Search

Introduction: Clinicians should be aware of any effect the oral environment may have on archwires. Laboratory models fail to closely imitate intraoral conditions. The aim was to evaluate the change in mechanical properties of preformed stainless steel archwires after 15 weeks of exposure to the oral environment., Methods: Three commercially manufactured 0.019 × 0.025″ stainless steel archwires were evaluated. Young's modulus, yield strength, spring factor, and hardness were studied. The unexposed distal end cuts (control samples) and archwires were tested after 15 weeks of intraoral exposure (test samples). Tension tests, Vickers microhardness tests, and nanoindentation tests were carried out., Results: Normality was tested using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Statistical analyses included the paired t -test for intragroup comparisons and Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA with the post hoc Dunn test for comparison of mean percentage reduction in values. At T15, Young's modulus showed a statistically significant decrease. Changes in yield strength and spring factor were not significant for groups other than American Orthodontics wires. The reduction in hardness was significant in 3M Unitek. Vickers, tension, and nanoindentation tests demonstrated an expansive range between hardness and Young's modulus so determined., Conclusion: 3M Unitek archwires showed the highest difference in Young's modulus. Yield strength values increased in Ortho Organizers archwires. Spring factor decreased only in 3M Unitek archwires. Hardness values obtained from various tests did not produce identical results., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Divya Pai et al.)

Objective: To study the feasibility of performing single-incision total laparoscopic hysterectomy using conventional ports and instruments., Methods: Patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery at Galaxy Care Laparoscopic Institute, Pune, India, between January 2007 and December 2010 were selected for participation. All procedures were performed using conventional laparoscopic instruments and trocars. Operative data-including operative time (from incision to port closure), blood loss, additional ports used, energy sources used, and intraoperative complications-were recorded., Results: Twenty-three procedures were performed during the study period. All procedures were completed via single incision only. Operative time, blood loss, and hospital stay were comparable with those associated with conventional laparoscopy., Conclusion: It is debatable whether laparoscopic surgery via a single incision would threaten the position of the current gold standard of conventional laparoscopic procedures. The present study showed that single-incision laparoscopic surgery using conventional instruments is feasible and effective., (Copyright © 2012 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) has altered the clinical management for women with breast cancer. In March 2007, the American Cancer Society (ACS) issued a new guideline recommending annual MRI screening for high-risk women. This guideline is expected to substantially increase the number of women each year who receive breast MRI. The diagnosis of breast MRI involves the description of morphological and enhancement kinetics features. To standardize the communication language, the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) MRI lexicon was developed by the American College of Radiology (ACR). In this article, the authors will review various appearances of breast lesions on MRI by using the standardized terms of the ACR BI-RADS MRI lexicon. The purpose is to familiarize all medical professionals with the breast MRI lexicon because the use of this imaging modality is rapidly growing in the field of breast disease. By using this common language, a comprehensive analysis of both morphological and kinetic features used in image interpretation will help radiologists and other clinicians to communicate more clearly and consistently. This may, in turn, help physicians and patients to jointly select an appropriate management protocol for each patient's clinical situation., ((c) 2009 American Cancer Society)

Background: This study investigated the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluation of pathologically complete response and residual tumors in patients who were receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for both positive and negative HER-2 breast cancer., Methods: Fifty-one individuals, comprised of 25 HER-2 positive and 26 HER-2 negative patients, were included in the study. Serial MRI studies were acquired before, during, and after NAC. On the basis of the final MRI, response was determined to be a clinically complete response ([CCR], no enhancement), probable CCR (residual enhancement equal to or less than that of glandular tissue), or residual tumor. All patients received surgery. Pathological outcomes were categorized as 1) no residual cancer, 2) no residual invasive cancer but ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) present, or 3) residual invasive cancer. The pathologically complete response (pCR) was defined as no invasive cancer., Results: Complete clinical response as seen through MRI, including CCR and probable CCR, was identified in 35 (35 of 51, 69%) patients. MRI correctly diagnosed pCR in 26 (26 of 35, 74%) patients, including 18 of 19 (95%) patients in the HER-2 positive group and 8 of 16 (50%) patients in the HER-2 negative group (P < .005). The accuracy of MRI in identifying pCR varied according to the chemotherapy agent that was administered. MRI was more accurate in identifying pCR in patients who were receiving trastuzumab and less accurate in patients receiving bevacizumab. The high false-negative rate found in HER-2 negative patients was associated with residual disease that presented as scattered cells or small foci. In cases with residual bulk tumor, the lesion size, determined by MRI, correlated highly with that found in histopathological measurements (r = 0.93)., Conclusions: MRI may predict pCR with high accuracy in HER-2 positive patients, but it has a high false-negative rate in HER-2 negative patients, particularly in patients who are receiving antiangiogenic agents. Results indicate that the chemotherapy agent should be taken into consideration when using MRI to interpret therapeutic outcomes. More studies are needed to establish the role of MRI in managing, especially surgical planning, patients who are receiving NAC., (2007 American Cancer Society)