Comparative study of the effect of a tube drain in impacted lower third molar surgery.

PURPOSE: Postoperative variables such as pain, swelling, and trismus after surgery of the impacted lower third molars are the main concerns of dental clinicians and surgeons. Many authors claim that the use of a drain could help control these variables. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the use of a tube drain in impacted lower third molar surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-three patients of both genders with bilateral impacted lower third molars comprised our comparative study. The patients were divided into 2 groups: in the first the suture procedure was accomplished using a drain, and in the second the suture procedure was accomplished without a drain. The postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus were evaluated at 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days, and 15 days. RESULTS: In the group in which the drain was used, the control of the swelling variable was statistically significant at 24 and 72 hours (P <.001) in comparison with the group in which the drain was not used. However, pain and trismus were not statistically significant at the evaluation period. CONCLUSION: The use of the drain helps to control swelling. However, it had no effect on pain or trismus.     

Numerical method for weights adjustment in minimax multi‐model LQ‐control

The minimax linear quadratic problem, where ‘max’ is taken over a finite set of indices (models) and ‘min’ is taken over the set of admissible controls, is considered. The solution is obtained by the robust optimal control application. The control turns out to be a linear combination of the controls optimal for each individual model. This paper develops a numerical method for the optimal weights adjustment. An example shows a quick convergence of the proposed procedure. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Platelet-rich plasma serotonin levels in tension-type headache and depression

We measured platelet-rich plasma (PRP) serotonin in patients suffering from tension-type headache, before and after treatment with amitriptyline, comparing them with a healthy control group and patients with untreated depression. We evaluated the severity of headache and depression in each group. PRP serotonin levels were higher in patients with headache than in controls and depressed patients. We observed a fall of PRP serotonin in patients with tension-type headache to similar levels after treatment as the depressed group. This fall was correlated with the improvement of headache but not with depression scales. Our data suggest that the rise of platelet serotonin levels in tension-type headache is related to pain and not depression.     

Rapp-Hodgkin Syndrome with Pili Canaliculi

Abstract: A 20-year-old woman and her 12-year-old brother had hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, cleft lip and palate, midfacial hypoplasia with narrow nose from the nasal bridge to the tip, narrow dysplastic nails, and conical teeth and hypodontia, and hypospadias and hypoplastic uvula in the boy. The woman had major underdevelopment of intellectual capacity. The most important hair anomalies in both siblings were sparse eyebrows, pili torti, and pili canaliculi. Some of the pili canaliculi had two canals (pili bicanaliculi), and the cross section for scanning electron microscopy had a quadrangular aspect. This is the seventh family reported with Rapp-Hodgkin ectodermal dysplasia.     

Andrologische Befunde bei Semikastratio, Fehlen eines Hodens und reduziertem Hodenvolumen/Andrological Findings on Patients with Semicastration or Atrophy of a Testis

In a catamnestic study an analysis of the clinical results as well as of the spermatograms are reported on 545 andrological patients with "atrophy" (that means reduced testis volume) or absence of one testis and a contralaterally normal developed testis. It can be demonstrated that there do not exist any differences concerning the size and consistency of the present testis and with regard to absence or lost of one testis (hemicastration). In case of testicular atrophy exists a more disadvantageous reproductive function. In case of tumor as a reason for hemicastration the teratoma shows better conditions for the quality of the spermatograms and for reproduction. Accordingly the histological findings of the testis after hemicastration/absence are not so large in the present remained testis. In cases of one-sided orchitis the spermatogram quality is better than in one-sided varicocele with atrophy at the same side.