An Aubergine in My Case of Rectal Foreign Body.

A 24-year-old man presented to the casualty department with a history of left-sided, colicky abdominal pain for one day. It was associated with an inability to pass flatus or motion within the same duration. There was no history of vomiting. On examination, the vital signs were within normal limits, and he was afebrile. His abdomen was soft, but a hard mass was palpable on the left side of his abdomen. There was no peritonitis. The bowel sounds were sluggish.

Changing incidence of oral and maxillofacial tumours in East Java, Indonesia, 1987-1992. Part 2: Malignant tumours.

A total of 2193 tumours of the mouth and jaw diagnosed at the Laboratorium Patologi Anatomi Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia from 1987 to 1992, inclusive, was studied. Malignant tumours constituted 45.3% of the lesions. Almost 71% of the malignant tumours were squamous cell carcinomas. The remainder were salivary gland tumours (21.5%) and sarcomas (4.5%). The male to female ratio for malignant tumours was 5.1:4.7. The incidence of malignant tumours per 100,000 population over the 6-year study period was 2.64. The yearly incidence seemed to increase except in 1990, when it dropped. The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma over the 6 years was 2.1. Calculation of the odds ratio suggested that people aged 40 and over are 5.8 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma.

Peri-implant bone reactions to immediately loaded implants. An experimental study in monkeys.

BACKGROUND: There are reports which demonstrate that immediately loaded splinted implants can be osseointegrated when they are placed in the anterior part of the lower jaw. The concept of immediate loading has not been well investigated in the posterior mandible. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bone reactions around immediately loaded implants placed in the posterior region of the lower jaw in the monkey model. METHODS: Six adult Macaca fascicularis monkeys were used in this study. A total of 36 implants were placed after extraction of the second premolars, first and second molars, and complete healing of the sockets. Three control (C) group implants were placed in one quadrant of the lower jaw of each monkey. After a delay of 3 months to allow osseointegration to take place, the implants were loaded for 1 month using temporary resin bridges and later for 2 months using metal splinted crowns. In the contralateral region of the lower jaw, 3 test (T) group implants were placed and loaded immediately with the same sequence as carried out for the C implants. Specimens were examined and evaluated histologically after sacrifice. RESULTS: All of the implants were osseointegrated. Compact, cortical bone in contact with the implant surface without any gaps or connective tissue formation was observed. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that immediately loaded, splinted implants can be osseointegrated with a similar hard and soft tissue peri-implant response as delayed-loaded implants in the posterior mandible.

Detection of human herpesvirus 7 in salivary glands.

The prevalence and cellular distribution of human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) in archival labial salivary glands was analysed for virus-specific DNA sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization signals. In addition, the cellular expression of HHV-7-encoded protein was detected by immunohistochemical staining with a virus-specific monoclonal antibody. Eleven of 20 samples were positive for the HHV-7 DNA sequence by PCR. Eighteen of 20 tissues analysed by in situ hybridization showed signals in ductal, serous and mucous cells. Some nuclei of these cells and also the myoepithelial population were positive. In immunolocalization studies, all 20 salivary glands consistently showed HHV-7-expressed protein in the cytoplasm of ductal cuboidal and columnar cells. The protein was also found in the cytoplasm of mucous and serous acinar cells that were immunopositive for HHV-7. The observations are consistent with the suggestion that the labial salivary gland is a site for virus replication, potential persistence and a source of infective HHV-7 in saliva.

Third molars in the establishment of adult status--a case report.

Teeth are the most durable structures in the human body. The timing and sequence of their development, as contained in dental development charts, have been used as valid criteria for age determination. The third molars however are the last teeth to erupt and are regarded as the most variable in the dentition. Age estimation in a legal context, using developing third molars must be carefully applied otherwise justice may miscarry. A case of wrongful use of the technique is presented here.

Racial characteristics of human teeth with special emphasis on the Mongoloid dentition.

Determining the racial affinity of an unknown individual from dentition for identification is indeed a difficult endeavour. However, there are certain dental characteristics which are predominant in certain racial groups and these contribute important indicators in the identification process. Inherited dental characteristics are modified by prenatal and postnatal environmental and nutritional conditions. They can also become less discernible due to admixture of the various races.

Histiocytosis X: evidence for a genetic etiology.

Histiocytosis X is a rare disorder with no particular predilection for race, age or sex. Since its discovery by Hand in 1893, the etiology has remained unknown, although viruses, bacteria and genetic factors have been implicated. Familial occurrence of this disease is very rare, and only a handful of such cases have been reported. The present study adds further evidence to support the influence of genetic factors in the etiology of histiocytosis X.

Electrophoretic detection of salivary alpha-amylase activity.

Fresh samples of human whole saliva containing approximately 20-40 micrograms protein were analyzed using SDS-polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis systems. More than 20 protein bands were revealed by Coomassie Brilliant Blue R 250 staining. Some of the protein bands were shown to be glycoprotein-positive with PAS (periodic acid-Schiff) reagent. The protein bands with alpha-Amylase activity appeared within a molecular weight range of 120,000-180,000, which is 2 to 2.8 times higher than the normal molecular weight reported for alpha-Amylase from parotid saliva, and showed positive staining with PAS reagent. These results show that the alpha-Amylase in whole saliva appears to exist in a macromolecular form which is not dissociated in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS).

Effects of fasting on saliva composition.

The concentrations of calcium, phosphate, protein and nitrite in whole unstimulated saliva, and the salivary flow rate under fasting conditions (saliva collected at least after 6 h without food and water) were compared with those under control conditions (saliva collected within 30 min to 1 h after food). The flow rate of fasting saliva was half that of control (0.098 ml/min vs 0.208 ml/min) and no significant differences in the flow rate were observed between sexes. The concentration of nitrite under fasting conditions was 50% higher than that in control saliva (p less than 0.05). The protein concentration was decreased, but not significantly, under fasting conditions. The composition of fasting saliva with regard to calcium and phosphate concentrations was comparable to that of the control. No significant variations in these components between sexes were observed under either condition.

The ancient origins of oral pathology.

Belief in a golden age has provided mankind with solace in times of despair and with élan during the expansive periods of history. Dreamers imagine the golden age in the remote past, in paradise lost, free from toil and grief. Optimists put their faith in the future and believe that mankind, Prometheus-like, will master the arts of life through power and knowledge. Thus, the golden age means different things to different men, but the very belief in its existence implies the conviction that perfect health and happiness are birthrights of men. Yet, in reality, complete freedom from disease and from struggle is almost incompatible with the process of living.

The radiographic appearance of ameloblastoma in Malaysians.

The radiographs of fifteen Malaysian patients with presenting ameloblastoma aged between 20-55 years (average 35 years) were studied for any peculiar local features. The most common features were cortical plate expansion (80%), corticated scalloped margin (67%), multiloculation (87%), and resorption of tooth roots (47%). The latter two features are constantly found in advanced tumour stage. As pain was not a frequent complaint, many Malaysian patients seek treatment only at a very late stage after the tumours have reached large dimensions. Although ameloblastomas may be diagnosed often through radiographs, it should not be relied upon solely.

Dental abrasion pattern in a selected group of Malaysians.

Among 350 inhabitants of two villages, 31 (8.9%) cleaned their teeth using table salt and charcoal applied to their forefinger or a Melastoma brush. As a result, all had distinct forms of abrasion cavity on the labial surfaces of their teeth. All of the above three agents are highly abrasive and injurious to both the hard and soft oral tissues. This dying practice is only popular among a very small number of persons in the older age group, and should be discouraged.

Squamous odontogenic tumor.

The twenty-fifth reported case of squamous odontogenic tumor is presented. The patient was a 39-year-old Chinese Malaysian male. The lesion was asymptomatic and did not recur after excision. It is important to distinguish this type of lesion from squamous odontogenic tumor-like proliferation. The rest of Malassez is thought to be responsible for the histogenesis of the lesion. Better understanding will only be achieved when more cases are reported and studied.

Awareness and acceptance of the hepatitis B vaccine by dental practitioners in Malaysia.

A postal survey of 730 Malaysian dental practitioners was undertaken to assess their awareness and acceptance of the plasma derived hepatitis B vaccine. Only 32% of the 325 practitioners who responded had been vaccinated, 41% intended to be and 15% categorically refused vaccination. The main reservations about vaccine acceptance were fear of side effects including AIDS, cost of the vaccine and lack of information. Vaccine efficacy was not confirmed by serology in two-thirds of the vaccinees and two-fifths of the respondents were unaware that 5% of the vaccinees do not develop a successful antibody response after vaccination. Seventy-eight percent of dentists believed that their risk of contracting hepatitis B was high or very high while 71% recalled having received needle stick injuries in the 3 yr prior to the survey. Only 13% of respondents were aware of delta hepatitis while 63% were aware of non-A non-B hepatitis. The survey has highlighted the need for dissemination of information on hepatitis B vaccine among dentists in Malayasia.