Comparative efficacy of digital panoramic radiograph and cone beam computed tomography in locating mandibular foramen

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of panoramic radiographs (PAN) with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in locating the position of the mandibular foramen (MF).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 100 patients who underwent CBCT and panoramic imaging were included in the study. The location of the MF was evaluated anterior-posteriorly and superior-inferiorly on both CBCT and panoramic radiographs. Measurements were taken by two examiners, reviewed by a radiologist, and intra-examiner variability was assessed. A comparison of statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, independent and paired t-test. A p-value ≤0.05 was deemed significant.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 35.03 years, with 51% females and 49% males. CBCT and panoramic radiographs showed comparable accuracy in locating the left (p=0.937) and right (p=0.371) MF anterior-posteriorly. In the superior-inferior dimension, the accuracy of CBCT and panoramic radiographs were comparable in locating the right (p=0.292) and left (p=0.640) MF. The gender-based accuracy of PAN and CBCT radiographs in locating the right (p=0.353) and left (p=0.985) MF was comparable.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concludes that panoramic radiographs showed comparable accuracy in effectively locating MF in comparison to CBCT. The influence of gender and anatomic location (right and left sides of MF) on MF identification with panoramic radiographs was insignificant. Digital panoramic radiographs are an effective tool in accurately identifying MF location in clinical practice.

Assessment of bifid mandibular canals using cone beam computed tomography in general population: a retrospective evaluation

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence of bifid mandibular canals (BMC) using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the Saudi population subset.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the study, three hundred and forty-three CBCT scans (661 sides) were evaluated for the presence of BMC, involving 162 males and 181 females. Tomographic acquisitions were performed on the device Planmeca®. The image analysis was performed on the Planmeca Romexis® software, aided by image filters associated with transverse, oblique, and panoramic reconstruction cuts for analysis of the BMC. Naitoh's classification (2009) was employed to classify mandibular canals. The prevalence of BMC was determined according to location, gender, and age of participants. The data were analyzed with Chi-square and one-way ANOVA tests at a significance level of 95%.

RESULTS

The BMC was observed in 37 (12.34%) out of 343 participants, of whom 20 (54.05%) were males and 17 (45.94%) were females. There was no significant difference in the proportion of bifid canals in both genders and various age groups. The most common BMC was the retromolar canal type, with 56.75% occurrence. The dental canal type was observed in 18.91% of BMC participants. The presence of a forward canal without confluence was observed in 16.21% of participants in the BMC, whereas a forward canal with confluence was noted in 8.10% of participants.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of bifid mandibular canals (BMC) within a subset of the Saudi population was 12.3%. The retromolar canal was identified as the most frequently occurring type, accounting for 56.7% of cases. No significant variations in BMC prevalence were observed concerning age and gender. Consequently, it is strongly advised to conduct a thorough assessment of the mandibular canal and its potential variations using CBCT imaging before undertaking mandibular surgical procedures, in order to minimize the risk of complications.

Effect of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in Increasing Pain Tolerance and Improving the Mental Health of Injured Athletes

Literature indicates that injured athletes face both physical and psychological distress after they have been injured. In this study, a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was utilised as an intervention for use during the period of recovery with injured athletes and, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study using MBSR as an intervention for this purpose. Objective: The aim of this research was to investigate the role of MBSR practise in reducing the perception of pain and decreasing anxiety/stress, as well as increasing pain tolerance and mindfulness. An additional aim was to increase positive mood and decrease negative mood in injured athletes. Methods: The participants comprised of twenty athletes (male = 14; female = 6; age range = 21-36 years) who had severe injuries, preventing their participation in sport for more than 3 months. Prior to their injury, the participants had trained regularly with their University teams and participated in official university championships. Both groups followed their normal physiotherapy treatment, but in addition, the intervention group practised mindfulness meditation for 8 weeks (one 90-min session/week). A Cold Pressor Test (CPT) was used to assess pain tolerance. In contrast, the perception of pain was measured using a Visual Analogue Scale. Other measurements used were the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), and Profile of Mood States (POMS). Results: Our results demonstrated an increase in pain tolerance for the intervention group and an increase in mindful awareness for injured athletes. Moreover, our findings observed a promising change in positive mood for both groups. Regarding the Stress/Anxiety scores, our findings showed a notable decrease across sessions; however, no significant changes were observed in other main and interaction effects in both groups. Conclusion: Injured athletes can benefit from using mindfulness as part of the sport rehabilitation process to increase their pain tolerance and awareness. Further research is required to assess whether increasing pain tolerance could help in the therapeutic process.

Evaluation of oestrogen and progesterone receptors, and c-erbB-2 in carcinoma of the breast in Trinidadian women

One hundred and three consecutive cases of breast cancer in Trinidadian women were evaluated for steroid receptor status and c-erbB-2 receptor along with conventional parameters including age, ethnicity, tumour size, histological type and grade, and lymph node status: The molecular markers were studied by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on paraffin sections. Tumour size > 2 cm was seen in 60% of the cases. Oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and c-erbB-2 showed 54%, 46% and 63% positivity, respectively. There was no correlation between c-erbB-2 and steroid receptors. Forty-one per cent of cases showed double negativity for steroid receptors (ER-/PR-). No correlation was found between the markers and conventional parameters except for a negative correlation with the tumour grade. The high percentage of c-erbB-2 positivity and the high proportion of steroid receptor negativity suggest a need for studies on adjuvant therapy. Integration of selected markers with conventional parameters could help define subgroups for treatment and prognosis.

Spinal epidural malignant lymphoma presenting with spinal cord compression

Malignant lymphoma initially presenting with symptoms and signs of spinal cord compression are a rare occurrence. We present 20 cases of spinal epidural lymphoma first diagnosed on laminectomy biopsy specimens with a review of clinical data and histology, as well as an immunohistochemical study to determine the immunophenotype of these lymphomas. Eighteen cases were typed as B cell lymphomas, 2 as T cell lymphomas.