Penile calciphylaxis: a conservative approach

Penile calciphylaxis or calcific uremic arteriolopathy is a rare urological condition often associated with patients undergoing renal dialysis for end-stage renal disease. The majority of cases are associated with systemic calciphylaxis. The pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of penile calciphylaxis as an individual entity has brought little attention. The rates of comorbidity and mortality of these patients are often particularly high. Early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach are therefore essential. We report a case of penile calciphylaxis in a 59-year-old man with end-stage renal failure on haemodialysis who was successfully managed conservatively.

Factors Affecting Treatment Duration - A Dilemma In Orthodontics

BACKGROUND

One of the first concerns of new orthodontic patients, apart from the outcome, is the duration of treatment. A better understanding of orthodontic treatment duration as well as factors affecting the treatment duration is useful for efficient patient counselling and improved clinical practice. Hence, the objectives of this study are to compare the treatment durations of subjects with Class I and Class II division 1 (II/1) malocclusions, and to identify the factors affecting the treatment duration of these malocclusions.

METHODS

This was a chart review conducted in the orthodontic department of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. The study sample comprised of 120 subjects and data were recorded from their treatment records. ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc were performed to determine the difference in treatment durations of Class I and Class II/1 malocclusions, whereas multiple linear regression was applied to identify the factors affecting the treatment duration. A level of significance (p≤0.05) was used for the statistical tests.

RESULTS

A statistically significant difference was found between the treatment durations of Class I and Class II/1 non-extraction (p=0.007), Class I non-extraction and Class II/1 extraction (p=0.001), and Class I and II/1 extraction (p=0.004) groups. The factors significantly increasing the treatment duration included missed appointments, breakages, and lower incisor proclination.

CONCLUSIONS

Orthodontic treatment of Class II/1 malocclusion lasts longer than that of Class I malocclusion. Prolonged treatment time is associated with missed appointments, band/bracket debonds and increased lower incisor inclination. The variance in treatment time can be explained most significantly by number of missed appointments and breakages.

Cervical vertebral anomalies in skeletal malocclusions: a cross-sectional study on orthodontic patients at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan

INTRODUCTION

Morphological deviations of the cervical vertebral column have been described in relation to craniofacial aberrations and syndromes. Furthermore, it has recently been shown that abnormal morphology of upper cervical vertebrae is associated with malformation of the jaws and occlusion. Accordingly, it is relevant to focus on similar associations in patients with skeletal malocclusions. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to: (a) Identify the anomalies of the cervical column in patients with skeletal malocclusions (b) Determine the association between cervical vertebral anomalies and skeletal malocclusions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 90 subjects at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan. The inclusion criteria were: (1) Pakistani origin; (2) standardized pretreatment profile radiograph with first six cervical vertebrae visible; and (3) accessibility of the second-profile radiograph (mid- or posttreatment). The exclusion criteria were: (1) A prior history of orthodontic treatment; (2) any craniofacial anomaly; and (3) systemic muscle or joint disorder. Lateral cephalograms of all subjects (n = 90) were traced by the principal investigator and sagittal jaw relationship was assessed. A total of 30 subjects each with skeletal Class I, Class II, and Class III malocclusions were selected and the cervical vertebral anomalies were observed on their cephalometric radiographs. The frequencies of cervical vertebral anomalies according to skeletal malocclusion categories and gender were analyzed with the Chi-square test, whereas association of cervical vertebral anomalies with skeletal malocclusions was assessed with logistic regression analysis. The level of significance (P ≤ 0.05) was used for the statistical tests.

RESULTS

Most common anomaly observed in the three groups was fusion between C2 and C3 (P = 0.006). This anomaly was found in 20% of subjects with skeletal Class I, 50% of subjects with skeletal Class II and 53.3% with skeletal Class III malocclusions. The highest frequencies of partial cleft at the level of C1 and occipitalization were observed in subjects with skeletal Class II and III malocclusions, respectively. However, none of the subjects showed fusion between C1 and C2 or dehiscence. No statistically significant gender difference was found in the occurrence of morphological deviations of the cervical column. The association of cervical vertebral anomaly was found to be the highest with skeletal Class III and lowest with skeletal Class I malocclusions.

CONCLUSION

Fusion between C2 and C3 seems to be the most commonly occurring anomaly. This anomaly seems to be more often associated with skeletal Class III than skeletal Class I or Class II malocclusions.

Nontraumatic retropharyngeal abscess complicated by cervical osteomyelitis and epidural abscess in post-Katrina New Orleans: four cases

Most retropharyngeal abscesses, including iatrogenic cases, are caused by trauma. Nontraumatic retropharyngeal abscesses usually occur secondary to infection of the retropharyngeal lymph nodes. Because these particular nodes usually disappear by the age of 4 or 5 years, a nontraumatic retropharyngeal abscess in an adult is extremely rare. When they do occur in adults, they are generally seen in immunocompromised patients and in intravenous drug abusers. Left untreated, a retropharyngeal abscess can lead to rare and fatal complications such as cervical osteomyelitis, epidural abscess, and discitis. Retropharyngeal abscesses can be diagnosed with a thorough history of risk factors, an examination for neurologic deficits, and radiologic studies, particularly magnetic resonance imaging. Treatment involves intravenous antibiotic therapy and surgical drainage. During follow-up, it is important to closely monitor the results of clinical neurologic examinations and weekly determinations of the C-reactive protein level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in order to assess the response to therapy. We report 4 cases of nontraumatic retropharyngeal abscess complicated by cervical osteomyelitis and epidural abscess that were seen in New Orleans within 3 years of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in August 2005.

Normal serum ferritin levels in a patient with HEMPAS syndrome and iron overload

Serum ferritin levels in a patient with HEMPAS syndrome (hereditary erythroblastic multinuclearity associated with positive acidified serum test) were correlated with body iron stores directly measured on spleen and liver biopsy specimens as well as by quantitative serial phlebotomy. Normal serum ferritin concentrations were found in the presence of a moderate excess in iron stores (approximately 6-12 times normal). They temporarily increased after transfusion and splenectomy with a prompt return to the normal range. As repeated phlebotomies over a period of nine months depleted the excess iron stores, the serum ferritin ultimately decreased to a subnormal concentration. The serum ferritin concentration was not a reliable index of increased body iron stores in this iron overloaded patient, but did reflect their depletion by serial phlebotomy.