The British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery
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Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg · Apr 2004
Case ReportsIatrogenic pneumomediastinum and facial emphysema after endodontic treatment.
Subcutaneous emphysema is well known, but diffusion of gas into the mediastinum is not so common, particularly if it is caused by treatment of a root canal without apparent osseous fenestration or mucoperiostal lesions. We report a case of iatrogenic pneumomediastinum and facial emphysema after endodontic treatment. The diagnosis was confirmed by computed tomography, and the patient recovered after treatment with intravenous antibiotics and analgesia.
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Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg · Apr 2004
Historical ArticleHistorical Article: Hirudo medicinalis: ancient origins of, and trends in the use of medicinal leeches throughout history.
Blood letting and the therapeutic use of Hirudo medicinalis date back to ancient Egypt and the beginning of civilisation. Their popularity has varied over the years, reaching such a peak in Europe between 1825 and 1850 that supplies were exhausted. Towards the end of the century they fell out of favour and, during this period, the leech, once used by the physicians of emperors and influential academic surgeons, became associated with lay therapists and quackery. ⋯ Surg. 35 (1995) 300]. The first medicinal leech farm, Biopharm, was set up in Swansea in 1981 by Dr Roy Sawyer, and now supplies leeches to hospitals all over the world. In this paper, we summarise the history of treatment with Hirudo medicinalis from its origin to the present day, and take a brief look at the possible future of the annelid.
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Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg · Apr 2004
K-Y jelly as an aide to cryotherapy in the management of odontogenic keratocysts.
We describe a technique of cryotherapy for the management of odontogenic keratocysts using K-Y jelly as an aide.