Haemangioma of the maxilla

Haemangioma involving the paranasal air sinuses is rare. It presents with severe epistaxis or bleeding due to dental extraction and may mimic malignancy. A case of haemangioma of the maxilla is presented and the diagnostic and operative difficulties together with a review of literature are discussed. Bucy and Capp (1930) described primary haemangioma of bone with special reference to X-ray diagnosis. Wyke (1949) was of the opinion that haemangiomas accounted for only 10 per cent of primary benign neoplasms of skull bones. Batsakis (1979) commented that haemangioma of bone accounted for seven per cent of all osseous neoplasms and that from a review of literature he had found no more than 40 such cases. Dahlin (1967) in a review of 3,947 cases of bone tumours, found 47 cases of osseous haemangioma out of which only three involved the upper jaw. Smith (1959) reported that only 10 cases of haemangioma of the maxilla had been published by 1959 and further isolated cases have been described by Sawhney et al. (1973), Pandhi et al. (1977) and Ahad and Chisti (1977).     

Korean American Women and Mammogram Uptake

A high percentage of Korean American (KA) women have never had a mammogram, which puts them at greater risk for late-stage breast cancer. The aim of this study was to compare health beliefs and spousal support about breast cancer and screening between KA women with and without a history of mammogram completion. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 428 non-adherent married KA women. KA women who never had a mammogram were younger, had less access to health care, had less knowledge, and had lower perceived self-efficacy, benefits, and spousal support, and higher perceived barriers to breast cancer screening compared to women who had had a mammogram. Assessing differing characteristics between the two groups of KA women may lead to a better understanding of the variables influencing mammography screening in this population and possibly increase early screening.     

Complex humanitarian emergencies: A major global health challenge

Complex humanitarian emergencies have been a major political, security and public health feature of the post‐Cold War world. These man‐made disasters account for more morbidity and mortality than all natural and technological disasters combined. In order to deliver effective aid during complex humanitarian emergencies, international relief agencies must have a solid understanding of the political and social climates in which they are operating. In addition, they should base their health interventions on objective epidemiological data, especially standardized rates of morbidity and mortality. Most deaths during complex humanitarian emergencies are due to preventable causes, especially increased rates of infectious diseases malnutrition and violent trauma. The most appropriate health interventions are therefore based on the models of public health and primary health care, emphasizing disease prevention and health promotion. The field of humanitarian assistance has become increasingly professionalized in recent years, with its own professional standards, literature, research agenda and training opportunities. It is an unfortunate reflection on the current state of international affairs that the number of complex humanitarian emergencies and the enormous levels of suffering associated with them are unlikely to decline in the foreseeable future. See Commentary, page 143.     

Lipofuscinogenesis in mice early treated with centrophenoxine.

Previous studies in our and other laboratories indicated that there is a reduction in the neuronal lipofuscin in old rodents after several weeks of treatment with centrophenoxine. The present study investigates whether this chemical can prevent pigment formation if given early in life before the onset of pigmentogenesis. The study shows that the drug did not stop lipofuscin formation in 1 month old mice. But there was a consistent decrease in the pigment in the neurons of cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the treated animals compared to the age-matched controls. The degree of reduction was largely dependent on the duration of the treatment and a significant diminution was noted after treatment for five months or more.     

The mortality divide in India: the differential contributions of gender, caste, and standard of living across the life course

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the contributions of gender, caste, and standard of living to inequalities in mortality across the life course in India. METHODS: We conducted a multilevel cross-sectional analysis of individual mortality, using the 1998-1999 Indian National Family Health Survey data for 529321 individuals from 26 states. RESULTS: Substantial mortality differentials were observed between the lowest and highest standard-of-living quintiles across all age groups, ranging from an odds ratio (OR) of 4.61 (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.98, 7.13) in the age group 2 to 5 years to an OR of 1.97 (95% CI=1.68, 2.32) in the age group 45 to 64 years. Excess mortality for girls was evident only for the age group 2 to 5 years (OR=1.33, 95% CI=1.13, 1.58). Substantial caste differentials were observed at the beginning and end stages of life. Area variation in mortality is partially a result of the compositional effects of household standard of living and caste. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality burden, across the life course in India, falls disproportionately on economically disadvantaged and lower-caste groups. Residual state-level variation in mortality suggests an underlying ecology to the mortality divide in India.     

Immune manipulations and brain-reactive antibody formation in aging mice

Previous studies have demonstrated an increase in brain-reactive antibodies (BRA) in sera of various mammals as a function of age. The present study attempts to obtain a better understanding of the mode of formation of BRA by using various immunologic manipulations in young and old C57BL/6 mice. The mean BRA levels were significantly higher in older mice than in the young ones. Mixtures of bone marrow cells and spleen cells from old donors were able to adoptively transfer high BRA levels in young irradiated mice and this was not altered by pretreatment of the cells with anti-Thy-1.2 or anti-Ig serum plus complement. Transfer of young cells to old irradiated hosts did not lower the high BRA levels in the hosts. However, when the old hosts were also thymectomized and grafted with neonatal thymuses, BRA levels were significantly lowered. The studies tend to indicate that thymic involution or loss of thymic function in aging plays an important role in BRA formation in sera of aged mice.