The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of colour Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) to differentiate between benign and malignant cervical lymph nodes. During a period of 12 months, 100 untreated patients with clinical evidence of cervical lymphadenopathy (50 patients with clinically suspected malignant/metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy and 50 patients with clinically suspected reactive/benign cervical lymphadenopathy) were prospectively evaluated with CDUS. CDUS was performed for 168 cervical lymph nodes in these 100 patients. Histopathological confirmations were obtained by fine needle aspiration biopsy and/or excisional biopsy. To evaluate the efficacy of CDUS, comparison between clinical features, CDUS features and cytological/histological features of enlarged cervical lymph nodes was then done. Initially, clinical examination evaluated 143 cervical lymph nodes. CDUS evaluation discovered additional 25 lymph nodes (143+25 = 168). Correlation of patterns of colour Doppler flow signals with pathological diagnosis showed that central flow for benign nodes and peripheral flow for malignant nodes were highly significant parameters (P < 0.01). CDUS has a higher specificity than clinical evaluation, being 94.28% and 58.76%, respectively. Accuracy of the CDUS examination was also definitely higher than clinical evaluation at 92.85% and 63.67%, respectively. Nodal vascularity can be used to differentiate benign from malignant lymphadenopathy. Proper judicious CDUS examination provides an opportunity to eliminate the need for biopsy/FNAC in reactive nodes.

It is impossible to use the routine skeletal parts for gender identification if the skeleton of unknown human remains is obtained in a fragmented and incomplete state. The alternative is to use other parts of the skeleton for gender identification. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of the morphometry of the maxillary sinuses using computed tomography (CT) for gender determination. The study, approved by the institutional ethics committee, analyzed CT scans of 200 patients (100 males, 100 females). The measurement of the mediolateral (ML), superoinferior (SI) and anteroposterior (AP) dimensions, as well as of the volume and the antero-lateral (AL) angle of both the maxillary sinuses, was performed using a CT scan. Head circumference and head area were also measured on an axial image in order to evaluate the correlation between the sinus volume and the head circumference and head area. The mean of the mediolateral, superoinferior and anteroposterior dimensions, volume and AL angle of the right and left maxillary sinuses showed a statistically significant difference between males and females. Head circumference as well as head area were observed to be greater in males than in females, with a statistically significant difference. A positive correlation was observed between the volume of maxillary sinuses and the head circumference and head area on both sides and in both genders; however, it was not significant. Amongst all the parameters, the left AL angle with a 78.5% accuracy was found to be the best discriminative parameter, followed by the right AL angle with a 73% accuracy. The overall accuracy of the maxillary sinus parameters to identify gender was 86%. The maxillary sinus measurements, as well as head circumference and head area are valuable parameters for sex determination in forensic medicine, with a relatively good accuracy rate. However, the prediction rate can be increased by including the AL angle of the maxillary sinus.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are emerging fields involved in the synthesis and application of nanoscale materials and structures. Metallic nanoparticles and metallic oxide are being used extensively in dentistry as they interfere with bacterial metabolism and prevent biofilm formation. AgNPs are a class of zero-dimensional materials with distinctive morphologies. The metallic nanoparticles demonstrate the significant antimicrobial activity by ion release, oxidative stress induction, and non-oxidative mechanisms. Metallic silver has been known for its antimicrobial activity since ancient times. Through the years, silver-containing compounds have been used in various forms to treat several medical conditions. Incorporating silver nanoparticles into dental materials may enhance the mechanical features and antibacterial properties of dental materials. Therefore, an increasing number of dental materials with the inclusion of silver nanoparticles are being developed that improve the overall oral health status of patients. This paper aims to review the literature on specific characteristics of silver nanoparticles and their applications in pediatric dentistry.

Dental treatment is reported to be the greatest unattended health need of people with a disability. The aim of the present study was therefore to quantify the prevalence of oral diseases with a psychosomatic component (recurrent aphthous stomatitis, burning mouth syndrome, and oral lichen planus) in psychiatric patients and to screen these patients for any other oral disorders, so that better care could be provided. In this cross-sectional, single-assessment study, 150 psychiatric patients were evaluated for presence of oral disorders. They were screened based on their socio-demographic profiles, clinical profile, and standardized psychiatric scales. The prevalence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), burning mouth syndrome (BMS), and oral lichen planus (OLP) was 19.33%(29 patients), 20.66% (31 patients) and 5.33% (8 patients), respectively, amongst all psychiatric patients. The prevalence of burning mouth syndrome was much higher in patients taking psychiatric medications (25%) than in drug-naïve patients. On screening for other oral disorders, 35.33% of psychiatric patients had at least one other such disorder. We concluded that this patient group experiences a considerable burden of occult oral disorders necessitating thorough oral care. We also described the possible causes of the higher prevalence of oral disorders in psychiatric patients.