Cephalometric evaluation of children with familial Mediterranean fever

Oro-dental features in Egyptian patients with familial mediterranean fever

INTRODUCTION

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an episodic inflammatory disease that is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. It is primarily featured by fever, pain in joints, chest, and abdomen due to Serositis.

AIM

This study delineated the oro-facial structures presented associated with FMF, as well as, the determination of the potential influences of the long-term inflammatory process of FMF on several oral structures.

METHODS

Fifty eight Egyptian FMF patients were examined to define different oro-facial structures. Serum amyloid A (SAA) was requested for the selected patients, MEFV gene mutation was also investigated.

RESULTS

The clinical examination revealed peritonitis in 79%, fever in 63.7%, and arthritis in 55% of FMF patients examined, while, oral features as high arched palate, enamel defect, dental malocclusion, and macroglossia in 32%, 27.5%. 26%, and 13.5%, respectively. The previous symptoms might be attributed to the pathology of the disease. Macroglossia when tested versus SAA levels, a highly significant difference was detected. The ROC curve when examining the SAA value to assess macroglossia, displayed reasonable sensitivity and specificity values of, 87.5% and 77.8%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The noticed oro-dental in FMF patients might be influenced by the chronic inflammatory process.

Effects of skeletally anchored Class II elastics: A pilot study and new approach for treating Class II malocclusion

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the skeletal, dentoalveolar, and soft tissue effects of skeletally anchored Class II elastics and compare them with a matched control group treated by a monobloc appliance for the correction of skeletal Class II malocclusion due to mandibular retrusion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twelve patients (6 girls, 6 boys) were randomly divided into two groups. In the elastics group, six patients (12.9 ± 1.5 years of age; 3 boys, 3 girls) were treated with skeletally anchored Class II elastics. Two miniplates were placed bilaterally at the ramus of the mandible and the other two miniplates were placed at the aperture piriformis area of the maxilla. In the monobloc group (3 boys and 3 girls; mean age, 12.3 ± 1.6 years), patients used the monobloc appliance. The changes observed in each phase of treatment were evaluated using the Wilcoxon matched-pair sign test. Intergroup comparisons at the initial phase of treatment were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

There were statistically significant group differences in Co-Gn, B-VRL, U1-PP, U1-VRL, Ls-VRL, with significant increases in these parameters in the elastics group (P < .05). The mandibular incisors were protruded in the monobloc group (5.45 ± 1.23°), whereas they were retruded in the elastics group (-3.01 ± 1.66°; P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

The undesirable dentoalveolar effects of the monobloc appliance were eliminated by using miniplate anchorage. Favorable skeletal outcomes can be achieved by skeletal anchorage therapies which could be an alternative to treat skeletal Class II patients with mandibular deficiency.

The reliability of the Greulich and Pyle atlas when applied to a Southern Turkish population

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of Greulich and Pyle (GP) method for Southern Turkish population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hand and wrist radiographs of 535 patients (276 females, 259 males aged from 10 to 18 years) selected retrospectively from the archive. Skeletal age (SA) estimation was performed according to GP atlas. The chronological age (CA) and SA were compared using the Paired t-test.

RESULTS

The mean difference between the CA and SA ranged from 0.07 to 1.11 years. These differences between the CA and estimated SA were statistically significant in group I (10-10.90 years) (P < 0.001), group II (11-11.90 years) (P < 0.050), group III (12-12.90 years) (P < 0.001), group IV (13-13.90 years) (P < 0.010), and group V (14-14.90 years) (P < 0.001) for females. The mean difference between the CA and SA ranged from -0.41 to -1.79 years for females. These differences between the CA and estimated SA were statistically significant in all age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Statistically significant differences were found in the CA and SA assessed by GP method for the Southern Turkish sample. SA was significantly over-predicted in the 10-15 year ages in males and for 10-18 year ages for females. It is appropriate to use GP method in Southern Turkish children; however, a revision is needed for better results and to minimize the mistakes.