Chondrosarcoma of the nasal septum

120 pieces of silk suture (1# & 4#) were sterilized with formaldehyde at different time period. Group II and III each had 20 pieces and was disinfected with ethylene oxide or high pressure respectively. The tension of each silk suture was measured with tensomether. The result showed that there was no significant difference compared with the control groups (P > 0.05). This suggests that silk suture maintains the same tension in the experiments after repeated sterilization with formaldehyde, with ethylene oxide, or with highpressure sterilization once.     

Angiosarcoma of the nasal septum

This is a report on a female patient, 37 years old, with a polypous, sessile tumor on the nasal septum covered by smooth mucous membrane. She was treated with local excision. The histological diagnosis was an angiosarcoma, confirmed by immunohistological stain with factor VIII-like antigen, thrombomodulin, and UEA. She currently remains free of the disease 12 months after diagnosis. Angiosarcoma in the head and neck area and especially the localization in the nasal septum are extremely rare. Prognosis, differential diagnosis, metastasis formation, and therapy of this tumor are presented.     

Chondrosarcoma of the nasal septum

A case of chondrosarcoma of the nasal septum is presented with the result of treatment. The patient was admitted for a growth in the nose of four years' duration. Fine needle aspiration for cytological examination was suggestive of squamous cell carcinoma. She was treated with lateral rhinotomy and wide excision followed by septorhinoplasty. Histological examination showed that the lesion was chondrosarcoma. The patient remained free of disease 26 months after surgery.     

Rosai-Dorfman disease involving the nasal septum

Rosai-Dorfman disease, or sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML), is a benign, self-limited pseudolymphomatous entity with characteristic histologic features. The disease may be atypically present in the absence of detectable nodal involvement. This is a case of nasal septum involvement of Rosai-Dorfman disease without clinically apparent lymphadenopathy.     

Postnatal growth of nasal septum

Up to now little is known about the anatomy and histology and especially about the germinative zones of the growing nasal septum. We totally removed 18 septa of children between 0 and 10 years immediately after death. After photographical documentation these septa were studied histologically and microadiographically. It was found that at birth the connection between the cartilaginous septum and vomer only consists of a small and very loose layer of connective tissues. During the first year of life several ossification areas appear between vomer and cartilage in the dorsal part of the septum. An enchondral ossification zone at the rostrum sphenoidale was regularly seen in the neonatal septum, but disappears soon after birth. The development of the perpendicular plate starts from multiple ossification centersregularlytobefoundinthedorso-cranialpartoftheneonatalseptum. The perpendicular plate is the fastest growing part of the septum and even in the tenth year of life still shows an enchondral ossification zone around its border. The shape and the size ofthe septum changes most during the first six years; subsequently septal growth slows down markedly. As the enchondral ossification zone resembles an epiphysis cartilage, it is assumed thatlesions in this area may lead to growth disturbances of the inner and outer nose. It is therefore emphasized that, rgarding rhinoplasty in children, this ossification zone should be preserved by the surgeon.     

Personal experiences with extended frontolateral laryngectomy and simultaneous reconstruction using a cartilage/mucous membrane transplant from the nasal septum

From 1979 to 1992, 219 extended frontolateral laryngectomies were performed in Poznań with simultaneous reconstruction of the larynx using a mucochondral nasal septum flap. During following examinations local recurrences were observed in 7 cases and metastases to regional lymph nodes were found in 3 cases. Complete healing of the flap was seen in 172 patients. In these cases the laryngeal lumen was found to be wide and the transplanted mucosa was normal. In 14 patients there appeared to be partial rotation of the flap, narrowing the reconstructed lumen. Among the causes of failure were the use of a too flexible, thin septal cartilage and wound infection. Detailed acoustic recordings of postoperative voices are presented as examples of successful surgery.     

Late syndesmosis reconstruction: a case report

The purpose of this study was to determine the benefits and costs to community-based primary care physicians teaching medical students in their offices. Survey data were collected from 185 preceptors between 1990 and 1996. Respondents reported increases in their enjoyment of the practice of medicine (82%), time spent reviewing clinical medicine (66%), desire to keep up with recent developments in medicine (49%), and patients' perception of their stature (44%). However, 61% reported a decrease in the number of patients seen when a student was present. We conclude that despite the costs associated with teaching medical students in their offices, preceptors derived many benefits.     

Radioaerosol inhalation lung cine-scintigraphy: a preliminary report

"Radioaerosol inhalation lung cine-scintigraphy", a cinematographic display of the lungs following radioaerosol inhalation has been found to be extremely helpful not only to the visual assessment of mucociliary clearance in the lungs but also to the setting of regions of interest and to the interpretation and analysis of clearance curves over the regions of interest in the lungs. It is expected that this procedure offers an important means to the study of mucociliary clearance in health and disease in man.     

Merkel cell carcinoma in the nasal cavity: a case report

Merkel cell carcinoma is an aggressive dermal neoplasm of neuroendocrine origin with a predilection for the head-and-neck region in elderly patients. We present a case of Merkel cell carcinoma of the nasal fossa. Local wide excision was performed.     

Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal tip: a case report

PURPOSE: Valproate (VPA) has been linked to coagulation disturbances, with both impaired and exaggerated clotting, which has been attributed to an effect of VPA on platelets or hemostatic proteins. Additional thrombocytic function testing may help to identify patients at risk of increased bleeding caused by platelet dysfunction. METHODS: We evaluated the influence of VPA on hematologic routine values and platelet activation by using immunostaining and flow cytometry in 30 patients receiving long-term VPA therapy and in 30 controls. RESULTS: The fraction of activated platelets was similar in both groups; however, the general extent of platelet activation was significantly lower in the patient group, with considerable interindividual variability. In addition, patients had a significantly lower platelet count, prolonged thrombin time, and higher mean corpuscular hemoglobin. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm the previously reported hematologic changes caused by VPA and additionally suggest that VPA impairs procoagulatory thrombocytic function, which is reflected by reduced platelet activation and increased thrombin time. Possible mechanisms of VPA-platelet interaction are discussed.     

Prefabricated flaps for the head and neck: a preliminary report

Three cases of diffuse subcortical gray matter heterotopias in children are reported. Generalised seizures and mild mental retardation were the most frequent signs. No specific electroencephalographic pattern was recognized. Magnetic resonance imaging scans showed the thick diffuse layer of heterotopic gray matter which was surrounded by normal white matter. Gyration was normal, and no associated malformation was observed. This neuronal migrational disorder happens between the 10th and 16th gestational week. Nineteen observations (17 girls) are reported in the literature. The filiation with agyria-pachygyria and the possible genetic transmission are discussed.