Lateral orbital wall reconstruction after basal cell carcinoma penetration-Case report.

Advanced periorbital basal cell carcinomas may necessitate orbital exenteration and consequent vision loss, which significantly reduces patients' life quality. Orbital reconstruction is a demanding surgical procedure due to the complex orbital anatomy and vital structures located in the orbit. In this report, we presented an 83-year-old patient with advanced basal cell carcinoma that had expanded into the orbit. An orbitotomy was performed to remove the tumor completely while preserving the eye function. Orbital reconstruction was performed by a standard surgical method using a titanium mesh modeled according to a natural phantom skull. This maintained the eye function and achieved satisfactory facial esthetics.

The Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Frequency of Suicides in Croatia.

BACKGROUND: Suicides are among the leading causes of death in the world and pose a major public health problem. It is not yet entirely clear to what extent the 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) affects suicide rates, but is likely to result in an increase in risk factors for suicidal behaviors. The research objective was to compare the suicide rate in 2019 with the suicide rate in 2020 in the Republic of Croatia. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted for the period from January 2019 to December 2020. The necessary data on persons who committed suicide in the Republic of Croatia in that period were collected in cooperation with the Osijek-Baranja County Police Department. The number of suicides in that period was statistically processed according to demographic characteristics, suicide motives, days of the week and months by years. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the total number of suicides comparing 2019 and 2020. Observed by months, significantly more suicides were committed during February 2020 compared to February 2019 (χ2-test, p=0.04). According to marital status, in 2019 compared to 2020, significantly more suicides were recorded among married persons (χ2-test, p<0.001) and among those who were unemployed (χ2-test, p<0.001). Persons with the status of veterans committed suicide significantly more often in 2019, compared to 2020 (χ2-test, p<0.001) During 2019, compared to 2020, significantly more suicides were committed by persons working in service and trade occupations (χ2-test, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: At the beginning of the pandemic in Croatia, in February 2020, there was a significant increase in suicides compared to 2019, which may indicate that the spread of the pandemic since the end of 2019, with uncertainty and cataclysmic atmosphere, had a negative effect on mental health.

SURGICAL ASPECT OF BLEPHAROSPASM TREATMENT: A CASE REPORT.

Blepharospasm is an idiopathic condition characterized by involuntary eyelid closure mainly caused by bilateral tonic-clonic contractions of the orbicularis oculi muscle. It results in patient inability to open their eyes, thus significantly impairing their ability to perform activities of daily living. First-line treatment for blepharospasm are primarily botulinum toxin type A injections. However, surgical procedure as a treatment option can also be taken in consideration. In this overview, we present a case of a 75-year-old female patient who received surgical treatment as per Anderson's method after being treated with botulinum toxin type A for 3 years. This form of therapy proved to be an extremely successful permanent solution in the treatment of severe cases of refractory blepharospasm, without any long-term complications, especially ectropion and lagophthalmos.

Determining the quality of life after removing of impacted lower wisdom tooth using the principal component analysis method.

The main objective of this study was to determine to what extent a detailed oral instruction about treatment after surgical removal of a lower wisdom tooth affects postoperative quality of life (QoL). The research on QoL after removal of a lower wisdom tooth was conducted with 108 patients. Depending on the type of information given to each respondent individually, the examinees were divided into two groups: a test group which was given detailed written and oral instructions, and a control group which received only written instructions about treatment after the surgery. In this research the QoL was examined using modified Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) criterion four, seven and thirty days after the operation depending on the type of information previously provided to the respondents. In order to reduce the dimensionality of the obtained data sets, as well as in order to explain the relationship between the examined variables that are interrelated the principal component analysis (PCA) was applied. Both groups expressed satisfaction with the postoperative period for the individual variables investigated in modified OHIP-14 questionnaire, with the intensity and the order of the major components of satisfaction determined by the PCA differing between the two groups of the patients. On the fourth postoperative day, the test group expressed the highest level of satisfaction with sleep, physical appearance and the ability to eat. In the later postoperative period the test group (on the seventh and thirtieth day) had the highest level of satisfaction with the absence of discomfort during removal of sutures, satisfaction with performed treatment, and the ability to eat. Detailed preoperative oral instructions to patients can significantly improve the quality of life after operative removal of a lower wisdom tooth.

The importance of thorough preoperative diagnostics of maxillary ameloblastoma: report of three cases.

Ameloblastoma, especially maxillary, is a rare benign neoplasm of odontogenic origin. Diagnosis of significant number of lesions is usually established postoperatively, because ameloblastoma, especially the unicystic form, mimics wide range of more frequent jaw lesions. From January 1993 to December 2005, three cases of the maxillary ameloblastoma were surgically treated at our Department. The authors present clinical, radiological and pathohistological features of the ameloblastomas in this rare localization with special attention to need of accurate preoperative diagnostics.