A Survey on Orbital Space-occupying Lesions during a Twelve-year Period from a Referral Center in Iran

Purpose: In this study, we describe different orbital space-occupying lesions (SOLs) from a referral center in Iran. Methods: In this retrospective case series, all records of “orbital tumors” with a definite histopathologic diagnosis at a referral center in Iran were reviewed from April 2008 to May 2020. Results: A total of 375 orbital SOLs were included. The study population consisted of 212 (56.5%) female and 163 (43.5%) male subjects with overall mean age of 31.09 ± 21.80 years. The most common clinical presentation was proptosis and the superotemporal quadrant was the most frequent site of involvement. Extraconal lesions (276 cases, 73.6%) outnumbered intraconal lesions (99 cases 26.4%). The great majority of SOLs (344, 91.7%) were primary, while 24 (6.4%) were secondary and 7 (1.9%) were metastatic. Benign lesions (309, 82.4%) were much more common than malignant SOLs (66, 17.6%). Overall, dermoid cysts and malignant lymphoma were the most prevalent benign and malignant orbital SOLs, respectively. The malignant to benign lesion ratio was 0.46 in children (≤18 years), 0.81 in middle-aged subjects (19–59 years), and 5.9 in older (≥60 years) cases. The most common type of malignancy was rhabdomyosarcoma in children, lymphoma in middle-aged subjects, and invasive basal cell carcinoma in older age group. Conclusion: Over the 12-year study period, benign, primary, extraconal orbital SOLs were more frequent than malignant, secondary, and intraconal lesions. The ratio of malignant lesions increased with age in this cohort of patients

The Yin and Yang of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Use for Oral and Periodontal Health: A Literature Review

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is an anionic surfactant, which has a wide range of usage in the health sector and in dental pharmaceutical products, especially in toothpastes. The objective of this review was to investigate the effects of SLS containing dentifrices on oral and periodontal health, possible side effects, and its benefits. A thorough literature search was done using databases of PubMed and Google Scholar and finally, 40 articles were included in the study. This narrative review revealed the sources of discrepancy and conflicting results regarding the impact of SLS on oral cavity as well as a lack of sufficient evidence in most topics. Hence, the evidence suggests improved drug bioavailability when used as a solubilizer, improved plaque control, and reduction in bad breath. On the other hand, SLS can serve as a risk indicator of prolonged oral wound healing time, recurrent aphthous stomatitis

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions

Evaluation of Greater Palatine Canal and Foramen Anatomical Variation on Cone-beam CT Radiography

Introduction: A known method for maxillary nerve block is through the greater palatine canal (GPC). Poor knowledge about the anatomy might result in undesired conditions such as perforation of the arteries, nerve damage and blindness. This study aimed at determining variations of the GPC and greater palatine foramen (GPF) on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out at Islamic Azad University dental school and private clinics of Isfahan in 2018. A total of 92 CBCT images of adults over 18 years old were evaluated and GPC length, GPF diameter and its distance to the anterior nasal spine (ANS), posterior nasal spine (PNS) and mid-maxillary suture (MMS) were measured. The data were analyzed using SPSS 18. Results: The mean distance of GPF to ANS (47.96 mm in men and 45.36 mm in women), to PNS (18.9 mm in men and 17.21 mm in women), and to MMS (15.93 mm in men and 14.73 mm in women), as well as the diameter of the GPF (6.07 mm in men and 5.01 mm in women) were significantly higher in men on both right and left sides (P<0.05). The mean GPC length in men and women was 34.36±2.5 and 31.39±1.9 mm, respectively, which was significantly larger in men. The more common canal pathway in sagittal plane was inferior/inferior-anterior (70%) in both genders. The inferior/inferior-anterior pathways were more common in both genders in coronal plane; however, this difference was not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Since the maxillary nerve block technique might cause irreparable complications through GPC, it is very important to know the position of the foramen and the canal direction. Therefore, it is advisable to use CBCT in order to better understand the GPF and GPC anatomy

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions