Correlation of the Initial Bone Height to the Middle Facial Height and the Maxillary Sinus Volume: A Retrospective Study

This study aims to measure and establish a correlation between the initial bone height (IBH) at the dentate posterior maxillary sextants to the middle facial height (MFH) and the maxillary sinus volume (SV). Thirty CBCTs split evenly between males and females were retrospectively selected and processed to measure the SV and the IBH from the first premolar to the second molar. A clinical measurement was performed on each patient to evaluate the MFH. A significant positive correlation was found between MFH and SV. No significant correlation was found between the IBH of the first premolar and the SV or MFH on both sides. The results showed a significant negative correlation between the IBH of the other teeth examined and the SV on both sides. A significant negative correlation was found between the MFH and the IBH of the second premolar, first molar, and second molar of each side. It can be concluded that the maxillary SV increases with the MFH, and the IBH decreases when the SV and the MFH increase except for the first premolar. The clinical relevance of this study lies in the capability of the general practitioner to estimate the IBH in the posterior dentate maxilla by measuring the MFH. Patients with a risk of having a low IBH can be advised, in the case of an extracted tooth, to consider ridge preservation techniques or implant therapy as soon as possible to avoid future complex surgical interventions

Case Report: Constrictive Pericarditis in a Patient With Isolated Anomalous Right Upper Pulmonary Venous Return

Thirty-eight-year-old male presented for evaluation of abdominal swelling, lower extremity edema and dyspnea on exertion. Extensive work-up in search of the culprit etiology revealed the presence of an Anomalous Right Upper Pulmonary Venous Return (ARUPVR) into the Superior Vena Cava (SVC). During the attempted repair, the pericardium was found to be thickened and constrictive. Only one other case of co-existent partial anomalous pulmonary venous return and constrictive pericarditis (CP) has been reported. The patient underwent a warden procedure with pericardial stripping with good outcomes at 45 days post-operatively. Thus, the presence of severe heart failure symptoms in the setting of ARUPVR should prompt further investigations. Also, further cases are needed to help guide management in these patients

Heart Transplantation in Mustard Patients Bridged With Continuous Flow Systemic Ventricular Assist Device - A Case Report and Review of Literature

Thirty four-year-old male with history of D-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) who underwent Mustard operation at 14 months of age presented in cardiogenic shock secondary to severe systemic right ventricular failure. Catheterization revealed significantly increased pulmonary pressures. Due to the patient's inotrope dependence and prohibitive pulmonary hypertension, he underwent implantation of a Heart Ware HVAD® for systemic RV support. Within 4 months of continuous flow ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation complete normalization of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was achieved. He ultimately underwent orthotopic heart transplantation with favorable outcomes. This is the second report of complete normalization of PVR following VAD implantation into a systemic RV in <4 months. We conducted a thorough literature review to identify Mustard patients that received systemic RV VAD as a bridge to a successful heart transplantation. In this article, we summarize the outcomes and focus on pulmonary hypertension reversibility following VAD implant

Marginal bone stability around bone level versus tissue level implants in non-compliant patients with healthy or reduced periodontium: A 10-year retrospective study

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the effects of bone level implants (BL) in non-compliant patients on marginal bone alterations compared with the tissue level implants group (TL) at a mean follow-up period of at least 10 years.This study reports on 44 non-compliant patients selected from 3 private practices located in Beirut. Patients selected underwent implant surgery between 2005 and 2009 and had BL (Branemark and 3I Biomet) or TL (Straumann) implants. Periapical radiographs were taken directly after loading and at least at 10 years later. Crestal bone loss (CBL) for a total of 140 implants, including 97 BL and 43 TL implants was measured on radiographic images using the image tool software. Image calibration was done according to implant length. Hygiene level, smoking status and implant surface were also registered.After a mean period of 10 years, implants in the TL group had a mean CBL of 1.18± 0.89 (0.85 on the mesial side and 1.5 on the distal side). The BL group showed a mean CBL of 0.97 ± 0.64 (0.65 on the mesial side and 1.29 on the distal side). No significant difference (p \u3e0.05) was found between the 2 groups. Hygiene level was significantly associated with mesial and average bone loss. TiUnite surface showed a lower distal bone loss compared to SLA and acid etched surfaces. Furthermore, the average bone loss was significantly elevated in multiple-implant compared to single-tooth fixed implant restorations. No significant difference in bone loss was found between the maxilla and the mandible or between non-smokers and smokers.Analysis of the obtained results did not reveal a lower bone loss between bone level and tissue level implants in patients who didn’t commit to a strict maintenance program. However, bone loss was strongly correlated to hygiene level, confirming the importance of SPT and compliance