A systematic review of the oral and craniofacial manifestations of cri du chat syndrome

Cri du chat syndrome is an autosomal disorder. Because it affects few people in the population it is considered a rare disease, yet it is one of the most common autosomal chromosomal syndromes in humans. It entails pathognomonic alterations that affect the craniofacial and oral anatomy of patients. The aim of this study is to review these craniofacial and oral abnormalities in patients with Cri du chat syndrome. The PubMed Medline database was searched using two different strategies. First, we used “Dentistry” and “Cri du chat” as keywords; second, we used “Cri du chat” and “craniofacial.” Seven articles in which the main orofacial and cranio‐skeletal characteristics of patients with Cri du chat syndrome were described were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Cri du Chat syndrome entails pathognomonic characteristics in the craniofacial area (epicanthus, short philtrum, and wide nasal bridge), the oral area (mandibular retrognathism and anterior open bite) and the cranial region (alterations at the cranial base angle and a small upper airway). However, more studies on larger samples are needed to specify the orofacial and craniofacial characteristics of patients with Cri du chat syndrome more accurately. Clin. Anat. 29:555–560, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Setting priorities for a research agenda to combat drug-resistant tuberculosis in children

Setting: Numerous knowledge gaps hamper the prevention and treatment of childhood drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). Identifying research priorities is vital to inform and develop strategies to address this neglected problem.Objective: To systematically identify and rank research priorities in childhood drug-resistant TB.Design: Adapting the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) methodology, we compiled 53 research questions in four research areas, then classified the questions into three research types. We invited experts in childhood drug-resistant TB to score these questions through an online survey.Results: A total of 81 respondents participated in the survey. The top-ranked research question was to identify the best combination of existing diagnostic tools for early diagnosis. Highly ranked treatment-related questions centred on the reasons for and interventions to improve treatment outcomes, adverse effects of drugs and optimal treatment duration. The prevalence of drug-resistant TB was the highest-ranked question in the epidemiology area. The development type questions that ranked highest focused on interventions for optimal diagnosis, treatment and modalities for treatment delivery.Conclusion: This is the first effort to identify and rank research priorities for childhood drug-resistant TB. The result is a resource to guide research to improve prevention and treatment of drug-resistant TB in children.     

Outcome of Partial Pulpotomy in Cariously Exposed Posterior Permanent Teeth: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IntroductionThe current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the success rate of partial pulpotomy in treating permanent posterior teeth with carious vital pulp exposure. A secondary aim was to assess the prognostic factors using a meta-regression.MethodsAn electronic search was performed for studies from January 1950 to November 2018 in the following databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane. All searches were performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Clinical studies evaluating the success rate of cariously exposed vital human permanent posterior teeth treated with a partial pulpotomy were selected. Only randomized clinical trials and prospective clinical studies were included for evaluation. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool were used to evaluate risk assessment.ResultsFrom the 218 studies identified through the initial search, 11 studies qualified for the final analysis (5 randomized clinical trials and 6 prospective studies). The results of the meta-analysis indicate a success rate of 98% (confidence interval [CI]: 0.94–1), 96% (CI: 0.92–0.99), and 92% (CI: 0.83–0.97) after 6 months and 1 and 2 years of follow-up. Examining the probable prognostic factors using meta-regression analysis, only preoperative pulp status (P = .001) was identified as a significant factor, with studies including teeth with the presumptive diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis displaying significantly lower results. The final solution, pulp capping material, apex closure, and the age of the patient did not affect the treatment success rate (P > .05).ConclusionsThe available data suggest that a partial pulpotomy results in high success rates in treating cariously exposed permanent posterior teeth up to 2 years. Six months of monitoring can be considered an appropriate period when evaluating the success of a partial pulpotomy although more clinical and radiographic controls are essential to ensuring success.     

Comparison of patient satisfaction,quality of life,and bite force between elderly edentulous patients wearing mandibular two implant‐supported overdentures and conventional complete dentures after 4 years

This study compared two groups of patients who were elderly and edentulous, one group included subjects who had mandibular overdentures supported by two implants (Group I); the other groups wore conventional complete dentures (Group II). This retrospective study included 100 edentulous patients (50 from each group) with an average age of 67.86 years, who had been followed for 4 years. The groups were compared in terms of patient satisfaction, quality of life (QOL), and bite force. The bite force and patient satisfaction scores of Group I were found to be statistically significantly higher than Group II (p < .05). However, no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups’ QOL scores (p > .05) except on the physical pain subscale (p = .013). Based on these results, it can be concluded that after 4 years of function, subjects wearing mandibular overdentures supported by two implants had higher values for bite force and patient satisfaction scores, but similar QOL scores when compared to conventional complete denture‐wearers.