Folia medica Cracoviensia最新文献

This paper describes a unique case of craniosynostosis in a female skull in which sagittal sutures were completely fused by adolescence. Despite sagittal synostosis, the skull was of normal shape and size. Regarding craniometric features, the synostotic normocephalic skull was markedly different than that of scaphocephalic skulls which typically result from premature obliteration of the sagittal suture.

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a condition characterized by high blood pressure and significant proteinuria in pregnant women. It affects about 7% pregnancies and can be cause of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. During pregnancy, a physiological overexpression of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) components is observed, including increased plasma Ang II level. Dysregulation of RAS in placenta may contribute to preeclampsia and uterine growth retardation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the Ang I metabolism in human preeclamptic placentas and to compare to normal pregnancies condition.

Method: Fragments of placental tissues were collected right after ceasarian section from PE and physiological pregnancies. Tissues were incubated in Krebs buffer in the presence of Ang I. Evaluation of Ang I metabolites in incubating fluid was performed by LC/MS/MS method. mRNA expression of main RAS components was measured by RT-PCR.

Results: Pattern of angiotensin metabolites did not differ between groups. The main products were Ang 1-7 and Ang II. Comparing to control group, more than 3-fold lower production of Ang II and Ang 1-7 in preeclampsia was observed. mRNA expressions of ACE and AT1 were significantly decreased in pre- eclamptic placentas, whereas higher expression of mRNA of ACE2 and MAS receptor were observed.

Conclusions: Production of Ang 1-7 by PE placentas was significantly lower than in control group. Significantly decreased mRNA expression of ACE and AT1 receptor and lower production of Ang II in placentas of PE patients suggest that placental Ang II/ACE/AT1r pathway could be less important than Ang 1-7/ACE-2/MASr pathway in development of preeclampsia, but this requires further investigations.

Background: Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) is a significant patient-oriented outcome which should be considered in diagnostic, decision making and therapeutic process by dentists.

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of a condition of teeth, oral mucosa and dentures on the OHRQoL among patients seeking dental treatment in the University Dental Clinic (UDC) in Kraków, Poland.

Material and methods: 250 patients took part in a cross-sectional study conducted in the UDC in Kraków. Collected clinical data included: oral mucosa and periodontal condition, number of Decayed, Missed and Filled Teeth (DMFT index), presence of dentures. Questionnaire part of the study has been based on OHIP-14 questionnaire.

Results: The condition of teeth worsened OHRQoL in following groups of patients: first-time visitors, smokers, with periodontal diseases and without oral mucosal diseases. There was a positive significant correlation between number of decayed teeth and OHRQoL related to teeth. The condition of oral mucosa significantly impaired OHRQoL in: women, patients with oral mucosal diseases and those who undergone prosthetic treatment in the last year. There was a correlation between number of missing teeth, DMFT index, age and subscale 2 of the form. The condition of dentures significantly impaired the OHRQoL in patients: who used removable dental prostheses, undergone prosthetic treatment in the last year and females. There was a positive correlation between subscale 3 of the questionnaire and number of missing teeth and DMFT index and a negative correlation with number of filled teeth within this subscale.

Conclusions: Evaluation of patient's OHRQoL is one of important components for successful dental treatment.

Introduction: Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) such as pacemakers or cardioverter defibrillators prevent dangerous heart arrhythmias and conduction abnormalities. Post-intervention education is crucial in the patient recovery process and aims to avoid both dangerous behavior and unnecessary restraints in daily living.

Objective: The evaluation of knowledge of daily activities' safety among patients with CIEDs and an analysis of the relationship between the state of knowledge and perceived post-intervention quality of life.

Materials and methods: The study group included 100 patients (57% men) with CIEDs, recruited in the University Hospital in Kraków. Data on the patients' knowledge about permissible daily activities, medical procedures and perceived quality of life was collected using a dedicated questionnaire, which comprised 57 simple and multiple-choice questions.

Results: The analyzed group included patients aged 28 to 97 years (mean age 73). Among them, 26% either have not received or have not read the information booklet. Two-thirds of them either need more information about their device (51%) or do not possess essential knowledge (15%). Patients raised concerns about performing daily activities such as: car-driving (38%), using seat belts (14%), bathing (15%), returning to work (51%) or climbing stairs (16%). They reported anxiety when using computers (39%), mobile phones (51%), microwaves (73%) and even electric toothbrushes (51%). It has been observed that patients with a greater general understanding of the pacemaker and post-implantation restraints had a higher quality of life on average.

Conclusions: Patients with CIEDs restrain themselves excessively in daily living. There is a strong need to provide them with knowledge of their medical condition, concomitant capabilities, and limitations to undergo a fully successful rehabilitation. Comprehensive and easily comprehensible recommendations may play a key role in improving patients' quality of life.

Pain in the masticatory muscles or temporomandibular joints may in some cases be a symptom of other afflictions occurring in this region. The aim of the study was to present the differential diagnosis of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and other diseases in the craniofacial area, based on review of the literature. Using the key words: "differential diagnosis of TMD", "pain of non-dental origin" and "chronic orofacial pain", PUBMED and Scopus databases were systematically searched for articles in English from 2005 to 2020. Additionally, the PUBMED database was supplementarily reviewed using the keywords "Lyme disease orofacial symptoms" for the English-language articles published in the years 1996-2020. Out of 445 publications from PUBMED and Scopus databases as well as other sources, 57 articles describing the pathogenesis and characteristic symptoms of diseases that may cause pain similar to that occurring in TMD as well as diagnostic methods used in differential diagnosis of TMD were selected for analysis. Dental and jawbones-related conditions, ear and maxillary sinus diseases, as well as ailments of neuropathic and vascular origin, were taken into account. Neoplastic processes taking place in this region and less often occurring diseases caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites were also described. Conclusions. Correct diagnosis of temporomandibular disorders is based on medical history and thorough physical examination, as well as results of additional tests. Pain localized in the head and neck structures may have diverse, sometimes complex aetiology, and may require multidisciplinary treatment. Observation of the patient's behaviour and - in selected cases - the results of additional laboratory tests, also play a significant role.

Arterial stiffness is a characteristic of the arterial wall strongly associated with ageing and hypertension. It has been confirmed as a significant cardio-vascular risk factor. Despite available non- invasive measurement methods of central artery stiffening, it has not become a prevalent diagnostic marker in primary care so far. This article provides an overview of pathophysiology of arterial stiffness, possible diagnostic techniques, association with cardiovascular conditions and potential perspective of primary care to implement an additional distinctive parameter to evaluate cardiac risk.

Chronic pain in the head and face region has a predicted prevalence of 20% in Europe, and is more common in women than men. The etiology of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is multifactorial, and high levels of psychological stress amplify its symptoms. We were interested in how headache reported in RDC/TMD is associated with stress. Individuals with an average age of 18 years were included in the study. They were all volunteer participants in a research project. Clinical evaluation of each subject was performed using the RDC/TMD dual-axis diagnostic system. All participants filled out the PSS-10 questionnaire. A total of 138 individuals participated in the study, of which 107 were female. Headache was reported by 83 participants (59.4%), with females presenting higher scores on the PSS-10; this was statistically significant. A comparison between PSS-10 questionnaire results and headache level shows insignificant differences. However, the higher the stress level in the participant, the higher the headache score. Females are more susceptible to perceived stress, which can have an effect on TMD.

I n t r o d u c t i o n: The COVID-19 pandemic has put healthcare systems worldwide under huge strain, resulting in a significant loss of their capacity and availability. Patients have become more reluctant to contact their doctors or call an ambulance in case of myocardial infarction (MI) symptoms onset. It has been accompanied by a significant decrease in the number of coronary angiography and PCI procedures performed. O b j e c t i v e s: The aim of the study is to evaluate the role of online health information in the patient- dependent phase of MI management during the COVID-19 lockdown in Europe. Methods: We analyzed Google Trends data on the popularity of phrases related to MI symptoms, respiratory tract infection, urological complaints, and terms unrelated to health, for the period of the first COVID-19 lockdown, along with the data from the corresponding weeks from 2017-2019 in seven European countries. R e s u l t s: The search volume for particular symptoms of myocardial infarction increased in all studied countries, compared to the analogous period from 2017-2019, with a significant increase in for chest pain, shortness of breath, fear, and palpitations in most countries. These changes have not been accompanied by increased interest in terms related to respiratory tract infection symptoms and urological complaints. C o n c l u s i o n s: Our findings suggest that during lockdown, patients with MI symptoms may have tried to manage their complaints on their own, using information from the Internet. This demonstrates the growing role of the Internet in the patient's decision-making process in the emergency situation, indicating a growing need for reliable and freely available online information provided by healthcare professionals.

P u r p o s e: Oral health and diseases are significant components of general health. However, oral health-care remains at the lowest of older patients' priorities. The inability to obtain dental care can result in progression of dental disease, leading to a diminished quality of life and overall health. Teledentistry (TD) provides an opportunity to improve the quality of oral health services. The aim of our narrative review was to analyze the usefulness of teledentistry as a part of telemedicine to improve oral health in the elderly. Materials/Methods: The PubMed database search was done for: teledentistry, oral health, oral- health related diseases, elderly, older adults. R e s u l t s: The applicability of TD has been demonstrated from children to older adults. Older adults have many obstacles in getting oral health care, including low income, lack health insurance, frailty, anxiety, depression, mobility problems or other handicaps. Available data suggests that the usefulness of TD in the provision of oral care in elderly people living in residential aged care facilities. Moreover, TD procedures were found to be as accurate as traditional face-to-face dental examinations, they was cost-effective and well accepted among patients and caregivers. C o n c l u s i o n s: TD might be a very useful tool for professional education, improving access and patient satisfaction of dental care. However, such TD modes would be difficult to widely implementation in community-dwelling older people who cannot access dental care. The ongoing "Patient centric solution for smart and sustainable healthcare (ACESO)" project will add to the intelligent oral health solutions.