The subepithelial connective tissue graft for treatment of gingival recession

A technique has been described for areas of single or multiple root coverage, especially in the maxilla, for coverage of existing crown margins, and for areas requiring a combination of ridge augmentation and root coverage. The success of the subepithelial connective tissue graft is attributed to the double blood supply at the recipient site from the underlying connective tissue base and the overlying recipient flap. The donor site is a closed wound, which produces less postoperative discomfort. In addition, an excellent color blend can be achieved.

[Surgical treatment of infections involving arterial prosthesis in aorto-femoral position]

This article is to evaluate the results of surgical treatment of aorto-femoral graft infections. The records of 20 patients with aorto-femoral graft infections were reviewed. The patients were submitted mostly to a combination of surgical procedures. They were: a) conservative treatment; b) partial removal of the infected graft and c) total removal of the infected graft. The removal of the prosthesis, partial or total, was followed by a new arterial reconstruction in some patients. The final treatment was: total removal of the infected graft in 11 (55%) patients, total removal plus arterial reconstruction in six, partial removal in two and partial removal plus arterial reconstruction in one. The results of treatment were presented as the survival rate and the effective palliation (patient alive, lower limbs preserved and infection cured). The survival rates after one month, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months were respectively: 80%, 60%, 53%, 42% and 27%. The effective palliation rates after one month and after 48 months were respectively 50% and 27%. The highest effective palliation rate was obtained when the infected prosthesis was removed and a new arterial reconstruction performed. We conclude that the treatment of choice of aorto-femoral graft infections seems to be the total removal of the graft followed by new arterial reconstruction.

Ischemic rest pain of the lower extremities. Treatment with peripheral nerve crush

The authors report the results obtained from peripheral nerve crushing in the treatment of ischemic rest pain and/or trophic lesions of toes and feet. They studied retrospectively 102 patients who were submitted to peripheral nerve crushing at the "Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade de São Paulo" during a sixteen-year period, from March 1971 to April 1987. These patients had no other choice, either clinical or surgical. The results were evaluated under three aspects: elimination of pain, evolution of trophic lesions and postoperative complications. The follow-up period varied from 1 month to 6 years (mean of 18 months). The results showed immediate elimination of pain in 94% of the patients. The remaining 6% were reoperated on within 24 to 48 hours, due to technical failure in identifying some of the nerves during the first operation. Regarding the trophic lesions, in 71% of the patients the results were good and the remaining underwent amputation at leg or thigh. The worst results were obtained in patients with necrotic lesions (p < 0.05). Three patients presented surgical wound dehiscence. The authors conclude that peripheral nerve crushing constitutes a valid alternative for a select group of patients with uncontrollable ischemic rest pain in the feet.

[Infection involving arterial prosthesis: clinical picture, etiology, and predisposing factors]

Thirty patients were operated for arterial reconstruction with synthetic grafts. They presented one of the following complications: 1) prosthesis exposed by a cutaneous fistula; 2) prosthesis in communication with a hollow viscus; 3) prosthesis involved by pus; 4) positive culture of a fragment of the prosthesis or of the surrounding secretion. The clinical manifestations were cutaneous fistula in 21 patients (70%), external bleeding in 14 (47%), exposition of the prosthesis in five (17%), anastomotic aneurysm in five (17%), and enteric fistula in four (13%). The infection became evident during the first postoperative year in half of the patients. The most important agents of infection were staphyilococci and Gram negative bacteria.

Dental implants: a review

The present article is a review presenting an update on the field of dental implants since the World Workshop in Clinical Periodontics in July 1989. Areas that are discussed include following: 1. Biomaterials and the implant interface, and the interaction of these with the environment. 2. Periodontal considerations including data supporting a perimucosal seal of implant to soft tissue and discussion of the endosseous interface between the bone and the implant. 3. Newer techniques of diagnostic imaging and their determination of bone types are related to the future practice of dental implants. 4. Implant selection and the surgical techniques involved in implant placement. 5. Current ideas of implant prosthodontics, implant maintenance, and the treatment of implant failures. 6. Finally, the use of dental implants in the United States and Sweden.

Post-transplant recurrent hepatitis B viral liver disease. Viral-burden, steatoviral, and fibroviral hepatitis B

Recurrence of hepatitis is a well-documented complication of hepatitis B liver disease, post-transplantation. It is well established also that the earliest hepatocellular change is the appearance of hepatitis B viral (HBV) markers and that the disease is rapidly progressive. In this article on 17 liver transplants in 16 HBV positive patients with long-term follow-ups (100-1234 days), the distinctive pathologic features of this disease are emphasized: the extreme viral load, the steatosis, and/or fibrosis. An attempt to quantitate the magnitude of the viral burden was made and the result was a staggering figure. In one patient, an estimated 10(18) HBV core particles were present in the liver. One of two patterns of progression were noted. In four patients in addition to the massive nuclear hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and cytoplasmic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity, superimposed hepatitic changes led to diffuse hepatic fibrosis (fibroviral hepatitis B); and in another six patients, extraordinary hepatocellular viral marker positivity and steatosis were the hallmarks (steatoviral hepatitis B). Steatosis is not usually considered a feature of HBV liver pathology. These results suggest that more than one type of posttransfusion recurrent hepatitis B liver disease exists pathologically.

[Abdominal aortic mycotic aneurysm due to Salmonella: case report and review of literature]

A 59 year old female patient was admitted to the hospital complaining of lower back pain and fever for four months, with worsening of symptoms during the last two weeks. A painful pulsatile abdominal mass was the only positive sign at her physical examination. Her CT-Scan showed a periaortic hematoma and a rupture of the aortic wall while the Aortography disclosed a false aneurysm below the renal arteries. All blood cultures were negative. The patient was operated on and had her aneurysm resected and her aorta reconstructed with an in situ bifurcated aorto-femoral Dacron graft. The bacteriological examination of the aortic wall revealed a Salmonella type B, which confirmed the clinical hypothesis of abdominal aortic mycotic aneurysm. It was not possible to maintain a prolonged antibiotic therapy and the patient had to be submitted to a second operation three months later because of an infected graft; when the aorto-femoral graft was removed and an axillobifemoral bypass prosthesis was done. After a three years follow-up period the patient is doing well and has no signs of recurrences. We conclude, based on the literature review and our personal experience, that: 1) the symptomatologic triad presented by the patient is highly suggestive of those diagnosis; 2) blood cultures may not be positive; 3) the CT-Scan and aortography are the best examinations for the diagnosis of abdominal aortic mycotic aneurysm; 4) either the in situ or the extra-anatomical arterial reconstruction may be employed with good results. Higher infection rates are reported with the in situ grafts; 5) life-long antibiotic therapy is recommended whatever reconstruction procedure is selected.

[Arterial reconstruction of the iliofemoral segment by eversion endarterectomy]

From October 1985 to December 1988, 31 iliofemoral eversion endarterectomies were performed in 29 patients with arteriosclerosis. The surgical procedure was carried out for trophic lesions in 74% of the patients and for ischemic rest pain in the remaining 26%. In 11 operations the endarterectomy was associated with profundoplasty, and in eight with saphenous vein femoropopliteal bypass. There were six immediate failures, four of them submitted to successful reoperations, and two to above knee amputations. In cases with good immediate patency no complications occurred during the follow-up periods which ranged from one to 34 months. With one post-operative death the mortality rate was 3.2%. Two patients displayed later severe ischemic manifestations in the opposite limbs and were both submitted to the same type of operation with good result. It may be concluded that iliofemoral eversion endarterectomy is an appropriate alternative procedure to the aortoiliofemoral reconstruction surgery in patients with severe ischemia of the lower limbs.

[Femoral artery compression test: a non-invasive method for detection of obstructive injury of the internal iliac artery]

For non-invasive detection of obstructive disease in the internal iliac artery, the femoral compression test was devised. This test consists in the compression of the inguinal arcade of the patient with the examiner's thumb, until the disappearance of the arterial beats in this region and peripherically in the correspondent lower limb, while one auscultates the sound in the dorsal penial artery with ultrasonic stethoscope and measures the penial pressure. The test was considered positive when there was abolition of sound in the penial artery, or reduction superior to 15% in the penial pressure. The test was negative when there was no abolition or reduction of sound and pressure, as referred respectively. In 15 normal individuals the 30 tests, one for each inguinal region, were negative. In 23 patients with ischemia of lower limbs registered by the analysis of angiographies to which they were submitted, there were 39 tests, one in each inguinal region, in which there was femoral pulsation. There was abolition of sound in the penial dorsal artery in 20 of 22 tests in which the arteriography showed obstruction of the homolateral internal iliac artery. In 15 tests, in which there was reduction of penial pressure, the arteriography showed presence of unique or multiple stenosis in the internal homolateral iliac artery. In two cases of patency of the internal homolateral iliac artery, the test was negative. The positivity of the test was significantly higher in patients with obstructive lesions of internal iliac artery when compared to normal individuals (p < 0.001, chi-square test).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Early experience with reduced-size liver transplants

Scarcity of small donors results in a high mortality rate for children on liver transplant waiting lists. To alleviate this problem, we have recently started to reduce the size of livers from older donors to use in children. In the last year, a total of 20 liver transplants were performed in 17 patients, including seven reduced-size liver transplants (RSLT) in six children. Mortality on the waiting list has been reduced to negligible amounts compared with a mortality rate of 25% before starting RSLT in patients with acute liver failure or those whose weight was less than 10 kg. Children undergoing RSLT weighed 10.8 +/- 8.5 kg compared with 20.9 +/- 20.3 for all others (NS). Cold ischemia time was significantly longer in the RSLT group (9.5 +/- 3.0 v 6.0 +/- 2.8 hours, P less than .05) as was intraoperative blood loss (9.4 +/- 9.4 v 3.0 +/- 3.5 blood volumes). There was no significant difference in postoperative aspartate aminotransferase and prothrombin time between the two groups. Four children received a RSLT as a primary procedure and three have survived with good liver function. Two patients were retransplanted with RSLT after a failed first transplant and both died of nonhepatic complications. This compares with 11 of 13 survivors in the whole liver transplant group. Causes of death in children who died after RSLT include cytomegalovirus sepsis (2) and myocardial infarction(1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Dental implants used for periodontal patients

For those performing implant treatment, continued research and reports of long-term successful results are essential to evaluating the validity of implants, especially when variables such as design and surface treatment are introduced. The dental profession has enthusiastically embraced the clinical results of implant treatment and its benefits to the patient. However, just as patients who undergo periodontal and restorative treatment must continue a regular long-term routine of maintenance therapy to ensure their dental health, so must those patients who receive dental implants. Both the periodontist who places the implants and the dentist who fabricates the prosthetic replacement must work cooperatively to deliver a healthy restoration that will function for many years.

Mycobacterial subcutaneous arteritis

The authors report three patients with subcutaneous erythematous nodules in different phases of development, unspecific systemic symptoms, positive PPD test, and normal chest X-rays. The histopathological study of the older nodules showed a granulomatous arteritis with a few acid-fast bacilli in the vascular wall. The nodules at an early phase showed an unspecific panniculitis with some acid-fast bacilli in apparently normal cutaneous vessels. These findings suggest that the mycobacterium has a vascular tropism and may cause a primary granulomatous arteritis.