Decreases in CD5+ B Lymphocytes in Children with the DiGeorge Anomaly

The authors evaluated the lymphocyte subsets in eight children with the DiGeorge anomaly, compared with 48 age-matched control infants. Of particular interest was the finding that the percentage and number of CD5⁺ B lymphocytes were decreased in seven of the eight cases. This observation may provide insight into thymic function and the interaction of the B and T cell systems in some forms of congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies.     

Tooth- and Tissue-Supported Provisional Restorations for the Treatment of Patients with Extended Edentulous Spans

Dental implants have been used successfully for decades in the treatment of edentulous patients and offer great comfort compared with complete dentures. However, completely edentulous patients or patients with several teeth with poor prognosis that will be all extracted have to be provided with an interim complete denture until the implants have been uncovered. Complete dentures are a less attractive option for the patients because of functional, esthetic, and psychological reasons. The use of complete dentures over implants during the patients' healing period has been associated with numerous complications.
The aim of this paper was to present a new type of provisional restoration supported by hopeless teeth and soft tissues.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

These provisional restorations can be used during the osseointegration period to avoid the use of a complete denture. The teeth can thus be restored with fixed restorations during the whole osseointegration period to provide better comfort and avoid the psychological stress of using a removable prosthesis. Additionally, the problems associated with dentures over implants or grafts (pressure, implant exposure, etc.) can be eliminated.     

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy produces a lower stone-free rate in patients with stones and renal cysts

BACKGROUND: Renal cysts have a space-occupying effect and therefore can distort the pelvicalyceal anatomy. This distortion often produces abnormalities in normal urinary drainage. In the same way, it may effect the ability of the kidneys to become stone free after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the effect of renal cysts on the outcome of ESWL. METHODS: We studied 15 patients who had renal stones and coexistent renal cysts. Four patients had polycystic disease, five patients had multiple cysts and six patients has solitary ones. All cysts produced a distortion to the calyceal system of the kidneys, a fact confirmed by intravenous urography (IVU) and computed tomography (CT). All patients underwent ESWL and their stone-free status was evaluated 1 month later by ultrasound and plain kidney ureter bladder (KUB) X-ray. RESULTS: We had a total 60% (9/15) stone-free patients in our study group and a stone fragmentation rate of 100%. Patients with more cysts had lower stone-free rates. Patients with polycystic kidneys had a 25% (1/4) stone-free rate, while patients with multiple cysts and solitary cysts had, 60% (3/5) and 83.3% (5/6), respectively. These results are lower than the rates reported in patients without renal cysts. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that renal cysts may interfere with the passage of stone fragments, due to the impediment of drainage and urinary stasis from the stretching and distortion of the calyceal system by the renal cysts.     

HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE THERAPY IN HYPOPITUITARISM DUE TO TUBERCULOUS MENINGITIS

Lesions due to tuberculous meningitis resulting in endocrine dysfunction are not rare. They usually cause inappropriate ADH secretion, but occasionally other endocrinopathies related to the affected hypothalamic or pituitary regions are seen. Two female patients, 13 ¹/₂ and 16 ¹/₂ years old, treated in early childhood for tuberculous meningitis are presented. Both were very short and had intracranial calcifications; however, the hypothalamic area was involved in only one of the patients. Both had GH and ADH deficiency, while one of them had gonado-tropin deficiency as well. Administration of HGH resulted in an adequate growth response.