A Case of Postmortem Canine Depredation.

We report the case of postmortem animal depredation that produced initial confusion for investigators who responded to the scene. A decomposing elderly woman was found in her presumed home with bilateral upper extremity amputations and craniocerebral trauma. This raised suspicion of foul play. Subsequent investigations together with autopsy led the medical examiner to conclude that the cause of death was natural disease and that those injuries found on her body were produced by at least one of the dogs who shared the premises. We linked the canine culprit to the postmortem trauma and positively identified the remains by collecting material defecated by the animal and by using radiologic and dental comparison techniques.

[Forensic medical diagnostics of chronic alcoholic intoxication based on the measurement of bone mineral density in the postcranial skeleton and periodontal complex].

The objective of this work was to develop forensic medical criteria for the diagnostics of chronic alcoholic intoxication based on the measurement of bone mineral density in the postcranial skeleton and periodontal complex. The stomatological status of 380 subjects was evaluated. Two hundred patients regularly consumed alcohol (group 1) and 180 ones practically did not use it (group 2). The stomatological status was evaluated based on the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-s), the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMF) index, periodontal index (P1) and the papilla bleeding index (PBI). Bone mineral density was measured by X-ray two-photon absorptiometry. The study demonstrated the relationship between variations of the stomatological status and alcohol abuse. Chronic alcoholic intoxication was associated with marked changes of the stomatological status and the loss of bone mineral density that correlated with the results of the orthopantomographic study. It is concluded that the above observations should be taken into consideration in the practical work of forensic medical experts as additional diagnostic criteria of chronic alcoholic intoxication and alcohol-related death.

Diagnostic Value of Salivary Markers in Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

A growing interest in the usability of saliva has been observed recently. Using saliva as a diagnostic material is possible because it contains a varied range of composites, organic and inorganic like proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, which are secreted into saliva. Moreover, this applies to drugs and their metabolites. Saliva collection is noninvasive, and self-collection is possible. There is a lack of risk of injuries related to injection with needle, and it is generally safe. Human saliva has been successfully used, for example, in the diagnosis of many systemic diseases like cancers, autoimmunological diseases, infectious diseases (HIV, hepatitis, and malaria), and endocrinological diseases, as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Also, it is used in toxicological diagnostics, drug monitoring, and forensic medicine. The usefulness of saliva as a biological marker has also been extended to psychiatry. The specificity of mental illness and patients limits or prevents cooperation and diagnosis. In many cases, the use of saliva as a marker seems to be the most sensible choice.

Dental health in patients affected by alcohol use disorders: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic alcohol abuse represents a risk factor for oral diseases, in particular, oral cancer. Periodontal disease has been showed to be involved in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, such as atherosclerosis and liver steatosis. The role of chronic alcohol consumption on periodontitis is still controversial. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of chronic alcohol abuse on oral health. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-three alcohol use disorders (AUD) patients and twenty-three healthy social drinkers underwent an oral examination by trained oral clinicians in order to evaluate oral and dental health. A questionnaire assessing oral hygiene was administered together with the evaluation of DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth), SLI (Silness-Loë plaque index) and CPI (community periodontal index of treatment needs) scores. RESULTS: Alcoholic patients showed significantly lower oral hygiene scores compared to controls. Alcoholic patients showed significantly poorer scores at DMFT, SLI and CPI tests. Moreover, among alcoholics, smokers showed a significantly poorer oral health than non-smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic alcohol abuse increases the risk of dental and periodontal diseases. Smoking represents a significant co-factor. The practice of basic oral hygiene and the access to professional dental care should be encouraged among AUD patients in order to reduce oral diseases.

Hypercortisolism in alcohol dependence and its relation to hippocampal volume loss.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of hypercortisolism on hippocampal volume have not been studied in heavy drinkers. Prior work suggested increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity in relation to lowered total hippocampus volume (THV) in heavy-drinking alcohol-dependent (AD) subjects. The present study hypothesized the following: (1) that chronic heavy-drinking subjects would demonstrate significantly higher salivary cortisol concentrations than light-drinking control subjects and (2) that data from the whole sample group would present an inverse relationship between cortisol concentration and THV. METHOD: In carefully selected test and control subject groups matched for age, gender, and ethnicity, we measured salivary cortisol samples at waking, waking + 30 minutes, noon, and 4 PM on the day of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. We next compared mean cortisol concentrations between groups and assessed the statistical association between cortisol concentration and hippocampus volume measures. RESULTS: Comparison of AD test subjects (n = 8) and non-AD control subjects (n = 8) found significantly higher cortisol concentrations at both morning sampling times (mean [SD] at waking: 0.49 [0.23] vs 0.24 [0.14] microg/dl, p = .012; at waking + 30 minutes: 0.57 [0.37] vs 0.28 [0.11] microg/dl, p = 0.043). Controlling for intracranial volume, there was a significant inverse correlation between waking cortisol concentration and THV (p = .007) in the total sample group (N = 16). However, when analyzed separately, only the control group maintained a strong, inverse association (p = .025). There was no association among the heavy drinking subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These early data in a small sample support the view that chronic heavy drinking results in high salivary cortisol concentrations. What remains unclear is whether hypercortisolism exerts a selectively injurious effect that results in observed hippocampus volume loss. Further research in larger groups using more frequent, monitored sampling must address the following: (1) whether this finding can be replicated and (2) if replicated, whether the lack of an association between low hippocampal volumes and high cortisol levels may indicate an extent of injury beyond which a normal association of the two may be lost.

Nuclear changes in oral mucosa of alcoholics and crack cocaine users.

The effects of drugs of abuse on oral mucosa are only partly understood. The aims of the present study were to: (1) evaluate the frequency of nuclear changes in normal-appearing oral mucosa of alcoholics and crack cocaine users and (2) assess their association with cell proliferation rate. Oral smears were obtained from the border of the tongue and floor of the mouth of 26 crack cocaine users (24 males and 2 females), 29 alcoholics (17 males and 12 females), and 35 controls (17 males and 18 females). Histological slides were submitted to Feulgen staining to assess the frequency of micronuclei (MN), binucleated cells (BN), broken eggs (BE), and karyorrhexis (KR). A significant increase in the frequency of MN was observed in cells exfoliated from the tongue of crack cocaine users (p = 0.01), and alcoholics showed a higher frequency of KR in cells obtained from the floor of the mouth (p = 0.01). Our findings suggest that the use of crack cocaine induces clastogenic effects, whereas alcoholism is associated with higher degrees of keratinization in the floor of the mouth.

Ultrastructural changes on the hard palatine mucosa of Calomys callosus after 120 days of experimental chronic alcoholism.

The present study analyzed the toxic effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on the ultrastructure of the lining epithelium of the hard palatine mucosa of the rodent Calomys callosus, in order to contribute to the understanding of the consequences of alcohol abuse for the morphology of the digestive system. Twenty-six adult animals aged three months were divided into two experimental groups. The control group received a solid diet and tap water, and the alcoholic group received the same solid diet and ethanol P.A. diluted 20% in water (v/v). After 120 days of treatment, all animals were anaesthetised, weighed and sacrificed. At the end of treatment, mean body weight did not differ between control and alcoholic animals. The epithelial cells of the alcoholic group showed many alterations such as the presence of lipid droplets, nuclei in corneum layer, nuclei with increase peripheral chromatin and greater electron density, altered mitochondria, and intense dilatation of the intercellular spaces. It was concluded that 20% ethanol provokes marked ultrastructural lesions in the hard palatine mucosa.

Alcoholic parotid sialadenosis.

Alcoholism is a primary cause of sialadenosis, which is an asymptomatic, bilateral enlargement of the parotid glands. The authors outline the pathogenesis, symptoms and testing involved in diagnosing sialadenosis. Recognizing sialadenosis is important because it may point to the unsuspected presence of underlying systemic disease. Therefore, dental practitioners need to be able to differentiate sialadenosis from an inflammatory or neoplastic process to prevent unnecessary treatment.

Morphological effects on the hard palatine mucosa of Calomys callosus submitted to experimental chronic alcoholism.

The morphological effects of ethanol ingestion on the hard palatine mucosa of adult male Calomys callosus were observed. Twenty rodents were divided into two experimental groups: the control group received solid diet, Purina rat chow, and tap water ad libitum; the alcoholic group received the same solid diet and ethanol P.A. diluted 20% in water (v/v). After 270 days of treatment, all animals were sacrificed and the hard palatine mucosa were prepared for TEM and SEM methods. The epithelial cells of the alcoholic group showed some alterations like cytoplasmatic lipid droplets, pycnotic nucleus and increased mitochondrial size. The lamina propria also presented intense lipid droplets accumulation. The morphological changes suggested that chronic ethanol consumption was able to modify the integrity of the mucosa.

Morphological changes on the hard palatine mucosa of rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) after chronic alcohol consumption.

In order to examine the effects of alcohol on the hard palatine mucosa of rats, sixty adult female rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) were divided into two experimental groups. The control group received solid diet (Purina rat chow) and tap water ad libitum. The alcoholic group received the same solid diet and was allowed to drink only sugar cane brandy dissolved in 30% Gay Lussac (v/v). At the end of periods of 90, 180 and 270 days of treatment, the animals at estro were sacrificed and the hard palatine mucosa were prepared for TEM and SEM methods. The basal cells of the alcoholic groups (90, 180 and 270 days of treatment) demonstrated some alterations: the intercellular spaces between these cells were higher, presented cytoplasmatic lipid droplets and autolysis. Also, the connective tissue showed intense lipid droplets accumulation in the alcoholic groups. These modifications suggested that chronic alcohol ingestion was able to modify the integrity of the cells in the rat hard palatine mucosa.

Perioral aging--an anthropometric appraisal.

To adequately perform perioral rejuvenation procedures, it is necessary to understand the morphologic changes caused by facial aging. Anthropometric analyses of standardized frontal view and profile photographs could help to investigate such changes. Photographs of 346 male individuals were evaluated using 12 anthropometric indices. Data from two groups of health subjects, the first exhibiting a mean age of nearly 20 and the second of nearly 60 years, were compared. To evaluate the influence of combined nicotine and alcohol abuse, the data of the second group were compared to a third group exhibiting a similar mean age who were known alcohol and nicotine abusers. Comparison of the first to the second group showed significant decrease of the vertical height of upper and lower vermilion and relative enlargement of the cutaneous part of upper and lower lips. This effect was stronger in the upper vermilion and medial upper lips. The sagging of the upper lips led to the appearance of an increased mouth width. In the third group the effect of sagging of the upper lips, and especially its medial portion was significantly higher compared to the second group. The photo-assisted anthropometric measurements investigated gave reproducible results related to perioral aging.

Decrease in salivary lactoferrin output in chronically intoxicated alcohol-dependent patients.

Salivary lactoferrin is a glycoprotein involved in the elimination of pathogens and the prevention of massive overgrowth of microorganisms that affect oral and general health. A high concentration of lactoferrin in saliva is often considered to be a marker of damage to the salivary glands, gingivitis, or leakage through inflamed or damaged oral mucosa, infiltrated particularly by neutrophils. We conducted a study to determine the effect of chronic alcohol intoxication on salivary lactoferrin concentration and output. The study included 30 volunteers consisting of ten non-smoking male patients after chronic alcohol intoxication (group A), and 20 control nonsmoking male social drinkers (group C) with no history of alcohol abuse. Resting whole saliva was collected 24 to 48 hours after a chronic alcohol intoxication period. Lactoferrin was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For all participants, the DMFT index (decayed, missing, or filled teeth), gingival index (GI) and papilla bleeding index (PBI) were assessed. The differences between groups were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. We noticed significantly decreased salivary flow (SF) in alcohol dependent patients after chronic alcohol intoxication (A), compared to the control group (C). Although there was no significant difference in salivary lactoferrin concentration between the alcohol dependent group A and the control group C, we found significantly decreased lactoferrin output in group A compared to group C. We found a significant correlation between the amount of daily alcohol use and a decrease in lactoferrin output. There was a significant increase in GI and a tendency of PBI to increase in group A compared to group C. We demonstrated that chronic alcohol intoxication decreases SF and lactoferrin output. The decreased lactoferrin output in persons chronically intoxicated by alcohol may be the result of lactoferrin exhaustion during drinking (due to its alcohol-related lower biosynthesis or higher catabolism) or to decreased function of neutrophils affected by the ethanol. The poorer periodontal state in alcohol dependent persons compared to controls may be a result of lower salivary flow and decreased protection of the oral cavity by lactoferrin.

Prevenção e Detecção Precoce do Câncer de Boca: Screening em Populações de Risco / Prevention and Early Detection of Oral Cancer: Screening in Risk Populations

Objetivo: Avaliar a viabilidade de programa de prevenção e diagnóstico precoce do câncer de boca direcionado a grupos considerados de risco para esta enfermidade, como tabagistas e etilistas crônicos.Método: No período entre junho de 2000 e julho de 2002, o programa foi realizado em pacientes do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP) e grupos de apoio comunitários, estruturado em palestras periódicas, exame bucal dos interessados e encaminhamento quando necessário para exames complementares e tratamento.Resultados: Foram examinadas 509 pessoas, das quais 215 pertenciam ao sexo masculino (42,2%), 59,7% eram brancos e com média de idade de 49,8 anos. Destas, 131 apresentaram lesão fundamental na boca, que foram encaminhadas à Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade de São Paulo (FOUSP), para realização de exame complementar. Dos 48 (38,7%) pacientes que compareceram ao ambulatório, 11 foram submetidos à biópsia. Os achados das biópsias foram de hiperqueratose em 3, hiperplasia papilomatosa em 2, hiperplasia fibrosa em 3, um caso de displasia leve, um adenocarcinoma e um carcinoma epidermóide. À citologia esfoliativa, 5 pacientes tiveram o diagnóstico de classe I e 11 como classe II de Papanicolau.Conclusão: O elevado número de lesões fundamentais diagnosticadas demonstra ser de extrema importância o exame oral periódico de pacientes de risco, entretanto o método proposto, como deslocamento de equipes específicas para o rastreamento dos pacientes, mostrou-se bastante trabalhoso e oneroso para ser efetivamente incorporado em serviços de atenção à saúde. Por outro lado, serviços de atenção permanente em conjunto à atuação periódica de campanhas de esclarecimento a população, foram considerados os métodos de maior resultado para o diagnóstico precoce do câncer de boca

Objective: To evaluate a viability of a program for prevention and early diagnosis of oral cancer directed to groups considered at risk for this disease, such as chronic smokers and alcoholics.Method: The program was conducted between June 2000 and July 2002 with patients of the University Hospital of the Medical School of the University of São Paulo (HCFMUSP) and communitarian support groups, structured in the form of periodic lectures, oral exam for those who had interest, and, if necessary, referral for complementary exams and treatment.Results: 509 people were examined, of which 215 (42.2%) were males and 59.7% were Whites with mean age of 49.8 years. From these, 131 presented a fundamental lesion in the mouth and were referred to School of Dentistry of the University of São Paulo (FOUSP) for a complimentary exam. From the 48 (38.7%) patients that attended the University outpatient service, 11 were subjected to biopsy. Results of the biopsies were hyperkeratosis in 3 cases, papillomatous hyperplasia in 2, fibrous hyperplasia in 3, mild dysplasia in 1, adenocarcinoma in 1 and epidermoid carcinoma in 1. Based on the results of exfoliative cytology, 5 patients had diagnosis of Papanicolau class I and 11 of Papanicolau class II.Conclusion: The large number of fundamental lesions diagnosed demonstrates that periodic oral exam of high-risk patients is of paramount importance. However, the method proposed in this study, involving the transport of specific teams for screening of patients, appeared to be too demanding and costly to be effectively incorporated in public health attention services. On the other hand, permanent attention services together with periodic informative campaigns to the population were considered the methods with better results for the early diagnosis of oral cancer

[Oral cavity changes in alcoholic patients]. / Cambios en la cavidad oral presentes en pacientes alcohólicos.

The aim of this study was to look for pathological changes in the oral cavity in a group of 40 non cirrhotic male alcoholics, ranging in age from 30 to 40 years old. These subjects were compared with a group of 40 non alcoholic male subjects of similar age. The presence of lip, dental, periodontal, salivary gland and oral mucosa lesions was recorded. In alcoholics, pigmented lesions were observed in the lips in all the subjects (compared to 36% of controls), in the cheek mucosa in 65% and in the palate mucosa in 35.5%. Sixty five percent of alcoholics were partially edentate (compared to 32.5% of controls). It is concluded that the consideration of oral changes as a whole could be useful in the diagnosis of occult alcoholism. Moreover these patients have an important need of odontological attention that has to be considered.

Morphologic comparison of piglets from first and second litters in chronic ethanol-consuming Sinclair(S-1) miniature swine.

Piglets (L-1) from 13 litters farrowed by 1-year-old, first litter alcohol-consuming dams were evaluated for altered morphology, A second group of piglets (L-2) farrowed by 6 second litter alcohol-consuming dams also was evaluated. Mean litter size and birth weight for L-1 piglets were 4.85 and 602 +/- 152 g; mean litter size and birth weight for L-2 piglets were 2.00 and 478 +/- 168 g. Fetal mortality rates for L-1 and L-2 piglets were 15 and 25%, respectively. Anomaly rates observed in fetal deaths were 11 and 100% for L-1 and L-2 piglets, respectively. L-1 anomalies were macrocephaly, microphthalmia, necrosis of bowel, nonexternalization of penile tissue, unascended kidney and unilateral renal hypodevelopment. L-2 anomalies were anencephaly, microcephaly, nonfusion of cranial sutures, macrocephaly, microphthalmia, nonfusion of mandibles, cleft palate, imperforate cloaca, sydactyly and polydactyly.

Tissue damage in the rabbit oral mucosa by acute and chronic direct toxic action of different alcohol concentrations.

The direct effects of different alcohol concentrations (20%, 40%, 96%) upon the oral mucosa of rabbits were proved in short-term and long-term experiments. The direct toxic action of the alcohol in short-term experiments leads to a local damage of the mucous membrane which is proportional to the degree of alcohol concentration. The alcohol-toxic irritation in long-term studies produced in the course of 12 months a leukoplakia-like epithelial dysplasia (dyskeratosis, keratosis, increased density of the basal layer, slightly increased number of mitotic figures) but there was no loss of polarity of cells and the basement membrane was always intact. No animal developed a spontaneous tumour. The repeated local tissue damage by high local alcohol concentration is in connection with other etiologic factors (excessive tobacco usage) an important initiating factor of cancer of the mouth.

Nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) evaluation of lingual salivary glands of chronic alcoholics.

BACKGROUND: Chronic alcoholism has been associated with structural and physiological changes in salivary glands. Studies on a variety of pathologies have suggested that variation in number of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) reveals conditions of cellular activity. The aim of this work was to examine, through the AgNOR technique, changes in number and size of NORs in lingual salivary glands of chronic alcoholics. METHODS: Samples of mucous and serous lingual salivary glands were obtained from tongues from autopsies of individuals whose cause of death was hepatic alcoholic cirrhosis. Lingual organs from individuals whose cause of death was accidental were used as controls. Number and size of the AgNORs and nuclear area, in ductal and acinar cells, were evaluated through a digital image analyzer. RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed differences (P < or = 0.05) in number of AgNORs in mucous acini and ductal cells. Also, we observed changes in the area of the NORs. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that in alcoholics the activity of glandular cells, mainly in ductal epithelium, could be affected, modifying synthesis, transport and salivary secretions.

Location and sanitation of dental foci in liver transplantation.

The literature describes various treatment concepts for the pre-operative sanitation of septic foci in the oromaxillofacial area prior to liver transplantation. There are no uniform guidelines, and so far, a connection between dental foci and postoperative infection after transplantation has not yet been proven. Taking into account the complications occurring during focus sanitation, the appropriate extent of, and the most suitable point of time for, focus sanitation have to be ascertained. The clinical and radiological findings from 80 patients were analyzed, with particular attention being paid to dental foci prior to liver transplantation. The complications performed in 39 sanitations and the oral hygiene status of 37 patients were included in the analysis. All the obtained findings were correlated to the etiology of the liver disease and the Child-Pugh stage. Former alcoholics had significantly poorer oral hygiene and more foci than non-alcoholics. After sanitation, complications occurred more frequently in alcoholics (43.8%) and patients in Child-Pugh stage C (41.2%) than in the other groups. Secondary bleeding, severe in some cases, occurred in a total of 15.4% of all patients, despite coagulatory preparations. We can conclude that, given the high rate of complications found in this study after sanitation prior to transplantation, the demand for radical prophylactic dental sanitation should be reconsidered. Rather, it would appear more appropriate for only absolutely necessary sanitation to be carried out prior to transplantation and for the definitive measures to be postponed until after transplantation when liver function has stabilized.

Oral cytologic patterns and nutritional status: some relationships in alcoholic subjects.

Exfoliative cytologic preparations from the cheeks of 790 alcoholic patients were evaluated for relationships between microscopic features and selected indicators of nutritional status. Significant associations were observed between the cell/nucleus ratio, degree of cornification, relative concentrations of leukocytes and microorganisms, and poor dietary patterns, as well as body weight statua and serum albumin and blood hemoglobin levels. Microscopic examination, as an adjunct to gross inspection of the mouth, may be of value in the clinical assessment of nutriture.