Effects of dental implant treatment on sleep quality in edentulous older people: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Edentulism and sleep disturbances are commonly seen among older people and cause serious negative effects on their daily lives. Edentulism can induce sleep problems by changing maxillo-mandibular anatomy and surrounding soft tissues. The effect of the treatment of complete edentulism on sleep disturbances is not sufficiently understood. The purpose of this cohort study is to detect how different treatment options affect sleep quality, daytime fatigue and sleep disorder breathing in totally edentulous elderly people. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ninety-six individulas (50 male and 46 female) participated in this prospective cohort study. The patients were non-randomly assigned to three groups, fixed implant-supported prostheses (FP), removable implant-supported prostheses (RP) and conventional total prostheses (CP). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the STOP-Bang questionnaire were calculated before (T0) and one year after (T1) their prosthetic rehabilitations. RESULTS: Although there was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of mean PSQI (p=0.524), ESS (p=0.410) and STOP-Bang (p=0.697) scores at T0, there was a significant difference between groups in terms of mean PSQI (p=0.011), ESS (p=0.030) and STOP-Bang (p=0.024) scores at T1. The FP group, when compared to CP group was associated with significantly better scores in the PSQI (Δ = -3.399, 95% CI= -4.612 to -2.187), ESS (Δ = -1.663, 95% CI= -3.149 to -0.176) and STOP-Bang (Δ = -0.994, 95% CI= -1.592 to -0.397). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study FP was associated with a positive influence on sleep disturbances. Randomized controlled trials will be needed to provide reliable inference on this association.

The effects of vaping electronic cigarettes on periodontitis.

BACKGROUND: Electronic cigarettes (E-cigs) have been gaining popularity, increasingly used to help reduce or cease smoking traditional cigarettes (T-cigs). Although E-cigs are considered a far less harmful alternative to T-cigs, there is not enough information regarding the effects of vaping E-cigs on periodontal health. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vaping E-cigs, smoking T-cigs and smoking cessation on oxidative stress markers, proinflammatory cytokines levels and periodontal clinical parameters in patients with periodontitis. METHODS: The study included a total of 57 individuals who were divided into three groups: T-cig smokers (Group I, n = 19), E-cig vapers (Group II, n = 19) and former smokers (Group III, n = 19). Full-mouth clinical periodontal parameters were recorded and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were collected. RESULTS: The mean interleukin-8 (IL-8) level of Group I (70.47 ± 2.76) was significantly lower than in Groups II and III. The mean tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level of Group I (4.20 ± 0.14) was significantly higher than in Groups II and III. CONCLUSIONS: T-cigs and vaping E-cigs had the same unfavourable effects on the markers of oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines.

Analysis of retinal microvasculature in Fuchs' uveitis syndrome. Retinal microvasculature in Fuchs' uveitis.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to quantitatively analyse the foveal microvasculature in eyes with Fuchs' Uveitic Syndrome (FUS), or Fuchs' Heterochromic Iridocyclitis (FHI), by Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). METHODS: Thirty patients with FUS and 30 healthy volunteer patients (control group) were enrolled in the study. Vascular density (VD) in the superior and deep capillary plexuses (SCP, DCP) were reported and compared between eyes with FUS (FU), fellow eyes (FE) and the control group. RESULTS: Foveal VD and parafoveal VDs in all quadrants of the SCP were significantly lower in the FU group than the FE group and normal eyes (P<0.05). Foveal VDs in the DCP were similar between the three groups (P>0.05); however, parafoveal VDs in all quadrants of the DCP were significantly lower in the FU group than in the FE and control eyes (P<0.05). Foveal and parafoveal VDs in both the SCP and DCP were similar between fellow eyes and the control group. CONCLUSION: Fuchs' Uveitic Syndrome (Fuchs' Heterochromic Iridocyclitis) affects not only the anterior uvea and vitreous but also the retinal microvasculature. Analysis by OCT-A may enable us to understand the extent of this disease.

Traumatic scleral wound dehiscence with filtering bleb formation after surgical repair of penetrating globe injury.

UNLABELLED: BACKGROPUND: Filtering bleb formation after surgical repair of penetrating globe injury is a rare occurrence. CASE: A 45-year-old male who had undergone surgical repair of a corneoscleral laceration 16 months earlier presented to emergency room after blunt trauma to the left eye. His best-corrected visual acuities were 20/20 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left. An anterior segment examination found a conjunctival filtering bleb formation on scarred sclera at superotemporal location near the limbus. Anterior chamber was slightly shallow and the Seidel test was negative. Intraocular pressures were 17 mm Hg in the right eye, 7 mm Hg in the left. The fundus examination revealed no abnormal findings. The patient was treated with topical aplication of a steroid and a cycloplegic drop during three weeks. After 16 months follow-up, the visual acuity remained unchanged with the persistence of filtering bleb. IOP was 8 mm Hg in the left eye. Follow-up examinations showed no complications related to trauma. CONCLUSION: Blunt ocular trauma can cause dehiscence in old scleral scars and subsequent filtering bleb formation.

Penetration of topically applied ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and ofloxacin into the aqueous humor of the uninflamed human eye.

This study was undertaken to compare aqueous humor penetration of topical 0.3% ciprofloxacin, 0.3% norfloxacin and 0.3% ofloxacin in 63 patients undergoing cataract surgery. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 (long-term treatment) involved 30 patients undergoing cataract extraction who received either 0.3% ciprofloxacin, 0.3% norfloxacin or 0.3% ofloxacin topical drops. Each patient was preoperatively given a single drop per hour six times. At the time of surgery, 0.1 ml aqueous fluid was aspirated from the anterior chamber and immediately stored at -70 degrees C. Topically applied ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and norfloxacin achieved mean aqueous humor levels of 2.80 +/- 1.07, 2.95 +/- 1.19 and 1.50 +/- 0.48 micrograms/ml respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in intraocular mean aqueous levels of ciprofloxacin versus ofloxacin. Topical ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin achieved mean aqueous humor levels significantly higher than norfloxacin (p < 0.001 and p < 0.0008 respectively). Group 2 (short-term treatment) involved 33 patients undergoing cataract extraction who received 0.3% ciprofloxacin, 0.3% ofloxacin and 0.3% norfloxacin topical drops. These patients were given one drop at 90 minutes and one drop 30 minutes preoperatively. At the time of surgery, 0.1 ml aqueous fluid was aspirated from the anterior chamber and immediately stored at -70 degrees C. Topically applied ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and norfloxacin achieved mean aqueous humor levels of 1.11 +/- 0.50, 1.50 +/- 0.62 and 1.20 +/- 0.43 micrograms/ml respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in intraocular mean aqueous humor levels of ofloxacin versus norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin versus norfloxacin. Topical ofloxacin achieved a significantly higher mean aqueous humor level than ciprofloxacin (p < 0.03). All levels were above the minimum inhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and norfloxacin for most of the sensitive organisms.

Comparative tear concentrations of topically applied ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin in human eyes.

The tear pharmacokinetic profiles of 0.3% ciprofloxacin, 0.3% ofloxacin, and 0.3% norfloxacin ophthalmic solutions after a single drop topically administrations in the eyes of 30 healthy volunteers were evaluated. Tear samples collected at 30, 120, 180, and 240 minutes, were analyzed for drug concentrations by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorometric detection. Topically applied ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin achieved the mean tear concentrations (mean +/- SD) of 11.28 +/- 6.98, 6.52 +/- 4.06, and 13.28 +/- 8.78 micrograms/g at 30 min, and then fell to 3.52 +/- 1.30, 4.82 +/- 1.80, and 5.79 +/- 4.80 micrograms/g at 240 min, respectively. Topical norfloxacin achieved mean tear level significantly higher than ofloxacin at 30 min (p = 0.031). There were no statistically significant differences in the mean tear levels of ciprofloxacin versus ofloxacin (at 30, 120, 180, and 240 min), ciprofloxacin versus norfloxacin (at 30, 120, 180, and 240 min) and ofloxacin versus norfloxacin (at 120, 180, and 240 min). However, the mean tear levels, 240 min after dosing ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin, fell to the statistically significant concentrations (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). But, it is concluded that concentrations of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin in tears were still significantly greater than the minimum inhibitory concentrations for the most sensitive organisms, 240 min after a single drop application.

Is birth trauma responsible for idiopathic perforation of the biliary tract in infancy?

This case report details the clinical presentation and surgical management of a neonate with idiopathic perforation of the biliary tract. A three-day-old baby girl presented with a right-upper-quadrant mass and signs of peritonitis following a prolonged, difficult vaginal delivery. At surgery, she was found to have a perforation at the junction of the cystic and common bile duct. Simple drainage of the right upper quadrant was performed, and the patient recovered uneventfully. Early presentation and the nature of delivery suggests the possibility of birth trauma as an etiological factor in this condition.