The efficacy of sodium hypochlorite as a denture cleanser

Various concentrations of sodium hypochlorite solutions on stained dentures were evaluated. Cleansing effects of hypochlorite were compared with the cleansing effect of a series of proprietary cleansers available on the market. A 50% hypochlorite solution proved more effective than the proprietary cleansing agents evaluated.     

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita with pulmonary tuberculosis: a case report

Our case is that of a 67-year-old man who presented with a blistering, scarring eruption at sites of trauma. Histologically the blistering was subepidermal. IgG and C₃ were present at the basement membrane zone. Electronmicroscopy demonstrated bulla formation to be beneath the basal lamina and that it contained amorphous electron-dense material. These clinical and investigational findings are consistent with a diagnosis of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA). The patient also had pulmonary tuberculosis which again highlights the association between EBA and diseases in which the immune system is compromised.     

A Simple Spot Screening Test for Fast Detection of Red Cell NADH-Diaphorase Deficiency

A rapid spot screening test for NADH-diaphorase deficiency is described. Nitrited blood is added to a reaction mixture freshly prepared from stable stockreagents. Spots are made at intervals onfilter paper and examined for defluorescence as NADH is oxidized. All of sixpatients with NADH diaphorase deficiency studied have been correctly identified using this technique, but it is notsuitable for the detection of heterozygotes.

Submitted on February 23, 1970 Accepted on March 20, 1970     

PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL ABUSE-RELATED BIRTH EFFECTS -- I. PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS

Maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy can result in a patternof anomalies in children called ‘fetal alcohol syndrome’(FAS) and more recently, ‘fetal alcohol abuse syndrome(FAAS)’. FAAS as well as individual alcohol-related anomalies,called ‘alcohol abuse-related birth effects’ (AARBEs),are widely considered to be totally preventable, because theystem from a behaviour that is presumably modifiable. However,current strategies to reduce their occurrence are more palliativethan preventive, because their underlying premise, viz, thatraising public awareness of the potential dangers of commonlyused substances such as alcohol is enough to reduce their use,lacks empirical support. Moreover, in some cases they are alsocounter-productive. After considenng the relevant literature,this review contends that ‘universal’ public educationefforts will only be effective in reducing FAAS and AARBEs ifthey focus on the cause of these disorders, which is alcoholabuse rather than the currently open-ended message that anyamount of alcohol consumption during pregnancy constitutes adanger to an unborn child. This argument lays the ground workfor an alternative and more pragmatic strategy set forth inthe following paper for preventing FAAS and AARBEs.     

OPERATIVE ULTRASONIC BILE DUCT SCANNING

The concept of operative echography is introduced. A technique of operative ultrasonic bile duct visualization is presented as an alternative to contrast cholangiography during surgery. The technique is rapid, sensitive, provides immediate results, and does not involve the use of ionizing radiation.     

Electron microscopy of ancient Egyptian skin

Sections of skin were examined by electron microscopy from the sole of the foot of a 14-year-old Egyptian, who died 3200 years ago and was preserved naturally by desiccation. Remarkable ultrastructural preservation of the epidermal cells and their components was found.     

A Series of New Screening Procedures for Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency, Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency, and Glutathione Reductase Deficiency

A new type of screening procedure for the detection of enzymatic defects ofthe red cell has been described. The blood or red cell sample is added to thereaction mixture. After a suitable period of incubation a drop of the mixture isspotted on filter paper, permitted to dry, and examined for fluorescence underUV light. In this way the oxidation of reduction of pyridine nucleotides isreadily evaluated. Reaction mixtures for the detection of glucose-6-phosphatedehydrogenase deficiency, pyruvate kinase deficiency, and glutathione reductase deficiency are described. The same general procedure should bereadily adaptable to the detection of other enzymatic deficiencies of red cells,such as phosphogluconate dehydrogenase deficiency or triosephosphate isomerase deficiency.

Submitted on November 4, 1965 Accepted on January 10, 1966     

Emergent Radio frequency Ablation of the AV Node in a Neonate with Unstable, Refractory Supraventricular Tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardia due to accessory atrioventricular connections in infants is usually well-tolerated. Rarely an infant can have Supraventricular tachycardia that is incessant and refractory to medical therapy. We describe a patient with Supraventricular tachycardia detected prenatally that caused severe cardiac dysfunction and hemodynamic instability after birth.     

UNTREATED HANSEN'S DISEASE OF THE EYE: A CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL REPORT

A Maltese immigrant presented with intermittent bilateral anterior uveitis for which no cause could be found. The inflammation did not respond to topical treatment and ultimately the left eye developed a hypopyon and was enucleated. Histological examination revealed granulomatous inflammation and large numbers of Mycobacterium leprae throughout the anterior segment. Occasional foci of inflammation containing Mycobacterium leprae were found in the vitreous extending to the retina at the posterior pole. These findings in the posterior segment have rarely been reported. Eye infection in Hansen's disease is frequent and delays in diagnosis are common.