METHODS: A systematic review was conducted on breast cancer screening studies among Malaysian women, published between January 2006 and December 2015. Online databases were searched using keywords: "mammogram", "mammography", "uptake", "breast cancer screening" and "Malaysia".
RESULTS: Thirteen original articles were reviewed. The rate of mammography uptake ranged between 3.6% and 30.9% among the general population, and 80.3% among personnel of a tertiary hospital. Factors associated with mammogram screening were clinical breast examination, age, income, knowledge on breast cancer and mammogram, perceived susceptibility to breast cancer, ethnicity and education level. Barriers to mammogram screening were lack of knowledge, embarrassment, fear of cancer diagnosis, perception that breast screening was unnecessary, lack of coping skills and pain during procedure. However, almost all of the studies could not be generalised beyond the study sample because of the limited number of sites and respondents; and most data were self-reported with no objective measures of the responses.
CONCLUSION: Mammogram screening uptake among women in selected communities were generally low. Further studies involving the general population are essential. Future studies should also explore the availability, affordability and accessibility of this service especially in the pursuit of achieving universal health coverage in breast cancer management.
BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: Case-control clinical and questionnaire study in a cluster sample of 50 villages.
METHODS: A total of 3000 persons were screened for the presence of periodontitis using the CDC case definition in full mouth examination. Equal numbers of cases (604 persons with periodontitis) and controls (604 without periodontitis) were recruited and interviewed with a piloted questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analysis estimated crude and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) respectively with 95% confidence limits.
RESULTS: Six factors were determined by multivariate analysis to predict periodontitis: education less than or equal to twelve years of schooling (aOR=2.51, 95% CI=1.18-5.34), alcohol consumption (aOR= 1.7, 95% CI=1.16-2.49), consuming a non-vegetarian diet (aOR=1.38, 95% CI=1.08-1.76), not drinking milk (aOR=1.7, 95% CI= 1.29-2.24), not using a toothbrush for cleaning of teeth (aOR=2.98, 95% CI =1.71-5.21) and not cleaning teeth at least once a day (aOR=2.13, 95% CI=1.58-2.87).
CONCLUSION: Risk factors for periodontitis in a rural Indian population were identified. Further studies should validate these findings and appropriate recommendations should be developed to decrease the prevalence and burden of periodontitis in this population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic reviews with meta-analyses in paediatric dentistry were searched in PubMed and Scopus databases from inception to December 2017. Selection of studies by title and abstract screening followed by full-text assessment was independently done by two reviewers. The quality of abstracts was assessed by PRISMA-Abstract checklist comprising of 12 items; one each for title and objective, three items for methods, three items for results, two items for discussion and two items for others. PRISMA-A median scores were calculated and compared with the article characteristics. Statistical significance was set at p
METHODS: Twenty patients with periodontitis were recruited for the trial. Following random allocation of either quadrants of the selected jaw to test or control treatment, conventional non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) was performed. In addition, the test side received adjunct photodynamic therapy. Probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing (BoP) and plaque scores (PS%) were recorded at phase 0 (baseline), phase 1 (immediately after NSPT), phase 2 (7 days following NSPT), phase 3 (1 month following NSPT) and phase 4 (3 months following NSPT). Subgingival plaque samples for quantification of Aa by real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed at phases 0, 1, 2 and 4.
RESULTS: There was a significant clinical improvement at phases 3 and 4 compared with baseline while BoP reduced significantly only in the test group at phase 4. However, no difference in the quantification of Aa was detected between the groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of the study, PDT adjunct to scaling and root planing does not lead to quantitative reduction of Aa in periodontitis patients.
Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study, including 48 patients from a single institution who underwent MUA for stiffness, separated into objective and subjective knee stiffness. Patients with subjective knee stiffness who underwent MUA had failed conservative management. ROM, Oxford Knee Scores (OKS), Knee Society Scores (KSS) and Short Form 36 (SF36) scores were compared at two years post MUA.
Results: The demographics of the two patient groups were similar. The time interval between index TKA and MUA was higher in the subjective knee stiffness group. Pre-MUA OKS, KS Function Score, KSS and SF36 scores were similar in both patient subgroups. There was no significant difference in the OKS, KSS or SF36 at two year follow-up. The proportion of patients in each group who achieved the Minimum Clinically Important Difference (MCID) improvement in the scores was also similar.
Conclusions: Patients with subjective knee stiffness can achieve similar functional outcome improvements in Oxford and Knee Society Scores with MUA at two years follow-up.
CASE REPORT: A 68-year-old lady with a history of multiple craniotomies and hemifacial resections for meningothelial meningioma currently underwent orbital exenteration, tumour debulking and cervical nodal excision for tumour recurrence. Histopathological examination of the tumour showed atypical meningioma, with cervical nodal metastasis.
DISCUSSION: This case report presents a rare finding of lymph node metastasis associated with atypical meningioma. The previous history of surgical resection is a known risk factor for metastasis for low to intermediate grade meningioma. Tumour biology and histology are predictors of metastasis. Haematogenous dissemination is the commonest route of metastasis. No standardised management protocol has been developed and the prognosis remains unknown.