The aetiology of AUGIB has changed during the last 15 years probably due to the better therapeutic approach to chronic duodenal ulcers and increasing use of NSAIDs in the elderly. Emergency surgical haemostasis has been reduced but the reduction of mortality was not significant.

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BackgroundDental caries is the result of a complex interplay of multiple determinants which may change overtime. Therefore, periodic surveys of caries experience and redetermination of the risk indicators of the disease are needed. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of coronal and root caries in Greeks aged 35-44 and 65-74-year-old in relation to socio-demographic parameters. Furthermore, trends in coronal caries experience of the 35-44-year-olds were investigated.MethodsA sample of 1188 35-44-year-old and 1093 65-74-year-old individuals was selected in 2005 according to WHO guidelines for national pathfinder surveys. Caries was assessed in dentate subjects using the DMFT, DMFS, RDFS and RCI indices. Socio-demographic data were also collected. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the effect of socio-demographic parameters.ResultsThe mean DMFT and DMFS scores of the adults were 14.06 and 45.78 respectively, while those of the senior citizens were 20.63 and 89.82. Among the 35-44-year-ods, men and those having a higher educational attainment had significantly lower DMFS values (women OR = 1.679, CI: 1.243-2.267 and >12 years of education OR = 0.321, CI: 0.193-0.535 respectively), while educational level was the only predictor of DMFS in senior citizens (OR = 0.279, CI: 0.079-0.992). The mean DMFT score of the 35-44-year-olds has not improved since 1985, but there was a remarkable reduction in the number of DT related to a simultaneous increase in the number of FT. The mean RDFS rose from 0.39 in adults to 2.66 in senior citizens. The mean RDFS score of the middle aged adults was significantly correlated with education (OR = 0.346, CI: 0.180-0.664). The RCI was almost four times greater in seniors (9.73) than in adults (2.53). There were significant differences in caries experience between the surveyed regions. MS and RDS were the major components of the DMFS and RDFS indices respectively, in both age groups.ConclusionsCaries experience in Greek adults is similar to what is observed in most industrialized countries. The mean DMFT score of the 35-44-year-olds has not improved since 1985, but a great improvement in restorative care has been observed. Senior citizens had a high percentage of untreated coronal and root surfaces. Region and education were the strongest predictors of caries experience. An increase in oral care utilization and effective prevention over the whole lifespan are needed to improve the dental health of the Greek adult population.

Primary perianal actinomycosis is rare. Sporadic cases, with lesions varying in extent have been reported. The infection is caused by the bacterium Actinomyces, which often is a saprophyte. Male gender and diabetes are risk factors, but the exact pathogenic mechanism remains speculative. The diagnosis is a challenge and often delayed, with a protracted history of masses and sinuses extending into the gluteal and genital region. The treatment, a combination of surgery and antibiotics, is poorly standardized. We report three cases and compare their characteristics to those of published cases, found by a computerized literature search (1968-2002). The lesions, a simple fistula-in-ano or a mass, were diagnosed in an early stage in all three patients. The infection always spread into the scrotum. There were no risk factors other than gender, except in one patient. The diagnosis was suspected by the observation of draining sulfur granules and promptly confirmed by histology in the three cases. All patients healed with antibiotics in addition to simple surgical procedures. Treatment consisted of amoxicillin for two weeks in two cases and more extended antimicrobial treatment in the third. These findings are contrasting with the classic picture of perianal actinomycosis. It is concluded that perianal actinomycosis can occur in the absence of risk factors and that early diagnosis requires a high degree of suspicion. An infection with Actinomyces should be suspected in the presence of lesions containing watery purulent material with sulfur granules. The indication for extended antibiotherapy combined with sphincter damaging surgery may need to be revised in the presence of early detection.

Postoperative complications in patients with obstructive jaundice remain increased when associated with endotoxemia and the inflammatory response due to gut barrier failure. Administration of glutamine has been proposed to maintain the integrity of the gut mucosa and thus reduce bacterial translocation (BT), but the effects of this pretreatment on apoptosis and histologic morphology of various organs affected by BT in obstructive jaundice have not been studied. We therefore studied the effects of oral glutamine supplementation on endotoxemia, BT, liver and terminal ileal morphology, and apoptosis in an experimental model of obstructive jaundice. A total of 60 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of 15 each: I, controls; II, sham-operated; III, bile duct ligation (BDL); IV, BDL + glutamine (4.5 g/kg/day in drinking water). Ileal samples for histology, DNA and protein content, liver biopsies, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) for culture, and portal and systemic blood samples for endotoxin measurements were obtained 10 days later. Compared to the controls, a significant increase in contaminated MLN and liver samples and increased endotoxemia were noted in group III (p < 0.01) but were significantly reduced in group IV (p < 0.05). Group IV also had a significantly higher number of mitoses per crypt (M/c) (p < 0.05), less apoptotic body counts (ABCs) (p < 0.05), and a higher DNA content than did group III (p < 0.05). Liver biopsies from group III displayed typical changes of large duct obstruction that significantly improved after glutamine treatment, with decreased ductular proliferation. We concluded that supplementation of oral glutamine in the presence of obstructive jaundice ameliorates BT, endotoxemia, and apoptosis and improves the ileal and liver histology.