The aim of this study was to design and test a pressure ulcer severity score based on assessment by experienced clinicians. Fifty pressure ulcers were each evaluated independently by seven experienced clinicians, using a scale that ranged from 0 (mildest damage) to 10 (most severe). Ulcer characteristics were analysed to determine which factors related to the assessments. A second set of 50 ulcers was used to test the validity of the resulting scoring system. Inter- and intra-observer reliability were tested in a further 10 pressure ulcers. A multivariate linear model was produced, based on the following three variables: colour (CO-matched-matched) in the wound base; depth (DE)?of the ulcer; and mean diameter (D)?of the wound (‘CODED’). The coefficients for each variable were rounded to yield points in an additive equation, the CODED score. This score had a high correlation (r = 0.92, P<0.001) with the second set of evaluations, used to test the score performance. The CODED score is a simple and valid tool to quantify the progress of a pressure ulcer. It has a high correlation with the severity assessment of experienced clinicians and is reliable when used by non-experienced observers.

Caliber-persistent artery (CPLA) of the lip is a common vascular anomaly in which a main arterial branch extends to the surface of the mucous tissue with no reduction in its diameter. It usually manifests as pulsatile papule, is easily misdiagnosed, and is observed more frequently among older people, suggesting that its development may involve a degenerative process associated with aging; CPLA is also characterized by the loss of tone of the adjacent supporting connective tissue. Although the diagnosis is clinical, high-resolution Doppler ultrasound is a useful noninvasive tool for evaluating the lesion. This report describes the case of a 58-year-old male patient who complained of a lesion of the lower lip with bleeding and recurrent ulceration. The patient was successfully treated in our hospital after a diagnosis of CPLA and is currently undergoing a clinical outpatient follow-up with no complaints.

Historically, wearing adornments on pierced body parts has been associated with many cultures as manifestations of religious or cultural identities. Currently, its use has a broad acceptance among young people. The most common sites for piercings are the tongue and lower lip in the oral cavity. Several complications may be associated with this practice with the most frequently observed being halitosis, periodontitis, tooth fracture, glossitis, and the formation of abscesses. This paper is a case report of a patient who had a complication from a piercing on the tongue located under the overlying mucosa. It also suggests a local habit was a possible initiator of this complication. Citation Shinohara EH, Horikawa FK, Ruiz MM, Shinohara MT. Tongue Piercing: Case Report of a Local Complication. J Contemp Dent Pract 2007 January;(8)1:083-089.

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