MICROVASCULAR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HUMAN FILIFORM PAPILLAE:A VIDEOCAPILLAROSCOPIC STDY.

The aim of this study was to observe the microcirculation characteristics of the human filiform papillae in healthy patients in vivo. Twenty healthy patients were examined using lingual capillaroscopy to investigate the characteristics of microcirculation of the human filiform papillae. Visibility, course, tortuosity, as well as the possible presence of microhemorrhages, the average caliber of the capillary loops and the number of visible capillary loops per square millimeter were evaluated for each patient. The investigation was simple, non-invasive and repeatable for each patient. Microcirculation architecture was characterized by a network of capillaries in polygonal mesh with parallel orientation in regard to the surface. Rare microhemorrhages were observed. The caliber of visible capillary loops was 12.5071.46 mm (mean7SD). The number of visible capillaries was 9.8871.06 (mean7SD). Our study shows that capillaroscopy of lingual filiform papillae is a practicable method. Future studies might evaluate whether microcirculation in that area is compromised or not during systemic pathologies involving peripheral microcirculation alterations. This method could also be applied to the study of microcirculation in pathologies which strictly pertain to the dental stomatological field

STUDY OF MICROCIRCULATION IN ORAL LICHEN PLANUS BY VIDEOCAPILLAROSCOPY

Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate “in vivo” the oral microcirculatory characteristics in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and to discover any differences in microcirculation in comparison with healthy patients. Study design. Twenty patients with established diagnosis of OLP and 20 healthy patients were examined in our laboratory by means of contact optical probe videocapillaroscopy. The examined areas for each patient were the right and the left buccal mucosae. Capillary density and total capillary diameter, as well as afferent and efferent loop diameter were studied; the discovery of characteristic (tortuous, branched) loops was also investigated. Results. The results were observed by 2 different researchers using the capillaroscope’s software. Capillary density and the diameter of the afferent and efferent ansa were found to be significantly increased in OLP patients compared with controls. There was also a significant difference between the study of capillary tortuousity and the discovery of characteristic branched loops, indicating angiogenesis. Conclusions. Our methodology allowed an in vivo observation of the angiogenesis. Angiogenesis was interpreted as an increase in capillary density, total vascular caliber, and afferent and efferent loop caliber; the discovery of tortuous, branched loops, indicating the angiogenic phenomenon in vivo, was particularly significant. The capillaroscopy in correspondence with the lesion can be a very important method in the evaluation of the microcirculation of the patients suffering from OLP

Periodontal Alteration of the Microcirculation and Hypercholesterolemia: A Possible Correlation?

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the morphological and parametric characteristics of the periodontal microcirculation in patients diagnosed as having hypercholesterolemia and high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). METHODS: Forty patients were recruited, 20 of whom were affected by hypercholesterolemia and 20 of whom were considered healthy. A videocapillaroscopic examination was carried out on the periodontal mucosa in the proximity of the frenulum (II, V sextant). RESULTS: The difference between the parameters of the hypercholesterolemia group and the control group was evaluated with the Mann-Whitney U-test for non-parametric ordinal data; the level of significance being P < 0.05. The videocapillaroscopy documented extremely significant differences between the two groups, regarding the following parameters: total diameter of the loop (P = 0.0017), diameter of the afferent loops (P = 0.0004), diameter of the efferent loops (P = 0.00008) and periodontal density (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The capillaroscopic examination revealed a morphological alteration of the periodontal microcirculation in patients with hypercholesterolemia, which is an expression of peripheral vascular phlogosis

A randomized trial assessing the effectiveness of different concentrations of isotretinoin in the management of lichen planus

The aim of our 10-year study was to test the effectiveness of topical therapy based on 0. 18% isotretinoin, comparing it with that most frequently used, i.e. at 0.05% concentration. Seventy patients with an established diagnosis of oral lichen planus were involved in the study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, and the drug was administered topically at 0.05% and 0. 18% concentrations. The drug at the higher concentration, according to the same protocol, was administered to the patients who did not benefit from the therapy at the lower concentration. None of the cases of reticular lichen planus showed clinical or histological improvement. In contrast, the atrophic-erosive forms showed a significant improvement, both clinical and histological: in 26 patients (at 0.18% concentration) and in nine patients (at 0.05% concentration), the symptoms, as well as the erosions or ulcers observed, disappeared. The disappearance of dysplasic phenomena was observed at 0. 18% concentration. Topical application of the drug was accompanied by an increase in soreness and pain, as well as greater sensitivity to hot foods. However, these side effects were transitory, and considered acceptable by the patients. The proposed therapeutic protocol was effective towards highly active atrophic-erosive oral lichen planus with dysplasic phenomena, which is the form of the disease at higher risk of malignant evolution

IN VIVO EVALUATION OF PERIODONTAL MICROCIRCULATORY CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH ENDODONTIC TREATMENT

The purpose of this study was to investigate in vivo the gingival microcirculatory changes associated with endodontic treatment using the continuous wave of condensation technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty necrotic one canal roots of 20 cooperative patients of both sexes, aged between 20 and 43 years, were selected. All patients were examined by capillaroscopy before, immediately after endodontic treatment, and after 7 days. The last examination was carried out by the same operator, and repeated twice for each examined area: masticatory, buccal and labial mucosa corresponding to the endodontically treated root. All canals were prepared using a simultaneous technique with Ni-Ti files (MTwo files). RESULTS: The images of the masticatory mucosa after root canal obturation showed evident micro-areas of extravasation, with significant bleeding and angio-morphological alterations due to heat. One hour after the endodontic treatment evident extravasation was observed, but a decrease of all altered parameters, was present. After seven days from treatment, in the periodontal tissues, a complete healing was observed. The in vivo evaluation of the vascular pattern during root canal obturation with System B showed that the high temperature in the canal determines visible effects on the vasculature of adjacent sites. It was found that microangiotectonic alterations decrease up to a complete healing after 7 days from treatment. CONCLUSION: All the changes in microcirculation, due to thermal shock of periodontal tissues, are reversible

L'ESAME CAPILLAROSCOPICO ORALE: NUOVA METODICA DIAGNOSTICA

The morphological-functional study of microcirculation is of fundamental importance; in fact, the microvascular bed is directly involved both in autoimmune etiopathogenesis pathologies, and in acute and chronic inflammatory etiopathogenesis pathologies. Oral capillaroscopy is a very stimulating method for studying microcirculation, because of the possibility of studying small vessels in vivo by means of a microscope. Today, it is becoming more reliable thanks to the improvement of the observation tools (photography, videomicroscopy)

PATHOLOGICAL GAMBLING: AN ASSOCIATION WITH ALEXITHYMIA, PERSONALITY DISORDERS AND CLINICAL SYNDROMES

Pathological gambling (PG) is a disorder recently conceptualized as a behavioural addiction, because of its neurobiological, neurophysiological and psychological features (American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders - 5th ed., 2013; Potenza et al., 2012). PG represents both a social and a sanitary cost, in terms of pharmacological and psychological therapies. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between personality disorders, clinical syndromes and alexithymia levels in a group of pathological gamblers. Furthermore this study aimed at highlighting a relationship between PG and alexithymia, over and above the relationship between personality disorders, clinical syndromes and PG. Sixty treatment- seeking pathological gamblers and 60 healthy controls were included in the study. Psychological assessment included the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Pathological gamblers displayed Axis I disorders, such as anxiety, somatoform symptoms, bipolar symptoms, dysthymia, thought disorders and major depression, as well as Axis II disorders such as depressive, antisocial, sadistic, passive-aggressive, self-defeating and paranoid disorders, and greater alexithymia levels. Alexithymia was detected in PG independently from the presence of other psychiatric disorders. Our data show that comorbid psychiatric disorders have been evidentiated in PG. Interestingly alexithymia is related to PG indipendently from other psychopathological disorders, representing a relevant feature, helpful for assessing PG diagnosis and for orienting to the correct therapeutical strategy. REFERENCES American Psychiatric Association. 2013. American Psychiatric Publishing Potenza et al.,2012Psychoph219(2):469-49

INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE AND PERIPHERAL ATRHITIS: MESALAZINA AND PROBIOTICS

The inflammaotory bowel disease (IBD) are a group of inflammatory pathologies of the digestive line with chronicity and recurrent characteristic. The IBDs mostly recognized are the ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease; they are more frequent in the industrialized countries and among the caucasian populations that among those africans or oriental. The secondary artropaties to IBD recognize a multifactorial genesis in subjects predisposed as a result genetically or environmental factors; a fundamental role of the intestinal dysbiosis they are hypothesized

A Multicultural Demographic Study to Evaluate the Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Job Satisfaction across the Dental Industry

Objective:&nbsp;To evaluate the difference in working conditions as perceived by dentists during the pandemic and their professional satisfaction levels.&nbsp;Material and Methods:&nbsp; An online survey was conducted using the convenience and snowball sampling methods. Two hundred seventy-two respondents across various countries answered information related to socio-demographic data and work satisfaction levels during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.&nbsp;Results:&nbsp;40.1% of dentists reported dissatisfied with their current work, while another 13.6% of dentists fell in the extremely dissatisfied category. 22.8% of dentists were significantly dissatisfied with their current income. Furthermore, 38.4% of the dentists were dissatisfied with physical working conditions, while 33.5% reported dissatisfaction with the freedom of working methods.&nbsp;Conclusion:&nbsp;This study was focused on the connection between various intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting working conditions, social interactions, and psychological stresses. From the findings of this multicultural study, we can see that dentists across different countries have been affected and have varying levels of dissatisfaction. Therefore, regulatory authorities must plan for support and interventional programs to help dental professionals pass this difficult period

Mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction during "phase 1" COVID-19 emergency: An Italian experience.

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