Votive Offerings from Floresti Orthodox Monastery in Romania: An Ophthalmological Lesson from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries CE.

Since Antiquity, votive offerings were deposited in temples dedicated to deities in order to fulfil a special request of a supplicant. Later, in Orthodox churches, votive offerings entered in the form of anatomical ex-voto or tamata, metallic effigies that realistically represented the disease-affected portion of the body. In this paper, we show four tamata from eighteenth-nineteenth century identified in the museum of the Orthodox monastery of Floresti (Romania); votive offerings that represent ocular pathologies. Even if the supplicants did not have a medical background and often did not fully understand their diseases, the votive offerings demonstrate their ability to observe pathological changes, at the same time emphasising the importance of their faith in the healing process.

A software tool used in 3D evaluation of the alveolar bone defect in bilateral cleft lip and palate patients.

UNLABELLED: Evaluation of the cleft size and the assessment of an estimative volume required for bone grafting provide useful information to the surgeon performing secondary alveolar bone grafting. AIM: To use a software tool to evaluate the estimative volume of the bone defect in the alveolar cleft area, based on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) were randomly selected in the order of referral to treatment at "Saint Mary" Emergency Hospital for Children. CBCT examinations were performed prior to secondary alveolar bone grafting procedure. The preoperative estimative volume (PEV) of the alveolar bone defect was evaluated by three observers with different areas of expertise (a dentomaxillofacial radiologist, a maxillofacial surgeon, and a Ph.D. radiology student), using Romexis 3.0.1 software program. The inter-observer fidelity was assessed using the Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), with an optimal value of 0.837 for all observers. RESULTS: The mean PEV for all BCLP patients was 1.84 +/- 0.16 cm3. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that measuring the preoperative estimative volume of the alveolar bone defect in CLP patients using Romexis 3.0.1 software program, with CBCT scan data is beneficial. A proper protocol should be established, in order to provide useful information for the surgeon performing the secondary alveolar bone grafting.

Maxillary sinus anatomic and pathologic CT findings in edentulous patients scheduled for sinus augmentation.

OBJECTIVES: An aberrant sinus anatomy or pathology can influence the sinus lift technique if it is encountered during surgical exposure. The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of sinus disease and variations of normal anatomy among edentulous patients prior to sinus augmentation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 120 patients attending a private surgical practice (53 women and 67 men, with a mean age of 62.02 years, ranging between 34 and 81 years old) for whom treatment was planned for sinus augmentation were evaluated--medical history, radiographic and clinical examinations. Computerized tomograms (CT) and 3D reconstructions from 240 sinuses were analyzed using Dental CT. RESULTS: Abnormalities were diagnosed in 74.2% of cases. Mucosal thickening was the most prevalent abnormality (68.3%), followed by retention cysts (15.8%) and opacification (9.2%). The diagnosed conditions included mucosal thickening, chronic sinusitis, sinus cysts and polyps. The prevalence of one or more septa per sinus was found to be 30%. Males present pathology more often than females (p=.028). No statistical correlation could be found between age and pathology (p>0.05) No significant differences in age or gender between patients with and without sinus septum were found (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results reinforce the importance of thorough history taking and clinical and radiographic assessment prior to performing sinus augmentation, to prevent the probability of complications.

Cone beam CT: a current overview of devices.

The purpose of this study was to review and compare the properties of all the available cone beam CT (CBCT) devices offered on the market, while focusing especially on Europe. In this study, we included all the different commonly used CBCT devices currently available on the European market. Information about the properties of each device was obtained from the manufacturers' official available data, which was later confirmed by their representatives in cases where it was necessary. The main features of a total of 47 CBCT devices that are currently marketed by 20 companies were presented, compared and discussed in this study. All these CBCT devices differ in specific properties according to the companies that produce them. The summarized technical data from a large number of CBCT devices currently on the market offer a wide range of imaging possibilities in the oral and maxillofacial region.

Quantitative and qualitative bone assessment of the posterior mandible in patients with diabetes mellitus: a cone beam computed tomography study.

UNLABELLED: Evaluation of mandibular bone features is very important for the diagnosis, treatment planning and management of dental procedures such as osseointegrated implants. AIM: To evaluate the bone quantity and quality of the posterior region of the mandible using the CBCT technique for implant planning in patients with diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with diabetes mellitus and 27 control subjects participated in the study. Mandibular bone measurements were performed on the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. One previously calibrated oral radiologist with CBCT experience measured the distance from mandibular canal to alveolar ridge and the distance from bucal to lingual cortical wall. Also, it was assessed the bone quality of each region of interest, by measuring the bone mineral density. The study protocol was approved by the local Ethics Committee. RESULTS: The study revealed the presence of significant correlations between bone quality and values ofglycosylated hemoglobin and a significant association between patient gender and bone type. There is a significant inverse correlation between the values of cortical and trabecular bone density in the posterior region of the mandible and HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion the use of CBCT in preoperative bone measurements will help provide valuable information about the quantity and quality of bone before the placement of dental implants.

Clinical--imaging aspects of young permanent teeth traumas and the ethiopatogenic mechanisms involved.

UNLABELLED: Dental trauma occurring to children and teenagers all over the world represents a serious issue in Public Health. AIM: This present study wants to investigate the etiology and the environment in which the dental trauma occurs and also wants to establish a connection between dental trauma and social-economic status. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was made to collect information about dental trauma on human subjects involving 372 children and teenagers, both female and male, between 8 and 20 years of age. The data obtained from the clinical and radiological exams for each patient have been registered in a special conceived register, which represented a stage of the study. RESULTS: The frequency of dental trauma varied from 62.1% for males to 37.9% for women. Most of them have suffered from dental trauma between the age of 14 and 16 (30.1%), and a few between 18 and 20 years (2.2%). Dental trauma has occurred most frequently in school, during sports lessons, followed by those in public places like the street (23.1%), from which 17.1% have been associated with bicycle accidents, 3.5% with scooter accidents and 2.5% with car accidents. Children and teenagers who live in areas with a low social economic level have been the fewest to seek medical attention due to difficult access to medical services. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study wanted to present the importance of knowing the frequency of dental trauma in children and teenagers and to point out the need of promoting medical education to parents regarding the means they can use to reduce the risk factors associated with dental trauma.

The essential role of cone beam computed tomography to diagnose the localization of impacted maxillary canine and to detect the austerity of the adjacent root resorption in the Romanian population.

UNLABELLED: The impaction phenomenon is a pathological condition which is defined as the lack of eruption of a permanent tooth in the oral cavity. After third molar, the first permanent tooth impacted in the alveolar bone is the permanent maxillary canine, with varies from 1% to 3%. The aim of this study was to use the most recently imaging technique--CBCT, to evaluate the position of the impacted maxillary canine and to determinate the severity of root resorption of the adjacent teeth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The all 230 patients of this study were referred to a CBCT scanning with Scanora machine and only the region of clinical interest was irradiated. RESULTS: The age of the subjects was distributed between the ages of 11 and 42 years. From a total of 364 impacted canine teeth, 92 were side impacted canines, 97 right impacted canines and 87 were left impacted canines. DISCUSSION: We report a lateral incisors root resorption present in 54.37% and 24.29% the resorption of central incisors. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CBCT in patients with impacted canines has potential diagnostic and may influence the planning of treatment. Also the CBCT can be a genuine method used to rectify, to diagnose and to make a suggestive treatment for the resorption of the root of incisors.

Evaluation of serum and gingival crevicular fluid C-reactive protein and IL-6 levels in patients with periodontitis and transient ischemic attacks.

BACKGROUND: Recent advances have suggested that periodontitis (PD), the paradigm of chronic infection in dental pathology, shares several pathogenic pathways with cardio- and cerebro-vascular disorders (CVD), based on inflammatory mediators including IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α. AIM: To assess pro-inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein - CRP, IL-6) in serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in patients with PD and with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective observational study on 143 patients classified as follows: 40 healthy subjects (group A), 50 PD patients (group B) and 53 PD-TIAs patients (group C). The predefined assessment protocol has included: current medical data, risk factors for CRP changes, periodontal status (clinical, orthopantomography, Schei Ruler technique), inflammatory biomarkers (CRP, IL-6). RESULTS: High serum CRP and IL-6 have been reported in both TIAs and PD, while statistically significant increase in GCF CRP only in PD-TIAs (p<0.05). Moreover, both generalized and localized chronic PD may be at higher risk for CVD, since CRP level was higher in these subgroups. However, no significant differences were reported in serum IL-6 between generalized and localized PD. A score function was demonstrated, including bone loss degree, bleeding index, collection site depth, serum and GCF IL-6 and CRP, tooth loss, allowing the classification of PD based on risk for developing TIAs. CONCLUSIONS: CRP and IL-6 are commonly involved in the pathways of PD and TIAs. Interdisciplinary assessment should be promoted in order to implement the stratification of PD patients according to the risk for TIAs as suggested by the proposed algorithm.