Improving Consistency of Photobiomodulation Therapy: A Novel Flat-Top Beam Hand-Piece versus Standard Gaussian Probes on Mitochondrial Activity.

The tremendous therapeutic potential of photobiomodulation therapy in different branches of medicine has been described in the literature. One of the molecular mechanisms for this treatment implicates the mitochondrial enzyme, cytochrome C oxidase. However, the efficacy and consistency of clinical outcomes with photobiomodulation treatments has been fiercely debated. This work was motivated by this need to improve photobiomodulation devices and delivery approaches. We designed a novel hand-piece with a flat-top beam profile of irradiation. We compared the beam profile versus a standard hand-piece and a fibre probe. We utilized isolated mitochondria and performed treatments at various spots within the beam, namely, the centre, left and right edge. We examined mitochondrial activity by assessing ATP synthesis with the luciferin/luciferase chemiluminescent method as a primary endpoint, while mitochondrial damage was assessed as the secondary endpoint. We observed a uniform distribution of the power density with the flat-top prototype compared to a wide Gaussian beam profile with the standard fibre and standard hand-piece. We noted increased production of ATP in the centre of all three beams with respect to the non-treated controls (p < 0.05). Both the fibre and standard hand-piece demonstrated less increase in ATP synthesis at the edges than the centre (p < 0.05). In contrast, ATP synthesis was increased homogenously in the flat-top handpiece, both in the centre and the edges of the beam. Fibre, standard hand-piece and the flat-top hand-piece prototype have discrete beam distribution characteristics. This significantly affected the mitochondrial activity with respect to their position within the treated areas. Flat-top hand-piece enhances the uniformity of photobiomodulation treatments and can improve the rigour and reproducibility of PBM clinical outcomes.

Effect of photobiomodulation therapy on painful temporomandibular disorders.

To evaluate the effect of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on painful temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled manner. Participants were divided into a masseter myalgia group (n = 88) and a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthralgia group (n = 87) according to the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD). Both groups randomly received PBMT or placebo treatment once a day for 7 consecutive days, one session. The PBMT was applied with a gallium-aluminum-arsenide (GaAlAs) laser (wavelength = 810 nm) at pre-determined points in the masseter muscle (6 J/cm2, 3 regions, 60 s) or TMJ region (6 J/cm2, 5 points, 30 s) according to their most painful site. Pain intensity was rated on a 0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS) and pressure pain thresholds (PPT) and mechanical sensitivity mapping were recorded before and after the treatment on day 1 and day 7. Jaw function was assessed by pain free jaw opening, maximum unassisted jaw opening, maximum assisted jaw opening, maximum protrusion and right and left excursion. Data were analyzed with a mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA). Pain intensity in arthralgia patients decreased over time (P < 0.001) for both types of interventions, however, PBMT caused greater reduction in pain scores than placebo (P = 0.014). For myalgia patients, pain intensity decreased over time (P < 0.001) but without difference between interventions (P = 0.074). PPTs increased in both myalgia (P < 0.001) and TMJ arthralgia patients over time (P < 0.001) but without difference between interventions (P ≥ 0.614). Overall, PBMT was associated with marginally better improvements in range of motion compared to placebo in both myalgia and arthralgia patients. Pain intensity, sensory function and jaw movements improve after both PBMT and placebo treatments in myalgia and arthralgia patients indicating a substantial non-specific effect of PBMT.

Comparação da eficácia e segurança do laser cirúrgico de diodo com o eletrocautério no tratamento da hiperplasia fibrosa inflamatória / Efficacy and safety comparison of diode surgical laser with electrocautery in the treatment of inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia

A hiperplasia fibrosa inflamatória (HFI) é uma lesão comum na cavidade bucal que acomete aproximadamente de 5 a 16,7% dos indivíduos que utilizam prótese dentária. É caracterizada por uma irritação crônica de baixo grau em consequência de próteses mal ajustadas. O tratamento da HFI em sua maioria consta de remoção do fator causal que permite a regressão da lesão, mas, algumas vezes, há necessidade da associação com a excisão cirúrgica. Esse tratamento pode ser feito por meio de bisturi, crioterapia, eletrocautério ou laser cirúrgico. Sendo assim, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar e comparar, por meio de um ensaio clínico randomizado triplo-cego, a segurança e a eficácia das técnicas cirúrgicas utilizando eletrocautério e laser de diodo no tratamento da HFI. Foram avaliados os parâmetros clínicos trans-operatórios: quantidade de tubetes anestésicos utilizados, sangramento, energia tecidual depositada, fluxo energético, tempo de incisão, e variação térmica superficial ao tecido lesional. Os parâmetros pós-operatórios avaliados no período de 28 dias foram: dor, uso de analgésico, aumento de volume, dificuldade de mastigação e de fala e área de ferida em cicatrização. A amostra foi constituída de 36 pacientes, divididos em dois grupos de 18 indivíduos, para tratamento cirúrgico com laser de diodo e com eletrocautério. Os resultados deste estudo não apontaram diferenças significativas na avaliação dos parâmetros clínicos trans- e pós-operatórios para a remoção de HFI utilizando o laser ou o eletrocautério, sendo ambas as técnicas cirúrgicas igualmente eficazes e seguras para o tratamento da HFI. O laser de diodo parece ser tão eficaz e seguro quanto o eletrocautério, quando aplicado sob condições similares à remoção de HFI.(AU)

Inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia (IFH) is a common lesion in the oral cavity, which affects approximately 5 to 16.7% of individuals who wearing prosthesis. It is a lesion characterized by low-grade chronic irritation due to ill-fitting prostheses. The main treatment of IFH is the removal of the causal factor that allows regression of the lesion and sometimes is necessary the association with surgical excision. Surgical treatment could be using scalpel, cryotherapy, electrocautery or surgical laser. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare, through a randomized tripleblind clinical trial, the safety and the efficacy of surgical techniques using electrocautery and diode laser in the treatment of IFH. It was evaluated the peroperative clinical parameters: the number of anesthetic tubes used, bleeding, deposited tissue energy, energetic energetic flow, time of incision and superficial thermal variation tissue, and the post operative parameters: pain, use of analgesic, development of swelling, chewing difficulty, speaking difficulty, wound healing area, for a period of 28 days post-operatively. The individuals were divided into two groups: surgical treatment with diode laser with wavelength of 808 nm and with electrocautery. A total of 36 patients were included in the study, 18 in each group. No significant differences were found in the evaluation of per and postoperative clinical parameters for the removal of IFH using laser or electrocautery. Thus, it is possible to affirm that both surgical techniques are effective and safe for the treatment of IFH in the same proportion.(AU)

Photosensitizers and light sources for photodynamic therapy of the Bowen's disease.

Bowen's disease is a neoplastic skin disease, known as squamous cell carcinoma in situ. The treatment options for Bowen's disease are: cryotherapy, curettage, surgery, topical therapy and radiotherapy. In the past recent years, photodynamic therapy was used as a new treatment method. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the results of clinical and research studies with respect to the photodynamic therapy of Bowen's disease. A search of three databases was conducted using specific keywords and explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study of photosensitizers, light sources and their efficacy in photodynamic therapy of Bowen's disease. Two photosensitizers have been used mainly for photodynamic therapy of Bowen's disease therapy: δ-aminolevulinic acid and methyl aminolevulinate. These photosensitizers have been activated with both coherent (lasers) and non-coherent (lamps and LEDs) light sources. Fluence has been set in a large domain (10-240 J/cm(2)) and irradiance was 0.23-100 mW/cm(2). All these light sources have the same efficacy. The high response rates were obtained using methyl aminolevulinate and light emitting diode as light source. These results have demonstrated that photodynamic therapy using methyl aminolevulinate as photosensitizer could be considered as one of the first therapeutic options for Bowen' disease.

[Outpatient diode laser tonsillotomy in children with tonsillar hyperplasia. Clinical results]. / Ambulant durchgeführte Diodenlasertonsillotomie bei symptomatischer Tonsillenhyperplasie des Kindes. Klinische Ergebnisse.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this retrospective study was to present the postoperative development, therapy effectiveness, and parental satisfaction after an outpatient diode laser tonsillotomy in children with noninflammatory tonsillar hyperplasia. METHOD: The study included 183 children with noninflammatory tonsillar hyperplasia who were operated on between October 2004 and October 2006 (average age: 4 years and 7 months). All children underwent diode laser tonsillotomy in contact mode (812 nm, continuous wave, 13 W) with or without additional procedures (adenotomy, paracentesis, tympanic drainage). All surgeries were carried out under endotracheal anesthesia by two ENT physicians in private practice in an outpatient surgery center. The patients (n=82) of one of the physicians were given an oral antibiotic for the 7 days following the surgery (cefuroxime syrup), and all children were given standard pain medication after the surgery (ibuprofen syrup). The postoperative development, complications, or late complications, the recurrence frequency, the effectiveness of the treatment, and the parental satisfaction were assessed using the respective results of the follow-up exams (average follow-up period: 1 year) and a standardized parent questionnaire, completed on average 1 year and 8 months after the surgery. For data digitalizing and statistical analysis with SPSS the chi(2) test and the Wilcoxon test were used (p<0.05). RESULTS: Generally, patients experienced no or only very little pain, and there was no secondary bleeding after tonsillotomy. Occasionally, a conspicuous wound surface (2.9%), fever (2.3%), or reddened palatal arch (1.2%) were noted. There were no late complications such as scar tissue distortions on the soft palate or peritonsillar abscesses. The procedure's effectiveness with regard to snoring, obstructed respiration, apnea, lack of appetite, and susceptibility to infection was very good and the level of parental satisfaction very high. The postoperative development showed significant differences between the two groups (with and without oral antibiotic) concerning postoperative pain (point score: 0-3): in the antibiotics group there was no postsurgical pain (average point score: 0.1), and in the group without antibiotics there was slight postsurgical pain (point score: 0.5). CONCLUSION: Outpatient diode laser tonsillotomy for children with symptomatic tonsillar hyperplasia is a rather painless surgery method with a low perioperative risk, very high treatment effectiveness, and parental satisfaction. For this indication tonsillotomy is the therapy of choice. There were no differences in terms of postoperative development between the diode laser tonsillotomy compared to the literature of the more common CO(2) laser tonsillotomy.