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ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Byzantine physicians (4th-7th and 8th-12th centuries A.D.), especially those interested in Surgery, developed a number of interesting concepts, views and opinions referring to the field now recognized as Oral and Cranio-maxillofacial Surgery and Pathology. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The original texts of Byzantine physicians, written in ancient Greek, and now preserved in the electronic platform Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, at the University of California, Irvine, CA, USA, were investigated in relation to Oral and Cranio-maxillofacial Surgery and Pathology. RESULTS: The most eminent physicians of the Early (4th-7th century A.D.) and Middle (8th-12th century A.D.) Byzantine Period, in particular Oribasius Pergamenus, Aëtius Amidenus, Alexander Trallianus, Theophilus Protospatharius, Paulus Aegineta, Meletius Monachos, and Leo Medicus, in their works deal with topographic and surgical anatomy of the head and neck, and a large list of related topics, including dentoalveolar surgery, oral and cervicofacial infections, trauma of viscerocranium and neurocranium as well as the biomechanics of traumatic brain injuries, temporomandibular joints dysfunction as a consequence of mandibular dislocation, surgical oncology and reconstructive surgery of the head and neck, oral pathology, surgical pathology of salivary glands, therapeutic management of facial nerve dysfunction, preprosthetic surgery, craniofacial surgery, and deformities of the facial skeleton involving anthropologic and craniometric observations. Clinical examination of patients presenting corresponding functional and esthetic problems is considered, using recognizable orthodontic and orthognathic surgical approaches. Finally, specific bandages of the head and neck are described, for treating traumatic injuries of the viscerocranium and neurocranium, diastasis of the cranial sutures, dislocations of the mandible (unilateral and bilateral), as well as inflammatory diseases of the parotids and the neck. CONCLUSIONS: Byzantine physicians had been particularly interested in various subjects of the mouth, jaws, face, and head and neck in general, in the frame of course of their general surgery practice.
Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery: official publication of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery 06/2013; · 1.25 Impact Factor
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Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery: official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 05/2010; 68(5):1205-8. · 1.58 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Homer's Iliad, being one of the oldest and greatest European epic poems, is divided into 24 "books" or "rhapsodies", in which war injuries in general, and in particular cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) injuries, are described in a unique and detailed manner.
Homer's Iliad, Loeb Classical Library, translated by A.T. Murray, and revised by W.F. Wyatt, Harvard University Press, 2nd ed., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1999, as well as the modern Greek translation by I. Polylas of Homer's Iliad, Publishing Organization for Educational Material, 4th ed., Athens, 1975, was studied for descriptions of CMF injuries, aiming at the presentation of their total number, received area of the head and neck, outcome, cause of injuries, and the engaged warriors.
Forty-eight references regarding CMF injuries are found in the 24 books of Homer's Iliad. Forty-four of the CMF injuries were fatal, among them five were decapitations. The causes of the CMF injuries were usually strokes with weapons, while other means such as rocks and stones were also used. In the aforementioned injuries the engaged striking warriors were 17 Greeks and four Trojans, while the fallen warriors were eight Greeks and 38 Trojans.
One could get an idea about the practice of Medicine and particularly of Surgery, in the 10th century BC in Ancient Greece, through the epic poems of Homer. The unique description of CMF injuries leads us to the conclusion that the anatomy of the head and neck was quite well known in those very old times, since the heroes and warriors of the Iliad knew exactly where to strike to achieve a fatal outcome.
Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery 02/2008; 36(1):1-7. · 1.64 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Cerebral abscess is a rare but serious and life-threatening infection. Dental infections have occasionally been reported as the source of bacteria for such an abcess.
A 54-year-old man was admitted with a right hemiparesis and epileptic fits. After clinical, laboratory and imaging examination, the diagnosis of a cerebral abscess of the left parietal lobe was made. The intraoral clinical examination as well as a panoramic radiograph confirmed the presence of generalized periodontal disease, multiple dental caries, and periapical pathology. The treatment included: (i) Immediate administration of high-dose intravenous antibiotics and (ii) surgical procedures consisting of craniotomy and resection of the abscess cavity first, and secondly removal of the periodontal, decayed and periapically involved teeth of the patient, in an effort to eradicate all the possible septic foci, presuming the cerebral abscess to be of odontogenic infection.
The patient made an uneventful recovery, and 29 months postoperatively he had completely recovered from the hemiparesis.
Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery 02/2007; 35(1):63-7. · 1.64 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Knowledge of the medical thoughts and practice through the ages constitutes a particular qualification for every practicing physician and surgeon, in order to become a participant of Medicine's continuity and a conscientious practitioner. Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery constitutes a significant part of the surgical writings of Corpus Hippocraticum.
The original texts of the Hippocratic Collection written in ancient Greek, as they were published along with a translation into modern Greek in G. Pournaropoulos 'Hippocrates' Works', (edited by A. Martinos), Athens 1968, were studied for any account referring to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
The medical views and opinions of Hippocrates regarding Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery and Pathology in particular, as well as Dental Medicine in general, are disseminated in the various books of Corpus Hippocraticum, and although they are almost 3000 years old, they are still in line with current thinking to a great extent. The scope of Hippocratic perspicacity and experience regarding Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery includes dentoalveolar surgery, orofacial infections, maxillofacial trauma, dentofacial abnormalities and orthognathic surgery, as well as cranio-maxillofacial injuries.
Corpus Hippocraticum in spite of time remains a unique and unrivalled work, where one can realize the power of observation, sagacity and the clinical judgement of Hippocrates regarding every aspect of Medicine, and in particular Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery.
Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery 05/2006; 34(3):129-34. · 1.64 Impact Factor
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Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 05/2006; 64(4):696-700. · 1.64 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of partial superficial parotidectomy and tumour enucleation in the surgical management of patients with pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid.
A total of 62 patients were treated for pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid during the years 1995-1999; 17 patients were treated with conventional superficial parotidectomy, whereas 42 patients were subjected to partial superficial parotidectomy. In three patients, tumour size and facial nerve proximity essentially resulted in enucleation of the parotid mass. In partial superficial parotidectomy, only the tumour-bearing area of the gland parenchyma was excised with identification of the main trunk and preservation of the facial nerve division that was adjacent to the tumour site with no need for more extensive facial nerve dissection.
There was no incidence of recurrence or facial nerve injury in our group of patients. The incidence of Frey's syndrome was 4.8%.
Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery 01/2005; 32(6):350-3. · 1.64 Impact Factor
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Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 07/2004; 62(6):730-5. · 1.64 Impact Factor
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Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 11/2002; 60(10):1188-92. · 1.64 Impact Factor
