The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with primary Sjögren syndrome.

The aim of this study was to investigate the perspective of Romanian patients with Sjögren syndrome (SS) on various aspects of the disease during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, including both the impact of COVID-19 on the disease itself as well as the effects of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in this group of patients. The study is an online questionnaire-based survey. We received responses from 137 SS patients. Regarding the general emotional status, 33 patients (24.0%) and 47 patients (34.3%) declared to have been sadder/depressive and more agitated/anxious during the SARS-CoV2 outbreak, respectively. During the lockdown, 49 (33.7%) patients strictly and 77 patients (56.2%) did their best to respect the home isolation measures. The income was unchanged for most of the patients (94 patients, 68.6%). Regarding access to healthcare providers, 27 patients (18.7%) postponed the consultation for fear of getting SARS-CoV2. In our study group, 31 patients (22.6%) responded that they have had COVID-19. Only one patient was completely asymptomatic, while the most frequently declared symptom was weakness (84.0%). In 17 patients among the respondents (68%) the symptoms lasted for at least 2 weeks; the most frequent long-lasting symptoms were fatigue (40.0%) and weakness (36.0%). Out of all the respondents, 53 patients (41.4%) were vaccinated against SARS-CoV2 with at least one dose. After the first dose, the most prevalent side effect was pain at the site of injection (89.2%), followed by weakness (25.0%) and myalgias (21.4%). This information will be useful for developing special programs dedicated to SARS-CoV2 infection and vaccination in patients with SS and other autoimmune diseases.

Morphological assessment of the mandibular canal trajectory in dentate subjects.

BACKGROUND: The mandibular canal is the most important vital structure within the mandibular body. The aim of the present study was to determine the course of mandibular canal in relation to external surfaces of the mandible (buccal, lingual) and to root apices of the lateral teeth, in order to minimize the risk of its content being injured during either conservative or radical treatment of the mandibular lateral teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Morphometric evaluations were performed on 11 dried dentate human mandibles and on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) cross-sectional images of the mandible, from 18 dentate patients. By means of both methods, the following parameters were assessed: (i) the distance between the mandibular canal and the buccal (lateral) surface of the mandible (MC-BS distance); (ii) the distance between the mandibular canal and the lingual (medial) surface of the mandible (MC-LS distance); (iii) the distance between the mandibular canal and the root apices of the second premolar, the first and second molars (MC-T distance). The results were statistically processed in Stata MP÷13 software package using analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: With respect to buccal-lingual location, the mandibular canal passed horizontally through the mandibular trabecular bone, from posterior to anterior, and from lingual to lateral (buccal), and so at premolar level it approached the lateral (buccal) cortical bone plate, main topographic pattern found in 26 (89.65%) of the cases. The mandibular canal had a descending trajectory from the second molar to the first molar, after which it ascended slightly towards the second premolar, main topographic pattern found in 24 (82.75%) of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, the second mandibular molar is the most common tooth involved in the accidental damaging of the content of the mandibular canal, during various therapeutic procedures. Overlooking the location of the mandibular canal can lead to complications in endodontic therapy and in dentoalveolar surgical procedures in the posterior region of the mandible.