Abstract The modern human has the most flexed cranial base among all living animals. The flexure allowed a larger cranial volume to accommodate a greater brain. Spheno-occipitalis synchondrosis (SOS) has been largely responsible for cranial base flexion, between the sphenoid and the Pars basilaris of the occipital bone. The objective of this work is to evaluate the real place of skull base flexure. Analysis based on 50 magnetic resonance imaging from normal adult subjects were used to evaluate normal place for cranial base angulation (CBA). The vertex of the cranial base angle in all individuals occurred intrinsically in the sphenoid bone. In humans, cranial base flexure had a specific pre-chordal origin, rather than in the transition between pre-chordal and chordal plates and occurred in the inner sphenoidal bone.

The Guidelines Project, an initiative of the Brazilian Medical Association, aims to combine information from the medical field in order to standardize producers to assist the reasoning and decision-making of doctors. The information provided through this project must be assessed and criticized by the physician responsible for the conduct that will be adopted, depending on the conditions and the clinical status of each patient.

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar a prevalência de ansiedade, depressão e cinesiofobia e sua associação com os sintomas da lombalgia. Métodos: Foram divididos 65 pacientes em três grupos: orgânicos, orgânicos amplificados e não orgânicos. Eles responderam ao Inventário de Ansiedade de Beck, Inventário de Depressão de Beck e Escala de Cinesiofobia de Tampa e foram avaliados de acordo com seu nível de dor pela Escala Análogo-Numérica. Resultados: Os escores médios de cinesiofobia dos pacientes dos grupos orgânicos, orgânicos amplificados e não orgânicos foram de 36,26, 36,21 e 23,06 pontos, respectivamente. Os pacientes que foram classificados no grupo orgânicos experimentaram maior cinesiofobia dentre os três grupos (p = 0,007). Os escores médios de ansiedade dos pacientes dos grupos orgânicos, orgânicos amplificados e não orgânicos eram de 33,17, 32,79 e 32,81 pontos, respectivamente, não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos (p = 0,99). Os escores médios de depressão dos pacientes dos grupos orgânicos, orgânicos amplificados e não orgânicos foram de 32,54, 28,79 e 37,69 pontos, respectivamente, não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos (p = 0,29). Conclusão: Não houve associação entre os grupos e a ansiedade e a depressão. No entanto, houve uma correlação positiva entre a cinesiofobia e o grupo orgânicos. São necessários estudos com outras amostras de pacientes para confirmar a reprodutibilidade e a validade desses dados em outras populações.

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of anxiety, depression and kinesiophobia and their association with the symptoms of low back pain. Methods: A total of 65 patients were divided into three groups: Organic, Amplified Organic and Non-Organic. They answered the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia and were evaluated according to their pain level using the Visual Analogic Scale. Results: The average kinesiophobia scores of the patients in the Organic, Amplified Organic and Non-Organic groups were 36.26, 36.21 and 23.06 points, respectively. Patients who were classified into the Organic group experienced the most kinesiophobia out of all three groups (p = 0.007). The average anxiety scores of the patients in the Organic, Amplified Organic and Non-Organic groups were 33.17, 32.79 and 32.81 points, respectively, with no significant difference among the groups (p = 0.99). The average depression scores of the patients in the Organic, Amplified Organic and Non-Organic groups were 32.54, 28.79 and 37.69 points, respectively, with no significant difference among the groups (p = 0.29). Conclusion: There was no association between the groups and anxiety and depression. However, there was a positive correlation between kinesiophobia and the Organic group. Studies of other patient samples are needed to confirm the reproducibility and validity of these data in other populations.

Poucos estudos têm investigado a toxicidade tecidual local das tatuagens por amálgama (TA), embora diversos trabalhos demonstrem efeitos nocivos desse material restaurador. Pouco se sabe sobre a ativação de células inflamatórias nesse tipo de lesão. A reação tecidual contra os restos de amálgama varia com o tamanho das partículas implantadas. O antígeno leucocitário humano DR (HLA-DR) está associado com a ativação de células inflamatórias, sendo relacionado à apresentação de antígeno. Metalotioneínas (MT) são proteínas envolvidas com neutralização de metais pesados, tais como mercúrio e prata. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi investigar a imunolocalização de HLA-DR e MT em TA compostas por depósitos teciduais de diferentes tamanhos. Cortes histológicos de lesões fixadas em formol e embebidas em parafina foram submetidos a técnica imunoistoquímica para a detecção dos antígenos mencionados. Os resultados demonstraram denso infiltrado inflamatório associado com partículas grandes ou pulverizadas, observando-se presença de células HLA-DR e MT positivas. Paredes de vasos sangüíneos e fibras de tecido conjuntivo impregnadas por restos de amálgama foram negativas para HLA-DR, mas positivas para MT. Impregnação da membrana basal por partículas de amálgama correspondia a forte positividade para MT no epitélio. Esses resultados demonstram a existência de efeitos nocivos locais das TA sobre os tecidos.

Despite studies concerning toxic reactions related to amalgam components in the literature, few studies have been devoted to evaluate local noxious effects of amalgam tattoos (AT) on biological tissues. In addition, little is known about activation of inflammatory cells by mucosa-implanted amalgam debris. Tissue reaction to AT depends on the particle size. Human leukocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR) is an activation marker of inflammatory cells associated with antigen presentation. Metallothioneins (MT) are proteins involved with metal detoxication, including mercury and silver. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the immunolocalization of HLA-DR and MT in AT with large or powdered particles. Paraffin-embedded AT tissue blocks were sectioned and subjected to immunohistochemistry for HLA-DR and MT localization. The results demonstrated a dense mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate associated with large and powdered debris and positivity for HLA-DR and MT in inflammatory cells. While blood vessel walls and connective fibers impregnated with powdered particles were negative for HLA-DR, they were positive for MT. In addition, wherever epithelial basement membrane impregnation by powdered amalgam particles was observed, a strong positivity for MT was detected. These findings demonstrate that residual elements of AT still have noxious local effects over tissues.