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The non extraction technique according to N. Cetlin for the treatment of crowded and protrusive dentitions in class I and class II malocclusions is assessed. The intent of this article is to outline the approach to non extraction treatment with the following major clinical objectives: 1) space gaining in both maxillary and mandibular arches; 2) anchorage preservation throughout treatment and 3) intrusion of the maxillary incisors.

Systemic corticosteroids remain the mainstay of therapy for pemphigus. Their use has transformed what was almost invariably a fatal illness into one whose mortality is now below 10%. Unfortunately, the high doses and prolonged administration of corticosteroids that are often needed to control the disease result in numerous side effects, many of which are serious or even life-threatening. Sixteen patients affected by oral pemphigus vulgaris were retrospectively examined to illustrate the natural course of the disease and to describe the efficacy of the treatment we utilised. Deflazacort, used with azathioprine, is the steroid of first choice in our therapeutic protocols, while cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone "pulse therapy" are reserved for cases unresponsive to high doses of oral corticosteroids. In addition, the literature on oral pemphigus vulgaris was reviewed with respect to clinical history, signs and symptoms, management, and treatment outcome.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces variable dermatologic manifestations. Our purpose was to determine whether there is an association between HCV infection and oral lichen planus (OLP)., Methods: Antibodies to HCV were determined in patients with OLP (263 patients; 156 women and 107 men, with a mean age of 55.5 years) and in a control population., Results: Seventy six cases (28.8%) were positive for HCV antibodies with the second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA II) test. All of these cases were confirmed with the second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA II) test. In 61 cases (23.1%), high levels of serum transaminase were found. Positivity for hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers was found in 31 patients (11.7%) and for hepatitis A virus (HAV) markers in 43 patients (16.3%). None had positivity for hepatitis D virus (HDV) markers. As a control group, we used 100 patients (58 women and 42 men, with a mean age of 55.3 years) referred to the School of Dentistry of the University of Naples "Federico II," and treated for general dental caries. In the control group, HCV antibody positivity was found in three cases., Conclusions: The high prevalence of HCV antibody in this group of patients with OLP, higher than in the healthy population, suggests a link (p = 1.423 x 10(-7), chi-squared test) between these two diseases. These findings stress the importance of liver examination in OLP patients, and the need for other studies on the high susceptibility to hepatitis viruses in the population in the southern part of Europe.

The Authors, after a short description of the anatomy of the root canal, deal with the aetiological factors of the periapical pathology, acute and chronic. They examine the pathogenetic mechanisms of acute flogistic process of the periapical tissue and consider the principal mediators involved in the tissue lesion.