specific in diagnosing SS than unstimulated secretion of whole saliva.

Parotid sialography for diagnosing Sjögren syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the availability of many new imaging procedures, sialography has, after decades of use, maintained its status as the imaging procedure of choice for evaluating the oral component of Sjögren syndrome (SS). In this study, the clinical value of sialography as a diagnostic tool in SS was explored by assessing its diagnostic accuracy, observer bias, and staging potential. METHODS: One hundred parotid sialograms were interpreted independently in a blinded fashion by 2 trained and 2 expert observers. Sialograms were derived from a group of consecutive patients referred for diagnostics of SS. Patients were categorized as SS and non-SS by the revised European classification criteria. RESULTS: Trained observers reached a sensitivity of 95 and a specificity of 33% for SS by sialogram, whereas expert observers reached a sensitivity of 87 and a specificity of 84%. There was only "fair" interobserver agreement between trained and expert observers, whereas both expert observers showed "good" agreement with one another, according to Cohen's kappa. Intraobserver agreement was "good" to "very good" for all observers. The 4 different gradations of sialectasia, ie, punctate, globular, cavitary, and destructive, showed a weak but significant correlation with the duration of oral symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study markedly shows that the diagnostic value of parotid sialography for diagnosing SS greatly depends on the skills of the observer, implying that sialography lacks general applicability as a diagnostic tool in SS and requires specific expertise. Nevertheless, given its potentially high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing SS as well as its useful staging potential, sialography still has its use in the evaluation of the oral component of SS.

Oral and ocular manifestations in Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the relationship between lachrymal and salivary gland involvement in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). It is also of interest to know which eye test contributes most to the diagnosis of SS. We investigated the performance of different tear tests and how these tests relate to common serologic and salivary tests in SS. METHODS: In patients suspected of SS, the tear breakup time and the tear mucus score were evaluated in addition to the routine tests. Eighty consecutive patients were included, categorized into primary SS (pSS), secondary SS (sSS), and negative for SS. RESULTS: The tear breakup time and mucus score both performed insufficiently in diagnosing SS, in contrast to the Rose Bengal score. In pSS and sSS patients, a clear correlation was noted between tear and saliva quality and secretion rate, and between the Rose Bengal score and parotid sialography. Increased Rose Bengal scores also correlated significantly with hyperglobulinemia and presence of SSB antibodies in serum, with duration of subjective eye dryness, and with decreased tear gland function. CONCLUSION: The Rose Bengal score remains the eye test of choice having the highest specificity for SS. Hyperglobulinemia and especially positive SSB serology may warrant close monitoring of the eyes, since these serum findings appear to relate to the severity of ocular surface damage. Theoretically, a positive evaluation of either the ocular or oral component, in addition to positive serology or histopathology, could be sufficient to diagnose the syndrome for clinical purposes.