Forensic dentistry: A review.

Forensic dentistry is implicated in civil, criminal and research. It is useful for determination of age, sex and race in disputed cases. Age can be determined by using the criteria like eruption and calcification of teeth, Stack’s method, Miles formula, Boyde’s method and Gustafson’s method. For determination of sex Visual/ clinical, Microscopic and Advanced criteria are used. The peculiarities of the teeth will help in determination of race. Various methods like Universal system, Palmer’s system, Haderup system, Federation Dentuire Internationale (FDI), Modified Federation Dentuire Internationale (Modified FDI) and Zigmondy’s method are in use for charting of teeth worldwide. The knowledge of interpretation, preservation and correlation of bite marks will be helpful in administration of justice.

Study of clinical parameters in chronic periodontitis.

Back ground: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease, causes changes in peripheral blood markers with slight abnormal lipid profile including the production of different enzymes that are released by stromal, epithelial or inflammatory cells. These changes reflect metabolic changes in the gingival and periodontium in inflammation. Design of study: This important cohort study includes 54 subjects as chronic periodontitis patients along with 26 healthy age matched controls of both sexes, In this study, different peripheral blood markers (Neutrophils,WBC,RBC,Thrombocytes and Hb%), major inflammation markers (plasma Homocysteine, CRP),Total lipid profile (Cholesterol, TGL,HDL, LDL) and salivary enzymes (CK, LDH,AST, ALT, ALP, ACP and GGT) are studied to evaluate diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic effects in this disease. Results: Due to stasis of blood stream in periodontitis causes margination of central blood stream cells and finally there will be significant correlation in Neutrophils (r=0.342), WBC(r=0.431),thrombocytes(r=0.216),RBC(r=-0.183)Hblevel(r=-0.162).Inflammation markers and total lipid profile also show significant positive correlation: plasma homocystein (r=0.763),C-reactive protein(r=0.842),Total cholesterol,TGL,LDL (r=0.134,0.529,0.293) except HDL(r= -0.734). Salivary enzymes (CK-0.923, LDH-0.314, AST-0.841, ALT-0.832,ALP-0.782, ACP-0.826 and GGT-0.794) with gingival index and pocket depth. Conclusion: By studying this simple, economical clinical parameters we can assess the damage of periodontal tissue and useful in prediction of future risk of atherosclerosis in chronic periodontal patients.

Effect of inhalation of salbutamol, beclomethasone dipropionate & ipratropium bromide on mucociliary clearance in some patients with chronic stable bronchial asthma.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Asthma is now regarded as an inflammatory disease and bronchial inflammation may disrupt mucociliary function. Inhaled drugs may act by improving mucociliary function. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of salbutamol, ipratropium bromide and beclomethasone on mucociliary clearance in patients with chronic stable asthma and to compare the efficacy of these drugs on mucociliary clearance. METHODS: Ten patients with chronic stable asthma were enrolled in the study, but two patients did not complete the study. Patients with bronchial asthma were chosen on clinical grounds. (99m)Tc phytate radioaerosol generated through a nebulizer, was given to each patient on four days. After each administration the radioactivity over the thorax was constantly measured in sequential frame mode for 120 min. Radioactivity in the thorax was also measured after 24 h. A base-line pulmonary function test with reversibility was obtained. Salbutamol, ipratropium bromide, beclomethasone dipropionate and placebo inhalation were given randomly to each patient on four days. RESULTS: The mean age of patients (n = 8) was 36 +/- 9.3 yr and mean duration of symptoms was 5 +/- 6.6 yr. There was no visual impression that mucociliary clearance was enhanced with any of the drugs. The time activity curves did not show any visually recognisable change in slope. In only one patient the curve tended to show a steeper slope with ipratropium inhalation. In the rest of the patients the curves showed no difference at all with medication when compared with placebo. All the quantitative indices analyzed by two-way ANOVA at the end of one and two hours were comparable for the three test drugs and placebo. None of the three test drugs demonstrated statistically significant mucociliary clearance effect compared with placebo. However, the temporal difference in airways clearance efficiency (ACE) was significant with beclomethasone and ipratropium bromide. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Inhalation of any of the three drugs tested did not produce any immediate improvement in mucociliary clearance as compared to placebo in patients with stable bronchial asthma suggesting the need for further studies using higher doses of drugs for longer duration in a large sample.

Methaemoglobinaemia in nitrobenzene poisoning--a case report.

A 24-year-old female of nitrobenzene poisoning presented with features of methaemoglobinaemia. She was treated with oral methylene blue and intravenous ascorbic acid and responded favourably from 3rd day onwards. The case is reported in details.

Methaemoglobinemia in nitrobenzene poisoning.

A young girl with nitrobenzene induced methaemoglobinaemia was saved by the timely use of mechanical ventilator, administration of oral methylene blue and parenteral ascorbic acid. Though parenteral methylene blue is the antidote of choice, due to its non-availability, the laboratory preparation of methylene blue have been utilized orally. The rare occurrence of such cases, and the efficacy of oral methylene blue and other supportive measures in evading death due to Nitrobenzene poisoning have been highlighted.

Evaluation of audiovestibular status in leprosy.

One hundred twenty five cases of lepromatous leprosy and 25 cases of tuberculoid leprosy were investigated for audiovestibular status. Impaired hearing was detected in 52 percent and vestibular hypofuction in 7.2 per cent of lepromatous cases. Conductive deafness was due to eustachian tube catarrh secondary to atrophic rhinitis associated with the disease. The perceptive deafness and vestibular hypofuction were due to end organ lesion probably due to E.N.L. reaction. The vestibulococlear nerve involvement was considered to be unlikely. In tuberculoid leprosy derangement in hearing was not observed in any cases.