The orthodontic-oral surgery interface. Part two: diagnosis and management of anomalies in eruption and transpositions.

The orthodontic-oral surgery interface is important for the multidisciplinary management of patients presenting with complex dental anomalies. This article provides an overview of anomalies of eruption and transpositions, their diagnosis, aetiology, presenting features and the different management options. It also highlights the role of the general dental practitioner (GDP) in identifying such anomalies and the importance of timely referral to specialist care.

Transient radio bursts from rotating neutron stars.

The radio sky is relatively unexplored for transient signals, although the potential of radio-transient searches is high. This was demonstrated recently by the discovery of a previously unknown type of source, varying on timescales of minutes to hours. Here we report a search for radio sources that vary on much shorter timescales. We found eleven objects characterized by single, dispersed bursts having durations between 2 and 30 ms. The average time intervals between bursts range from 4 min to 3 h with radio emission typically detectable for <1 s per day. From an analysis of the burst arrival times, we have identified periodicities in the range 0.4-7 s for ten of the eleven sources, suggesting origins in rotating neutron stars. Despite the small number of sources detected at present, their ephemeral nature implies a total Galactic population significantly exceeding that of the regularly pulsing radio pulsars. Five of the ten sources have periods >4 s, and the rate of change of the pulse period has been measured for three of them; for one source, we have inferred a high magnetic field strength of 5 x 10(13) G. This suggests that the new population is related to other classes of isolated neutron stars observed at X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths.

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome, a rare association of Hodgkin's disease.

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (VKHS) is a well-documented clinical entity. We report the case of a 24 year old man who, within 5 months of the diagnosis of VKHS, developed Hodgkin's disease. Like VKHS, the aetiology of Hodgkin's disease is unknown. A viral factor has been suspected in the pathogenesis of both conditions. Similar immunological abnormalities have been described in both, and may be important predisposing factors.

Corneal sensitivity after surgery.

A total of 38 eyes were examined at regular intervals for change in corneal sensitivity after surgery. Twenty-nine eyes underwent cataract surgery and nine trabeculectomy or iridectomy. It was found that complete loss of sensitivity occurred in the sector of cornea enclosed by the arc of the incision in every case. Recovery of sensitivity was found in eyes having trabeculectomy and iridectomy after approximately 9 months. All of the eyes having had cataract surgery showed almost complete anaesthesia in the upper half of the cornea after one year and only three had normal sensitivity after 2 years. Recovery of sensitivity appeared to take place from the 3 and 9 o'clock positions towards the 12 o'clock position.

Necrotizing scleritis after ocular surgery.

Six cases of acute necrotizing scleritis are described. These first presented after ocular surgery to the same eye and possible aetiological factors relating to the surgery are discussed. A mechanism for the production of scleritis in these cases is proposed which is analogous to an experimental animal model.