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Biomedical subjects

C Scully

Publications and source records attributed to C Scully.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Computer assisted learning (CAL) of oral manifestations of HIV disease.

General dental practitioners (GDPs) in the UK may wish additional education on relevant aspects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. The aim of the present study was to develop and assess a computer assisted learning package on the oral manifestations of HIV disease of relevance to GDPs. A package was developed using a commercially-available software development tool and assessed by a group of 75 GDPs interested in education and computers. Fifty-four (72%) of the GDPs completed a self-administered questionnaire of their opinions of the package. The majority reported the package to be easy to load and run, that it provided clear instructions and displays, and that it was a more effective educational tool than videotapes, audiotapes, professional journals and textbooks, and of similar benefit as post-graduate courses. The GDPs often commented favourably on the effectiveness of the clinical images and use of questions and answers, although some had criticisms of these and other aspects of the package. As a consequence of this investigation the package has been modified and distributed to GDPs in England and Wales.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Mucosal lesions due to oral cocaine use.

Cocaine abuse is a major public health problem worldwide and is increasingly common in Europe. Oral use of cocaine in two patients resulted in unusual white lesions on their anterior maxillary gingivae/vestibule. GDPs should be alert to this newly described lesion.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1996

Demographics of HIV-infected persons attending a dental clinic.

The demographics of 147 HIV-infected persons attending a special care dental clinic in South West England are reported. The majority of attendants were homosexual/bisexual males, reflecting the UK epidemiology of HIV disease at the time of study. There was a substantial rise in patient numbers from 1988 onwards but patients often did not reveal their route of HIV acquisition or increasingly had acquired HIV disease via heterosexual routes. Patients were usually referred for routine dental treatment, not HIV-related oral disease. The HIV-infected patients generally attended the clinic irregularly, despite being offered many appointments. It is concluded that most patients with HIV disease attend clinics for routine dental care, yet many may be unable or unwilling to attend regularly.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Ebola virus infection: an overview.

The current outbreak of the Ebola virus infection in Africa has yet again proven that highly dangerous diseases that are transmitted via the blood-borne route may be endemic in some parts of the world and may emerge as sporadic outbreaks causing worldwide concern. Health care professionals are at the forefront of combatting these diseases and treating infected individuals. Though dental professionals are unlikely to be directly involved in the management of such acute infections, with very high mortality rates, they may encounter patients seeking dental treatment who are either from, or who have recently toured the endemic disease areas. This overview, therefore, is a thumb nail sketch of the Ebola virus infection and its implications for dentistry.

Africa↗
PubMed1996

Allelic imbalance on chromosome 3p in oral dysplastic lesions: an early event in oral carcinogenesis.

We have demonstrated previously a loss of constitutional heterozygosity on the short arm of chromosome 3 in approximately 50% of oral squamous cell carcinomas. In the present study, we have investigated 30 oral dysplastic lesions (DLs), presenting clinically as either erythroplakias or leukoplakias with histopathological features of either severe epithelial dysplasia or carcinoma in situ, for LOH on chromosome 3p using 15 microsatellite markers. Thirteen of the 30 LDs (approximately 43%) showed allelic imbalance at one or more loci. The pattern of loss in these lesions defined three noncontiguous regions of interstitial deletions that overlap with those defined for oral squamous cell carcinomas. These data indicate that the alteration of tumor suppressor genes on chromosome 3p is probably an early event in oral carcinogenesis. Additionally, 7 of the 30 DLs showed microsatellite instability. However, the frequency of loci showing microsatellite instability per lesion was low.

Alleles↗
PubMed1996

Bilateral metastatic spread of testicular teratoma to mandibular condyles.

The clinical and radiological features of a patient with metastatic spread of testicular teratoma to both mandibular condyles are presented. It is suggested that in patients with known systemic malignancy, a local metastatic deposit should be considered as a possible cause of unexplained pain in the temporomandibular joints.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Oral health care for the cancer patient.

Orofacial complications are common after radiotherapy to the head and neck, and after chemotherapy for malignant disease. Mucositis is the most frequent and often most distressing complication, but adverse reactions can affect all other orofacial tissues. This paper discusses the aetiopathogenesis and current means available for preventing, ameliorating and treating these complications, as well as indicating research directions.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1996

Oral complications of cancer therapies: prevention and management.

There is no doubt that, when the oncology team includes a dentist, the risks of development of serious complications such as osteoradionecrosis are significantly reduced for the cancer patient [15,157,158]. Ideally, all patients should be rendered dentally fit before the commencement of cancer therapy. Those receiving radiotherapy should then be seen weekly by the dentist during the course of radiotherapy and approximately every 1-2 weeks during the intensive phases of treatment, if receiving chemotherapy or surgery. All patients should be carefully followed up after cancer therapy in order to minimize orofacial complications and be in a position to intervene at an early stage, when therapy is likely to be easier and more rapidly effective.

Dental Care↗
PubMed1996

Multiple hamartoma syndrome presenting with oral lesions.

Multiple hamartoma syndrome (Cowden's syndrome), a rare genodermatosis with predominant mucocutaneous features, particularly hamartomas, and Cowden/Lhermitte-Duclos disease, the combination of multiple hamartomas with cerebellar hypertrophy, typically present with cutaneous and oral papillomatosis as major features of both uncommon disorders. This article details the clinical features of three patients with multiple hamartoma syndrome and one with both disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Implantation of Candida albicans and other Candida species in the oral cavity of rats.

The carriage of five Candida species in the mouths of normal and sialoadenectomised rats was determined for periods up to 30 days after inoculation into the oral cavity. In both test and control animals, Candida albicans was the species recovered in greatest quantities at all periods, followed by C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis. In contrast, C. guilliermondii and C. krusei were isolatable only in small numbers and only from the 1st up to the 5th day; they were not present thereafter. Sialoadenectomy favoured oral colonisation only by C. albicans (P < 0.05) and did not influence the carriage of the other species.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1996

Knowledge of and attitudes about blood-borne viruses and infection control in Brazilian dental practice.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there were any recent changes in hepatitis B immunisation of dental staff, infection control or understanding of viral infections in Brazilian dentists. DESIGN: A randomised survey was conducted on 740 dentists attending the National Dental Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1994. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The 740 dentists were questioned as to the presence of various viruses in saliva, the perceived risks of dental staff and long-term sequelae, the availability and uptake of vaccines, willingness to treat virus-infected persons, and means of infection control. Nearly 69% of respondents were female dentists, of mean age 30 years. Results were compared with a similar survey from 1990. RESULTS: Most respondents knew that HIV and hepatitis viruses could appear in saliva and almost all knew of infective risks from hepatitis B (HBV), and the availability of the vaccine. Less than half knew of the association of HBV with liver cancer. There was a four-fold increase in those vaccinated against HBV since the low figure of 9% in 1990. Nearly two-thirds of respondents perceived an occupational risk to dental staff from HIV, and a similar proportion were also unwilling to treat virus-infected persons. A similar proportion also used chemical disinfection for some dental instruments. CONCLUSIONS: The results show little improvement over a 4-year period except a much greater proportion of dentists were immunised against HBV. However, still only one third of dentists had been vaccinated, in a country with a high prevalence of infection in the general population.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Molecular analysis of microflora associated with dentoalveolar abscesses.

The microflora associated with three dentoalveolar abscesses was determined by cultural and molecular methods. 16S rRNA genes were randomly amplified by means of conserved eubacterial primers and cloned. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the clones and amplified genes encoding 16S rRNA from the cultured bacteria was used to detect putative unculturable bacteria. Clones representative of five predominant groups of uncultured organisms were sequenced. Two were identified as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella oris, and one was found to be closely related to Peptostreptococcus micros. The remaining two clones did not correspond to known, previously sequenced organisms. One was related to Zoogloea ramigera, a species of aerobic waterborne organisms, while the other was distantly related to the genus Prevotella. This study has demonstrated the possibility of the characterization of microflora associated with human infection by molecular methods without the inherent biases of culture.

Adult↗