Kliniken

Tactile sensitivity of natural teeth

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Tactile sensitivity of natural teeth Utz, Karl-Heinz In two experimental series, the tactile sensibility of natural antagonistic teeth was investigated.
In the first series, 109 subjects were tested using aluminium oxide particles of different sizes, uniformly distributed in yogurt. An absolute threshold value of 15 μm was determined. Male subjects detected slightly smaller foreign bodies than female subjects. Most participants were able to improve their threshold values through practice; however, they were not able to reduce them voluntarily.
In the second experimental series, tactile sensibility was assessed using copper foils of varying thicknesses. The median absolute tactile threshold values of 70 tested pairs of incisors, premolars, and molars amounted to 10 μm, whereas the corresponding value for canine tooth pairs was 20 μm.
Calculation of the 50% detection threshold yielded values of 29 μm for incisors, 63 μm for canines, and 17 μm for both premolars and molars. No sex-related differences were observed. The two experimental series assessed different aspects of tactile sensibility. No statistically significant associations were found between tactile performance and age, time of day, tooth alignment, the extent of sliding movement between centric relation and maximum intercuspal position, or the restorative status of the teeth.

Dynamics of microcyst-like epithelial changes associated with Belantamab mafodotin therapy in a patient with multiple myeloma-a case report

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Dynamics of microcyst-like epithelial changes associated with Belantamab mafodotin therapy in a patient with multiple myeloma-a case report Schlößer, Lukas; Löffler, Karin U.; Heine, Annkristin; Holz, Frank G.; Herwig-Carl, Martina C.

Grossing of non-neoplastic globes, including fetal eyes

Fri, 30 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Grossing of non-neoplastic globes, including fetal eyes Herwig-Carl, Martina C.; Ussem, Leticia; Holz, Frank G.; Müller, Annette M.; Löffler, Karin U. Grossing and sectioning of fetal and adult globes are critical steps in the histopathologic evaluation of ocular diseases. Proper handling of the globe is essential for accurate diagnosis of conditions such as tumors and non-neoplastic changes, including trauma, infections, and previous surgical procedures. Orientation of the globe is followed by external examination, documenting characteristics including size, shape, and any visible lesion or abnormality. Specific attention must be paid to the presence of tumors, infectious or degenerative changes, as well as signs of trauma or prior surgery. Measurements of the globe and associated structures, including the cornea and optic nerve, and – in fetal eyes – anatomical and timely development are recorded. Transillumination is essential to detect a shadow, which may be caused by a mass or hemorrhage as well as increased light transmission in areas of atrophy, such as coloboma.
Fixation of the globe is routinely performed in 4% paraformaldehyde to preserve the tissue. After fixation for 24 h, the globe is sectioned systematically to examine intraocular structures, such as the anterior chamber, lens status, uvea, retina, vitreous, and optic nerve. The adult globe is usually trisected along the horizontal or – depending on the clinical indications – vertical/oblique plane to create a pupil-optic nerve (PO) section. Additional sections of the calottes may be taken to evaluate areas of interest, such as suspicious masses or areas of atrophy. For research purposes, various fixation and sectioning protocols may be considered.
Each gross section is carefully inspected, documented, and processed for microscopic examination to ensure that any pathologic finding is adequately sampled. Accurate grossing and sectioning are critical for correlating clinical and histologic findings, facilitating diagnosis, guiding treatment decisions, and ultimately improving patient outcomes. Standardization of grossing and sectioning ensures a comprehensive evaluation of the eye globe and contributes to the advancement of ophthalmology.

Shortcoming of the Mouse Model of Postoperative Ileus

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Shortcoming of the Mouse Model of Postoperative Ileus von Stumberg, Maximiliane; Akinci, Ejder; Ertim, Berkan; Oetzmann von Sochaczewski, Christina Background/Objectives: The mouse model of postoperative ileus separates the gastrointestinal tract into 15 sections, 10 of which are in the small intestine, to measure intestinal transit time. Usually, mice are standardised according to age or body weight. This inherently assumes that intestinal lengths are similar among the included mice irrespective of the method of standardisation. We aimed to test this assumption by comparing intestinal lengths, measuring their variability in commonly used out- and inbred strains. Methods: Mice were humanely killed, and their intestines were removed and measured in a standardised fashion. We compared the coefficients of variability via the modified signed-rank likelihood test. Results: We included 125 mice of the Crl:CD1(ICR) background and 10 mice of the C57Bl/6J and C57Bl/6NCrl substrains. The mean small intestinal length of Crl:CD1(ICR) mice was 437 mm (standard deviation 54), while it was 473 mm (standard deviation 29) in C57Bl/6J mice and 419 mm (standard deviation 57) in C57Bl/6NCrl mice. The respective coefficients of variation were 12.4%, 6.1%, and 13.6% and did not differ between the out- and inbred strains (modified signed likelihood ratio 5.878, p = 0.053). This was not the case for caecal and large intestinal lengths. Conclusions: Due to substantial variation in small intestinal length, the separation of the small intestine into ten equally sized segments to measure intestinal transit time might not be warranted. This could be addressed by measuring small intestinal transit time in absolute values and relative to the intestinal length.