Dental Caries and Caries Associated Factors of Six and Seven Year-Old Children Living in a High Fluoride Area

Objectives: (1) To examine the prevalence of dental caries and fluorosis in six and seven year-old children living in a high-fluoride area and (2) to study associations between the caries experience and sociodemographic factors, oral hygiene habits, dental attendance and diet in this population.Materials and Methods: Two thousand six and seven year-old children in the first grade of elementary school in Isparta, Turkey, were included in this study. The questionnaires, including questions about sociodemographic factors, oral hygiene habits, dental attendance and diet, were answered by the parents of these children. Three experienced examiners performed the clinical examinations.Results: While 30% of the children studied have no carious primary teeth, 96% have no carious permanent teeth. The mean caries experience (dmft+DMFT) was 3.60 (±3.63). Various degrees of fluorosis were present in 2% of the children’s primary dentition and 28% of the children’s permanent dentition. The father’s and mother’s education, the age of the father when the child was born, when the child’s first dental visit occurred, the frequency of toothbrushing and ingesting sugar-containing soft drinks were all associated with the caries experience.Consclusions: The prevalence of dental caries and fluorosis was high among the studied child population in a high-fluoride area. Sociodemographic factors, oral hygiene habits, dental attendance and diet are risk indicators for caries in this population

Serous retinal detachment in patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion

Conclusion: SRD may be associated with decreased VA. The prognosis of patients with BRVO and SRD requires further investigation

Retrospective evaluation of malignant melanoma patients: A single-center experience

Introduction: Melanoma is a cancer arising from the malignant transformation of melanocytes. It is mostly seen in the skin, eyes, mucosal membranes, and meninges. Melanoma is one of the fastest rising of all cancers in the world.Methods: We retrospectively examined the medical records of adult patients who were diagnosed with melanoma between January 2005 and December 2013 according to the Hospital-Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) of Hacettepe University Oncology Hospital.Results: A total of 338 patients [193 (57.1%) men and 145 (42.9%) women] were included in the study. The male to female ratio was 1.3/1. The mean age of patients was 55.2±15.2 years (minimum-maximum: 16-87 years). The rate of male patients was higher in patients with cutaneous and uveal melanoma (respectively, 56.8% and 58.6%), whereas the rate of female patients was higher in patients with mucosal melanoma (female: 55.6% and male: 44.4%; respectively, p=0.746 and p=0.518). The median follow-up time was estimated to be 27.7 months (1-103 months). During follow-up period, 127 (37.6%) patients died, and 16 (4.7%) patients were lost to follow-up. The median overall survival time was 76.3 months. The 5-year survival rate was 53%. When all patients were evaluated according to melanoma subtypes, patients with melanoma of unknown primary origin had the lowest median survival time (6.4 months).Conclusions: It is necessary to increase the awareness of people about melanoma and to make physicians more sensitive about skin examination in order to detect cutaneous melanomas in the early stages

Usefulness of the uric acid and CHA2DS2-VASc score in prediction of left atrial thrombosis in patients with mitral stenosis and sinus rhythm

Background: The risk of thrombus formation in the left atrium is known to be very high in patients with both mitral stenosis (MS) and atrial fibrillation (AF). However, that risk should not be ignored in patients with MS in sinus rhythm (SR). The aim of this study was to determine the clinical, echocardiographic, and biochemical factors that could have a determining role in the formation of a left atrial (LA) thrombus in patients with MS in SR. Method: A total of 207 consecutive patients with MS who underwent both transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for diagnosis or to investigate the presence of a thrombus in the LA and appendage were enrolled in this study. Results: LA thrombus was detected in 21 of 207 patients. CHA2DS2-VASc score was not found to be a predictor of LA thrombosis in patients with MS in SR, despite the higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores observed in those patients. The mitral valve area and mitral valve gradient were not predictive of LA thrombus development; however, LA anteroposterior diameter (LAAPD) was found to be a predictor of LA thrombosis. Levels of high sensitivity-C-reactive protein and uric acid were higher in the patients with LA thrombosis, but only uric acid was found to be a predictor of LA thrombosis in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: A larger LAAPD and an elevated serum uric acid level were found to be independent predictors of LA thrombosis in patients with MS in SR.

Utility of Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) system to predict coronary artery disease severity in low to moderate risk hypertensive patients undergoing elective coronary angiography

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality in hypertensive patients. Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) is the preferred scoring system to predict future fatal cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. However, the relationship between SCORE and coronary atherosclerosis is not well described. We aimed to investigate whether SCORE has a relationship with CAD severity in hypertensive patients, even in the absence of high risk features. Material and methods: Four hundred and fifty-two hypertensive patients who underwent elective coronary angiography and defined as low or moderate risk according to SCORE were included into the study. Patients were divided into two groups. Patients with a SCORE < 1% were defined as low risk group, and patients with a SCORE ≥ 1% and < 5% were defined as moderate risk group. The groups were compared regarding CAD severity. Results: The frequency of stenotic CAD and multivessel disease, and mean SYNTAX score, were significantly higher in SCORE ≥ 1%, and < 5% group compared to patients with SCORE < 1%. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive moderate correlation between SCORE and SYNTAX score (Pearson’s r: 0.679, p < 0.001). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that a SCORE ≥ 3% predicted SYNTAX score > 22 with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 86.5% (AUC: 0.879, p < 0.001). Furthermore, multivariate analysis demonstrated that SCORE was an independent predictor of stenotic CAD (OR: 1.616, p < 0.001), multivessel disease (OR: 1.913, p < 0.001), and SYNTAX score > 22. (OR: 1.817, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our results suggest that SCORE is associated with CAD severity in hypertensive patients even in theabsence of high risk features. The SCORE system may be useful in further risk stratification of hypertensive patientswith moderate risk features and suspected CAD

Predictive value of admission red cell distribution width-platelet ratio for no-reflow phenomenon in acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Background: The red cell distribution width–platelet ratio (RPR), a novel inflammatory marker is currently used to predict inflammation in chronic diseases. It may be associated with adverse outcomes among artery disease but its prognostic value in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been fully investigated. There is no data regarding the association between RPR and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). This study evaluated the relations between pre-procedural RPR and the in-hospital and long-term outcomes in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. Methods: This study included 580 STEMI patients (77% men, mean age: 59 ± 12 years). The patients were divided into two groups according to thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grades after primary PCI. No-reflow was defined as a post-PCI TIMI flow grade of 0, 1 or 2 (group 1). Angiographic success was defined as TIMI flow grade 3 (group 2). Results: Whole blood cell count, neutrophil and lymphocyte percentages, red cell distribution width, platecrit, neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and RPR values were higher among patients with no-reflow. On multivariate analysis, pain to balloon time, multivessel disease, TIMI thrombus grade, tirofiban, aspirin, previous coronary artery disease, NLR, platecrit and RPR remained independent predictors of no-reflow after primary PCI. Patients in no-reflow group tended to be higher percent in-hospital MACE, including nonfatal myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality compared to the reflow patients. Conclusions: Admission NLR, platecrit and RPR are independent correlates of no-reflow and in-hospital MACEs among patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI.

Retrospective evaluation of malignant melanoma patients: A single-center experience

Introduction: Melanoma is a cancer arising from the malignant transformation of melanocytes. It is mostly seen in the skin, eyes, mucosal membranes, and meninges. Melanoma is one of the fastest rising of all cancers in the world.Methods: We retrospectively examined the medical records of adult patients who were diagnosed with melanoma between January 2005 and December 2013 according to the Hospital-Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) of Hacettepe University Oncology Hospital.Results: A total of 338 patients [193 (57.1%) men and 145 (42.9%) women] were included in the study. The male to female ratio was 1.3/1. The mean age of patients was 55.2±15.2 years (minimum-maximum: 16-87 years). The rate of male patients was higher in patients with cutaneous and uveal melanoma (respectively, 56.8% and 58.6%), whereas the rate of female patients was higher in patients with mucosal melanoma (female: 55.6% and male: 44.4%; respectively, p=0.746 and p=0.518). The median follow-up time was estimated to be 27.7 months (1-103 months). During follow-up period, 127 (37.6%) patients died, and 16 (4.7%) patients were lost to follow-up. The median overall survival time was 76.3 months. The 5-year survival rate was 53%. When all patients were evaluated according to melanoma subtypes, patients with melanoma of unknown primary origin had the lowest median survival time (6.4 months).Conclusions: It is necessary to increase the awareness of people about melanoma and to make physicians more sensitive about skin examination in order to detect cutaneous melanomas in the early stages