Unpleasant taste--a neglected symptom in depression.

Of 47 depressed patients, 19 reported the symptom of unpleasant taste. This symptom appeared unrelated to previous drug treatment. Also, in this study, there was no significant association with prognosis, severity or type of depression, or with various historical factors.

Glossodynia as an oral manifestation of sex hormone alterations.

Oral inflammation occurs during puberty, pregnancy, menses, and therapy with hormones (especially oral contraceptive agents), and other medications such as phenytoin. Alterations of the oral environment result from fluctuations of plasma and salivary sex steroids. The ratio of the sex steroids to one another, and their absolute concentration, determine the amount of prostanoid and peroxidase production and salivary flow.

Glossodynia after radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy and chemotherapy have decreased the mortality rates of cancer patients, but the morbidity associated with oral complications is high in many cases. A pretreatment oral evaluation and institution of a preventive care program reduce oral symptoms such as glossodynia considerably. When oral symptoms are minimized, the dentist can improve the patient's quality of life.

Oral lesions as a cause of glossodynia.

A number of oral lesions may be responsible for the symptoms of glossodynia. A thorough examination of the tongue and the mouth is of paramount importance to eliminate specific oral manifestations that may result in a burning or painful tongue. Ultimately, this may require consultation with an oral diagnostician for a definitive diagnosis.

Gonioscopic findings following insertion of Pearce Lasagap and Nova Curve Kratz posterior chamber intraocular lenses in extrapsular cataract extraction.

The gonioscopic appearances of 45 eyes that had undergone extracapsular cataract extraction with insertion of a Pearce Lasagap posterior chamber intraocular lens (group A) were compared with those of 45 eyes that had undergone the same procedure except for insertion of a Nova Curve Kratz posterior chamber lens (group B). Prominence of one or both loops was seen in 35 eyes (78%) of group A, with peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) in 25 (55%). Prominence of one loop was seen in 14 eyes (31%) of group B, with PAS in 8 (18%) (P less than 0.

Caesium levels in manic depressive psychosis.

Concentrations of caesium were estimated in hair, whole blood, serum and urine by neutron activation analysis, in samples from manic patients, depressed patients, recovered manic patients, recovered depressed patients and normal controls. There was no difference in the concentration of caesium measured between the various diagnostic categories. These results contradict the findings of previous reports.

Cation transport in lymphoblastoid cell lines established from bipolar manic-depressive patients.

Lymphoblastoid cell lines established from patients suffering from bipolar manic depression have been used to study the possible involvement of cation transport in the aetiology of this illness. No significant difference was found in the K+ fluxes mediated by the ouabain-sensitive sodium pump, the diuretic-sensitive cotransport system and the passive leak pathway of cell lines established from either control or bipolar subjects. The mean value for the specific binding of 3H-ouabain (sodium pump site number) was significantly higher in the bipolar group (approximately 30%) than in the control group.

Metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon presenting as periradicular periodontal disease: a case report.

Metastases to the jaws account for only 1% of all malignant tumors of the oral cavity. Consequently the diagnosis of metastasis to the mandible requires a high degree of clinical suspicion and the use of a systematic diagnostic approach. In this case report a patient sought treatment for what appeared clinically and radiographically as periradicular periodontal disease.

Reduced ouabain binding to erythrocytes in epilepsy--evidence for a membrane abnormality.

The number of sodium pump sites on erythrocytes was measured using tritiated ouabain in 20 untreated fasted patients with recent-onset untreated primary generalised or partial seizures and in 22 age- and sex-matched controls. The ouabain binding was significantly lower at 1393 +/- 392 molecules ouabain/pl cells compared to 1677 +/- 366 molecules ouabain/pl cells in the group with epilepsy (P less than 0.02).

Oral complications of cancer chemotherapy: prevention and management.

Cancer chemotherapy is used to destroy rapidly proliferating cells. However, normal cells with high mitotic indexes are also affected by chemotherapy, particularly those in the oral and gastrointestinal mucosa and the hemopoietic system. Ultimately, this may lead to certain oral complications of cancer chemotherapy such as mucositis, infection, hemorrhage, xerostomia, and neurologic and nutritional disorders.

The patient with chronic renal failure who is undergoing dialysis or renal transplantation: another consideration for antimicrobial prophylaxis.

A patient with chronic renal failure who is undergoing dialysis or renal transplantation is susceptible to a number of infections. Transient, usually asymptomatic bacteremias occur in a wide variety of dental manipulations, particularly those involving the mucous membranes. Certain bacteremias may cause serious complications in these already compromised patients.

Circulating erythroid progenitors in the anemia of prematurity.

We studied erythropoiesis in infants with the anemia of prematurity by counting the number of colonies derived from erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-E) in the blood of 11 premature infants before they received transfusions. Colony growth in blood from the infants was compared with growth in blood from adults and umbilical-cord blood from term infants, in the presence of erythropoietin, 0 to 2000 mU per milliliter. Addition of increasing concentrations of erythropoietin resulted in a stepwise increase in the number of colonies derived from BFU-E (P less than 0.

A controlled trial of methylene blue in severe depressive illness.

Methylene blue, 15 mg/day, was compared with placebo in treatment of severe depressive illness. The 3-week trial was designed to avoid bias by placebo response and also to avoid observer bias. Improvement in patients receiving methylene blue was significantly greater than in those receiving placebo.

Further studies of vanadium in depressive psychosis.

Three studies are reported. In study 1, vanadium concentration was estimated by neutron activation analysis in hair, whole blood, serum and urine from 13 patients suffering from depressive psychosis and then when on recovery. Vanadium concentration of hair, whole blood and serum decreased significantly with recovery, but there was no significant change in 24-h urinary excretion or in renal clearance of vanadium.

Early aggressive cemento-ossifying fibroma: a diagnostic and treatment dilemma.

A case involving a 22-year-old male patient with early aggressive cemento-ossifying fibroma in the mandible is discussed. The historical difficulty in categorizing fibro-osseous lesions is reviewed, and the importance of clinical, radiographic, and surgical findings to the ultimate diagnosis and correct treatment of these lesions is emphasized.

Labour in patients with a caesarean section scar. The place of oxytocin augmentation.

Fifty-two patients who had had a single previous caesarean section were submitted to a trial of scar. Labour was monitored by internal tocography and direct fetal heart rate monitoring. Oxytocin infusion was employed when uterine work proved to be inadequate.

A two-year double-blind crossover trial of the prophylactic effect of methylene blue in manic-depressive psychosis.

A 2-year prophylactic trial was carried out in 31 bipolar manic-depressive subjects, comparing 300 mg/day methylene blue on a double-blind crossover basis with 15 mg/day. All patients were also maintained on lithium. Seventeen patients completed the 2-year trial.