Clinical association between dental malocclusion and strabismus in adolescents: a retrospective dental cast analysis.

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the occlusion in adolescents with strabismus in comparison with healthy subjects without vision problems.

Methods: The test group included 50 subjects (23 males and 27 females) with a diagnosis of strabismus and the control group included 50 healthy patients (23 males and 27 females) without any past or present disturbance of vision. Dental cast analysis was performed to evaluate antero-posterior, transversal and vertical malocclusion and dental crowding.

Evaluation of the analytical performances of a portable, 18-parameter hemometric system using capillary blood samples for blood donor enrolment.

Background And Objectives: Blood donor enrolment process is frequently based on the sole capillary haemoglobin (Hb) evaluation while platelet donors by apheresis also requires platelet (Plt) count. The 'sole Hb' approach prevents a complete donor evaluation and does not allow Plt donor enrolment. To extend blood counts before donations, we evaluated the performances of a multiparametric counter using capillary blood.

Hepatitis B virus blood screening: impact of nucleic amplification technology testing implementation on identifying hepatitis B surface antigen non-reactive window period and chronic infections.

Background: Despite improvements in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) test sensitivity, post-transfusion hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection still occurs because HBsAg is undetectable during the early window phase (WP) of the infection, in the convalescence core window phase of the infection, or in serologically silent chronic hepatitis or in mutant forms of HBV. HBV-DNA screening using high sensitivity nucleic amplification technology (NAT) assays has recently been introduced to reduce the residual risk of transmission of HBV by transfusion of blood components.

Materials: Over 1 year 75 063 donations were individually screened for HBV-DNA by the Ultrio Procleix assay on the Tigris platform.

Hereditary spherocytosis and elliptocytosis associated with prosthetic heart valve replacement: rheological study of erythrocyte modifications.

The implantation of a prosthetic heart valve (HVP) in patients with hereditary spherocytosis (HS) and hereditary elliptocytosis (HE) is rare, and the changes in the structure and deformability of erythrocytes that follow implantation in these patients have been poorly described. In the present study, the erythrocytes in HS and HE patients with mechanical HVP were compared to the erythrocytes in patients with only congenital membrane defects, in terms of biochemical modifications and rheological behaviour. Integral and cytoskeletal erythrocyte membrane proteins were studied, and blood viscosity (shear rate/shear stress ratio), aggregation ratio [eta(1 s(-1))/eta(200 s(-1))], and red cell visco-elasticity were determined.

Paratesticular leiomyosarcoma: a case report.

Leiomyosarcomas of the spermatic cord are extremely rare. This article reviews the pathophysiology of spermatic cord leiomyosarcomas and the reasons for recurrence, and discusses the management options. Radical inguinal orchiectomy and high ligation of the cord is the standard primary surgical procedure.