Ultrasound examination for the detection of simulated periapical bone lesions in bovine mandibles: an ex vivo study.

AIM: To evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound examination (USE) for the detection of artificial bone defects in bovine mandibles in the absence of complete erosion of the cortical bone plate and to determine the minimum cortical thickness that constitutes a barrier for ultrasound waves. METHODOLOGY: Sixty bovine mandibular anatomical blocks were harvested and uniformly distributed amongst six experimental groups. The negative control consisted of blocks with no intra-bony defects, whereas the positive control consisted of blocks with an artificial lesion of 2 mm diameter that perforated the buccal cortical bone plate. Two experimental groups comprised blocks with small (2 mm) and large (5 mm) artificial defects created under a cortical plate thinned to varying thicknesses. Two additional groups had small (2 mm) and large (5 mm) artificial defects that did not involve the cortical plate. After USE, the scans were saved and submitted to three blinded examiners. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) were analysed. The significance of the findings (P < 0.05) was appraised using the chi-square statistics with the Yates correction, whilst the intra- and inter-examiner agreements were evaluated through Kappa statistics. RESULTS: USE was associated with high sensitivity (97.3%) and negative predictive value (89%), and a perfect score for specificity and positive predictive value. The ROC curve analysis revealed an accuracy of 97.8%. The k-values were 0.86 and 0.89 for the first and second examinations, respectively, demonstrating very high inter-observer agreement. The intra-observer agreement was also high (k-value = 0.92). A significant correlation between the echographic diagnosis and the presence or absence of artificial intraosseous lesions in the anatomical blocks of bovine mandibles was observed (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: USE was highly accurate and reliable for the detection of artificial lesions within bovine mandibles, regardless of the thickness or presence of the cortical plate.

Interaction of biologic therapy with apical periodontitis and periodontitis: a systematic review.

Biologic medications (BMs) are increasingly used for the management of systemic chronic inflammatory diseases. These diseases are often associated with a higher prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) and periodontitis (P). The purpose of this systematic review was to ascertain the interactions between AP and/or P and BMs. The review was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42017054756). Electronic searches were performed on Pubmed Medline, Scopus and The Web of Science from their inception through to 20 March 2018. The references of the articles selected were checked. The keywords were chosen based on a pilot search, which aimed to find the most frequently prescribed BMs. The included studies were appraised qualitatively using appropriate tools. Thirty-five articles met the inclusion criteria, comprising 16 non-randomized clinical studies, 12 in vivo animal studies and 7 case reports. Quality of information was assessed as high in 18 articles, moderate in 16 articles and low in 1 article. BMs in patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases seems to inhibit the progression of AP and P, and to enhance the healing response to periodontal and endodontic treatment. A healthier condition of the periodontal tissues seems to be associated with a better response of the patient to BMs therapy.

External tooth resorption associated with a peripheral odontogenic fibroma: review and case report.

The purpose of the study is to document a rare case of a peripheral odontogenic fibroma with associated cervical and coronal tooth resorption in a 38 year old woman. Histopathological features are described, the clinical management outlined and follow-up observations over 27 years detailed. The exophytic firm lesion, coral pink in appearance, located on the labial aspect of a maxillary right lateral incisor was excised, fixed in formalin and prepared for histological evaluation. The resorption cavity and adjacent soft tissue were treated by the topical application of trichloroacetic acid prior to restoration with a glass-ionomer cement and subsequent root canal treatment. Histologically, the body of the lesion was characterized by the presence of odontogenic epithelium embedded in a mature fibrous stroma. Areas of dystrophic calcification could also be identified. The features were consistent with a diagnosis of a peripheral odontogenic fibroma. The clinical result of treatment assessed 27 years postoperatively showed no evidence of recurrence of the peripheral odontogenic fibroma. External cervical and coronal tooth resorption can, on rare occasions, prove to be a clinical feature associated with peripheral odontogenic fibroma. Treatment of the tumour mass and the resorptive lesion can provide a successful outcome.

Synthesis of pyrryl aryl sulfones targeted at the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

Various aryl 1-pyrryl sulfones were synthesized and tested as inhibitors of HIV-1. 2-Nitrophenyl-2-ethoxycarbonyl-1-pyrryl sulfone, the most active among test derivatives, was selected as lead compound of the aryl pyrryl sulfone series. The in vitro anti-HIV-1 activity and cytotoxicity of 41 compounds is reported. Some structure-activity relationships are discussed also in comparison with the known NPPS (2-nitrophenyl phenyl sulfone).