Gadolinium contrast agents- challenges and opportunities of a multidisciplinary approach: Literature review

Contrast agents is used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to improve the visibility of the details of the organ structures. Gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) has been used since 1988 in MRI for diagnostic and follow-up of patients, the gadolinium good properties make it an effective choice for enhance the signal in MRI by increase its intensity and shortening the relaxation time of the proton. Recently, many studies show a gadolinium deposition in different human organs due to release of free gadolinium various body organs or tissue, which led to increased concern about the use of gadolinium agents, in this study, the potential diseases that may affect the patient and side effects that appear on the patient and related to accumulation of gadolinium were clarified, the study focused on the organs such as brain and bones in which gadolinium deposition was found and the lesions associated with it, and the diseases associated with gadolinium retention includes Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) and Gadolinium deposition disease (GDD). Some studies tended to improve the contrast agents by developing a new non-gadolinium agents or development of next-generation gadolinium agents. In this review article the latest knowledge about MRI contrast agent.

Dental caries experience of 5-year-old children related to their parents' education levels: a study in an Arab community in Israel

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence that parents' education may have on the prevalence of dental caries in young children. The study was conducted on 210 kindergarten children aged 5 years in an Arab village. The presence of caries was determined according to the WHO criteria, with an explorer and a dental mirror under natural light. The education of the parents was assessed on a scale of 1-6 according to information obtained from a questionnaire to the parents. The results of this study showed that children of highly educated parents had relatively low dental caries experience. The influence of the mothers was apparent at a lower educational level than that of the fathers. In this population only 0.6% of the dental treatment needs were met. Of the kindergarten children 99.5% had experienced caries. The caries experience was extremely high: the mean dmfs was 17.7 (+/- 12.15), and the means dmft 8.04 (+/- 8.37).