The British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery
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Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg · Feb 2001
Case ReportsSquamous cell carcinoma presenting as a peritonsillar abscess.
Peritonsillar abscess is a rare presentation of squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil. We report two cases illustrating the need to be aware of the possibility and reinforcing the need to send all excised tissue for histopathological diagnosis.
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Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg · Dec 2000
Treatment of postoperative pain in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
We questioned 75 patients after inpatient oral and maxillofacial operations to find out how satisfied they were with the extent to which their pain had been controlled. Seventy (93%) had had postoperative pain. ⋯ Seventeen (24%) reported that the pain was worse than they had expected, but 74 of the 75 patients were satisfied with the pain control they received. We conclude that patients' expectations of pain control are low and that questions about satisfaction should not be used in isolation.
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Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg · Oct 2000
Comparative Study Clinical TrialBotulinum toxin: new treatment for temporomandibular disorders.
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) affect the face and jaws, and cause chronic pain and dysfunction in many people. As in other conditions involving the musculoskeletal system, controlling the myogenous component is an integral part of treatment. In this study, we evaluated subjective and objective responses to treatment with botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) in a group of 46 patients with TMDs. ⋯ BTX-A injections produced significant improvements in pain, function, mouth opening, and tenderness to palpation. MVC initially diminished then returned to the initial values. Although the study was uncontrolled, the results strongly suggest that BTX-A reduces severity of symptoms and improves functional abilities for patients with TMD and that these extend beyond its muscle-relaxing effects.
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Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg · Apr 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialBehavioural measurement of postoperative pain after oral surgery.
The amount and type of postoperative analgesia prescribed depends on the clinician's judgement of the patient's need. Among other factors, this judgement is likely to be based on the patient's behaviour. ⋯ The results also show differences between the sexes in their reaction to pain. Significantly more women than men showed signs of pain, despite little difference in self-rating pain scores.