Diagnostic value of alarm symptoms for upper GI malignancy in patients referred to GI clinic: A 7 years cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Early upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer detection had led to organ-preserving endoscopic therapy. Endoscopy is a suitable method of early diagnosis of UGI malignancies. In Iran, exclusion of malignancy is the most important indication for endoscopy. This study is designed to see whether using alarm symptoms can predict the risk of cancer in patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 3414 patients referred to a tertiary gastrointestinal (GI) clinic in Isfahan, Iran, from 2009 to 2016 with dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and alarm symptoms, such as weight loss, dysphagia, GI bleeding, vomiting, positive familial history for cancer, and anorexia. Each patient had been underwent UGI endoscopy and patient data, including histology results, had been collected in the computer. We used logistic regression models to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of each alarm symptoms. RESULTS: A total of 3414 patients with alarm symptoms entered in this study, of whom 72 (2.1%) had an UGI malignancy. According to the logistic regression model, dysphagia (P < 0.001) and weight loss (P < 0.001) were found to be significant positive predictive factors for malignancy. Furthermore, males were in a significantly higher risk of developing UGI malignancy. Through receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the curve (AUC) with adequate overall calibration and model fit measures, dysphagia and weight loss as a related cancer predictor had a high diagnostic accuracy (accuracy = 0. 72, AUC = 0. 881). Using a combination of age, alarm symptoms will lead to high positive predictive value for cancer. CONCLUSION: We recommend to do an early endoscopy for any patient with UGI symptoms and to take multiple biopsies from any rudeness or suspicious lesion, especially for male gender older than 50, dysphagia, or weight loss.

Aplasia and hypoplasia of the maxillary sinus: A case series.

Maxillary sinus aplasia and hypoplasia are rare conditions that can cause symptoms such as headaches and voice alteration. The majority of patients are asymptomatic, but these conditions must be noticed for importance of differential diagnosis such as infection and neoplasms. Conventional radiographs could not differentiate between inflammatory mucosal thickening, neoplasm, and hypoplasia of the sinus. Computed tomography (CT) and also cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) are the proper modalities to detect these conditions. In the present study, CBCT findings of three cases with maxillary sinus hypoplasia and aplasia are reported.

Maxillofacial brown tumors in secondary hyperparathyroidism: A case report and literature review.

Parathyroid glands produce parathyroid hormone (PTH). PTH has a main role in bone formation. Hyperparathyroidism (HPT) is explained as primary, secondary and tertiary types defined as overproduction of PTH. The brown tumor or osteitis fibrosa cystica is a benign bone lesion that is caused by HPT. This complication has been decreased by diagnosis and successful treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Pelvis, ribs, clavicle, mandible and the extremities are most commonly affected bone in brown tumor, whereas maxillary involvement is rare. The present article report a 29-year-old man with chief complaints of bone pain, swelling cheeks and teeth displacement with secondary HPT. Parathyroidectomy was done due to bone disorder. It is important for dentists and endocrinologists to understand maxillofacial manifestation of secondary HPT to prevent its complication.