The aim of this study was to analyze the human orbital asymmetry during development. One hundred twenty-seven identified human dry skulls, with sex, age, date and cause of death record, in good preservation state, were used. Bones that had evidence of trauma, malformations or other pathology were excluded. The sample was divided into 4 age groups: I--intra-uterine life (n=20), II--newborn up to 2 years old (n=43), III--three up to 20 years old (n=27) and IV--21 up to 76 years old (n=37). The skulls were photographed in normal frontalis and images were analyzed with the software AutoCAD 2002 in real scale. The obtained measurements were: greater horizontal diameter (HD), greater vertical diameter (VD), orbital perimeter and orbital base area. All skulls showed asymmetry in all measures, except 4 of them that showed symmetry in VD and perimeter. The asymmetry occurred in all ages, being calculated as a percent rate for VD--2.73%, HD--4.48%, area--4.77% and perimeter--2.47%. There was predominance in asymmetric rate in female skulls and only in the group II the difference between gender was statistically significant (p<0.05). The right orbit presented larger measures. The asymmetric rate was assumed as the normal anatomic pattern.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate hard palate asymmetry during development. The palates of 248 dry skulls were photographed and evaluated digitally. The skulls were divided into seven groups: fetus, newborn, infant, child, adolescent, adult, and aged. Linear measures were obtained from great palatine foramen (GPF) to incisive fossa (INC) and to posterior nasal spine (PNS). Angular measures were obtained from the former landmarks plus the point on sutures intersection between maxillary and palatine bones. Asymmetry was evaluated intra and intergroups. All skulls showed some degree of right-left asymmetry in the hard palate. Regardless of hard palate asymmetry, none of the right-left side differences was statistically significant. For the intergroups assessment, none of the asymmetry index means were statistically different. The posterior part of palate (PNS x GPF) measures was more asymmetric than the anterior part (INC x GPF), showing, respectively, 4.6% and 2.8% of mean asymmetry index. Angular measures showed a more symmetric behavior than the linear ones. Hard palate asymmetry occurs even in the absence of masticatory function, showing that this feature begins early in fetal life and persists through development.

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Apoptose no músculo cardíaco: comparação na revascularização do miocárdio com e sem circulação extracorpóreaMethod: Eighteen patients undergoing elective CABG were divided in two groups: the first group underwent cardiopulmonary bypasses and the second group did not. Auricle myocardial samples were obtained at the beginning and at the end of the surgery. Specimens were examined for apoptosis using the TUNEL method.Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in the surgical, demographic and postoperative data. The number of grafts was statistically different. There was no significant difference between the numbers of cells undergoing apoptosis in the two groups at the beginning of the procedure. There was no significant difference in the number of cells undergoing apoptosis from the beginning to the end of CABG in the OFF-PUMP group. There was a significant difference between the number of cells undergoing apoptosis at the beginning and the end of the CABG in the CPB group (p<0.01).Conclusion: The smaller number of cells undergoing apoptosis in the OFF-PUMP group is in accordance with published data that suggest CPB is capable of promoting cell lesion. Having shown that, another favorable argument can be added to the indication of the CABG without CPB. Descriptors: Apoptosis. Cardiopulmonary bypass. Coronary artery bypass grafting.Resumo Introdução: A resposta inflamatória e os distúrbios metabólicos nas cirurgias de revascularização do miocárdio (RM) com e sem circulação extracorpórea (CEC) têm sido Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc 2003; 18(3): 221-226

Osteosarcoma most frequently affects long bones, particularly around the knee, and is therefore rare in the forearm. We report the case of a 67-year-old woman presenting with progressive lesion of the distal radius. A pathological diagnosis of osteoblastic osteosarcoma was suspected and was confirmed by needle biopsy. There had been two other cases of osteosarcoma in the same family. The patient was treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by amputation of the arm below the elbow.