Sensitivity and Specificity of Cephalometric Measures for the Diagnosis of Sagittal Skeletal Malocclusion

Objective: To evaluate and compare sensitivity and specificity of ANB, Wits, APDI and AF-BF to diagnose sagittal skeletal malocclusions, in children between 6 to 12 years old, using ROC curves, a widely accepted method for the analysis and evaluation of diagnostic tests. Material and Methods: A descriptive-comparative study of diagnostic tests was conducted. From a population of 3,000 children, a non-probabilistic sample of 209 was selected. The clinical classification of the patients as class I, II or III, made by a group of experts based on the visual inspection of models and photographs, was chosen as the gold standard. After calibration (ICC>0.94) the variables were measured in cephalograms. Eight ROC curves were plotted (I vs II, and I vs III for each one of the variables). The area under the curve was measured and compared (Ji-square test). Cut points were established. Results: To discriminate Class I from II, ANB showed the largest area under the curve (AUC) (0.876) and the cut point (best sensitivity and specificity) was at 5.75°. To discriminate class I from III, Wits showed the largest AUC (0.874) with a cut point of -3.25 mm. There were no statistical differences between the AUC for the four variables (p=0.48 y p=0.38 for class I-II and I-III). Conclusion: ANB and Wits performed better for the diagnosis of class II and III, respectively. Cut points in children were different from those reported in adults.

Comparación de los efectos de tres enjuagues en el manejo de la mucositis oral secundaria al tratamiento de leucemia linfoblástica aguda en niños / Comparison of the effects of three mouth rinses in the management of oral mucositis secondary to the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children

Introducción: el presente estudio se hizo con el propósito de comparar los efectos de tres enjuagues en el tratamiento de la mucositis oral secundaria al tratamiento de la leucemia linfoblástica aguda en niños en edades entre 3 y 15 años, que estaban hospitalizados en el Pabellón de Hematooncología Infantil del Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl de Medellín. Métodos: se usaron tres enjuagues: triconjugado conformado por: lidocaína en gel al 2%, hidróxido de aluminio e hidróxido de magnesio con simeticona en suspensión (MylantaMR) e hidrocloruro de difenhidramina en jarabe (BenadrylMR); sucralfato constituido por sucralfato de sacarosa de aluminio en suspensión (Dip SucralfatoMR) y lidocaína en gel al 2%, y un tercer enjuague denominado control conformado por lidocaína en gel al 2%; a los tres enjuagues se les adicionó nistatina genérica (100.000 UI) en suspensión para prevenir la sobreinfección fúngica. La asignación de enjuagues fue al azar haciendo a cada paciente tres enjuagues diarios con el asignado; se hizo un registro diario de la severidad de la mucositis y la duración del episodio con el fin de establecer diferencias entre ellos. El tipo de estudio fue cuasi experimental de tipo comparativo y ciego, con una muestra de catorce casos (seis con triconjugado, cuatro con Sucralfato y cuatro de grupo control) recolectados en un periodo de 32 meses, entre abril de 2005 y noviembre de 2007. Resultados y conclusiones: no se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la duración ni en la severidad de la mucositis que presentaron los grupos de pacientes con la utilización de los enjuagues estudiados.

Introduction: the present study was conducted to compare the effects of three mouth rinses in the treatment of oralmucositis induced by chemotherapy in children between 3 and 15 years of age, with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and who were hospitalized at the Pediatric Hemato oncology Pavilion of the San Vicente de Paul University Hospital in the city of Medellin. Methods: three mouth rinses were compared: Triconjugate diphenhydramine, milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) and lidocaine in gel; Sucralfate comprising sucralfate suspended and lidocaine in gel; and a third rinse, called Control consisting of lidocaine in gel; nistatin was added to the mouth rinses to avoid fungal infection. Each group had 3 daily rinses with the assigned mouth rinse and a daily log was made with information related to the severity of mucositis and duration of the episode. The type of study was a quasi-experimental comparative blind design, the sample had 14 cases (triconjugate with 6 cases, 4 in the sucralfate group and 4 in the control group) and collection of the sample was made over a period of 32 months between April 2005 and November 2007. Results and conclusion: no statistically significant differences were found in the severity nor on the length of mucositis among the rinses used by the patients.