The aim of the study was to evaluate the periodontal conditions in patients treated more than 10 years ago for advanced periodontal disease and rehabilitated with cross-arch fixed partial dentures (FPDs). Of 50 randomly selected patients, 34 subjects carrying 43 FPDs agreed to participate in a clinical and radiographic follow-up examination. The FPDs were divided into three groups on the basis of prosthesis design (end abutments, unilateral cantilever, and bilateral cantilevers) and amount of supporting tissues at the time of bridge installation. Seventy per cent of the FPDs were found to be unchanged, whereas the rest had been modified due to various complications leading to extraction of one or more of the abutment teeth. Six FPDs (14%) had been partially replaced by FPDs anchored to osseointegrated dental implants. A total of 21 (8%) of the original 274 abutment teeth had been extracted. Longitudinal changes in the amount of periodontal support were minimal over the average of 15 years of follow-up. FPD design or initial amount of supporting tissues was found not to have significant influence on longitudinal changes in periodontal conditions. It was concluded that combined periodontal and prosthodontic treatment of patients with advanced loss of periodontal support may provide a high rate of long-term successful outcome, provided proper adequate periodontal and prosthetic treatment and maintenance care are given.

PurposeTo investigate the use of pretreatment carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as prognostic factors to determine survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.Materials and MethodsA retrospective review of the medical records of patients who were diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and received surgery, chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy was performed. Factors, including CA 19-9 and CEA, associated with the survival of pancreatic cancer patients were analyzed.ResultsPatients with the median age of 65 years were included (n=187). Elevated serum CA 19-9 levels and CEA levels were observed in 75.4% and 39% of patients at diagnosis, respectively. CEA was correlated with tumor stages (p=0.005), but CA 19-9 was not. CA 19-9 and CEA were elevated in 69.0% and 33.3% of patients with resectable pancreatic cancer, and elevated in 72.9% and 47.2% of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, respectively. The median overall survival of the normal serum CEA group was longer than that of the elevated serum CEA group (16.3 months vs. 10.2 months, p=0.004). However, the median overall survival of the normal serum CA 19-9 group was not different from that of the elevated serum CA 19-9 group (12.4 months vs. 13.5 months, p=0.969). The independent factors associated with overall survival were advanced pancreatic cancer [harzard ratio (HR) 4.33, p=0.001] and elevated serum CEA level (HR 1.52, p=0.032).ConclusionPatients with elevated serum CEA level at diagnosis demonstrated poor overall survival. Pretreatment CEA level may predict the prognosis of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

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While a significant amount of clinical information has been reported concerning intestinal involvement in Behçet's disease (BD), esophageal involvement in BD has not yet been studied extensively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of esophageal involvement in BD and its clinical characteristics. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 842 patients diagnosed with BD at a single tertiary institution in Korea between January 1990 and June 2006. Of the 842 patients with BD, 129 patients (15.3%) experienced upper gastrointestinal symptoms that required inspection through esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Esophageal involvement was found in 6 (4.7%) of the 129 patients. The activity index of Behçet's disease did not differ among patients with or without esophageal involvement. All patients with esophageal involvement responded well to medical treatment and no one experienced serious complications. The results of our study demonstrate that the prevalence of esophageal involvement in BD is very low and that most patients with such involvement face few complications and respond well to medical treatment.

The present clinical trial demonstrates that, at least during a 3-year period, the ISFP is an acceptable and predictable treatment option for rehabilitation in patients who have lost their teeth because of periodontal disease. This observation seems to be valid in edentulous and partially dentate jaws. A prerequisite to reach such a favorable treatment outcome is possibly the combination of the strict maintenance care program and the careful design of the ISFPs.