Substance abuse and maxillofacial injuries

Some of the major causes of maxillofacial injuries are assault/ inter-personal violence (IPV), motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), work-related injuries, sporting accidents and falls. However, the epidemiological data for the different types of injury vary significantly and are influenced by geographic location, socioeconomic status, the time of year when patients are assessed and the type of facility where the study is conducted. The 2012 Statistics South Africa's release document on 'mortality and causes of death in South Africa' indicated that 9.8% of all deaths in South Africa were reported as nonnatural. Transport accidents were the third most common (11.2%) reported cause of non-natural deaths followed by assaults at 10.2%. According to a number of international studies, the face is the most common site affected by assault- related trauma. Substance abuse is a major public health concern in South Africa and has also been rated as the leading health problem in the United States. Intoxication is also the most common denominator associated with violence and injury. In a Swiss study, Eggensperger found that almost a quarter of assault-related facial fractures were caused by people intoxicated with alcohol, illicit drugs or a combination thereof. This article explores epidemiologic data and relevant information related to maxillofacial trauma, specifically associated with alcohol and substance abuse.DHE

Residual cyst of the jaws: A clinico-pathologic study of this seemingly inconspicuous lesion

Residual cysts are relatively rare inflammatory cysts of the jaws. They are essentially radicular cysts without the presence of the offending dentition. These lesions have the ability to destroy bone within the jaws without any symptoms. Moreover, they can mimic more aggressive cysts and tumours on radiographs. The aim of this study was to describe the clinico-pathological features of residual cysts in order to discern them from other cystic lesions as well as analyse their management and recurrence patterns

Osteopetroza powikłana zapaleniem szpiku szczęki – opis rzadkiego przypadku i przegląd piśmiennictwa

Osteopetrosis is a rare hereditary bone disorder that results in an increase in bone density due to gene mutations and osteoclastic dysfunction. This may lead to cranial nerve compression, bone fractures and osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis of the maxilla is rare even in osteopetrosis patients

Multicenter evaluation of the Idylla NRAS-BRAF mutation test in metastatic colorectal cancer

Treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) with monoclonal antibodies against epidermal growth factor receptor requires the assessment of the mutational status of exons 2, 3, and 4 of the NRAS and KRAS oncogenes. Moreover, the mutational status of exon 15 of the BRAF oncogene is a marker of poor prognosis in CRC. The Idylla NRAS-BRAF Mutation Test is a reliable, simple (<2 minutes hands-on time), and quick (<2 hours turnaround time) sample-to-result solution, enabling the detection of clinically relevant mutations in NRAS (18 mutations) and BRAF (5 mutations). A multicenter study was conducted in 14 centers using the Idylla NRAS-BRAF Mutation Test to assess the NRAS and BRAF mutational status of 418 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from CRC patients. Results were compared with those obtained earlier by routine reference methods, including next-generation sequencing, pyrosequencing, mass spectrometry-based assays, PCR-based assays, and Sanger sequencing. In case of discordance, additional tests were performed by digital droplet PCR. Overall, after testing confirmation and excluding invalids/errors by design, concordances between the Idylla NRAS-BRAF Mutation Test and the reference test results were found in almost perfect agreement. In conclusion, the Idylla NRAS-BRAF Mutation Test enables the routine detection of all NRAS and BRAF mutations deemed clinically relevant according to the latest clinical guidelines, without necessitating molecular expertise or infrastructure