Depression and distress in burning mouth syndrome: A case control study.

To compare the results of psychometric tests in patients with BMS and controls, participants were tested for depression, anxiety, fatigue and distress. Patients with BMS had noticeably higher scores for depression, fatigue and distress, compared to controls. Depression and distress were significantly correlated with the burning symptom. Moreover, distress and burning symptoms proved to be interdependent. Depression seems to play a specific role in BMS. Burning symptoms affect quality of life of patients and they could be a predictor of distress.

Oral-facial-digital syndrome (OFD): 31-year follow-up management and monitoring.

Orofaciodigital syndrome (OFD) is a group of hereditary disorders identified by malformations of the mouth (oris), face (facies), hands and feet (digitus=finger and toe). Although there are several different types reported in the literature, there is a great overlap in their clinical presentation. The full spectrum of all disorders due to OFD is not yet fully understood, since each patient shows variations in the expression of the syndrome. In the oral cavity, teeth are often affected by various alterations, such as dental caries, abnormal teeth, enamel hypoplasia, supernumerary teeth and dental agenesis. Treatment of a syndromic patient with a complex picture showing conditions such as palatine fissures and a severe hypodontia involves a multidisciplinary approach and a careful periodical follow-up.

Telescopic overdenture on natural teeth: prosthetic rehabilitation on (OFD) syndromic patient and a review on available literature.

Orofaciodigital syndromes (OFD) are rare genetical disorders characterized by malformations of the mouth (oris), face (facies), hands and feet (digitus = finger, toe). It is still impossible to fully understand the whole spectrum of all dysfunctions due to OFD, since the expressions of the syndrome vary in each patient. There are various alterations, thoroughly described in literature that can affect the oral cavity such as dental caries, abnormal teeth, enamel hypoplasia, supernumerary teeth and dental agenesis. A syndromic patient with a complex picture showing conditions such as palatine fissures and a severe hypodontia has to be treated using a multidisciplinary approach, and in particular, needs a prosthetic rehabilitation for the restoration of missing dental elements in the arch.

Psychiatric disorders in oral lichen planus: a preliminary case control study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) compared to a control group. Eleven patients (mean age 65.2 years-old), with diagnosis of OLP and 13 controls (mean age 64.8 years-old) underwent a psychiatric evaluation with five psychometric scales: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI 1-2), Distress Thermometer (DT) and Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI). Seventy-three % of OLP group presented a VAS score of mild type; 9% had depressive symptoms; 100% of the sample had a score above the cut-off for state and trait anxiety; 45% presented Distress (36% moderate type). However, no statistical difference was found in comparison with the control group. In this study, there was no difference in these parameters between the OLP group and the control group. Perhaps, a larger cohort of patients could give different results.

Systemic and topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) on oral mucosa lesions: an overview.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive treatment that has shown promising results in treating preneoplasticlesions. PDT reckons on the administration of a drug (photosensitizer), which can be used in a topical or systemic form. Photodynamic therapy has been successfully used in the management of a variety of pathologies from different anatomical sites, including the head, neck, brain and lungs, hepatobiliary tree and other gastrointestinal and urological pathologies, skin, gynaecological conditions and in vascular anomalies. Starting from these same considerations, PDT has also been adopted for oral malignant and premalignant lesions’ treatment, and should be kept under investigation as a promising therapeutic management of leukoplakia and preneoplastic lesions of the oral cavity.

Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita in a preterm female newborn: case report and review of the literature.

Cutis Marmorata Telangiectatica Congenita (CMTC) is a rare, sporadic condition usually present at birth characterized by localized or generalized persistent cutis marmorata, telangiectasia and phlebectasia. We report a preterm female newborn, the third child of non-related caucasian parents, with CMTC at birth who showed typical cutaneous features and monolateral congenital glaucoma. The pathogenesis of this disorder is unknown and the cause is probably multifactorial. Teratogens and autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with incomplete penetrance have been considered as etiological factors. Prognosis, in uncomplicated cases, is good.

"Safe" hyperbilirubinemia is associated with altered neonatal behavior.

Treatment of neonatal jaundice is currently recommended for higher bilirubinemia levels than before. Using the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale, we found that a series of 28 healthy, untreated, term neonates with moderate bilirubinemia scored significantly less than an equal number of appropriately matched controls with low bilirubinemia for visual and auditory items, both inanimate and animate. Also, a greater lability of state, a lower self-quieting ability and more frequent tremors were found in the jaundiced group. We conclude that hyperbilirubinemia per se, even in the concentration range where phototherapy is not currently recommended, can give rise to alterations in neonatal behavior.

[Use of Valtrac in digestive surgery. Initial clinical experience]. / L'uso del Valtrac in chirurgia digestiva. Iniziale esperienza clinica.

Stapling instruments are being currently used for digestive or colorectal anastomoses with definite advantages. The authors report their initial clinical experience about BAR utilization to restore intestinal continuity after upper digestive and colorectal resections. The authors have been carried out 20 anastomoses on 18 patients: 11 males and 7 females. Eleven (61.1%) of them were affected with malignant neoplasms and in 9 cases were performed an urgency procedure. The colorectal and jejunal-jejunal anastomoses were performed, respectively, in 8 cases; gastric-jejunal and ileo-colic anastomoses, respectively, in 2. The satisfactory results obtained seem to demonstrate that the biofragmentable anastomotic ring constitutes a "safe" method of bowel junction of the whole digestive apparatus.

Different behavioral effects of haloperidol, clozapine and thioridazine in a concurrent lever pressing and feeding procedure.

Rats were tested using a lever pressing/feeding procedure in which a preferred food (Bioserve pellets) was available by pressing a lever on a fixed ratio 5 schedule, but a less preferred food (lab chow) was also available concurrently in the operant chamber. The effects of repeated (14 day) injections of haloperidol, clozapine and thioridazine were compared. Haloperidol (0.05-0.15 mg/kg) significantly reduced lever pressing and increased chow intake throughout the drug treatment period. Injections of clozapine (2.0-6.0 mg/kg) suppressed lever pressing but failed to produce substantial increases in chow intake. In the haloperidol experiment there was a significant inverse correlation between lever pressing and chow intake, but in the clozapine experiment there was not. Regression analysis indicated that rats treated with the high dose of clozapine showed some tolerance to the suppression of lever pressing. Tests of sedation also were conducted before and after the instrumental behavior sessions. Haloperidol produced little or no sedative effect in the dose range tested. Clozapine produced substantial sedation during the first 10 days of administration, but this effect, like the suppression of lever pressing, showed signs of tolerance. Thioridazine (3.0-9.0 mg/kg) produced some effects that resembled haloperidol, and other effects, including sedation, that resembled clozapine. These studies indicate that haloperidol suppresses lever pressing for food at low doses that do not produce severe motivational or sedative effects that disrupt food intake. In contrast, it appears as though the suppression of lever pressing produced by clozapine stems from a sedative effect that also serves to set limits on chow intake. These results indicate that haloperidol and clozapine suppress lever pressing through different mechanisms.

Symplastic leiomyoma of the scrotum. A case report.

Mesenchimal tumors of the scrotum are rare lesions. Here, we describe a case of symplastic leiomyoma of the scrotum, in a 49-year old man. This is the third case reported in the world literature. Grossly, the lesion is a white-gray nodule, with fasciculated pattern, on sectioning. Histologically, the neoplasm is formed by whorling bundles of fusiform cells, which have atypical nuclei, with occasional cytoplasmatic inclusions. Mitoses are absent. The muscolar nature of the lesion is demonstrated by positivity for Masson-trichrome stain and for actin and desmine antigens.

[Neurocysticercosis with initial clinical picture of acute meningitis]. / Neurocisticercose com quadro clínico inicial de meningite aguda.

Twenty seven cases of neurocysticercosis, with clinical picture of acute meningitis, are described. Twenty (74.1%) patients are male; the age was 4 to 42 years (23.6 +/- 11.7 years). The etiologic diagnosis was defined by the complement fixation test (Weinberg) and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for cysticercosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (c. s. f.). Six patients that realized cranial computerized tomographic scan resembling neurocysticercosis. Twenty one (77.8%) have predominance of lymphomononuclear cells in the c. s. f. obtained in the admission to the hospital; in 6 (22.2%) there were predominance of polymorphonuclear neutrophils. In this c. s. f. lymphomononuclear pleocytosis and in three that have c. s. f. neutrophil pleocytosis, suggesting the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. The treatment of acute neurocysticercosis was made with dexamethasone. All the patients survived and were transferred to the ambulatory of Neurology for follow-up and complementary treatment.

Activity of antibiotics and azole antimycotics against Helicobacter pylori.

The bacteristatic and bactericidal activities of six antibiotics from different substance classes against Helicobacter pylori were determined. Ampicillin, imipenem, tetracycline, and amikacin inhibit the growth of all isolates at concentrations achievable in serum. Cefpirome and ofloxacin are ineffective against three and two of 41 strains, respectively. However, the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of the substances are two- to sixteen-fold higher than the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). There is sufficient bactericidal activity of ampicillin and imipenem against all strains, but amikacin, ofloxacin, tetracycline, and cefpirome are unable to kill 2, 8, 12, and 18 of 25 strains, respectively, at concentrations achievable in serum. Differences between MIC and MBC of antibiotics may contribute to the explanation of therapy failures. In addition, the inhibitory activity of seven nitroimidazole antimycotics and the triazole fluconazole was evaluated. The nitroimidazole MICs range from 2 to 64 mg/l, with tioconazole, miconazole, bifonazole, and ketoconazole as the most active substances. Fluconazole, however, was ineffective at concentrations < or = 128 mg/l. The efficacy of the nitroimidazole antimycotics against H. pylori in vivo should be tested in a clinical trial.

[A case of shock due to hypersensitivity to dextran]. / Considerazioni su un caso di shock da ipersensibilità al destrano.

An examination is made of the relevant literature in the light of a case of shock due to serious hypersensitivity to high molecular weight (70,000) dextran. It is shown that similar cases occur with a certain frequency when dextran is used in situations other than surgery and frank shock. The reaction explodes in response to the first drops of the first administration. The ready availability of resuscitation equipment is a fundamental requisite for the satisfactory outcome of treatment.