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Accurate estimation of the personal stature is important in calculating body mass index, assessing nutritional status and the risk of cardiovascular disease, prediction of energy needs and in adaptation of cytostatic drug doses. However, various situations such as, patients in emergency or critical care settings or immobilized patients who are bed ridden or in wheelchairs make it difficult or even impossible to obtain the personal stature using standardized methods. Thus, the need for an alternate method of personal stature prediction arises. Despite its potential practical utility, little is known concerning the relationship between occipito-frontal circumference (OFC) of the head and personal stature among the adult Sri Lankans. Therefore, the goal of this study was to propose population and sex specific regression formula for personal stature estimation using the OFC. Personal stature and OFC was recorded in a total of 156 cadavers belonging to 55 - 89 years of age: (male: n=74; female: n=82). Subjects with any craniofacial deformities or history of neurological disorders were excluded from the study. The mean stature (cm) (male:162.08 ± 9.02 ; female:157.04 ± 9.59) and OFC (cm) (male: 54.09 ± 3.28 ; female: 52.88 ± 2.83) of the study subjects were found to be significantly different (P< 0.01) between the sexes. Correlation coefficient between the OFC and personal stature was statistically significant and positive in both males (0.62) and females (0.86) indicating a strong relationship between the two parameters. Linear regression formulae for the prediction of personal stature using the OFC were derived as follows: male: 70.52 + 1.69 (OFC); female: 3.48 + 2.92 (OFC). Stature prediction equations that require a measuring tape as the only tool to record the OFC provides a practical alternative for the height estimation of patients who are unable to stand due to various reasons. It is a simple, cost effective, non invasive and objective method for personal stature prediction. Accurate prediction of a patient's stature will in turn, reduce potential errors that may occur when stature is estimated only by visual observation in emergency or clinical situations. Complementary studies are necessary to evaluate the applicability of these equations in other age groups too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of oral cytology to diagnose malignant and premalignant lesions at an early stage is considered crucial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnoses of the spatula and the cytobrush techniques compared with the gold standard histopathological findings, analysed according to different diagnostic criteria.Methods: Cytological smears were obtained from 76 suspicious oral malignant lesions and 116 oral leukoplakia lesions using two techniques: cytobrush plus cell collector and metal spatula. Subsequently, a surgical biopsy was performed on each lesion to achieve a histopathological diagnosis. Evaluation was conducted with respect to three different diagnostic criteria.Results: The sensitivity for diagnosing carcinoma in clinically malignant cases was 89.58% and 60.42% for cytobrush and spatula techniques, respectively. Inclusion of severe dysplastic cases for 'high-risk' lesions increased the sensitivity up to 96.36% and 78.18% for two techniques, respectively. In leukoplakia lesions, malignant and severely dysplastic cells were diagnosed at a sensitivity of 88.89% in the cytobrush and 55.56% in the spatula techniques. Extending the criteria by defining malignant or any dysplastic findings as positive, sensitivity was increased to 98.02% and 89.11% for the spatula and the cytobrush techniques, respectively. Specificity for both techniques increased to 100%. The difference between the diagnoses of histopathology and the spatula cytology was statistically significant (P < 0.01), while no such difference was found with the cytobrush technique (P > 0.1).Conclusion: The cytobrush, unlike the spatula, is a useful screening instrument for early diagnosis of suspicious oral lesions and could therefore contribute to improved oral cancer prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary artery disease is a major cause of human mortality. It is stated that females have worse outcomes than men following myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization. Sexual differences in the coronary artery diameters have also bee speculated as one of the reasons for the above outcome. However, because of possible confounding effects, such as the body size and heart weight, it is unclear if there is a true sex-specific effect on coronary arterial size. The present study was undertaken to investigate the sexual differences in the diameter of coronary arteries in a group of adult Sri Lankan population. The diameters of the coronary arteries and their branches were measured at predetermined sites in a total of one hundred and two apparently healthy hearts obtained from cadavers during routine gross anatomy dissections. All measurements were taken using a digital sliding caliper capable of measuring to the nearest 0.01mm. The mean coronary arterial diameters were significantly smaller in females than in males. These difference persisted even after the diameters of coronary arteries were corrected for heart weight and body surface areas. Precise knowledge of the expected normal coronary arterial diameter at a given anatomic location is the first step towards developing a quantitative estimate of the severity of the coronary artery disease. This study provides a reference data set for adult Sri Lankans against which to compare the diameters of coronary arteries in various pathological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, is conducting dissection as a part of their anatomy teaching and it is conducted as small group practical sessions. Objective of this study is to identify the perception, attitude and importance of cadaveric dissection and the knowledge of Anatomy as a subject at the second MBBS exam. Information regarding the learning and teaching methodologies in anatomy dissection were collected and the results of gross Anatomy SPOT tests were compared with the final second MBBS results. Total of 131 students participated in the study. Ninety one (69.4%) had some knowledge in Anatomy prior to their entry in to the Medical Faculty. One hundred and twenty seven (97%) subjects pointed that the cadaveric dissection is essential in learning Anatomy. Out of all, 79.3% were actively participated in the dissections. Majority (85.5%) of subjects identified that working together as a team in the dissection theater will helpful in learning Anatomy. Higher grade obtainers (A&B) in SPOTs had more classes in second MBBS. Failure rate was higher in lower grade obtainers and this was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Majority of students actively participated in dissecting a cadaver and used it as a major learning methodology in Anatomy as a subject. Medical students are benefited by working together as a team during Anatomy dissections. Cadaveric dissection still has an important role to play in undergraduate medical education in Sri Lanka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]