OBJECTIVE To compare different craniofacial patterns with pharyngeal widths. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional analytical study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Orthodontic Clinic at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from June 2002 to June 2010. METHODOLOGY Data were collected using pre-treatment records including orthodontic files and pre-treatment lateral cephalographs of 360 orthodonti...

Power plant dust is believed to be the main source of the increased presence of the element beryllium in the environment which has been detected in the atmospheric air, surface waters, groundwater, soil, food, and cigarette smoke. In humans, beryllium absorption occurs mainly via the respiratory system. The pharyngeal tonsils are located on the roof of the nasopharynx and are in direct contact ...

Background: Pharyngeal mucosal space abscess is a very rare deep neck infection. Due to the anatomical relationship with the pharyngeal airway, patient may have some signs and symptoms of upper airway obstruction. Decision in airway management is important to reduce morbidity and be able to drain the abscess. Objective: To report a potential devastating airway complication in a patient with pha...

To date, rehabilitative exercises aimed at strengthening the pharyngeal muscles have not been developed due to the inability to successfully overload and fatigue these muscles during their contraction, a necessary requirement for strength training. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that applying resistance against anterosuperior movement of the hyolaryngeal complex will overl...

The sense of taste is an essential chemosensory modality that enables animals to identify appropriate food sources and control feeding behavior. In particular, the recognition of bitter taste prevents animals from feeding on harmful substances. Feeding is a complex behavior comprised of multiple steps, and food quality is continuously assessed. We here examined the role of pharyngeal gustatory ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS This study evaluated the effects of three levels of bolus consistency (water, thick liquid, and paste) on the nature and duration of physiologic pressure while swallowing in healthy adults using high-resolution manometry (HRM). STUDY DESIGN A case series of healthy adults. METHODS Thirty-four healthy young adults (mean age: 24.29 years) were instructed to swallow 3 mL ...

The heart and head muscles share common developmental origins and genetic underpinnings in vertebrates, including humans. Parts of the heart and cranio-facial musculature derive from common mesodermal progenitors that express NKX2-5, ISL1, and TBX1. This ontogenetic kinship is dramatically reflected in the DiGeorge/Cardio-Velo-Facial syndrome (DGS/CVFS), where mutations of TBX1 cause malformati...

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease primarily characterized by cardinal motor manifestations and CNS pathology. Current drug therapies can often stabilize these cardinal motor symptoms, and attention has shifted to the other motor and nonmotor symptoms of PD that are resistant to drug therapy. Dysphagia in PD is perhaps the most important drug-resistant symptom because it lead...