Diagnosis of Lingual Atrophic Conditions: Associations with Local and Systemic Factors. A Descriptive Review.

Atrophic glossitis is a condition characterised by absence of filiform or fungiform papillae on the dorsal surface of the tongue. Consequently, the ordinary texture and appearance of the dorsal tongue, determined by papillary protrusion, turns into a soft and smooth aspect. Throughout the years, many factors, both local and systemic, have been associated with atrophic glossitis as the tongue is currently considered to be a mirror of general health. Moreover, various tongue conditions were wrongly diagnosed as atrophic glossitis. Oral involvement can conceal underlying systemic conditions and, in this perspective, the role of clinicians is fundamental. Early recognition of oral signs and symptoms, through a careful examination of oral anatomical structures, plays a crucial role in providing patients with a better prognosis.

Prescriptions of NSAIDs to patients undergoing third molar surgery : an observational, prospective, multicentre survey.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Surgical extraction of an impacted third molar is generally followed by acute post-operative pain that has been shown to be primarily inflammatory. Thus, use of NSAIDs in this context is appropriate and has been shown to be effective. Several drugs are employed for this purpose, but no information exists on the reasons why preference is given to one rather than another. The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern of administration of NSAIDs in patients undergoing surgery for impacted third molar extraction. The study also aimed to collect information on the efficacy, onset and duration of the analgesic effect of routinely prescribed NSAIDs and to assess the duration of treatment with these drugs and their tolerability. METHODS: This was an observational, multicentre, prospective survey. A total of 616 patients (38% male and 62% female) from the Italian Stomatology Clinics of the Universities of Bologna, Brescia, Cagliari, Chieti, Pavia, Pisa, Siena and Varese and from the Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery of Semmelweis University, Budapest, were eligible for the study. Patients were evaluated over the 7 days following surgical extraction. NSAIDs were prescribed according to the normal prescribing habits of the centre and physician involved. The main outcomes of interest in the survey were the efficacy, onset and duration of analgesic effect, duration of therapy, and tolerability of the NSAIDs prescribed. RESULTS: Nimesulide was the most prescribed NSAID (68%), followed by diclofenac, ketoprofen and ibuprofen. Because of the low proportion of patients receiving other NSAIDs, these patients were considered a single treatment group for evaluation purposes. Nimesulide, especially when given before patients started experiencing pain after surgery, was more effective than other NSAIDs in reducing the severity of pain on the day of surgery, in delaying the time to maximum intensity of pain, in providing complete pain relief and in prolonging the duration of analgesic effect on the day of surgery. These results are consistent with the known anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions of nimesulide and with the important role of inflammation in the onset of pain after this type of surgery. CONCLUSION: These results confirm nimesulide as an effective reference drug for the treatment of post-operative dental pain and show that it has a positive benefit/risk profile in this setting.

Residues of the fungicide famoxadone in grapes and its fate during wine production.

Famoxadone is a recently applied fungicide to vines that belongs to the oxazolidinedione family. The fate of famoxadone was studied by considering the decay ratio of this fungicide during the maturation of grapes and wine production. The main factors affecting the presence of fungicide residues such as fruit growth, photodegradation, evaporation, thermodegradation and co-distillation were studied with model systems. An experimental field was treated with a commercial product containing famoxadone at the recommended dose. After this application, residues of famoxadone were found in grapes at 0.27 +/- 0.06 mg kg(-1). In this field experiment, the half-life t(1/2) of famoxadone, which is described by pseudo-first-order kinetics (R2 = 0.74), was 18 +/- 6 days, resulting from the photodegradation. The famoxadone residue levels in grapes were below the established maximum residues level for Europe (2 mg kg(-1)), whilst levels in wine, carried out with and without maceration, were below the calculated limit of detection of the method.

Residues of azoxystrobin, fenhexamid and pyrimethanil in strawberry following field treatments and the effect of domestic washing.

Residues of the pesticides azoxystrobin, fenhexamid and pyrimethanil were determined in strawberry after field treatment. The effect of 'home' washing with tap water and a commercially available vegetable detergent on residue levels was also studied. After treatment, azoxystrobin and pyrimethanil residues on strawberry were on average 0.55 and 2.98 mg kg(-1), respectively, values below the maximum residue level (MRL) fixed by the European Union (2.0 and 5 mg kg(-1), respectively), while fenhexamid residues were on average 2.99 mg kg(-1), which is very close to the MRL of 3.0 mg kg(-1), but some samples were over the MRL. Thereafter, all residues declined, with a half-life of about 8 days (azoxystrobin and fenhexamid) and 4.8 days (pyrimethanil). Washing the fruit with tap water reduced the residues of azoxystrobin and fenhexamid but did not affect pyrimethanil residues. Finally, when fruits were washed with a commercial detergent, greater amounts were removed (about 45% of azoxystrobin and pyrimethanil and 60% of fenhexamid).

[Idiopathic osteosclerosis in jaw bones. Clinical statistic study on a population of Sardinian origin]. / Osteosclerosi idiopatiche dei mascellari. Indagine clinico-statistica su una popolazione originaria della Sardegna.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic Osteosclerosis are localized, non-expansive and asymptomatic areas of bone radio-opacity, whose aetiology is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess its frequency, and distribution according to its location and to patients' age and gender, in a sample of patients native in Sardinia. METHODS: 697 consecutive clinical records of patients who underwent odontological treatment at the Department of Odontostomatologic Sciences at Cagliari University, over a 10-year period were studied. The panoramic radiographs attached to the clinical records were examined and searched for all cases that showed radio-opacity areas in maxillary bones that could be identified as idiopathic osteosclerosis (IO). RESULTS: By examining orthopantomographies we have located 58 IOs. We found no significant differences between the sexes; average age was 37.8 years. The mandible has proved to be the most affected site (98.2%) in the first molar tooth region (34.5%), followed by the premolar teeth region (25.9%) and of the second molar tooth (15.5%). The lesions examined had an average diameter of 8.8 mm. CONCLUSIONS: IO frequency has proved to be slightly higher than that reported in other articles, though remaining significantly lower than the values reported in Eastern populations. From the clinical point of view, IOs have been identified as sporadic radiographic findings without any real pathological relevance, except for one case in which the lesion caused nervous compression and dental retention, so that it was necessary to administer specific treatment.

A new technique for the study of periapical bone lesions: ultrasound real time imaging.

AIM: This study describes the use of a real time-ultrasound imaging technique (echography) for the study of periradicular lesions. METHODOLOGY: Twelve patients with periapical lesions of endodontic origin, diagnosed with conventional clinical and radiographic examination, were examined further using echography at the site of the diagnosed lesions. Each lesion was echographically characterized and described by an expert echographist together with an endodontist. Once the major echographic features were identified, information on the size of the lesion, its content, and its vascular supply was obtained and recorded. A tentative differential diagnosis between a cyst and a granuloma was made based on the data. RESULTS: In all cases it was possible to obtain an echographic image. It was also possible to measure the lesions, to evaluate their content and to view their vascularization in different regions of the mouth. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound real time imaging is a promising diagnostic technique in endodontology, but further work is required to refine the process.

[Microcystic lateral parodontal cyst. Report of a case]. / Cisti parodontale laterale microcistica. Descrizione di un caso clinico.

The lateral periodontal cyst (LPC) is an odontogenetic lesion of the maxillary bone representing about 0.8% of maxillary cystic lesions. It starts in the lateral periodontal area of a vital erupted tooth. Clinical symptoms are generally absent. Its diagnosis usually can be made on the basis of an occasional radiographic examination which shows an osteolytic monoloculate lesion with defined outlines. The botryoid cyst is a variation of LPC and is radiographically different and more aggressive than the common LPC. A clinical case of LPC which allows to make histopathological and clinical considerations on these cystic lesions is described.

The effect of simulated rain on folpet and mancozeb residues on grapes and on vine leaves.

Artificial rainfalls were used to determine the effect of the amount of the rainfall and the time interval between pesticide application and rainfall event, on folpet and mancozeb residues on grapes and vine leaves. Forty-five mm of rain were administered to the vineyard in different amounts (45; 30+15; 15+15+15 mm). Folpet showed good rainfastness on the grapes and on the leaves. A modest decrease was observed only in the experiments that had received 45 mm of rain at one go. Mancozeb showed a lower rainfastness, since a portion of the deposit was easily washed off also by a modest rainfall. The percentage of this portion was higher in the grapes (38%) than in the leaves (20%). The data obtained in these experiments show that, in the case of folpet, it is not necessary to repeat the treatment when it rains the day after, while it is recommendable to repeat it in the case of mancozeb.

Persistence and effectiveness of pyrethroids in plastic strips against Varroa jacobsoni (Acari: Varroidae) and mite resistance in a Mediterranean area.

An apiary trial was conducted in 1997 in Sardinia, Italy, to verify the effectiveness of fluvalinate in polyvinyl chloride strips and flumethrin in polyethylene strips against Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans. Two indices to evaluate the efficacy of the treatments were adopted: percentage change in mite infestation of worker-sealed brood cells considering only treated hives and percentage change in mite mortality, and the natural variation in mite populations recorded in control hives during the trial. All acaricide treatments reduced the level of mite infestation of both sealed brood and adult bees. However, their effectiveness was slightly reduced in comparison to previous studies because of mite resistance phenomena. Portions of polyethylene strips of flumethrin from treated hives were sampled weekly to determine acaricide persistence using gas chromatography. After 4 wk, a slight reduction (approximately 9%) of the active ingredient content was observed. A laboratory bioassay also was performed to establish the resistance of adult female mites to fluvalinate. Mites were sampled from the experimental apiary and from various Sardinian apiaries which had primarily been subjected to fluvalinate applications in plastic strips or wood inserts for years. Mite resistance varied from 0 to 96%, depending on the acaricide management adopted. The lowest resistance level occurred in an apiary where pyrethroids had never been used, whereas the highest level occurred in an apiary, with intensive use of fluvalinate in wood inserts.

Fenhexamid residues in grapes and wine.

The behaviour of the fungicide, fenhexamid, on grapes, and during wine-making, as well as its effect on the microflora of alcoholic and malolactic fermentation has been studied. After treatment, the residue on grapes decreased rapidly to one-third of the initial level after the first week, while it remained constant during the following two weeks. At harvest, in the wine obtained by vinification without skins, the fungicide residue decreased on average by 49%, while in the wine obtained by vinification with skins, the decrease was on average 62%. The presence of this fungicide on grapes and in the wine did not affect alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, nor did fermentation cause any degradation of the fungicide. A simple and rapid gas chromatograhic method (GC-NPD) for the determination of fenhexamid residues in grapes, must and wine is described.

Acephate and buprofezin residues in olives and olive oil.

Field trials were carried out to study the persistence of acephate and buprofezin on olives. Two cultivars, pizz'e carroga and pendolino, with very large and small fruits respectively were used. After treatment, no difference was found between the two pesticide deposits on the olives. The disappearance rates, calculated as pseudo first order kinetics, were similar for both pesticides (on average 12 days). Methamidophos, the acephate metabolite, was always present on all olives, and in some pendolino samples it showed higher residues than the maximum residue limit (MRL). During washing, the first step of olive processing, the residue level of both pesticides on the olives did not decrease. After processing of the olives into oil, no residues of acephate or methamidophos were found in the olive oil, while the residues of buprofezin were on average four times higher than on olives.

Distribution of folpet on the grape surface after treatment.

Field trials were carried out to evaluate whether folpet sprayed on grapevines penetrated the epicuticular wax and cell walls of grapes. Folpet showed poor penetration into the epicuticular wax; it was found almost totally on the surface. Despite its low solubility in water, perhaps due to the presence of adjuvants, its residues showed such a high resistance to washing that the action of rain was negligible in decreasing residues.

Fate of quinoxyfen residues in grapes, wine, and their processing products.

Quinoxyfen is a new fungicide that belongs to the family of the quinolines, recently introduced to control powdery mildew (Uncinula necator). In this paper the fate of quinoxyfen residues from vine to wine and in their processing products was studied. After the last of four applications at the recommended rate, 0.38 mg/kg of residue was found on the grapes, which is under the legal limit fixed in Italy (0.5 mg/kg). The degradation rate was according to a pseudo-first-order kinetics (r = 0.964) and the half-life was 7.24 days. Vinification was carried out with and without maceration. During the vinifications without maceration <50% of the residues passed from the grapes to the musts. Separation of the lees (8%) from the must by centrifugation caused no detectable residues in centrifuged must. At the end of fermentation with and without maceration no quinoxyfen residues were determinable in the wine. No effect on the alcoholic or malolactic fermentation was observed even in the presence of higher quinoxyfen concentrations than those found in the grapes at harvest time. During fermentation, the yeasts partially degraded the pesticides and completly adsorbed them. Bacteria, on the other hand, do not have any degradative effect on the pesticides. The raisins obtained by sun-drying did not contain any residues, whereas those obtained by oven-drying show the same amount of residues as in the fresh grapes. During the sun-drying process the fruit weight decreased by a factor of 4; the decrease in the oven-drying was equivalent. Samples of dregs and liquid lees, fortified with high levels of quinoxyfen. were double-distilled. The first dregs distillate, with an alcohol content of 32.1%, did not show any residues, whereas the first lees distillate, with an alcohol content of 34.5%, showed 7% of the initial residues. After the second lees distillation, the obtained product showed an alcoholic content of 81.2% and no residues of quinoxyfen (<0.01 mg/kg).

Factors affecting imazalil and thiabendazole uptake and persistence in citrus fruits following dip treatments.

The effect of concentration, temperature, and length of treatment with imazalil (IMZ) and thiabendazole (TBZ) was studied with application to citrus fruit. The amount of residues retained by fruit after "home" washing was also monitored. IMZ uptake in citrus fruit was related to treatment duration, whereas TBZ residues was not. Residues of IMZ or TBZ fungicides were significantly correlated with dip temperature (r = 0.943 for IMZ; r = 0.911 for TBZ). Treatment at 50 degrees C produced a deposition approximately 8 and approximately 2.5 times higher than when treatments were carried out at 20 degrees C in IMZ and TBZ, respectively. No significant differences in terms of IMZ deposition were detected after treatments carried out alone or in combination. Uptake of the two fungicides was associated with their physicochemical characteristics as well as different formulation types. IMZ residues showed a great persistence during storage when applied separately, and >83% of active ingredient was present after 9 weeks of storage. IMZ residues increased with dip length, doubling when dip time increased from 0.5 to 3 min. In contrast, TBZ residues did not change with the different dip times. Following postharvest dip treatments of citrus fruit at 20 or 50 degrees C, home washing removed approximately 50% of the IMZ and approximately 90% of the TBZ.

Pesticides in fermentative processes of wine.

The influence of six fungicides (azoxystrobin, cyprodinil, fludioxonil, mepanipyrim, pyrimethanil, and tetraconazole) on the fermentative activity of two yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kloeckeraapiculata) and two lactic bacteria (Leuconostoc oenos and Lactobacillus plantarum) was studied. The possibility of their being degraded by these yeasts and bacteria was also investigated. The presence of the pesticides did not affect alcoholic fermentation, not even with levels higher than those normally found in grapes in field experiments. On the contrary, their presence stimulated the yeast, especially K. apiculata, to produce more alcohol. The fermentative process did not affect the amount of pesticides either by degradation or by adsorption. During malolactic fermentation by Le. oenos, malic acid decreased slightly less (by approximately 15%) in the presence of all pesticides, except mepanipyrim. A lower effect ( approximately 5%) was found during the fermentative process with La. plantarum. The bacteria studied did not show a degradative effect on pesticides during malolactic fermentation.

Gas chromatographic determination of azoxystrobin, fluazinam, kresoxim-methyl, mepanipyrim, and tetraconazole in grapes, must, and wine.

Azoxystrobin, fluazinam, kresoxim-methyl, mepanipyrim, and tetraconazole were determined in grapes, must, and wine by a gas chromatographic method with nitrogen-phosphorus (NP) and mass spectrometric (MS) detectors. Pesticides were isolated from the matrixes by online microextraction with acetone-hexane (50 + 50, v/v). Because of the high selectivity of NP and MS detectors, no interferent peaks were present and no cleanup was necessary. Recoveries from fortified grapes, must, and wine ranged from 80 to 111%, with coefficients of variation ranging from 1 to 14%. Limits of determination were 0.05 mg/kg for kresoxim-methyl and 0.10 mg/kg for the other compounds.

[Enteral nutrition in maxillofacial oncology]. / La nutrizione enterale in oncologia maxillo-facciale.

The authors present a review regarding knowledge of malnutrition in maxillofacial oncology. The causes of nutritional deficit in head and neck tumor derived from metabolic alteration, consequent to the presence neoplasia and antineoplastic therapy. They analyze how to evaluate clinical status in malnutrition patients and they show different therapeutic strategy. The authors emphasise advantages and disadvantages of EN and TPN and present their nutritional forms, based on the EN, analyzing the characteristics.

[Experience with a rigid fixation device in maxillofacial surgery using shape-memory clips]. / La nostra esperienza su di una metodica di fissazione rigida in chirurgia maxillo-facciale mediante clips a memoria di forma.

BACKGROUND: A device of alloy with shape-memorising effect (SME) was utilized in the surgical correction of maxillo-facial fractures. Nitinol, an alloy of equal atomic parts nickel and titanium, is a metal with the unusual property of shape memory. This alloy may be easily bent when cooled in its lower temperature phase and it resumes its original shape when heated in its higher temperature phase. A lot of useful properties of nitinol alloy, such the ability to convert heat energy into mechanical energy, as the biocompatibility and bioinertness, as the anti corrosive stability and high mechanical strength, suggest that it can be useful in the surgical fixation of maxillofacial bone injuries. METHODS: The fixing device of alloy with SME, the indications and the techniques of osteosynthesis and some cases have been discussed by the authors. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that the surgical treatment of maxillo-facial bone fractures by devices of shape memory alloys is simple, ensures a good stability of fracture surfaces, reduces the time period of operative procedures and of patients rehabilitation, allowing rapid bone healing.

Gas chromatographic determination of cyprodinil, fludioxonil, pyrimethanil, and tebuconazole in grapes, must, and wine.

A rapid and simple gas chromatographic method for determinating cyprodinil, fludioxonil, pyrimethanil, and tebuconazole in grapes, must, and wine is described. An on-line microextraction method was used with a one-step extraction-partition procedure. Nitrogen-phosphorus and mass spectrometric detectors were used, because of their low sensitivity and high selectivity. Because of high selectivity of detector, no cleanup was necessary and the extract was concentrated 5 times. Recoveries from fortified grapes, must, and wine ranged from 93 to 110%. Limits of determination were 0.05 mg/kg for cyprodinil and pyrimethanil and 0.10 mg/kg for fludioxonil and tebuconazole.