Operator training requirements and diagnostic accuracy of Fibroscan in routine clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Fibroscan is a quick, non-invasive technique used to measure liver stiffness (kPa), which correlates with fibrosis. To achieve a valid liver stiffness evaluation (LSE) the operator must obtain all the following three criteria: (1) ≥10 successful liver stiffness measurements; (2) IQR/median ratio <0.30 and (3) ≥60% measurement success rate. OBJECTIVES: To assess the operator training requirements and the importance of adhering to the LSE validity criteria in routine clinical practice. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the LSE validity rates of 2311 Fibroscans performed (1 August 2008 to 31 July 2011) in our tertiary liver outpatients department at the University Hospital Birmingham, UK. The diagnostic accuracy of Fibroscan was assessed in 153 patients, by comparing LSE (valid and invalid) with the modified Ishak fibrosis stage on liver biopsy. RESULTS: Learning curve analysis highlighted that the greatest improvement in validity of LSE rates occurs in the operator's first 10 Fibroscans, reaching 64.7% validity by the 50th Fibroscan. The correlation between LSE and the fibrosis stage on liver biopsy was superior in patients with a valid LSE (n=97) compared with those with an invalid LSE (n=56) (rs 0.577 vs 0.259; p=0.022). Area under receiving operating characteristics for significant fibrosis was greater when LSE was valid (0.83 vs 0.66; p=0.048). Using an LSE cut-off of 8 kPa, the negative predictive value of valid LSE was superior to invalid LSE for the detection of significant (84% vs 71%) and advanced fibrosis (100% vs 93%). CONCLUSIONS: Fibroscan requires minimal operator training (≥10 observed on patients), and when a valid LSE is obtained, it is an accurate tool for excluding advanced liver fibrosis. To ensure the diagnostic accuracy of Fibroscan it is essential that the recommended LSE validity criteria are adhered to in routine clinical practice.

Biological approach for management of anterior tooth trauma: triple case report.

Anterior crown fractures are a common form of injury that mainly affect children and adolescents. The position of maxillary incisors and their eruptive pattern carries a significant risk for trauma. In the pre-adhesive era, fractured teeth needed to be restored either with pin-retained inlays or cast restorations that sacrificed healthy tooth structure and were a challenge for clinicians to match with adjacent teeth. The development of adhesive dentistry has allowed dentists to use the patient's own fragment to restore the fractured tooth. Three cases are presented here with complicated crown fracture of maxillary central incisors; the reattachment of the fractured tooth segment in this case has been performed using different combinations of techniques, viz. simple reattachment, circumferential bevel and internal dentinal groove.

Primary intraosseous meningioma.

Primary intraosseous meningioma of the skull is an uncommon lesion often confused preoperatively with a primary bone tumor of the skull. We report this rare tumor in a 19-year-old male who was radiographically diagnosed as osteoid osteoma.

A comparison between audio and audiovisual distraction techniques in managing anxious pediatric dental patients.

Pain is not the sole reason for fear of dentistry. Anxiety or the fear of unknown during dental treatment is a major factor and it has been the major concern for dentists for a long time. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the two distraction techniques, viz, audio distraction and audiovisual distraction, in management of anxious pediatric dental patients. Sixty children aged between 4-8 years were divided into three groups. Each child had four dental visits--screening visit, prophylaxis visit, cavity preparation and restoration visit, and extraction visit. Child's anxiety level in each visit was assessed using a combination of four measures: Venham's picture test, Venham's rating of clinical anxiety, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation. The values obtained were tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis. It was concluded that audiovisual distraction technique was more effective in managing anxious pediatric dental patient as compared to audio distraction technique.

Dilacerated unerupted central incisor: A case report.

Dilaceration of permanent successors is one of the most common complications of trauma to the deciduous teeth. It is advisable to keep these patients under observation post-trauma and to consult an orthodontist at an early stage to prevent unfavorable sequelae. Presented here is a typical case of dilaceration.

Strangulated femoral hernia presenting as parietal wall emphysema.

Surgical emphysema of abdominal and thoracic wall, along with features of intestinal obstruction, has not been reported as a complication of strangulated femoral hernia. We report a 31-year-old woman with such a presentation.

Analysis of VNTR loci in fish genomes using synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide probes.

A set of synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide (oligo) probes, OAT18, OMS1 and OAT24 carrying the (TGG)6, (GGAT)4 and (GACA)6 repeat motifs, respectively, was used to analyze the variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) loci in the genomes of Oncorhyncus mykiss (rainbow trout; family Salmonidae), Oreochromis mossambicus and Oreochromis niloticus (both tilapia belonging to family Cichlidae). Of all the oligos and enzymes (AluI, MboI, HaeIII and HinfI) used, the OAT18/HaeIII combination was found to be most informative for detecting DNA fingerprinting in rainbow trout, while the OMS1/MboI combination gave the most informative pattern for the Or. niloticus genome. In the rainbow trout genome, all three repeat loci were hypervariable, revealing varying degrees of polymorphism as compared to tilapia genomes. Startlingly, the OAT24 probe did not cross-hybridize with Or. mossambicus and lamprey salmon (Lampertra japonica) although GACA repeats have been reported to be evolutionarily conserved in all eukaryotes studied thus far. Cluster analysis with respect to GGAT repeat loci revealed that Or. niloticus diverged from Or. mossambicus before the separation of On. mykiss, suggesting the relatively recent evolution of these loci in rainbow trout, compared to the tilapia genomes. These highly informative probes will find application in various genetic studies of fishes.

Single stage removal of right pulmonary and hepatic hydatid cysts.

A case of hydatid disease of lung and liver is described. The patient was investigated because of a circumscribed shadow in the right lung on chest skiagram. Another cystic shadow was picked up in the right lobe of liver on ultrasound examination. Both the cysts in right lung and liver were removed simultaneously through a right thoracophrenotomy. Emphasis is being laid on the utilization of single stage thoracotomy as an operative procedure of choice for hydatid cysts of right lung and liver.

Gastric teratoma.

Gastric teratoma accounts for less than 1% of all teratomas occurring in children, usually males. These tumors may be benign or malignant and complete excision of the tumor in either case carries a good prognosis. This rare case is an addition to the few cases of gastric teratomas in females reported in world literature and presenting as an exophytic & endophytic growth.

Immunohistochemical detection of axillary lymph node micrometastases in breast cancer patients: Increasing the accuracy of detection and decreasing labor intensive serial sectioning.

Background: The histological detection of axillary lymph node tumor metastases in cases of breast carcinoma is of major prognostic significance, but may be difficult when metastases are of microscopic size. The micrometastases can be detected either by immunohistochemistry (IHC) or serial sectioning. Aims: We investigated whether immunohistochemical techniques and serial sectioning can increase the accuracy of metastatic detection and compared the efficacy of both. Materials and Methods: Thirty cases of breast carcinoma were studied in all of whom the axillary lymph nodes had been reported as free of metastases. Blocks from these cases were serially sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin and a single section was stained with monoclonal antibody to cytokeratin AE1/AE3 and epithelial membrane antigen. The positivity for micrometastases was correlated with size, number, grade and histological type of primary tumor, lymph node size and number. Results and Conclusion: In 5/30 previously unsuspected cases, micrometastases were revealed by IHC and in 1/30 by serial sectioning. These findings suggested that serial sectioning is a labor intensive, time consuming and impractical procedure. Micrometastases were more frequently detected with age of patient >50 years, Grade 2/3 tumor, tumor size >5 cm and more than one primary tumor. Immunohistochemical analysis can be recommended as a routine procedure or an adjunct to routine histological procedures for the correct staging of breast carcinoma and use of adjuvant chemotherapy, especially in the high risk group.

Heterotopic pancreas presenting as ileoileal intussusception.

Heterotopic, aberrant or ectopic pancreas is defined as the presence of pancreatic tissue in topographic anomaly, with no anatomical, neural or vascular connection to the normal pancreas. It is a rare condition found mainly in stomach, duodenum and jejunum. Ileal heterotopic pancreas is an uncommon condition and has been rarely reported in children so far. Hereby we report a case of heterotopic pancreas presenting as ileal poyp leading to ileoileal intussusception in a 12 year child.

The inside mystery of jejunal gastrointestinal stromal tumor: a rare case report and review of the literature.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are malignant and rare form of soft tissue sarcoma of the digestive tract. The incidence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors is very low Kramer et al. 2005 Jejunal GISTs are extremely rare. Here we present a rare case of jejunal GIST with unusually large size at presentation. The patient presented with severe abdomen pain, exophytic growth, and dimorphic anemia. Surgical resection of the tumor was carried out, and operative findings revealed a 15 × 10 cm growth, arising from serosal surface of jejunum, at the antimesenteric surface. Diagnosis in this case was made by subjecting the resected specimen to immunohistochemical analysis. In view of large size of the resected tumor, and high-risk histopathological features, imatinib mesylate 400 mg once daily was given as adjuvant chemotherapy. Patient is asymptomatic without any evidence of tumor recurrence after six months of postoperative followup. Imatinib as such is recommended in metastatic, residual or recurrent cases of GISTs or which are surgically not removable; however, recent recommendations suggests the use of imatinib mesylate after radical surgery in high-risk cases, because it has shown a significant decrease in the recurrence rate, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved the use of imatinib as adjuvant therapy after complete resection of localized, primary GIST.

Music distraction--its efficacy in management of anxious pediatric dental patients.

Managing the anxiety of pediatric dental patient has long been the purview of dentists over many years. Various techniques have been used with moderate and variant success rates over the last few years. The main aim of this study was to ascertain if music distraction is an effective means of managing anxiety in pediatric dental patients. Forty children aged between 4 and 8 years were selected for the study. The assessment of anxiety was done using Venham's picture test, Venham's anxiety rating scale, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation during different treatment visits. The values were statistically analyzed and it was concluded that audio distraction did decrease the anxiety level in pediatric dental patients, but not to a very significant level.

Juvenile (calcifying) aponeurotic fibroma of the neck.

A case of juvenile (calcifying) aponeurotic fibroma (JAF) arising in the neck of a 5-year-old female is presented. The lesion was misdiagnosed as fibrous hamartoma of infancy (FHI) on a superficial biopsy prior to total excision of the mass. Only one instance of JAF of the neck has previously been reported; the tumor is usually located in the distal extremities and often recurs following excision. FHI occurs most frequently at and about the axilla and shoulder, and does not recur in most instances.

Extra-hepatic biliary-ductal necrosis in acute pancreatitis: a rare complication.

An 8-year-old male presented with an acute abdomen. Exploration revealed bilious ascites, oedematous pancreatitis with areas of necrosis, and omentum showing patches of fat necrosis. The common bile duct and almost all of the common hepatic duct were gangrenous and had sloughed, with bile leaking from the junctional stump of the right and left hepatic ducts. The patient was managed successfully by Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. This is a rare case showing necrosis and sloughing of the extrahepatic bile ducts in acute pancreatitis.