Predictors of intratonsillar abscess versus peritonsillar abscess in the pediatric patient.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of intratonsillar abscess (ITA) patients within the population of patients diagnosed with peritonsillar abscess (PTA) and to further characterize the differences in symptomatology and successful treatment strategies between the two groups. METHODS: This study is a retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with PTA or ITA at our institution from 2000 to 2017. Descriptive and inferential statistics are reported, including univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: A total of 335 pediatric (<18 years) patients presenting with a PTA or ITA were identified, 31 (9%) of whom were diagnosed with ITA. Patients with ITAs had significantly lower proportions of trismus, otalgia, and dysphagia and were less likely to experience acute progression from their initial symptoms. The ITA group had fewer attempted aspiration and drainage attempts, with those attempts significantly less successful than for the PTA group. Recurrence was uncommon in ITA patients in comparison to PTA patients. CONCLUSIONS: Intratonsillar abscess should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with sore throat and concern for a pharyngeal infection or abscess. These patients have a significantly lower proportion of otalgia, trismus, vocal changes, and dysphagia. Given the low success rate of drainage attempts and lower recurrence rate, diagnosing physicians should consider medical management rather than procedural drainage in this patient population.

The nerve of legal entrapment.

Chordomas are a rare type of bone tumor that arises from the embryological remnant of the notochord. They originate at any point along the axial spine with the sacrum and the skull based region being the most commonly affected sites. Chordomas are slowly growing, indolent tumors, presenting insidiously, but also carry a high recurrence rate with a tendency to invade contiguous structure making their treatment challenging. The current standard of care for localized chordoma is aggressive cytoreductive surgery followed by high dose adjuvant radiotherapy. We present a unique case of a 72-year-old lawyer with a skull base chordoma invading into the hypoglossal canal and causing isolated hypoglossal nerve paralysis.

Effect of Argel (Solenostemma argel) leaf extract on quality attributes of chicken meatballs during cold storage.

This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of Argel leaf water extract (ALWE) and its effect at different concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/100 mL) on the antioxidant, antimicrobial, physicochemical, and sensory attributes of chicken meatballs during cold storage. ALWE contained substantial quantities of total phenolic content (TPC), anthocyanin, and exhibited high DPPH scavenging activity. ALWE incorporation in chicken meatballs had a varying effect on the chemical composition and sensory attributes of the product. However, ALWE incorporation at high concentration decreased the protein content of cooked meatballs and reduced fat content in both raw and cooked balls. Increased ALWE concentration in chicken meatballs lowered the pH, microbial load, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Furthermore, ALWE raised the TPC and DPPH scavenging activity of chicken meatballs. Throughout the storage period, chicken meatballs formulated with ALWE showed better quality attributes than non-formulated chicken meatballs. In conclusion, ALWE can be employed as a functional ingredient for improved health benefits and shelf-life extension of chicken meatballs.