Thickness of carotid artery intima is an independent risk factor for psoriasis.

Psoriasis (PsO) has been associated with lipoprotein abnormalities, visceral adiposity, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease (CAD) in several studies; however, data concerning the risk of psoriasis relevant to these parameters is not well established. We aimed to evaluate the relation between PsO and small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sd-LDL-C), serum lipid profile (SLP), blood pressures, anthropometric measurements, intima media thickness of the common carotid artery (CIMT), distribution of visceral adipose tissue (VAT; evaluated at 3 different measurement sites including VATa, VATb, VATc) along with subcutaneous (Sc-d1) and preperitoneal (Pre-d2) adipose tissue, and disease characteristics, so as to define relevant risk factors for PsO. In this cross-sectional and observational study, 62 patients with plaque-type PsO and 31 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Data about metabolic profile, CIMT and VAT were obtained. There was a significant association between PsO and hypertension, smoking, diastolic blood pressure, sd-LDL-C/LDL-C ratio, CIMT, VATc, and Pre-d2. Following adjustments for hypertension and smoking, sd-LDL-C/LDL-C ratio, CIMT, and Pre-d2 still remained different between patients and controls (P = 0.03, P = 0.043, and P = 0.05, respectively). Each 0.1 unit increase in the CIMT increased the risk of PsO 1.51-fold (95%CI: 1.08 - 2.12, P = 0.016). PsO associates with a predisposition to develop thick preperitoneal fat tissue and thick intima of carotid arteries, all of which contribute to the increased risk of atherosclerosis and subsequent CAD. CIMT was considered as an independent risk factor for PsO.

An Analysis of Association Between Nasal Bone Morphology and Sinonasal Anatomical Variations.

The goal of this study was to investigate the association between various sinonasal anatomical variations and the morphological features of lateral nasal bone, using paranasal computerized tomography (PNCT) sections. Two hundred and fifty patients who underwent a PNCT scan because of a prediagnosis of nasal septum deviation or sinusitis were included in the study. For each patient, presence of the following anatomical variations was determined on CT sections: length and thickness of nasal bone, thickness of intermediate nasal bone, pneumatized middle turbinate, paradox middle turbinate, Agger nasi cell, Haller cell, Onodi cell, supraorbital cell, pneumatized uncinate process, and nasal septal deviation. The effect of each anatomical variation on the length and thickness of the lateral nasal bone was investigated. The patients with bilateral pneumatized middle turbinate and the patients with bilateral Agger nasi cell had a thinner lateral nasal bone both on the right and the left sides compared to those without. The patients with bilateral Onodi cell and Agger nasi cell had a longer lateral nasal bone both on the right and the left sides compared to those without. The nasal bone thickness was significantly thicker on the deviation side than the contralateral nasal bone. The nasal bone length was significantly longer on the side of the septum deviation. In this study, we found that sex, presence of Agger nasi and Onodi cells, pneumatization of middle turbinate, and direction of nasal septal deviation influenced the morphology of the nasal bone. For successful nasal surgery, careful examination of preoperative anatomical variations is very important.