The volume of the maxillary sinus in the patients with cleft alveolus is not different from that of the noncleft individuals. The information about the maxillary sinus is clinically important in executing such operations as endoscopic sinus surgery.

Introduction: Deformational plagiocephaly (DP) is cranial flattening on one side of the back of the skull produced by an extrinsic force on the intrinsically normal skull. When the flattening is symmetrical, the deformity is called deformational brachycephaly (DB). In the US, its prevalence has increased since the “Back to Sleep” campaign by the American Association of Pediatrics. Helmet therapy is reported to be effective in improving head deformity by multiple studies, but there are few evidences from Japan. The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of helmet therapy for DP, and the feasibility of introducing this treatment to the clinical setting in Japan. Methods: This was a single-arm, retrospective, nonrandomized study. Data were collected on infants who visited the “Clinic for Baby’s Head Shape” in the National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan, between 2011 and 2014. Improvements in Argenta classification, cranial asymmetry (CA), and cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI) were evaluated. The relationships between CA and influencing factors were evaluated using a linear mixed-effects model. Results: Three hundred eighty-seven infants (273 boys and 114 girls; average age, 4.7 months) visited the clinic during the period, and 159 patients who completed the helmet therapy were analyzed. There were statistically significant improvements in Argenta classification, CA, and CVAI. Almost all of the parents reported increased sweating and mild skin irritation, but no adverse events necessitated the cessation of helmet therapy, except for one patient with increased sweating. Conclusions: Helmet therapy is safe and effective in treating DP and is feasible to introduce to the clinical setting in Japan. Through the distribution of knowledge regarding the etiology and treatment of head deformity, earlier detection and an evidence-based approach to head deformity are expected in the future.

Platelet activation markers (platelet-derived microparticles and P-selectin on activated platelets), chemokines (monocyte chemotactic peptide and regulated on activation normally T-cell expressed and secreted), and soluble markers (sP-selectin, sE-selectin, sVCAM-1, and sCD14) were measured and compared in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). These substances are thought to participate in the pathogenesis of PE. Levels of all of the platelet activation markers, chemokines, and soluble markers were higher in the patients with PE than in normal controls. Levels of platelet activation markers were also significantly increased postoperatively after total knee arthroplasty. Anti-platelet therapy significantly inhibited the elevation of platelet activation markers after total knee arthroplasty. These findings suggest that antiplatelet therapy may be useful for PE-related interaction of platelets, leukocytes, and endothelial cells.

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Background: Treatment of cranial deformity is often performed during infancy in cases such as craniosynostosis and deformational plagiocephaly. To acquire morphologic standards for the treatment goals of these conditions, we created cranial average models and elucidated the growth patterns of the cranium of healthy infants in 3-dimension (3D) using homologous modeling. Methods: Homologous modeling is a technique that enables mathematical analysis of different 3D objects by converting the objects into homologous models that share the same number of vertices with the same spatial relationships. Craniofacial computed tomographic data of 120 healthy infants ranging in age from 1 to 17 months were collected. Based on the computed tomographic data, we created 120 homologous models. Six average 3D models (20 individuals each for 6 different age groups) were created by averaging the vertices of the models. Three-dimensional growth patterns of the cranium were clarified by comparing the 6 average models. Results: We successfully created 6 average models and visualized the growth patterns of the cranium. From 1-month-old to 5-month-old infants, the entire cranium except for the occipital region grows, and the cranium tended to be brachycephalic (cephalic index at 4–5 months: 87.1–97.3), but the growth was thereafter localized to specific areas. Conclusions: Three-dimensional growth patterns of the cranium of healthy infants were clarified. These findings will support the understanding and treatment of the conditions that cause cranial deformity. To our knowledge, this is the first report to visualize the growth patterns of the entire cranium of healthy infants in 3D.