Lipomatosis of the parotid gland in children

Parotid lipomatosis is extremely rare in children. Only 4 cases have previously been reported in the English language medical literature. Surgical excision is frequently complicated by recurrence. We report, a fifth case, on a 5-month-old girl with rapidly progressive parotid lipomatosis. Emphasis is laid on the importance of preserving the unusually delicate tumor capsule to prevent tissue spillage and recurrence. The creation of an appropriate cleavage between the mass and the expanded skin with sparse subcutaneous fat, safeguarding the tumor capsule on one side and the skin blood supply on the other, represents a rewarding technical challenge

Choanal atresia: how useful is computed tomography

Computed tomography [CT] has recently been hailed as the most useful tool in the diagnosis and management of congenital posterior choanal atresia. Our study of 11 patients with posterior choanal atresia by CT does not seem to confirm this claim. CT, which demonstrates very clearly all the anatomical details of the region, does not appear to play any major role in the diagnosis of the condition; nor in the planning of the management of patients in whom posterior choanal atresia is the only major craniofacial abnormality

Retrospective appraisal of 300 consecutive mammograms

Based on certain selection criteria, 300 consecutive mammograms were reviewed, together with other relevant clinical and pathological data. The median age [ +/- SD] of eligible women was 36.11 [ +/- 11.2 years]. Saudi represented 65% [196 women] of the study population and non-Saudi 35% [104 women]. Seventy-three women [24%] had normal findings but fibrocystic disease was found in 177 [59%], invasive carcinoma in 26 [9%], and fibroadenoma in 24 [8%]. Ninety-nine percent of the mammograms were ordered in women who had breast symptoms for several months. Cancer patients had aware of their breast lump for a mean of 8.04 +/- 2.11 [SD] months. All cancer were invasive and most [92.3%] were advanced at diagnosis. Among the 177 patients with fibrocystic disease, only six [3%] were found to have atypical hyperplasia, but its prevalence is lower than that reported recently. Agreement between final and mammographic diagnoses was significant [P=0.027]. Also shown were the high specificaity [79%], sensitivity [100%], and accuracy [89%] of mammograms in cancer patients. The ability of mammography to show malignancy was proven by multiple regression analysis. Our data taken from a sample of women seen at a tertiary care facility shed some light on the pattern of breast disorders in our patient population. The data should be utilized in the planning for a national breast cancer early detection program