Biopsy ; Humans ; Male ; Maxillary Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Osteoma ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

In a rapidly aging society, many patients will have multiple medical co-morbidities and on polypharmacy. Dental patients rarely have medical emergencies during their treatment and it is because of this rarity, that theodd emergency that presents can overwhelm the dentist’s ability to cope despite their theoretical knowledge. The authors discuss how to adapt the clinic facilities for managing an emergency and provide an overview of management of common emergencies that dentists may encounter.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Cardiotonic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Middle Aged

Adult ; Community-Acquired Infections ; Humans ; Male ; Methicillin Resistance ; Myocarditis ; complications ; microbiology ; Pericarditis ; complications ; microbiology ; Pneumonia, Staphylococcal ; complications ; microbiology ; Shock, Septic ; microbiology ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects

Neurodegenerative diseases refer to incurable conditions that result in progressive degeneration or death of nerve cells. This causes functional movement deficits and cognitive problems such as dementias. Among different types of neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer disease (AD) accounts for majority of the cases. The transient receptor potential melastatin member 2 (TRPM2) channel is a Ca2+-permeable non-selective cation channel which has been studied and implicated in the pathological process of AD through different pathways including inflammation. This review summarizes the contribution of TRPM2 in AD pathology and recent advances in pharmacology of TRPM2, with a focus on relationships between β-amyloid, oxidative stress and Ca2+. We also discuss the potential future research direction for neurodegenerative diseases.

The sudden outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002 prompted the establishment of a global scientific network subsuming most of the traditional rivalries in the competitive field of virology. Within months of the SARS outbreak, collaborative work revealed the identity of the disastrous pathogen as SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). However, although the rapid identification of the agent represented an important breakthrough, our understanding of the deadly virus remains limited. Detailed biological knowledge is crucial for the development of effective countermeasures, diagnostic tests, vaccines and antiviral drugs against the SARS-CoV. This article reviews the present state of molecular knowledge about SARS-CoV, from the aspects of comparative genomics, molecular biology of viral genes, evolution, and epidemiology, and describes the diagnostic tests and the anti-viral drugs derived so far based on the available molecular information.

INTRODUCTIONOral and pharyngeal cancers grouped together are the sixth most common cancer seen worldwide. Oral cancers are, however, relatively not common in Singapore. There are few published epidemiological studies of oral cancers seen in Singapore. This article is a retrospective study of oral cancer incidence in a major tertiary institution in Singapore from 1991 to 2001.

MATERIALS AND METHODSAll oral cancers diagnosed from 1991 to 2001 were extracted from the register of histopathology results and case notes were reviewed.

RESULTSIn our study, it was found that oral malignancies preferentially affect older males. Chinese, being the predominant ethnicity, reports the highest incidence of oral malignancy. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common oral malignancy with the tongue being the most commonly affected site. The majority of patients who sought treatment had complaints of swelling and were referred from restructured government hospitals and clinics.

CONCLUSIONDental professional should be aware of the common clinical presentation of oral cancers. As oral cancer is a disease of high morbidity and mortality, a concerted effort from the government and healthcare profession will be required to improve the outcome of the disease.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Time Factors ; Young Adult

Asymmetric septal hypertrophy with systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve is frequently a phenotypic, but not pathognomonic, expression of genetic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with or without obstruction. It can, however, be associated nonspecifically with other forms of increased left ventricular (LV) afterload. We herein report the case of a young man with obesity cardiomyopathy and heart failure who presented with asymmetric septal hypertrophy and marked LV hypertrophy, and endomyocardial biopsy ruled out genetic HCM.
Adult ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic, Familial ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; complications ; diagnosis ; Male ; Obesity, Morbid ; complications

Objectives: Understanding the lingual nerve’s precise location is crucial to prevent iatrogenic injury. This systematic review seeks to determine the lingual nerve’s most probable topographical location in the posterior mandible. Materials and Methods: Two electronic databases were searched, identifying studies reporting the lingual nerve’s position in the posterior mandible.Anatomical data in the vertical and horizontal dimensions at the retromolar and molar regions were collected for meta-analyses. Results: Of the 2,700 unique records identified, 18 studies were included in this review. In the vertical plane, 8.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0%-21.7%) and 6.3% (95% CI, 1.9%-12.5%) of the lingual nerves coursed above the alveolar crest at the retromolar and third molar regions. The mean vertical distance between the nerve and the alveolar crest ranged from 12.10 to 4.32 mm at the first to third molar regions. In the horizontal plane, 19.9% (95% CI, 0.0%-62.7%) and 35.2% (95% CI, 13.0%-61.1%) of the lingual nerves were in contact with the lingual plate at the retromolar and third molar regions. Conclusion This systematic review mapped out the anatomical location of the lingual nerve in the posterior mandible, highlighting regions that warrant additional caution during surgeries to avoid iatrogenic lingual nerve injuries.

Amyloidosis/diagnostic imaging* ; Cardiomyopathies/diagnostic imaging* ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Humans ; Prealbumin/genetics*