Split-face comparative study between intradermal tranexamic acid injection alone versus intradermal tranexamic acid injection combined with Q-switched Nd:YAG laser in melasma treatment: dermoscopic and clinical evaluation

Lasers in Medical Science - Melasma is a chronic, dark brown–pigmented patches and macules commonly on the face. Many treatment modalities for melasma have been used as hydroquinone, laser...     

Stature estimation for Saudi men based on different combinations of upper limb part dimensions

Estimating stature based on body/limb parts can help define the characteristics of unidentified bodies. The most studied upper limb part is the hand, although few studies have examined whether stature can be estimated using fingers plus other hand dimensions. Moreover, there is paucity in anthropometric studies that determined whether bilateral whole limb parts (e.g., arms, forearms, and hands) are related to stature among the living subjects.This prospective cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the relationship between different upper limb measurements and the stature of Saudi men. Furthermore, I assessed whether upper limb asymmetry was present, and developed regression models to estimate stature based on different available measurements. Stature and 13 upper limb parameters were measured for 100 right-handed Saudi men who were 18 to 24 years old.All measurements were positively correlated with stature (P < .001), and the best single predictor was the bilateral ulnar length. Asymmetry was more pronounced in the hand measurements. A multiparameter model provided reasonable predictive accuracy (±3.77–5.68 cm) and was more accurate than single-parameter models. Inclusion of the right-side fingers improved the model''s accuracy.This study developed potential models for estimating stature during the identification of bodies of Saudi men.     

Diagnostic difficulties of pelvic splenosis: case report.

We report the case of a 38-year-old woman who presented with chronic lower abdominal pain. Her past medical history included a splenectomy due to abdominal trauma. Ultrasound examination revealed four pelvic tumors which, upon laparotomy, were found to be the result of splenosis. Approximately 100 cases of splenosis have been reported but only a minority of them have been published in the gynecological literature. Our case indicates that those involved in pelvic scanning (even of asymptomatic women) and/or treating those complaining of lower abdominal pain or presenting with pelvic tumors should be aware of splenosis as a possible diagnosis.     

Active management of infertility.

Management of infertility is slow, time consuming and, paradoxically, costly. It needs to be streamlined so that diagnosis and management go hand in hand with proper division between primary physicians at district level and highly trained specialists at regional level. Incorporation of assisted conception techniques is the key to the success of such an approach.     

SF 36 health survey questionnaire: II. Responsiveness to changes in health status in four common clinical conditions.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the responsiveness of the SF 36 health survey questionnaire to changes in health status over time for four common clinical conditions. DESIGN--Postal questionnaires at baseline and after one year's follow up, with two reminders at two week intervals if necessary. SETTING--Clinics and four training general practices in Grampian region in the north east of Scotland. PATIENTS--More than 1,700 patients aged 16 to 86 years with one of four conditions: low back pain, menorrhagia, suspected peptic ulcer, and varicose veins; and a random sample of 900 members of the local general population for comparison. MAIN MEASURES--A transition question measuring change in health and the eight scales of the SF 36 health survey questionnaire; standardised response means (mean change in score for a scale divided by the standard deviation of the change in scores) used to quantify the instrument's responsiveness to changes in perceived health status, and comparison of patient scores at baseline and follow up with those of the general population. RESULTS--The response rate exceeded 75% in a patient population. Changes across the SF 36 questionnaire were associated with self reported changes in health, as measured by the transition question. The questionnaire showed significant improvements in health status for all four clinical conditions, whether in referred or non-referred patients. For patients with suspected peptic ulcer and varicose veins the SF 36 profiles at one year approximate to the general population. CONCLUSIONS--These results provide the first evidence of the responsiveness of the SF 36 questionnaire to changes in perceived health status in a patient population in the United Kingdom.     

The effect of amalgam bonding on the stiffness of teeth weakened by cavity preparation.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of amalgam bonding on the stiffness of teeth weakened by cavity preparation. METHODS: Strain gages were bonded to maxillary premolars. The rigidity was tested by applying a load to a sequence of sound, prepared and restored teeth as follows: sound tooth, MOD preparation, amalgam restoration, amalgam removed recovering the MOD preparation, bonded amalgam restoration, bonded amalgam removed recovering the MOD preparation, bonded composite restoration. The relative stiffness (RS) and relative deformation (RD) of each condition for each cusp to that of the sound tooth was determined. RESULTS: The premolar cusps were deformed 1.80, 2.14, and 2.32 times more than the cusps of the sound tooth for the three succeeding MOD preparations. For these three preparations, the stiffness of the premolar cusps was 0.58, 0.48, and 0.46 relative to a stiffness of 1.00 for the sound tooth. The deformation was 1.77, 1.27, and 1.16 for the non-bonded amalgam, the bonded amalgam, and the bonded composite, respectively, corresponding to a mean RS of 0.59, 0.80, and 0.88. The calculated mean stiffness parameter C (standard deviation) was 2.6% (6.9) for the amalgam restoration, 62.5% (12.8) for the bonded amalgam restoration, and 77.8% (15.8) for the bonded composite restoration. The stiffness parameter C measured the extent to which the procedure returned the stiffness of the restored tooth to the original stiffness of the intact tooth (100%). SIGNIFICANCE: Cavity preparation reduced the stiffness and weakened the tooth. Restoring the prepared tooth with unbonded amalgam did not restore the lost tooth stiffness. Restoring the prepared tooth with bonded amalgam or with bonded composite recovered a significant portion of the lost tooth stiffness. It was concluded that bonding amalgam to tooth structure could partly restore the strength and rigidity lost by the cavity preparation. This might lead to a reduction in cuspal flexure and the incidence of tooth fracture due to fatigue.     

The surgical removal of mandibular third molars: a study in decision making.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate and analyze the angulation of and the various indications for removal of mandibular third molars in Jordanians as a representative Arab sample. METHOD AND MATERIALS: The data included in this retrospective study were obtained from the clinical and radiographic records of 1,282 patients undergoing mandibular third molar surgery during a 5-year period from 1994 to 1999. The indications for removal of the mandibular third molars were classified in accordance with age and gender. The angular position of mandibular third molars was registered. RESULTS: A total of 2,252 mandibular third molars were removed from 740 male patients (57.7%) and 542 female patients (42.3%) aged 14 to 67 years. Pericoronitis was the most common indication for surgery, affecting 1,055 teeth (46.8%). Caries was observed in 519 third molars (23.0%). The vertical angular position was most commonly found (1,383 teeth; 61.4%) followed by the mesioangular position (407 teeth; 18.1%). CONCLUSION: The results obtained in this study are similar to those reported in earlier studies carried out elsewhere, although the incidence of periodontitis among Jordanians was significantly higher and occurred in older patients, and prophylactic removal was performed less frequently than has been reported in other countries.