Mm In Male Patients Research Articles

Nodular melanomas associated with nevi

To the Editor: Nodular melanoma (NM) represents approximately 9% to 15% of invasive melanomas. The histopathologic definition of NM is based on the absence of a radial growth phase. Most frequently, it manifests itself in midlife with a median age at presentation of 53 years, and it is more common in males than in females. In 11% to 25% of the cases, NM is histologically associated with nevi. We report the experience of the Melanoma Unit of University Hospital Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy. Between January 1, 1982 and October 1, 2009, 95 patients with cutaneous NM were identified from a group of 1865 patients with histologically confirmed melanoma; the incidence was 5.1% (95/1865). Of the 95 patients evaluated, 49 (51.6%) were males and 46 (48.4%) were females. All patients were white. The average age was 54.5 years (range, 15-91). Primary melanomas were found in different body sites as follows: eight (8.4%) lesions were on the head and neck, 32 (33.7%) on the trunk, 22 (23.2%) on the upper extremities, and 33 (34.7%) on the lower extremities. The lesions appeared most frequently on the trunk in male patients and on the lower extremities, upper extremities, and trunk in female patients. None of our 95 cases had a documented family history of melanoma. With regard to invasive melanomas, Breslow thickness ranged from 0.5 mm to 11 mm, with a mean thickness of 3.9 mm. The mean Breslow thickness was 4.4 mm in male patients and 3.4 mm in female patients. Ten out of 95 patients (10.5%) showed histologic evidence of an associated nevus; five patients were male and five were female. The average age of these 10 patients was 55.9 years. In seven patients, melanoma arose in association with an acquired nevus (2 dysplastic nevus and 5 other acquired nevi). In the remaining three patients, melanoma arose in association with a small congenital nevus. When examined by anatomic location, one lesion was on the head and neck, five were on the trunk, one was on the upper extremities, and three were on the lower extremities. The mean Breslow thickness for these 10 patients was 2.3 mm. When comparing the two groups (NM vs NM associated with nevi), the second group showed a thinner Breslow thickness (4.04 mm vs 2.3 mm). Our findings support the belief that in most cases, NM arises in absence of a precursor lesion. NM often fails to exhibit the original ABCD diagnostic criteria,

Acetabulum protrusio and center edge angle: new MR-imaging measurement criteria—a correlative study with measurement derived from conventional radiography

The goal of this study was to identify a method of measurement for acetabulum protrusio and center edge angle (CEA) using MR imaging of the pelvis that correlated with classic methods using radiographic landmarks. MR images and radiographs of the pelvis in 67 patients (132 hips) were used to identify reliable MR-imaging methods for measuring protrusio acetabulum and CEA that correlated strongly with established radiographic measurements. Protrusio acetabulum was determined using the radiographic criterion that the acetabular line projects medial to the ilioischial line by 3 mm or more in men and 6 mm or more in women. Pearson correlation factor was used to determine inter-observer variability and those methods that demonstrated the strongest correlation. The mean and standard deviation of MR-imaging and radiographic measurements for both the normal and protrusio hips were established. Several MR methods correlated strongly with radiographic measurements. The preferred method employed axial MR images at the level of the ischial spine with measurement of the distance between the medial most point of the acetabular fossa and a line perpendicular to the horizontal axis that passed through the lateral margin of the posterior inner pelvic wall. The Pearson's correlation factor between radiographic and MR measurements using this method was 0.84, and inter-observer correlation was 0.80. There were 126 hips in 63 patients (17 female and 44 male) that did not meet the radiographic criteria for protrusio acetabula. In this group of normal hips, the mean and standard deviation of radiographic measurements were 1.9 and 2.8 mm in male patients and -0.5 and 1.7 mm in female patients, and the mean and standard deviation for the preferred MR method was 1.3 and 2.5 mm in male patients and -0.8 and 1.9 mm in female patients. A total of six hips in four patients (two female and two male) met the radiographic criteria for protrusio acetabula. In this group of patients, the mean and standard deviation of radiographic measurements were -3.7 and 1 mm in male patients and -5.4 and 0.9 mm in female patients, and the mean and standard deviation for the preferred MR method was -4.1 and 0.4 mm in male patients and -6.5 and 0.3 mm in female patients. Our study also showed that the CEA was best measured using anterior to middle coronal MR images. Posterior coronal MR-imaging measurements correlated poorly with radiographic measurements. MR imaging can be used to assess acetabular morphology and measure acetabulum protrusio.

Conservative treatment of fractures at the middle third of the clavicle: The relevance of shortening and clinical outcome

Fractures of the clavicle are common and most often occur in the middle third. The clavicle has several important functions, each of which may be affected after fracture and malunion. In this retrospective study, we reviewed 132 patients with united fractures of the middle third of the clavicle after conservative management. Residual symptoms and overall patient satisfaction after treatment were assessed through a questionnaire. Clavicular shortening after union was calculated on a standardized anteroposterior chest radiograph. Intraobserver variability and interobserver variability of measurements by use of this method are insignificant. The mean follow-up was 30 months (range, 12-43 months). The mean modified Constant score was 84 (range, 62-100). Of the patients, 34 (25.8%) were dissatisfied with the result of their management. Final clavicular shortening of more than 18 mm in male patients and of more than 14 mm in female patients was significantly associated with an unsatisfactory result.

Protrusio Acetabuli in Marfan Syndrome: Age-Related Prevalence and Associated Hip Function

Protrusio acetabuli is known to occur in patients with Marfan syndrome, but its prevalence, its effects on hip function, and its possible association with the subsequent development of degenerative hip disease have not been studied in a large population. Nevertheless, some clinicians have recommended prophylactic hip surgery for preadolescents with Marfan syndrome and protrusio acetabuli. We performed a cross-sectional study of 173 patients (346 hips) with Marfan syndrome who were interviewed and examined for calculation of the Iowa hip score. Anteroposterior radiographs of the pelvis were made, and two radiographic indices of acetabular depth were measured: (1) the center-edge angle of Wiberg and (2) the acetabular-ilioischial distance. The presence of protrusio was defined with use of two extant definitions: (1) a center-edge angle of >50 degrees or (2) an acetabular-ilioischial distance of >/=3 mm in male patients or >/=6 mm in female patients. Linear regression analyses were performed between these radiographic indices of acetabular depth and patient age, Iowa hip scores, the magnitude of the radiographic joint space, and range of motion. The prevalence of protrusio acetabuli was 27% according to the center-edge angle criterion and 16% according to the acetabular-ilioischial distance criterion. The prevalence of protrusio increased until the age of twenty years and remained stable after the age of twenty years. Slight but significant negative correlations were detected between the two radiographic indices of acetabular depth and both the Iowa hip score and the summed range of motion (p < 0.02 for all). No significant relationship was found between the two radiographic indices and pain scores. In patients with Marfan syndrome who were more than forty years old, the Iowa hip scores for hips with protrusio were not significantly lower than those for hips without protrusio. In patients with Marfan syndrome, the prevalence of protrusio acetabuli increases during the first two decades of life and then plateaus in terms of both population-wide prevalence and radiographic severity. In this population, protrusio generally is not associated with severely problematic hip function but it is associated with slightly decreased range of motion of the hip. We concluded that prophylactic surgical intervention is not indicated for most patients with Marfan syndrome who have a radiographic diagnosis of protrusio.

Manifestations of Insulin‐Dependent Diabetes Mellitus in the Periodontium of Young Brazilian Patients

The periodontal condition of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was evaluated in terms of plaque, gingival indices, pocket depth, and alveolar bone loss. Thirty male and female diabetic patients aged 5 to 18 years were compared with 30 non-diabetic subjects and correlated with sex and age. Statistical analyses of the data showed that the mean plaque index was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) among the diabetic patients (1.23) than among the control subjects (0.81). The plaque index was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) among diabetic females (1.34) than among diabetic males (1.10), whereas no sex differences were observed in the control group. The arithmetic means obtained for gingival index were statistically higher (P less than 0.01) for the diabetics (0.58) when compared with the controls (0.15), but no significant differences were obtained when the values were correlated with sex and age. Pocket depth did not differ statistically between groups. When pocket depth was correlated with sex, a statistically significant difference (P less than 0.05) was observed only for the palatal region, with a depth of 2.1 mm in female patients and 1.92 mm in male patients. When pocket depth was correlated with age, a positive correlation (P less than 0.01) was detected in the diabetic group for all regions investigated, whereas the correlation was not significant in the control group. Mean alveolar bone loss was higher in the anterior upper (1.94 mm) and anterior lower (1.87 mm) regions of the diabetic group when compared to the controls (1.52 and 1.37 mm respectively), the difference being significant at the 5% level of probability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Lower Eyelid Laxity and Ocular Symptoms

We measured lower eyelid length in 288 healthy subjects to establish a norm and then in 95 patients with complaints of intractable photophobia, foreign-body sensation, chronic tearing, or chronic recurrent conjunctivitis. The difference in length was statistically significant (34.25 +/- 2.43 mm for healthy men vs 36.51 +/- 2.59 mm in male patients [P - .001] and 32.97 +/- 2.46 mm for healthy women vs 33.95 +/- 2.9 mm for female patients [P = .01]). There appears to be a cause-and-effect relationship between a flaccid lower eyelid and these ocular symptoms.