Influence of age on the reactivity of the BANA test among Brazilian children.

Three hundred and twenty samples of subgingival plaque were obtained from 80 caucasian girls, ranging from 10 to 13 years of age. The samples were analyzed to verify the influence of age upon colonization of the gingival sulcus by microorganisms potentially pathogenic to the periodontal tissues. The gingival and plaque status were evaluated through the gingival index (GI) and plaque index (PlI) and the microflora was assessed by the enzymatic method benzoyl-arginine-naphthylamide (BANA). The results of the BANA test were positive for 62.50% of the tested individuals and 40% of the examined sites. The influence of age was statistically significant on BANA reactivity, and the number of positive sites was greater at 11 (57.5%) than at 12 years (28.8%).     

Fronto-ethmoidal mucocoeles: a histopathological analysis.

From a series of 118 fronto-ethmoidal mucocoeles, 40 specimens have been submitted to detailed histological analysis. The frequency of each epithelial and sub-epithelial component is considered and reveals features which support a dynamic theory of bone resorption and formation rather than that of pressure erosion in the pathogenesis of mucocoeles.     

Biting in day care centers: incidence, prevention, and intervention.

Analysis of accident logs in child day care centers indicates that biting is common, especially among toddlers 13 to 30 months of age. Children of this age often lack appropriate verbal skills and resort to aggressive means to achieve their goals. Still awkward in gross-motor skills, toddlers can also suffer self-bites following accidental falls. According to medical reports, human bites sometimes are more virulent than animal bites and can cause severe trauma. Although the AIDS virus has been cultured from saliva, transmission from saliva alone has not been documented. Bite injuries in day care, however, usually are minor and can be treated by washing, applying cold compresses, and comforting the child. Suggested methods to diminish the frequency of biting in day care include physical changes within the room, behavior modification, and other classroom management techniques.     

Fetal growth in hypertensive women]

The Authors examine the correlation between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and fetal growth. The results of a study of 342 pregnancies, confirm a significant correlation between hypertension and fetal growth retardation. These findings, so evident in moderate and severe hypertension, have also been confirmed in cases of mild hypertension. The medical treatment also in the pregnancies with mild hypertension, and a larger utilisation of operative deliveries, determined a decrease in perinatal mortality and morbidity.     

Microtuboplasty as an outpatient procedure

Fifteen cases of microtuboplasty were done as outpatient procedures at low cost and with increased patient convenience. Advances in outpatient surgery at free-standing surgery centers have allowed many new patient care innovations, and microsurgery should now be considered an outpatient procedure for gynecologic patients. Outpatient microtuboplastic surgery is not only feasible but perhaps preferable to that done as an inpatient procedure.     

A prospective randomized trial of colchicine in prevention of liver cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B patients

Background : The clinical course of chronic hepatitis B is variable. Patients with hepatic decompensation, bridging necrosis or an alpha-fetoprotein level greater than 100 ng/mL during an exacerbation of hepatitis have a high risk of developing cirrhosis. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of colchicine in the prevention of cirrhosis in such patients.
Methods : Patients with risk factor(s) were randomized to receive either colchicine 5 mg/week or no specific treatment, the end point being development of cirrhosis.
Results : After a follow up period of 4 years, the treatment group had a marked reduction in exacerbations of acute hepatitis (32% vs. 63%/patient/year, P <0.005). Seven out of 38 patients in the treatment group and 10 out of 27 patients in the control group developed cirrhosis. The calculated cumulative incidence of cirrhosis by the end of first, second, third and fourth years in the treatment group was 8.7, 18.6, 32 and 32%, respectively. The corresponding figures in the control group were 30, 35.5, 46.3 and 73.2%, respectively, with a P -value of 0.057.
Conclusions : The results suggest that colchicine may prevent cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B patients with risk factor(s), possibly by suppressing exacerbations of hepatitis through an anti-inflammatory effect.