This study investigated the need for orthodontic treatment in asthmatic children aged 11 to 14 years and how the treatment affected their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the dental clinic of the University of Salamanca in 2020–2022. The study selected a consecutive sample of 140 children with asthma (52.1% girls; 47.9% boys). This study used the Orthodontic Treatment Needs Index (OTN) to analyze the need for orthodontic treatment and the Children’s Perception Questionnaire (CPQ11–14) to assess OHRQoL. Results: Sex and age did not significantly influence the need for orthodontic treatment, although age may be considered influential for OHRQoL concerning oral symptoms (p < 0.01), functional limitations (p < 0.05), and total score on the CPQ11–14 questionnaire (p < 0.05): the younger the age, the greater the effect of the need for orthodontic treatment on OHRQoL. The social well-being of the patients was much more significantly impacted by the need for orthodontic treatment (15.7 ± 1.91) than by oral symptoms (7.64 ± 1.39), which were the least impacted. In all parts of the CPQ11–14 questionnaire and in the patients’ total scores, we observed significant agreement (p < 0.01) that treatment influenced OHRQoL. Conclusion: An inverse relationship exists between the severity of the treatment needed and OHRQoL.
The incorporation of digital pathology in clinical practice will require the training of pathologists in digital skills. Our study aimed to assess the reliability among pathologists in determining tumor percentage in whole slide images (WSI) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using digital image analysis, and study how the results correlate with the molecular findings. Pathologists from nine centers were trained to quantify epithelial tumor cells, tumor-associated stromal cells, and non-neoplastic cells from NSCLC WSI using QuPath. Then, we conducted two consecutive ring trials. In the first trial, analyzing four WSI, reliability between pathologists in the assessment of tumor cell percentage was poor (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.09). After performing the first ring trial pathologists received feedback. The second trial, comprising 10 WSI with paired next-generation sequencing results, also showed poor reliability (ICC 0.24). Cases near the recommended 20% visual threshold for molecular techniques exhibited higher values with digital analysis. In the second ring trial reliability slightly improved and human errors were reduced from 5.6% to 1.25%. Most discrepancies arose from subjective tasks, such as the annotation process, suggesting potential improvement with future artificial intelligence solutions.
Background: Knowing the oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) status of pediatric patients would be helpful in analyzing their level of dental anxiety before their first visit to a pediatric dentist. However, few studies have analyzed OHRQoL and anxiety in early adolescent patients. The aim of this study was to describe the OHRQoL and anxiety levels of early adolescents, according to age and sex, at their first dental examination. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on early adolescents (11–14 years old) attending their first dental examination in 2023–2024. OHRQoL was assessed using the Spanish version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11–14 (CPQ-Esp11-14) and anxiety using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory in Children (STAIC). Results: A total of 130 early adolescents were assessed, with an average age of 12.6 years (±1.06) and an equal sex distribution (65 boys and 65 girls). Among the analyzed sample, the OHRQoL dimension with the highest score was social well-being (15.01 ± 10.7), whereas the oral symptoms dimension (8.6 ± 4.25) had the lowest impact. There were no statistically significant differences between female and male early adolescents in the anxiety state or anxiety-trait dimensions or in the dimension of OHRQoL, except for oral symptoms, which were higher in boys (9.48 ± 4.51 versus 7.72 ± 3.81). Similarly, no significant differences were found based on age regarding anxiety or OHRQoL. Conclusions: Considering the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that higher levels of anxiety negatively impacted the OHRQoL of the early adolescent population studied.
Introduction: Malocclusions have a negative impact on oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Posterior cross-bite is one of the most prevalent malocclusions in the preadolescent population. This study investigated the influence of posterior cross-bites (unilateral or bilateral) on OHRQoL in an 11- to 14-year-old population. Materials and Methods: A pilot case–control study was carried out at the Dental Clinic of the University of Salamanca between 2021 and 2023. A consecutive sample of 120 preadolescent patients aged 11 to 14 years old was recruited. Three groups were analyzed: a control group (no posterior cross-bite) (n = 40), a group with unilateral posterior cross-bite (n = 40), and a group with bilateral posterior cross-bite (n = 40). To analyze the OHRQoL, the Spanish version of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ-Esp11–14) was used. Results: The mean age of the sample was 12.2 years old (±0.96 years). The group of patients with a bilateral posterior cross-bite was shown to have higher scores in all dimensions of the CPQ-Esp11–14, as well as a higher total score. Sex only influenced the oral symptom dimension of the CPQ-Esp11–14 questionnaire; in this dimension, the girls described a greater impact. Age did not influence OHRQoL. Conclusion: The presence of a posterior cross-bite had a negative impact on OHRQoL in the preadolescent population that was studied.
Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is a leading example of precision oncology, with a growing number of actionable targets. However, long turnaround times (TAT) for biomarker results can delay optimal treatment decisions. We evaluated whether a streamlined workflow could deliver comprehensive molecular reports within 72 h. In this prospective cohort study (UTOPIA protocol), 96 patients with early-stage or advanced NSCLC at Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre underwent molecular tumor board (MTB)-centered triage, automated NGS processing, and integrated data review. TAT was defined (in working days) from MTB triage to electronic report validation. Communication was supported by daily operational huddles and intralaboratory pre-MTB meetings using a standardized checklist. All 96 NGS reports met the 72-hour TAT target (100%). The NGS failure rate was 1%. Potentially actionable genomic alterations were identified in 45.8% of patients, most frequently EGFR (24%) and KRAS G12C (8.3%). Other targetable alterations included six ALK fusions (6.3%), four MET exon 14 skipping mutations (4.2%), two BRAF V600E mutations (2.1%), and one RET fusion (1%). An ultrafast biomarker testing workflow for lung cancer, enabled by MTB-driven triage and structured team communication, can reliably generate comprehensive molecular reports within 72 h. This approach may reduce TAT-related treatment delays and support timely biomarker-guided therapy for patients with NSCLC.
We present the clinical course of a 9-year-old female patient with Bloch–Sulzberger syndrome and severe neurological deficit that met the major (classic cutaneous signs) and minor (dental anomalies and retinal pathology) diagnostic criteria of Landy and Donnai. Longitudinal multidisciplinary follow-up was carried out from birth to adulthood. Neurological involvement was assessed with electroencephalographic (EEG) and neuroimaging tests at different times during the patient’s life. Cranio-maxillofacial involvement was evaluated using lateral skeletal facial and cephalometric analyses. The right and left facial widths were measured through frontal face analysis and using the vertical zygomatic–midline distance. Oral rehabilitation was performed through orthodontic treatment and major dental reconstruction using composite resins. This treatment aimed to improve the occlusion and masticatory function, relieve the transversal compression of the maxilla, and reconstruct the fractured teeth. We believe that, due to significant neurological and cognitive impairment, orthognathic surgery was not the best option for restoring function and improving oral health-related quality of life.