Helicobacter pylori in dental plaque; is it related to brushing frequency, plaque load and oral health status?

To determine the relation between presence of H. pylori in supra-gingival dental plaque with oral hygiene habits and oral health status of patients suffering from symptomatic dyspepsia. Descriptive study. The Department of Oral Health Sciences, Shaikh Zayed FPGMI, Lahore, from September 2008 to August 2009. One hundred and fifty dyspeptic subjects with dental plaque were enrolled. After recording brushing frequency, oral health status and plaque load, the supra-gingival dental plaque samples were collected by sterile curettes. Helicobacter pylori were detected in dental plaque samples through PCR assay. Presence of H. pylori in dental plaque was found to be 37.5% in the sample. Most of the subjects brushed once daily, had plaque index score of 1 and had fair to poor oral hygiene status. Approximately 35% of the individuals who brushed once or twice a day harbored the bacterium in their dental plaque. There was no difference between bacterial detection rates among different categories of plaque index and oral health status of the study subjects. Presence of H. pylori in dental plaque was found to be associated with neither brushing frequency nor with the plaque load nor with the oral health status of individuals suffering from symptomatic dyspepsia

Sensitivity and specificity of saliva in estimation of anti-HCV antibodies

This study was done to assess the efficacy of saliva as a screening tool in Hepatitis C infection when collected in a sterile test tube by simple spitting process. Anti Hepatitis C Virus antibodies [Anti-HCV] were detected in salivary samples of patients and healthy controls without using any special salivary collection device. Paired serum and oral fluid collections were obtained from 50 HCV positive cases and twenty five negative individuals. Saliva samples were collected in a sterile disposable plastic test tube by simple spitting of un-stimulated saliva by the study subjects. A modification of the serum HCV ELISA assay was developed to improve test accuracy for an oral fluid substrate. The presence or absence of anti-HCV antibodies in the blood serum was taken as gold standard against which anti-HCV levels in saliva were comparid. Overall sensitivity of saliva to detect Anti HCV antibodies was found to be 94.2% while specificity was 100%. This simple method of oral fluid collection proved to be an effective alternative to special collection saliva can be used as a cost effective screening tool for initial screening of hepatitis C infection in high risk populations

Estimating the burden of head and neck cancers in the public health sector of Pakistan.

This study was designed to establish the burden of head and neck cancers (HNCA) in public sector based cancer centres of Pakistan. Data were obtained from the central body governing all the cancer centres in the country. The frequency of treated HNCAs out of the total body cancers treated across Pakistan was found to be 14.5%. Highest prevalence rates amongst all cancers were noted in Sind, notably in Karachi and Jamshoro, followed by Multan in Punjab and a much lower frequency in Peshawar in the North West Frontier Province. This variation presumably reflects levels of betel quid consumption but more data are needed to be gathered in a comprehensive way if the findings are to be applicable for improvement of the national cancer control program.

Removal of large infratemporal fossa schwannoma; case report and review of literature

Schwannomas are encapsulated benign tumors of the Schwann cells. Schwannomas arising in the infratemporal fossa [ITF] are rarely reported. We report a case of ITF schwannoma extending to the skull base and orbital floor, involving posterior ethmoidal cells, retrobulbar region, buccal space part of posterior maxilla and right maxillary sinus. A 35-year old female presented to us with swelling on the right side of the face. Biopsy revealed a schwannoma. The tumor was successfully removed via anterior approach through modified Weber-Ferguson incision. Modified Weber-Ferguson incision is a useful approach for the removal of large benign tumors arising in the infratemporal fossa that involve the maxilla and maxillary sinus