James B. Sweet

Sjögren-Type Syndrome After Allogeneic Bone-Marrow Transplantation

Four patients, treated for hematologic disorders with bone-marrow transplants from HLA-identical siblings, spontaneously complained of dry eyes 8 to 12 months after transplantation. Four allograft recipients and two recipients of autologous bone-marrow transplants were evaluated for xerophthalmia and xerostomia. Three allogeneic marrow recipients had evidence of keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and two had decreased parotid gland function. All four allograft recipients had minor salivary gland histopathology identical to that of Sjögrens syndrome. The severity of symptoms and histologic lesions corresponded with the severity of chronic graft-versus-host disease. In addition, one patient developed sclerodermatous skin changes, another had discoid lupus erythematosus, and two patients had laboratory evidence of cholestasis. None of the patients had autoantibodies but all had hypergammaglobulinemia. In contrast, none of the recipients of autologous bone marrow had clinical, laboratory, or histologic findings resembling Sjögrens syndrome.

Predisposing and operative factors: Effect on the incidence of localized osteitis in mandibular third-molar surgery

Five hundred and four bilateral mandibular third-molar extraction sites were examined postoperatively for localized osteitis. All sites received a mechanical lavage of either 350 ml, or 175 ml. of sterile normal saline solution. No significant differences were observed relative to the effect of lavage volume on the incidence of iocalized osteitis. A preoperative antimicrobial mouthrinse of chloramine-T (sodium-p-toluene sulfonchloramide) was also used by one half of the patients. Although only slight differences were noted in healing with the different lavage volumes of the chloramine-T, certain predisposing factors contributed significant differences.

Effect of lavage on the incidence of localized osteitis in mandibular third molar extraction sites

Four hundred twenty-two mandibular third molars were extracted in 211 patients. After extraction, one half of the surgical sites were subjected to a 175 ml. lavage with normal saline solution, and the other half received a lavage of less than 25 ml. of normal saline solution. Comparisons revealed the following: 1. The overall incidence of localized osteitis was 8.3 per cent (thirty-five of 422 sites). 2. Localized osteitis occurred at twelve of 211 (5.7 per cent) sites which were subjected to the higher-volume lavage. 3. Localized osteitis occurred at twenty-three of 211 (10.9 per cent) sites which were subjected to minimal lavage. 4. The incidence of localized osteitis was determined in the various age groups as follows: ages 15 to 20, 5.0 per cent; ages 21 to 35, 10.4 per cent; ages 26 to 30, 14.7 per cent. 5. Localized osteitis occurred at eight of 175 (4.5 per cent) partial-impaction sites, whereas it occurred at twenty-seven of 246 (11 per cent) complete-impaction sites. 6. The incidence of localized osteitis at extraction sites in female patients taking oral contraceptives was 19.4 per cent (seven of thirty-six sites). 7. Postoperative infection occurred at seven of 422 extraction sites (1.4 per cent); six of these occurred at sites which were subjected to minimal lavage. These results indicate that the use of a 175 ml. lavage with normal saline solution after extraction of mandibular third molars will significantly reduce the incidence of localized osteitis to approximately one half of that observed when only a minimal-volume lavage is used. The results also suggest that age, type of impaction, and whether the patient is taking oral contraceptives are all important factors to be considered in the incidence of localized osteitis.

Increased incidence of postoperative localized osteitis in mandibular third molar surgery associated with patients using oral contraceptives

Current literature has noted the various side effects of oral contraceptives. Oral surgeons have recently encountered an increased incidence of postoperative localized osteitis occurring with removal of manidibular third molars. This article documents the occurrence of this phenomenon among 105 women participating in a recent study at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health.

Effect of antimicrobial mouth rinses on the incidence of localized alveolitis and infection following mandibular third molar oral surgery

Mandibular third molars were removed from 400 patients who were divided into four different preoperative and postoperative rinsing groups using either normal saline solution, chloramine-T, povidone iodine, or sodium bicarbonate. The overall incidence of localized alveolitis and infection was 4.5% and 1.7%, respectfully. The incidence of the two postoperative problems proved not to be statistically significant when the four groups were compared with each other. There seems to be no apparent advantage to the preoperative and postoperative use of an antimicrobial mouth rinse in place of normal saline solution in reducing the incidence of either localized alveolitis or postoperative infections.

Recovery following intravenous sedation during dental surgery performed under local anesthesia.

Recovery of psychomotor and perceptual performance from two combinations of intravenous sedatives was assessed in 124 oral surgical patients undergoing third molar extractions under local infiltration anesthesia. Ninety-four patients in the experimental group received 15 mg of diazepam and 20 to 200 mg of methohexital intravenously on one occasion and 12.5 mg of diazepam, 20 to 200 mg of methohexital, and 0.1 mg of fentanyl intravenously on another occasion in a randomized, crossover design. Thirty patients in the control group received saline placebo intravenously during a single surgery. Both drug combinations produced significantly prolonged decrements in performance in comparison to placebo. Reduction in the diazepam dose from 15 to 12.5 mg and the addition of fentanyl, a short-acting narcotic, produced greater sedation without prolonging recovery. Psychomotor function recovered to preoperative levels before perceptual performance. These results show that postsurgical deficits in psychomotor and perceptual function result from the sedative drugs and not from the effects of local anesthetics or physiologic and psychological responses to surgery. These results also suggest that psychomotor tests are inappropriate measures of recovery and that superior sedation with rapid recovery may be achieved with reduced doses of longer acting agents such as diazepam and with the addition of shorter acting agents that do not prolong recovery.

Tangier disease with oral abnormalities

A patient with Tangier disease, pulpal calcifications, and bilateral mandibular intrabony lesions (unusual odontomas) is presented. A relationship between Tangier disease and the oral manifestations found in this patient has not been established. Of the 27 known patients with Tangier disease, only 2 have been examined.