Dirks, Amie J., and Kimberly M. Jones. Statin-induced apoptosis and skeletal myopathy.

To determine the utility of spiral computed tomography (CT) in evaluation of carotid artery stenosis, spiral CT images of 20 patients were compared with images obtained with conventional angiography (20 patients), ultrasound (US) (15 patients), and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography (six patients). The category of stenosis was determined for each internal carotid artery on the basis of the percentage of narrowing: mild = less than 30%, moderate = 30%-69%, and severe = 70%-99%. Occlusions were also noted. The degree of carotid stenosis determined with spiral CT correlated with that determined with conventional angiography in 92% of cases, with that determined with US in 97% of cases, and with that determined with MR angiography in 100% of cases. Calcifications and large ulcers were also well delineated. Spiral CT provided an accurate anatomic depiction of the carotid bifurcation, which could be helpful in preoperative evaluation. The major disadvantage of the technique was the need to postprocess data to remove veins, calcifications, and bone structures from the images.

Socioeconomic differences in the general use of dental care and in its use for check-ups were identified during early childhood, indicating the presence of inequalities.

The clinical and perceived conditions of oral health in Brazilian 12-year-olds were associated with a negative impact on oral health-related quality of life.

Our findings demonstrate that the elderly population in Brazil has a very high degree of need in general and that certain subgroups have been especially vulnerable to oral disease.

It is important for dental professionals to adequately categorize and treat pigmented lesions in the mouth.

Associação entre impactos funcionais e psicossociais das desordens bucais e qualidade de vida entre idososAssociation between physical and psychosocial impacts of oral disorders and quality of life among the elderly

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence and the severity of malocclusions and to analyze factors associated with the need for orthodontic treatment of Brazilian adolescents. METHODS: This exploratory, cross-sectional study was carried out based on secondary data from the national epidemiological survey on oral health in Brazil (2002-2003). Socio-demographic conditions, self-perception, and the existence and degree of malocclusion, using the Dental Aesthetic Index, were evaluated in 16,833 adolescent Brazilians selected by probabilistic sample by conglomerates. The dependent variable need orthodontic treatment was estimated from the severity of malocclusion. The magnitude and direction of the association in bivariate and multivariate analyzes from a Robust Poisson regression was estimated. RESULTS: The majority of the adolescents needed orthodontic treatment (53.2%). In the multivariate analysis, the prevalence of the need for orthodontic treatment was larger among females, non-whites, those that perceived a need for treatment, and those that perceived their appearance as normal, bad, or very bad. The need for orthodontic treatment was smaller among those that lived in the Northeast and Central West macro-regions compared to those living in Southeast Brazil and it was also smaller among those that perceived their chewing to be normal or their oral health to be bad or very bad. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of orthodontic treatment need among adolescents in Brazil and this need was associated with demographic and subjective issues. The high prevalence of orthodontic needs in adolescents is a challenge to the goals of Brazil's universal public health system.