C-reactive protein and long-term ischemic stroke prognosis.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory biomarker of inflammation and may reflect progression of vascular disease. Conflicting evidence suggests CRP may be a prognostic biomarker of ischemic stroke outcome. Most studies that have examined the relationship between CRP and ischemic stroke outcome have used mortality or subsequent vascular event as the primary outcome measure. Given that nearly half of stroke patients experience moderate to severe functional impairments, using a biomarker like CRP to predict functional recovery rather than mortality may have clinical utility for guiding acute stroke treatments. The primary aim of this study was to systematically and critically review the relationship between CRP and long-term functional outcome in ischemic stroke patients to evaluate the current state of the literature. PubMed and MEDLINE databases were searched for original studies which assessed the relationship between acute CRP levels measured within 24 hours of symptom onset and long-term functional outcome. The search yielded articles published between 1989 and 2012. Included studies used neuroimaging to confirm ischemic stroke diagnosis, high-sensitivity CRP assay, and a functional outcome scale to assess prognosis beyond 30 days after stroke. Study quality was assessed using the REMARK recommendations. Five studies met all inclusion criteria. Results indicate a significant association between elevated baseline high sensitivity CRP and unfavorable long-term functional outcome. Our results emphasize the need for additional research to characterize the relationship between acute inflammatory markers and long-term functional outcome using well-defined diagnostic criteria. Additional studies are warranted to prospectively examine the relationship between high sensitivity CRP measures and long-term outcome.

Comparative analysis of traditional radiographs and cone-beam computed tomography volumetric images in the diagnosis and treatment planning of maxillary impacted canines.

INTRODUCTION: In this prospective study, we compared differences in the diagnosis and treatment planning of impacted maxillary canines between 2 imaging modalities. METHODS: Twenty-five consecutive impacted maxillary canines were identified from the pool of patients seeking orthodontic treatment. The first set of radiographs consisted of traditional 2-dimensional (2D) images including panoramic, occlusal, and 2 periapical radiographs. The second set comprised prints of 3-dimensional (3D) volumetric dentition images obtained from a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan. Seven faculty member completed a questionnaire for every impacted canine and diagnostic radiographic modality (2D and 3D). RESULTS: The data show that the judges produced different decisions regarding localization depending on the x-ray method. There were 21% disagreement (or discordance) in the perceived mesiodistal cusp tip position and 16% difference in the perceived labiopalatal position. In the perception of root resorption of adjacent teeth, there was 36% lack of congruence. Twenty-seven percent of the teeth that were planned to be left, recovered, or extracted with the 2D radiographs had different treatment plans when the judges viewed the 3D CBCT images (McNemar test, chi-square, 4.45; P = 0.035). The clinicians' confidence of the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment plan was statistically higher for CBCT images (P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that 2D and 3D images of impacted maxillary canines can produce different diagnoses and treatment plans.