Djordje Petrovic

Blunt chest trauma--an audit of injuries diagnosed by the MDCT examination.

BACKGROUND/AIM Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) characterised by speed and precision is increasingly accessible in emergency wards. The aim of our study was to determine the most common injuries to the chest region, as well as type associated extrathoracic injuries, and the treatment outcome. METHODS This prospective study included 61 patients with blunt trauma who were submitted to computed tomography (CT) of the thorax. The number of injuries was evaluated by organs and organ systems of the chest. The cause of the injury, the length and the outcome of the treatment, and the presence of injuries in other regions were assessed. RESULTS Chest injuries were associated with injuries to other regions in 80.3% cases, predominantly injuries to extremities or pelvic bones in 54.1% cases, followed by head injuries in 39.3% patients. Associated thoracic injuries were present in 90.9% of patients with lethal outcome. Lung parenchymal lesions, pleural effusions and rib fractures were the most common injuries affecting 77.1%, 65.6% and 63.9% of the cases, respectively. CONCLUSION Blunt chest trauma is a significant problem affecting predominantly males in their forties and it is usually caused by a motor vehicle accident. In case of pneumomediastinum or mediastinal haematoma, the use of 3D reconstructions is advised for diagnosing possible tracheobronchial ruptures and thoracic aorta injuries. Increased resolution of CT scanners yielded a large number of findings that are occult on radiography, especially in the event of lung parenchymal and pleural injuries. However, none imaging modality can replace surgical judgement.

Plasma cell gingivitis - an unusual case of simultaneus disease occurence in two siblings

Introduction. Plasma cell gingivitis (PCG) is a relatively rare disease that usually occurs on the anterior maxillary and mandibular gingiva. It manifests as extreme redness, swelling and gum tissue enlargement with propensity for bleeding, accompanied by extensive infiltration of plasma cells in the lamina propria. While the disease etiology remains unclear, its presentation is mostly attributed to nonspecific inflammatory reaction to certain foodstuffs or ingredients in oral hygiene products. Case report. A 9-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl were brought for exam by their mother because of fiery red lesions on the gingiva. The lesions had the same clinical features and identical localization and were concomitantly present in both siblings. After excluding other oral or systemic diseases with similar clinical manifestations, a diagnosis of PCG was established (most likely due to chewing gum). Conclusion. While being a purely benign, the PCG clinical appearance may mask much more detrimental conditions. Consequently, each such lesion requires due attention. To date, familial tendency for the development of such a condition has not been reported.

Possibility of determining relations between translatory movement and inclination of agonist teeth after extraction of first permanent molars

Introduction. Tooth extractions, particularly of the permanent teeth, lead to different and numerous consequences. It is known that the incidence of caries and the incidence of premature extractions are the highest with the first permanent molars. The aims of this study were to examine the possibility of determining the relations between the translatory movement and the agonist teeth inclination depending on the time of the performed extraction, as well as on the temporal distance from the moment of extracting the first permanent molar to the moment of analyzing the changes. Material and Methods. The study was performed on the sample of 185 subjects, their age ranging from 11 to 26 years (X=14) with early (by the age of 11 years) and late performed extraction of the first permanent molars in the maxilla and mandible and determined class I of occlusal relationship. Results. The relation, expressed by the mathematical expression, between the translatory movement and tooth inclination has been confirmed, but only in case of late extractions. As for early extractions, the obtained results of the correlation coefficient value showed no relations between translatory movement and tooth inclination. Conclusion. The relation between translatory movement and teeth inclination (the second premolars and the second permanent molars) expressed by the mathematical expression has been confirmed by the given values of the correlation coefficient, but only in case of late performed extractions. The biggest changes of the analyzed teeth position (the second premolars and the second permanent molars) occur in the first year after late extractions of the first permanent molars.