Thyroid gland involvement in advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> This study aims to determine the prevalence and pattern of thyroid gland involvement in advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and to identify factors associated with its development.<br /><strong>METHOD:</strong> Records of 118 patients who underwent laryngectomy with thyroidectomy for advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in a tertiary government hospital from January 2010 to August 2015 were reviewed. Demographic, clinical and histopathology data were obtained. The relationship of the laterality of primary tumor bulk and lobe involvement was analyzed using Fischer's exact test. The association between thyroid gland invasion and other factors was analyzed using logistic regression.<br /><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Thyroid gland involvement was found in 11% of the patients via direct spread in 92.3%. Single lobe involvement accounted for 61.5% of cases. There is a tendency for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma to invade the thyroid lobe ipsilateral to the primary tumor bulk. Extralaryngeal spread, tracheostomal involvement, and tracheal extension were associated with thyroid gland involvement.<br /><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> Thyroid gland involvement in advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma is rare; hence, indications for performing thyroidectomy in relation to the presence of thyroid gland involvement should be established to avoid unnecessary surgeries.</p>

Prevalence of early laryngeal cancer and benign vocal cord pathology among patients undergoing videostroboscopy in Philippine General Hospital from 2008 to 2010

OBJECTIVE: To determine the types and prevalences of laryngeal pathology among patients undergoing videostroboscopy in the Philippine General Hospital. METHODS: A systematic review of videostroboscopy records patients from January 2008 to December 2010 was perform Demographic data, risk factors, diagnosis and their associat were determined. RESULTS: The following vocal cord pathologies were recorded the 507 subjects who underwent videostroboscopy during assessed time period: vocal cord nodules (17.4%) laryngopharygeal reflux (16.6%), vocal cord paralysis (12.8%) cyst (10.5%), polyp (8%) and laryngeal cancer (6%). Vocal cord nodules were found to be more common among professic voice users (odds ratio = 2.8). Risk factors found to be associated with cancer development include age, gender (male, odds ratio 19.8) and smoking history (odds ratio = 12.7). CONCLUSION: The most common laryngeal pathology among patients undergoing videostroboscopy is vocal cord nodules. One out of 20 patients who underwent the procedure was given a diagnosis of laryngeal cancer.

Basosquamous carcinoma of the neck

@#Basosquamous carcinoma, a variant of basal cell carcinoma, is rather rare with an incidence of only 1 – 2% of cases. 1, 2 It has a predilection for the head and neck region (95.6%) with primary sites including the nasal, auricular and periocular area with the neck involved in only 1.1%.1 Unlike typical basal cell carcinoma, basosquamous carcinoma behaves more aggressively with a higher tendency for metastasis and recurrence. Its rarity translates to a lack of management guidelines. Because of its pattern of growth and relative aggressiveness, treatment plans must be well laid; recurrence resulting from poor planning may lead to a worse outcome and poorer prognosis.

Molecular biological approaches to the study of vectors in relation to malaria control

To a large extent, control of malaria vectors relies on the elimination of breeding sites and the application of chemical agents. There are increasing problems associated with the use of synthetic insecticides for vector control, including the evolution of resistance, the high cost of developing and registering new insecticides and an awareness of pollution from insecticide residues. These factors have stimulated interest in the application of molecular biology to the study of mosquito vectors of malaria; focussing primarily on two aspects. First, the improvement of existing control measures through the development of simplified DNA probe systems suitable for identification of vectors of malaria. The development of synthetic, non-radioactive DNA probes suitable for identification of species in the Anopheles gambiae complex is described with the aim of defining a simplified methodology wich is suitable for entomologist in the field. The second aspect to be considered is the development of completely novel strategies through the development of completely novel strategies through the genetic manipulation of insect vectors of malaria in order to alter their ability to transmit the disease. The major requirements for producing transgenic mosquitoes are outlined together with the progress wich has been made to date and discussed in relation to the prospects which this type of approach has for the future control of malaria