Surgery First and Clear Aligners on Relapsed Condylar Hyperplasia.

ABSTRACT: Condylar hyperplasia is (CH) a mandibular malformation that involves a change in the size and morphology of the condylar neck and head. The CH is an abnormality that usually occurs unilaterally and affects equally both men and women. Its etiology is controversial in its own right. Under this condition, mandibular growth occurs in all the 3 planes of space, but more predominantly in one of them. Treatment protocols are variable, but one of the best treatment choices is high condylectomy. Compared to the past, the change in the treatment protocol, as well as the innovations in both surgical and orthodontic technology, allowed a simplification of the therapeutic path, reduced patient discomfort and ensured more stable long-term postsurgical results.The authors present a case of a 40-year-old female patient with relapsed of unilateral CH, treated surgically for the second time and with orthodontic treatment with clear aligners. The clear aligners orthodontic treatment is now considered one the best treatment orthodontic options. In this case, considering the relapse of the hyperplasia and the need of a new orthodontic treatment we decide to use this technique to reduce patient discomfort and teeth force appliance.

[Distraction osteogenesis of the cranio-maxillo-facial bones]. / Osteogenesi distrazionale dello scheletro cranio-maxillo-facciale.

Distraction osteogenesis is a surgical technique: its main purpose is to induce a mechanically stimulated bone tissue augmentation. A controlled tension, developed by a slow and gradual separation of the corticotomized/osteotomized bone segments, induces new bone formation and related soft tissue augmentation. In this way, we can observe a more harmonious tissue augmentation, better than with traditional techniques as osteotomies with grafts. This procedure, initially applied in orthopedic field for limb lengthening, is now also applied in the cranio-facial field. The most important features of distraction osteogenesis consist in the simplicity of execution, the lack of donor site morbidity and the simultaneous expansion of bone and related soft tissue. Besides, the technique is still at the beginning and requires further acknowledgements, before being widespread used to treat cranio-facial malformations. Disadvantages in bone distraction are related to the external device and consist in esthetic discomfort during treatment, and cutaneous scars. Recently, to solve these problems an intraoral distraction device was proposed. Distraction osteogenesis has now an expanding role in cranio-facial surgery.

[Van Buchem disease. Maxillofacial changes, diagnostic classification and general principles of treatment]. / Malattia di Van Buchem. Alterazioni maxillo facciali, inquadramento diagnostico e principi generali di trattamento chirurgico.

Van Buchem's disease is a rare pathology with recessive transmission and variable expressivity characterised by a progressive cortical bone deposition. There are two types of this disease: Type I (Van Buchem's disease) progressive form for all life and with high level of PA (alkaline phosphate); Type II (Worth disease) the pathologic bone deposition stops at 20 years of age and the level of PA in the adult is normal. The most important histological feature is the bone hypertrophy with preservation of the lamellar frame. The bones interested are: skull vault, mandible, ribs, clavicle and diaphyseal portion of long bones. The first clinical manifestation became evident in childhood with progressive course. The narrowing of the cranial foramen is responsible of the progressive cranial nerves compression and the subsequent neurological signs. The disease is incurable; surgical treatment aims to reduce the intracranial pressure and to correct bones deformity. A clinical case in which the patient treated has esthetic problems but not neurological signs is presented.

Economic evaluation of an educational campaign for early diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma.

Public educational campaigns for the early diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma are considered an effective approach in the prevention of this disease, since they increase the number of cases detected early and consequently lengthen patients' life expectancy. We performed an economic evaluation of such a campaign in Bergamo, Italy, in order to quantify its costs and consequences. We used cost-effectiveness analysis to compare the costs and effects of the campaign with those of the 'do nothing' option. The analysis was performed from the perspective of the Italian National Health Service [the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN)]. Accordingly, only direct costs related to publicly financed healthcare services were considered. No indirect costs or benefits were considered because they are not relevant to the SSN. Incremental analysis was used to obtain results in terms of additional costs per life-year saved (LYS). Overall LYS were quantified by comparing the survival curves for 4 subgroups of patients with different lesional thicknesses at diagnosis ( < 0.76mm, 0.76 to 1.50mm, 1.51 to 3.00mm and > 3.00mm). All costs were estimated in 1993 Italian lire (L). Overall effectiveness amounted to 233.49 LYS. Using a 5% discount rate, the value of effectiveness was 171.3 LYS. The total cost of the educational campaign (i.e. the sum of the organisational and 'induced' costs minus the costs saved) was estimated at L817 million (approximate 1993 exchange rate $US1 = L1573), and L905 million after discounting at a rate of 5%. Thus, using discounted cost and effectiveness data, the cost of the educational campaign was L5.28 million per LYS.

[Cephalometric analysis in acromegalic patients]. / Analisi cefalometrica nel paziente acromegalico.

The authors of the present work have done a cephalometric study on 11 patients affected by acromegaly. The target of this research was to obtain with cephalometric analysis a means for the follow up of the disease together with an important provisional parameter of growth of the face bones, helping thus to obtain an early diagnosis and the general lines for a correct therapy. With the data obtained has been extrapolated a table with average data of cephalometric angles that, transferred on to a tracing could represent the cephalometric prototype of an acromegalic patient.