Mark Swerdloff

Mental nerve neuropathy: A complication of sickle-cell crisis

Anesthesia of the mental nerve, a rare complication of sickle-cell disease, has been reported. This is the first documented and reported case occurring in the United States. A review of the basic pathophysiology of the disease has been presented.

Children With Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities: Do Physicians Ever Consider Needed Dental Care?

In the late 1960s, there were more than a quarter of a million individuals with mental retardation/ developmental disabilities in state institutions. During the next 30 years, the number of residents decreased by more than 75% (Anderson, Lakin, Mangan, & Prouty, 1998). Changing social policies, favorable legislation for people with disabilities, and class-action legal decisions, which delineated the rights of individuals with mental retardation, have led to deinstitutionalization (i.e., mainstreaming, establishment of community-oriented group residences and enhanced personal family residential settings) and closure of many state-run large facilities. Many of the community residential facilities are too small in size to provide services within the residence. As a consequence, the monitoring of health care can be difficult when the delivery of service and health records are disseminated among multiple providers and locations. Thus, although most infants, children, and adolescents with mental retardation live with their natural or foster parents, pediatric and general practitioners may need to interact with a large and varied group of health providers. The success of community-based health programs, therefore, depends on: x The capacity to organize and maintain the services and health records of these ‘‘new’’ community residents and increasing numbers of youngsters with mental retardation/developmental disabilities in existing community families. x The ability of pediatric and general practitioners, who provide consultation and medical ‘‘gatekeeping’’ services for the population with mental retardation/developmental disabilities, to recognize and identify the wider range of needed health services—including preventive and restorative dental care. x The availability of private practitioners who are (a) convenient and accessible to the deinstitutionalized individuals and (b) are trained and willing to provide the needed care.

Identification and Localization of a Mucopolysaccharidase in Human Deciduous Teeth

The presence of a mucopolysaccharidase in resorbing deciduous teeth was investigated using histochemical techniques. The loss of toluidine blue metachromasia within glycosaminoglycan film substrates indicated the presence of enzyme activity, and was related to physiologic resorption. Such activity was localized to the periodontal ligament of these teeth.

Mucous cell hyperplasia in an odontogenic cyst from a patient with Muir-Torre syndrome

Mucous cell proliferation in a periapical radicular cyst from a patient with a family history of colonic malignancies and multiple sebaceous neoplasms of the skin, so-called Muir-Torre syndrome, is reported. Such goblet cell hyperplasia has not been previously reported to be associated with any known syndrome. We believe the finding of mucous cell hyperplasia in an odontogenic cyst may not simply be coincidental, but should raise suspicion of paraneoplastic potential and warrant further evaluation for possible occult neoplastic disease.

Dental Pulp Mucopolysaccharidase: Identification and Role in Tooth Resorption

The presence of mucopolysaccharidase activity within the pulps of resorbing deciduous teeth was investigated using histochemical techniques. The loss of toluidine blue metachromasia within glycosaminoglycan film substrates indicated the presence of enzyme activity. This was related to physiologic resorption.

Mucopolysaccharidase Activity and Glycosaminoglycan Content in Traumatized Resorbing Deciduous Teeth

The periodontal ligaments from traumatized deciduous teeth, while undergoing rapid resorption, were analyzed biochemically for mucopolysaccharidase activity and for total glycosaminoglycan content of dentin and cementum. Enzyme activity was present only in resorbing teeth. A concomitant 65 percent decrease in glycosaminoglycans from these teeth occurred as well.

Effect of fixation upon the histochemistry of glycosaminoglycans (Mucopolysaccharides) in intraoral wounds

Intraoral wounds and biochemical films were examined to determine the best method of fixation for glycosaminoglycans. Tissues fixed in 1% cetyl pyridinium chloride-10% formalin stained intensely with preparations of Alcian blue. When these tissues were treated with Streptomyces hyaluronidase and bacterial chondroitinases, staining was comparable to untreated tissues fixed in only 10% formalin. The addition of cetyl pyridinium chloride to formalin fixatives was a requirement for glycosaminoglycan histochemistry in open wounds, and presumably in other tissues that contain these complex sugars.