Electrical Cochlear Response Consistency from different Cochlear Implant Users.

The Electrical Cochlear Response (ECR) is a scalp potential recently described in the literature which offers an alternative approach for objective adaptation of Cochlear Implant (CI) to individual patient requirements. Thus it is necessary to know about the consistency of this response across implanted patients using devices with different design criteria. This work shows that the ECR wave shape morphology is not affected by CI manufacture design differences. For this purpose and to contend with the sensibility to electric stimulation change along the cochlea, six contiguous intracochlear electrodes located at the apical end of the cochlea were studied. According to the CI manufacturer, the population of twelve implanted pediatric patients was divided into three groups. Artifacts due to the CI stimulation pip tone and operation during ECR acquisition were canceled using the Empirical Mode Decomposition method. For wave shape morphology comparison among electrodes, ECR amplitude was normalized, and the average intra- and inter-user group ECR Correlations were calculated. Intra and inter-group Correlation coefficient goes from 0.58 to 0.9 and from 0.63 to 0.85, respectively. For the same patient and group Correlation coefficient between ECR of the electrode located at the apical end of the cochlea and adjacent electrodes decreases from apex to base. These results support the consistency of the ECR waveshape morphology across users of different CI types.Clinical Relevance- ECR offers a new objective methodology for the initial programming and later readjustment of electrical stimulation provided by the cochlear implant. The patient uses the device in daily operation mode; the scenery is quite impossible with the current resources for evaluating CI performance. This methodology is compatible with all current CIs without special hardware or software requirements due to different devices type. It can be applied any time after initial device programming, regardless of patient age or previous training. Therefore, it is important to know that ECR wave shape morphology is not affected by the differences in design and operation of current cochlear stimulation systems.

Whole-genome sequence analysis of multidrug-resistant uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli from Mexico.

Background : Escherichia coli is the main bacterium associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs), including cystitis and pyelonephritis. Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) harbors numerous genes that encode diverse virulence factors contributing to its pathogenicity. The treatment of UTIs has become complicated due to the natural selection of E. coli strains that are multiresistant to several groups of antibiotics regularly used in clinical settings such as hospitals. Genomic reports of the global composition and distribution of the antibiotic resistance and virulence genes of these pathogenic strains are lacking in the Mexican population. Purpose and methods : The aim of this study was to globally characterize the genomes of a group of UPEC strains by massive parallel sequencing to determine the prevalence and distribution of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes associated with different serotypes and phylogenetic groups. Results: The strains exhibited 138-197 virulence genes and 29 antibiotic resistance genes related to antibiotics that are commonly used in clinical practice.  Conclusions: These findings are relevant to the definition of new strategies for treating urinary tract infections in public hospitals and private practice. To further define the epidemiological distribution and composition of these virulence and antibiotic resistance genes, larger studies are needed.

Long-term follow-up in osteogenesis imperfecta type VI.

This retrospective study on long-term outcomes in osteogenesis imperfecta type VI found that patients who received intravenous bisphosphonate treatment had an increase in lumbar spine areal bone mineral density, a higher final height z-score, and some reshaping of vertebral bodies. INTRODUCTION: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) type VI is an ultra-rare bone fragility disorder caused by recessive mutations in SERPINF1. Here, we describe long-term outcomes in OI type VI and compare the clinical phenotypes caused by different types of SERPINF1 mutations. METHODS: This study includes a retrospective chart review of 13 individuals with OI type VI. RESULTS: In the absence of therapy, lumbar spine areal bone mineral density (BMD) did not increase during childhood and longitudinal growth seemed to stall after the age of 6 to 8 years. The phenotype was similar between individuals with different types of SERPINF1 mutations. Intravenous bisphosphonate treatment was associated with an increase in lumbar spine areal BMD and some reshaping of compressed vertebral bodies. Patients who had started bisphosphonate treatment early (before the age of 6 years) were taller than patients who had received bisphosphonate treatment later during their growing years. Lower extremity fractures were frequent despite bisphosphonate treatment and scoliosis was present in all patients who had reached the final height. Most patients had restricted mobility. In four patients, intravenous bisphosphonate treatment was eventually substituted by subcutaneous injections of denosumab, without clear changes in the clinical picture. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with OI type VI who received intravenous bisphosphonate treatment during growth had an increase in lumbar spine areal BMD, a higher final height z-score, and presented some reshaping of vertebral bodies. More effective treatment modalities are clearly required in OI type VI.

Muscle abnormalities in osteogenesis imperfecta.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is mainly characterized by bone fragility but muscle abnormalities have been reported both in OI mouse models and in children with OI. Muscle mass is decreased in OI, even when short stature is taken into account. Dynamic muscle tests aiming at maximal eccentric force production reveal functional deficits that can not be explained by low muscle mass alone. However, it appears that diaphyseal bone mass is normally adapted to muscle force. At present the determinants of muscle mass and function in OI have not been clearly defined. Physiotherapy interventions and bisphosphonate treatment appear to have some effect on muscle function in OI. Interventions targeting muscle mass have shown encouraging results in OI animal models and are an interesting area for further research.

Molecular diagnosis in children with fractures but no extraskeletal signs of osteogenesis imperfecta.

In 26 of 94 individuals (28%) below 21 years of age who had a significant fracture history but did not have extraskeletal features of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), we detected disease-causing mutations in OI-associated genes. INTRODUCTION: In children who have mild bone fragility but do not have extraskeletal features of OI, it can be difficult to establish a diagnosis on clinical grounds. Here, we assessed the diagnostic yield of genetic testing in this context, by sequencing a panel of genes that are associated with OI. METHODS: DNA sequence analysis was performed on 94 individuals below 21 years of age who had a significant fracture history but had white sclera and no signs of dentinogenesis imperfecta. RESULTS: Disease-causing variants were detected in 28% of individuals and affected 5 different genes. Twelve individuals had mutations in COL1A1 or COL1A2, 8 in LRP5, 4 in BMP1, and 2 in PLS3. CONCLUSIONS: DNA sequence analysis of currently known OI-associated genes identified disease-causing variants in more than a quarter of individuals with a significant fracture history but without extraskeletal manifestations of OI.

Osteogenesis imperfecta in children and adolescents-new developments in diagnosis and treatment.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is the most prevalent heritable bone fragility disorder in children. It has been known for three decades that the majority of individuals with OI have mutations in COL1A1 or COL1A2, the two genes coding for collagen type I alpha chains, but in the past 10 years defects in at least 17 other genes have been linked to OI. Almost all individuals with a typical OI phenotype have a mutation in one of the currently known genes. Regarding medical treatment, intravenous bisphosphonate therapy is the most widely used medical approach. This has a marked effect on vertebra in growing children and can lead to vertebral reshaping after compression fractures, but there is little effect of bisphosphonate therapy on the development of scoliosis. Bisphosphonate treatment decreases long-bone fracture rates, but such fractures are still frequent. Newer medications with anti-resorptive and bone anabolic action are being investigated in an attempt to improve on the efficacy of bisphosphonates but the safety and efficacy of these new approaches in children with OI is not yet established.

Comparison between different similarity measure functions for optimal clustering AEPs Independent Components.

A critical part of applying Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to any neurophysiological data is the selection of relevant independent Components (ICs); i. e., to decide which ICs have neurological meaning. Standard ICA implementation supposes a square mixing matrix; this results in as many ICs as EEG channels. In this work, responses to repetitive auditory stimuli are the most important signals (Auditory Evoked Potentials, AEPs); so the ICs of interest should be repetitive and time-locked with the stimuli. In this paper an update of a previously proposed procedure for the objective selection of ICs using Mutual Information (MI) and cluster analysis is presented. This time, four different similarity functions are evaluated and three inter/intra-cluster quality criteria are explored to determine optimal cluster numbers to both synthetic AEPs and data from normal hearing children, so that to identify ICs related with the auditory response. The numbers of clusters and the similarity function that yield best results in both datasets, in other words optimal clustering AEPs ICs, were 8 and Euclidean link-clustering average respectively.

Prevalencia del intervalo QT prolongado en diferentes patrones electrocardiográficos: estudio por teleelectrocardiografía / Increased Q-T interval in different electrocardiographic patterns: a remote recording electrocardiographic study

Introducción: El intervalo QT prolongado ha sido identificado como factor de riesgo de arritmias ventriculares incluso en personas aparentemente sanas. El objetivo de este estudio fue establecer la prevalencia de QTc prolongado en electrocardiogramas normales, con bloqueo completo de rama (BCR) y con crecimiento de ventrículo izquierdo (HVI). Métodos y Resultados: Se consideró como prolongado un valor > 440 mseg, en cada una de 4 derivaciones: D1, aVL, V5 y V6, consensuado por dos observadores. El grupo 1 estuvo formado por 8.459 trazados normales: de ellos un 84 por ciento tenían un QTc normal y un 16 por ciento tenían un QTc prolongado. El grupo 2 consistió en 2.647 trazados con bloqueo completo de rama, 532 trazados con bloqueo completo de rama izquierda (BCRI) y 2.115 con bloqueo completo de rama derecha (BCRD). De los BCRI un 51,5 por ciento de los trazados tenían QTc prolongado, lo cual observamos sólo en un 25 por ciento de los trazados con BCRD. El grupo 3 estuvo conformado por 2.503 trazados con HVI, 377 por criterio de voltaje (grupo 3a), 1.083 por criterio de voltaje y alteración de repolarización (grupo 3b) y 1.043 HVI sólo por criterio de alteración de repolarización (grupo 3c). Un 28 por ciento de las HVI por criterio de voltaje (grupo 3a) y un 29 por ciento de HVI por alteración de repolarización (grupo 3c) tenían un QTc prolongado. De las HVI por voltaje y alteración de repolarización (grupo 3b) un 42 por ciento tenían QTc prolongado. De las HVI con QTc largo, un 7.6 por ciento tenían QTc > 500 mseg. Al desglosar las HVI por grupos el grupo 3a tenía 4,7 por ciento de los trazados con QTc largo > 500 mseg, el grupo 3b un 7,9 por ciento y el grupo 3c, un 8.3 por ciento. Conclusiones: Se concluye la alta prevalencia de QTc prolongado incluso en ECG con morfología normal, pero especialmente en BCRI y en HVI por voltaje más alteraciones de repolarización. La prolongación de QTc en BCR no mostró correlación con la ...

Background. Increased Q-T interval has been identified as a risk factor for ventricular arrhythmia including normal subjects. Aim. To establish the prevalence of an increased QTc in normal electrocardiograms (N) an in those with complete bundle branch block (RBBB or LBBB) or left ventricular hypertrophy (L VH). Method. D1, aVL, V5 and V6 leads were analyzed; a > 440ms QTC agreed upon by 2 observers was considered prolonged. Results: an increased QTc was observed in 16 percent> of 8459 N subjects, 51.5 percent> of subjects with LBBB and 25 percent of those with RBBB. Among subjects with LVH, 28 percent of those with voltage only criteria for LVH and 29 percent of those with ST-T changes but no voltage criteria had increased QTc. In contrast, 42 percent> of patients with LVH exhibiting both diagnostic criteria had increased QTc. In 7.6 percent> of LVH subjects with increased QTc, this interval was >500ms, which broke down as follows: LVH by voltage criteria alone 4.7 percent>, ST-T changes alone 7.9 percent > and LVH with both voltage and ST-T criteria 8.3 percent>. In patients with complete bundle branch block, the duration of the QRS interval was not related to QTc. Conclusion. A prolonged QTc is a frequent finding in normal ECGs, much more so in subjects with LVH associated to voltage and ST-T criteria. The prognostic impact of a prolonged QTc in patients with complete bundle branch block deserves further study.

Síndrome de ovario poliquístico: fisiopatología, clínica, diagnóstico y tratamiento / Poliquistic ovarian syndrome: phisiopathology, clinical, diagnosis and treatment

El síndrome de ovario poliquístico constituye la patología endocrino-metabólica más frecuente en la mujer en edad reproductiva y se define como una disfunción ovárica, asociado a las características cardinales de hiperandrogenismo y ovarios de morfología poliquística, sin que exista otra causa etiológica que lo explique. Sus manifestaciones clínicas más importantes son la presencia de alteraciones menstruales, generalmente desde la menarquia, hirsutismo, signos de insulinorresistencia y obesidad. En esta revisión se analizan de manera ordenada y en detalle los aspectos fisiopatológicos y clínicos más relevantes de esta patología. También se presentan los criterios diagnósticos actuales, haciendo énfasis en la orientación semiológica y el uso juicioso de los exámenes de laboratorio e imágenes, que debe seguir su estudio. Además se discute la asociación del síndrome de ovario poliquístico con insulinorresistencia, DM 2 y otros factores de riesgo cardiovascular. Por último se presenta los elementos terapéuticos centrales del manejo integral de esta enfermedad.

Treatment of intraosseous defects with bioabsorbable barriers alone or in combination with decalcified freeze-dried bone allograft: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: This study clinically compares the outcomes obtained from the use of a bioabsorbable barrier device in combination with demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA) to the results obtained from the barrier device used alone in the treatment of human intraosseous defects. METHODS: The study consisted of 30 patients with one intraosseous periodontal defect each. The trial included defects with loss of attachment of > or = 6 mm, with a radiographically detectable defect of at least 4 mm and with at least 2 remaining osseous walls. After the hygienic phase, at baseline, probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and recession (REC) were measured. During open flap debridement, the defects were randomly assigned to receive either a polylactic acid (PLA) barrier in combination with DFDBA (test) or a PLA barrier alone (control). Additionally, baseline osseous intrasurgical measurements of the periodontal defect were obtained to evaluate the amount of bone regeneration. PD, CAL, and REC were remeasured at 6 and 12 months postsurgery and osseous measurements repeated at 12 months during a re-entry procedure. RESULTS: Two-sample t-test comparisons of mean PD, CAL, and REC measurements (mm) between test (PLA+DFDBA) and control (PLA alone) groups at baseline, PLA+DFDBA: PD = 7.3, CAL = 8.1, REC = -0.7; PLA-alone: PD = 7.9, CAL = 8.4, REC = -0.5, were not statistically different (P>0.05). The following mean changes (delta) at 6 months for the test and the control groups were: decreased PD = 3.6 and 4.0 mm; gain CAL = 2.7 and 3.1 mm; and increased REC = -0.8 and -0.8 mm, respectively. At 12 months the changes for the test and control groups were: decreased PD = 3.3 and 4.1 mm; gain CAL = 2.3 and 3.2 mm; and increased REC = -0.8 and -1.0 mm, respectively. Two-sample t-test comparisons between PD, CAL, and REC changes yielded no significant differences between treatments (P > 0.05), except for the change in CAL at 12 months in favor of the control group, P = 0.008. Comparisons of osseous measurements resulted in no significant differences between groups at baseline and at 12 months (P > 0.05). The intrabony defect filled on the average 3.72 mm for the test and 4.85 mm for the control group. The experimental defects showed a 4.73 mm defect depth reduction, while the control defects reduced 5.35 mm. Re-entry measurements of osseous crest resorption were 1.1 mm for the test and 0.61 mm for the control. CONCLUSIONS: In the intraosseous defects treated in this study, the addition of DFDBA to the GTR procedure did not significantly enhance the clinical results obtained with the GTR procedure alone.

Comparison of bioabsorbable and bioinert membranes for guided bone regeneration around non-submerged implants. An experimental study in the mongrel dog.

The aim of this clinical investigation was to evaluate the effect of guided bone regeneration around non-submerged implants using different barrier membranes. Five adult mongrel dogs were used in this investigation. After having all premolars extracted and implant osteotomies performed in the regions of the former premolars, buccal bone defects were created. Subsequently, 3 implants were placed and the defects treated with 1 of the following 3 modalities: a) guided bone regeneration using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, b) guided bone regeneration using a bioabsorbable membrane made from a synthetic copolymer of glycolide and lactide and c) no membrane application. Following implant and membrane placement, the mucoperiosteal flaps were repositioned and tightly sutured around the neck of the implants allowing for a non-submerged healing. After a healing period of 6 months, the animals were sacrificed and the specimens processed for histologic evaluation. The clinical pre-treatment defects between the different treatment groups were not statistically different (bioinert membrane group: 4.9 mm; control group: 4.8 mm; bioabsorbable membrane group: 4.5 mm). The remaining histological defects after 6 months of healing amounted to approximately 2.5 mm in the bioinert membrane group, 5.7 mm in the control group and 6.0 mm in the bioabsorbable membrane group. A significant difference was observed between the bioinert membrane group and the other 2 groups. The mineralized bone-to-implant contact in the bioinert membrane group was 51.5%, in the control group 46.3% and in the bioabsorbable membrane group 37.5%. The values between the bioinert membrane group and the bioabsorbable membrane group were statistically different. The results of this study indicate that bone regeneration with bioinert e-PTFE membranes around non-submerged implants is possible. The utilized absorbable polyglycolic/polylactid membrane did not show any bone regenerative effect and the results did not differ from the control group without membrane application.

The effects of guided bone regeneration and grafting on implants placed into immediate extraction sockets. An experimental study in dogs.

Guided bone regeneration (gbr) for the treatment of insufficient bone volume around implants can be performed using membranes with or without grafting materials (i.e., autogenous, allogenous, xenogenous, or alloplastic grafts). A possible way to evaluate the quality of implant osseointegration is the torque necessary to remove implants from their bony housing. The aim of this study was to compare the torques necessary to remove dental implants from implant beds reconstructed with different bone substitutes and GBR or GBR alone in 6 adult mongrel dogs. All mandibular premolars were extracted and 3 extraction sockets on each side were enlarged using a trephine bur. A 13 mm titanium screw-type dental implant (3.75 mm diameter) was placed in each enlarged extraction socket so that only the apical 3 to 4 mm were engaged in bone. The 3 defects were then randomly treated with either 1) canine demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA) plus GBR using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane (DFDBA+GTAM); 2) bioabsorbable hydroxyapatite and GBR (HA+GTAM); or 3) GBR (GTAM alone). After 6 months, the torque to remove the implants was measured in 4 animals and analyzed using ANOVA. There were no statistically significant differences between the 3 groups (GTAM alone: 46.37+/-16.41 Ncm; HA+GTAM: 46.00+/-16.59 Ncm; DFDBA+ GTAM: 52.15+/-29.24 Ncm). In addition, the influence of early removal of barriers on the torque values was evaluated with the t-test. Comparing exposed versus retained membranes by treatment modality, the only statistically significant difference was found in the DFDBA+GTAM group. When the torque values of all implants with exposed and retrieved membranes were compared to all those with retained membranes a significant difference could be detected. Histologic sections were prepared from the 2 dogs not included in the removal torque testing. In the histometric analysis the GTAM alone group showed a mean mineralized bone-to-implant-contact of 27.1%, the DFDBA+GTAM group of 34.6%, and the HA+GTAM of 39.3%. The mineralized bone-to-implant-contact of the HA+GTAM group was significantly higher than that of the GTAM alone group. In addition, the mineralized bone-to-implant-contact was divided into an apical and coronal part using the apical seventh thread as the dividing landmark. In the apical region, there was no significant difference between the groups regarding mineralized bone-to-implant-contact. In the coronal part the mineralized bone-to-implant-contact of the GTAM alone group was significantly lower compared to the other 2 groups. Within the limits of this investigation, it can be concluded that the type of grafting material will not influence torque removal values, but that early membrane exposure and removal will negatively influence the torque measurements. The combination of GBR with a bone substitute increased the mineralized bone-to-implant contact.

Effects of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and polylactic acid barriers on healthy sites.

The configuration of the barrier devices to treat interproximal defects by guided tissue regeneration (GTR) necessitates inclusion of healthy adjacent teeth to secure the barriers in place. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and polylactic acid (PLA) barrier devices on probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and crestal bone height in healthy sites. The study included 30 patients who were in an earlier study which compared the effects of GTR utilizing an ePTFE or a PLA barrier in intrabony defects. Thirty defects were randomly assigned to receive either a PLA (test) or an ePTFE barrier (control) after open flap debridement. The sites in this investigation included those healthy sites in the immediately adjacent non-affected teeth covered by the barriers. CAL and PD were measured at baseline and 12 months. Intrasurgical crestal bone height was recorded at the time of barrier placement and at a 12-month re-entry. Two-sample t-test comparisons of PD and CAL measurements between barrier device covered sites at baseline (PD: ePTFE, 2.32+/-0.51; PLA, 2.59+/-0.74; CAL: ePTFE, 2.71+/-0.66; PLA, 2.59+/-0.65 mm), and at one year (PD: ePTFE, 2.14+/-0.37; PLA, 2.07+/-0.56; CAL: ePTFE, 3.14+/-1.05; PLA, 2.75+/-0.73 mm) were not statistically different (P > 0.05). Paired t-test was utilized to compare changes in PD, CAL, and crestal bone height from baseline to 12 months. A statistically significant reduction in PD was found in the PLA group (delta = -0.52, P = 0.01) while no significant change was found in the ePTFE group (delta = -0.18, P = 0.18). Change in CAL was statistically significant in the ePTFE group (delta = 0.43, P = 0.02) while no significant change was found in the PLA group (delta = 0.16, P = 0.39). Crestal bone height changes from baseline to 12 months were statistically different for both groups (ePTFE, delta = 0.8 mm, P = 0.001; PLA, delta = 0.6 mm, P = 0.001). These resorptive changes, when compared between treatment groups were not statistically different (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the placement of ePTFE or PLA barriers on healthy sites resulted in probing depth reductions and loss of attachment of 0.5 mm or less. Additionally, both groups exhibited less than 1.0 mm of crestal bone resorption.

Assessment of guided tissue regeneration procedures in intrabony defects with bioabsorbable and non-resorbable barriers.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY was to assess periodontal regenerative techniques in intrabony defects utilizing a bioabsorbable, polylactic acid (PLA) barrier or the non-resorbable, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) barrier. Thirty patients (26 to 64 years old) each with one radiographically evident intrabony periodontal lesion of probing depth > or = 6 mm participated in a 12-month controlled clinical trial. The subjects were randomly divided into two independent groups. The test group (n = 16) received a PLA barrier. The control group (n = 14) received an ePTFE barrier. Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and bone fill were recorded by a single calibrated examiner not involved with the surgical treatment prior to surgery, and at 6, 9, and 12 months postsurgery. The treatment results were statistically analyzed utilizing two sets of data. The "averaged-site" data set consisted of values computed from the averaging of measurements from all sites encompassing the defect. The second data set was comprised of only the deepest measurement of the defect. Statistical tests used to analyze these data sets included the t-test and paired t-test for parametric data and the Wilcoxon rank sum test and the Wilcoxon signed rank test for non-parametric data. Analyses with both the averaged-site data and deepest-site data resulted in significant improvements in PD reductions, CAL, and bone fill, after 12 months of healing with both the PLA and ePTFE barrier devices. Comparisons of healing response between treatments found no significant differences when the averaged-site data were analyzed. When only the deepest site of the defect was considered, the control group resulted in significantly more attachment gain (ePTFE, 3.36 mm; PLA, 1.75 mm; P < 0.02) and shallower probing depths (ePTFE, 3.29 mm; PLA, 4.69 mm; P < 0.01) than the test group. In intrabony defects, the use of PLA or ePTFE barriers in GTR procedures yielded comparable clinical results; however, in this study, data analysis using the deepest site of the defect found, after 12 months of healing, significantly more attachment gain and shallower probing depths with ePTFE.

Guided tissue regeneration. A status report for the American Journal of Dentistry.

This report reviews clinical results which have been obtained with guided tissue regeneration (GTR) using non-resorbable and resorbable materials. The report highlights the clinical factors that affect and that should be considered in order to improve the predictability of the results obtained after GTR. The indications for GTR procedures are reviewed and the surgical technique is described. The importance of periodontal maintenance, and the significance of adjunctive therapies in GTR procedures are also discussed. Based upon the vast scientific information and clinical experience with GTR, it can be stated that with the use of either resorbable or non-resorbable materials a new attachment, determined both clinically and histologically, will be promoted providing that the principles of GTR are properly implemented.

Treatment of a patient with hereditary gingival fibromatosis: a case report.

A case of hereditary gingival fibromatosis is presented. Treatment consisted of apically positioned flap surgery and CO2 laser evaporation. Diagnostic and treatment issues are discussed.

The diagnosis and treatment of discoid lupus erythematosus with oral manifestations only: a case report.

A case of discoid lupus erythematosus with oral manifestations only is presented. The patient complained of painful palatal ulcers that limited her dietary intake. A topical therapeutic regimen using plastic carriers containing clobetasol propionate was beneficial in significantly relieving the oral discomfort. The clinical and microscopic differential diagnoses for this mucocutaneous disease are also discussed.