Intracranial paraganglioma (glomus tumor) with orbital extension.

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical features of an intracranial glomus tumor with orbital extension. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 15-year-old girl was examined for a large, vascular intracranial mass extending into the orbit. Attempted orbital biopsy was aborted for fear of uncontrollable hemorrhage. Tumor embolization and partial resection was performed. Histology was consistent with paraganglioma (glomus tumor). CONCLUSION: The orbital surgeon should include glomus tumor in the differential diagnosis of vascular orbital lesions. Their vascularity and hemorrhagic potential should be considered when approaching these lesions surgically.

The Oral Risk Assessment and Early Intervention System--a clinician's tool for integrating the bio/psycho/social risk into oral disease interventions.

An association between oral diseases and systemic diseases has been suspected for centuries. More recently, investigation has provided insight into the impact of psychologic factors, social value systems, beliefs about disease processes and predictive treatment outcomes. Historically, dentistry has focused primarily on the restoration of physical function rather than broader multifactorial issues that impact long-term health maintenance. Dental patients are a complex interaction of biologic susceptibilities, lifestyle behaviors, values, and disease risk variables, which require an interdisciplinary approach to provide optimal health care. This article provides information-processing tools to assist clinicians in developing appropriate patient interventions by employing on Oral Risk Assessment and Early Intervention System.

Reduction of calculus and Peridex stain with Tartar-Control Crest.

Regular use of an effective oral rinse (0.12% chlorhexidine [CHX]) may be accompanied by tooth staining and slightly increased calculus formation. Since dentifrices containing soluble pyrophosphates are known to significantly reduce calculus formation, this study was designed to investigate whether CHX-induced staining and increased calculus may be reduced by the use of such dentifrices. The study compared stain and calculus formation in 163 subjects using a CHX oral rinse (Peridex, Procter & Gamble) according to label directions and either a pyrophosphate-containing anticalculus toothpaste (Tartar-Control Crest, 3.3% pyrophosphate) or an otherwise similar toothpaste without pyrophosphate (Regular Crest). Subjects were instructed to brush and floss ad lib and were examined after three and six months. Whole-mouth calculus occurrence was significantly reduced in the anticalculus toothpaste group at three and six months. Also, staining on the cosmetically important facial-anterior surfaces was significantly reduced at the 3-month examination. After six months the difference in facial anterior staining was still directionally favorable to the anticalculus toothpaste group but no longer statistically significant. These results indicate that routine brushing with an anticalculus toothpaste such as Tartar-Control Crest significantly reduces both facial-anterior staining and calculus occurrence in subjects using a CHX oral rinse. Whether more frequent or more thorough brushing would lead to still greater reductions remains to be investigated.