Radiological anatomy of the sella turcica and sphenoid sinus

A descriptive, analytic study was conducted among Saudi adult, who presented to two major causalty units, King Fahd Hospital of the University [Al Khobar], and Al Mouwasat Hospital [Dammam]. One hundred skull x-rays of Saudi adults were selected for studying the dimensional and structural anatomy of the sella turcica and the types of sphenoid sinus. The dimensional anatomy of the sella turcica included the length and depth and the structural anatomy classified the shape. The sphenoid sinus was classified according to the degree of pneumatisation. The study material included 50 males and 50 females, with a mean age of 33 years. The mean length of the sella turcica was 12.8 mm and the mean depth was 8.5 mm. Rounded sella turcica was most frequently encountered and seen in 52 individuals, followed by the C-shaped in 29, and the J-shaped sella turcica seen in 19 individuals. None of this adult group had conchal type sphenoid sinus, 37 had pre-sellar types, and 63 individuals had the sellar type sphenoid sinus. This is the first study in Saudi Arabia looking into the normal radiological variation of the sella turcica and sphenoid sinus, in both shape and dimensions, among the Saudi population

Estimation of some biochemical constituents in renal stones

Some biochemical studies were performed on 40 adult patients with renal stones [20 Ca oxalate stones +/- 20 uric acid stones]. Chemical analysis of renal stones, estimation of serum level of Ca, uric acid and phosphorus for each patient were done. There is a direct correlation between the type of the stone and the level of its mineral constituent in serum. However, in calcium oxalate stones, they showed high serum level of uric acid in 17 cases [85%] in spite of the absence of uric acid crystals in the stones. In uric acid stones, there is only 5 cases [25%] which showed high level of serum Ca in spite of absence of the Ca crystals in the stones

Gingival changes following administration of nifedipine and phenytoin in albino rat

Nifedipine [Adalat], used in treatment of cardiovascular disorders, has been found to cause gingival enlargement as one of its side effects. Phenytoin [Epanutin] was used in this study as positive control as gingival hyperplasia is one of its well known side effects. The present study was carried out on one hundred and twenty-five male albino rats. They were divided into three groups: Group I was used as control, group II was divided ito subgroups A and B which received the high and low therapeutic doses of phenytoin respectively while group III was divided into subgroups A and B which received the high and low therapeutic doses of nifedipine respectively. All drugs were introduced by orogastrie tubes daily for a period of 5 weeks. Histopathological studies were performed on the gingiva using haematoxylin and eosin, Van Gieson and Mallory's aniline blue stains. The present study showed that both nifedipine and phenytoin produced microscopic gingival hyperplastie changes in rats in the form of fibroplasia and increased collagen density. Nifedipine-induced hyperplasia was not dose-dependent. while phenytoin-induced hyperplasia was dose-dependent. Also the degree of hyperplasia in both drugs was directly related to the duration of therapy beginning as early as three weeks