[Quality of life after functional aesthetic septorhinoplasty in primary surgery vs. revision surgery-a monocentric study]. / Lebensqualität nach funktionell-ästhetischer Septorhinoplastik in primärer Operation vs. in Revisionsoperation ­ eine monozentrische Studie.

BACKGROUND: Subjective assessments of quality of life (QOL) as an important aspect of outcome research have gained in importance over the past few decades. The number of prospective studies on postoperative QOL in septorhinoplasty using disease-specific instruments is sparse. The aim was to assess and compare patient QOL after primary and revision septorhinoplasty performed by a single surgeon in an ENT center. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients completed two disease-specific QOL instruments preoperatively and at least 1 year postoperatively: the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) and the Nasal Obstruction Symptoms Evaluation (NOSE) scores. General demographic and clinical information (age, gender, medical and surgical history) were collected from all patients. All operations were performed by a single surgeon (F. R.). RESULTS: A total of 237 patients were included in the study, 208 (87.8%) female and 29 (12.2%) male. The average age was 30.3 ± 8.9 years. The average observation period was 19.3 ± 7.4 months. Using the measurement tool NOSE there was a significant improvement in obstruction in the overall collective (preoperative 49.8 ± 26.2, postoperative 19.1 ± 21.3; p < 0.001) with no significant difference in primary versus revision surgery. The ROE score showed a significant improvement and both collectives (primary and secondary surgery) showed a significant improvement after the intervention. The patients with a primary intervention had a significantly higher postoperative QOL (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The disease-specific QOL showed a significant increase after primary septorhinoplasty as well as after revision surgery. The NOSE score increased significantly in both intervention groups postoperatively.

[Correction of complex facial scars]. / Die Behandlung komplexer Narben im Gesicht.

Correction of complex facial scars frequently requires individualized, multimodal strategies, which are composed of various therapeutic measures. This report provides information on techniques for correction of contractures, atrophic scars, scars within hair-bearing regions of the face and auricular keloids. Additionally, we present adjuvant procedures in a subject-related manner.

Management of an epidermoid cyst in the nasal tip of a child: aesthetic and surgical considerations.

BACKGROUND: A simple subcutaneous lesion such as an epidermoid cyst can present a challenge when located in the nasal tip, as regards aesthetic surgical management. Even when performed parallel to relaxed skin tension lines, a direct transcutaneous incision (commonly used for epidermoid cyst removal) distorts the nasal tip subunit, resulting in a conspicuous, disfiguring scar. This should be avoided, especially in children. CASE REPORT: A 13-year-old girl was referred by her dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment of a slowly progressive dermoid cyst located on the tip of her nose. The cyst was removed using a subcutaneous open rhinoplasty approach, leaving the aesthetic nasal tip subunit intact. CONCLUSION: For aesthetic reasons, open rhinoplasty should be considered as a treatment option in patients with subcutaneous lesions in the nasal tip.

[Rhinophyma in rosacea. What does surgery achieve?]. / Rhinophym bei Rosazea. Was leistet die operative Therapie?

Rhinophyma is a benign dermatological disease of the nose which affects primarily Caucasian men in their fifth decade of life. Its main characteristic is a slowly progressive hyperplasia of the sebaceous glands and the adjacent tissue with irregular thickening of the nasal skin and nodular deformation. It is defined as the end stage of acne rosacea. The main reasons for patients to seek medical help are cosmetic problems and functional impairments such as nasal airway obstruction or even difficulty in eating. Surgery is indisputably the treatment of choice for rhinophyma. This article gives an overview on the clinical and histopathologic findings of rhinophyma as well as the different treatment options with their pros and cons as described in literature.

Induction chemotherapy with TPF (Docetaxel, Carboplatin and Fluorouracil) in the treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) presents at a locally advanced (LA) stage in many patients. Chemotherapy, which is one fundamental therapy mode for local disease control of inoperable disease or if organ preservation is desired, has become an important factor of first line treatment regimens either during or prior to radiotherapy (RT). Patients with locoregionally advanced inoperable, recurrent or metastatic disease still have a poor prognosis, which enforces the need for new treatment approaches and new drug therapies, adjusted to the different settings of the disease. One innovative progress for this collective of patients with locally advanced tumor was the implementation of Docetaxel in chemotherapeutic regimes in optimal combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy or in neoadjuvant setting of induction phase treatment. Docetaxel combined with the conventional chemotherapy regimen, containing Cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil (TPF), is now acknowledged as being the gold standard of induction treatment. Various studies suggest survival advantage due to the induction chemotherapy (ICT) followed by chemoradiotherapy, which is known as sequential therapy, over chemoradiotherapy alone. In contrast to prevailing studies we administered Docetaxel, Carboplatin and 5-FU within the frame-work of induction chemotherapy instead of conventional use of Cisplatin for five patients with locoregionally advanced HNSCC. The clinical progress was evaluated through cross section imaging (computer tomography/MRI) prior and after ICT and classified following the RECIST criteria. Due to a very small collective of patient and the administration of Carboplatin instead of Cisplatin in this study, it was not possible to document the the efficacy of ICT (TPF) concerning survival advantage in patient with locoregionally advanced head and neck tumors. Further studies with an extended collective of patients are neccessary.

[Impact of TGF-beta1 antisense on collagen-binding integrins in keloid]. / TGF-beta1-Antisense beeinflusst kollagenbindende Integrine im Keloid.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of keloids remains challenging due to sparse knowledge about the pathogenesis of this disease. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 plays a central role in keloid formation. Cell-matrix communication is controlled by integrins, the expression of which can be regulated by TGF-beta1. METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry we compared expression patterns of alpha1beta1, alpha2beta1 und alpha3beta1 in normal skin and keloid tissue. Secondly, the effect of TGF-beta1-antisense after 48 h and 72 h incubation in a keloid-derived fibroblast monolayer was analyzed by means of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: alpha1beta1 and alpha2beta1 were highly expressed in keloid fibroblasts. Incubation with TGF-beta1-antisense lead to a reduction on protein level. RT-PCR demonstrated an increase of all alpha subunits, while on an mRNA level a decrease of the subunit beta1 could be observed. CONCLUSION: Integrin expression is directly modulated by TGF-beta1. An abnormal response in the keloid as a result of an altered TGF-beta1 pathway could be a key element to understanding the development of keloids.

[Open rhinophonia in adults: a rare manifestation of cranial polyneuritis]. / Rhinophonia aperta beim Erwachsenen : Seltene Manifestationsform einer Polyneuritis cranialis.

A 46-year-old male patient reported difficulties in speech and swallowing following gastroenteritis. Marked open nasality (open rhinophonia) and swallowing difficulties with occasional passing of food into the nasopharynx was observed during speaking with the head held in an upright position. The patient was able to articulate clearly with the head reclined or in a lying position. Endoscopy identified complete bilateral soft palate paresis consistent with bilateral glossopharyngeal nerve palsy. Additional symptoms of cranial nerve palsy appeared in the course of the disease. Intravenous corticosteroids were ineffective. A marked improvement of symptoms was achieved after i.v. immunoglobulin therapy that was initiated following identification of serum IgM anti-GM 1 ganglioside antibodies under suspicion of cranial polyneuritis. Nasality was largely resolved under additional speech exercise therapy.

TGF-beta1 antisense therapy modulates expression of matrix metalloproteinases in keloid-derived fibroblasts.

Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) has been identified as an important regulator of wound healing. Recent developments in molecular therapy offer exciting prospects for the modulation of wound healing, specifically those targeting TGF-beta1. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of TGF-beta1 targeting on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in fibroblasts cultured from earlobe keloids. The expression of MMP-2 and -9 in tissue samples from keloids was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The effect of TGF-beta1 targeting using antisense oligonucleotides on the expression of MMPs in keloid-derived fibroblasts was analysed by ELISA and multiplex RT-PCR. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated an increased expression of MMP protein in tissue samples from keloids compared to normal human skin. Antisense TGF-beta1 oligonucleotide treatment significantly downregulated MMP-9 secretion in vitro. In conclusion, TGF-beta1 antisense oligonucleotide technology may be a potential therapeutic option for the inhibition of proteolytic tissue destruction in keloids.

[Cartilage grafts in functional and aesthetic rhinoplasty]. / Knorpeltransplantate bei der funktionell-ästhetischen Rhinoplastik.

Complications after rhinoplasty could often be prevented if less of the support structures of the nose were resected and cartilage transplants were used to give stability. Long-term complications depend heavily on the nasal anatomy, Which is why the surgeon must be able to identify anatomical variants and adapt the surgical technique as necessary. Thus, rhinoplasty techniques have moved away from excisional methods and shifted toward repositioning and restructuring existing tissues. Conservative reduction and preservation of support structures will maximize the aesthetic and functional results. Checking the shape of the tip of the nose is the critical step, and stabilization of the nasal base in particular leads to a good long-term outcome with preservation of the nasal tip projection. The surgeon needs to stabilize the structure of the nose by building up the structure and must also anticipate the effects of scar contracture. This entails structural grafting with autologous cartilage. In this paper, the authors present the grafting techniques most commonly used to sculpt the nasal framework; in primary and secondary rhinoplasty. Tried and tested grafts are presented, with the appropriate nomenclature relating to each and also the anatomical locations of and clinical indications for each.

[Electrosurgical concepts in ENT medicine. History, fundamentals and practice]. / Elektrochirurgische Konzepte in der HNO-Heilkunde. Geschichte, Grundlagen und Praxis.

The beneficial use of heat in the context of medical treatments was documented even in ancient times. The development of high-frequency alternating current generators led to actual electrosurgery, in which primary heating of the tissue takes place. In day-to-day clinical practice electrosurgery is used for coagulation and for electrotomies. There are both unipolar and bipolar techniques for these procedures. When a unipolar technique is used the active electrode is in the tip of the instrument and the patient plate is usually affixed to the patient's skin at a site outside the operating field. The bipolar technique differs in that there are no electrodes that need to be attached externally; both poles are contained inside the operating instrument, e.g. in the two prongs of a forceps. In radiofrequency surgery high-frequency electrical energy is applied directly into the tissue by a unipolar or bipolar technique. In this way it is possible to cause interstitial tissue lesions while sparing the superficial mucous membranes.

[Angiogenic factors in external auditory canal cholesteatoma-fibroblast cell culture]. / Angiogene Faktoren in der Fibroblastenzellkultur des Gehörgangcholesteatoms.

BACKGROUND: The external auditory canal cholesteatoma (EACC) is characterized by hyperproliferation of the epithelial and subepithelial tissue. Compared to normal meatal skin, strong expression of FGF-2 and VEGF had previously been detected. Many authors reported that FGF-2 acts via VEGF and is induced by hypoxia. Hypoxia seems to be pivotal for establishing EACC. Therefore, human EACC fibroblasts were investigated by incubating with FGF-2 and determining VEGF. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We harvested fibroblasts from human EACC and normal meatal skin and incubated the fibroblast culture with 50 ng/ml FGF-2 and determined VEGF concentrations after 1-4 days. RESULTS: Compared to untreated fibroblast cultures, there was a significant increase of VEGF concentration (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the proliferation quantities. CONCLUSION: VEGF and FGF-2 are possibly involved in a cascade of growth factor activities, which modulates their concentration in human-derived EACC fibroblast culture. Exogenous FGF-2 increased fibroblast expression for VEGF, which is a major autocrine mediator of FGF-2-induced angiogenesis and proliferation.

[Cell adhesion proteins in external auditory canal cholesteatoma]. / Expression von Zell-Zell-Adhäsionsproteinen im Gehörgangscholesteatom.

BACKGROUND: External auditory canal cholesteatoma (EACC) is a rare entity in otolaryngology, which is histomorphologically identical with middle ear cholesteatoma. The cause of EACCt is, however, still not clear. The aim of this study was to describe the expression of beta-catenin, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in EACC matrix compared to the normal auditory meatal skin (AMS). METHODS: Thirteen specimens were obtained during surgical procedure. EACC and AMS specimens were immunostained with antibodies for beta-catenin, MMP-2, and MMP-9. RESULTS: Only the basal layers of the EACC specimens were positive for beta-catenin. The suprabasal layers showed diminished or negative immunostaining for beta-catenin. In all layers, AMS was homogeneously positive for beta-catenin. In contrast, the immunostaining for the gelatinases was equally increased in all layers of EACC, whereas AMS was weekly positive. CONCLUSION: The reduced immunoreactivity for beta-catenin may have been present because of the lessened cell-cell adhesion in the suprabasal layers of EACC. The increased expression of the metalloproteinases might point at an increased lack of integrity of EACC matrix. Recent studies revealed a balance between disintegrating and stabilising factors in normal tissue, which is disturbed in inflamed and neoplastic tissue. In EACC matrix, an imbalance of these factors, represented by reduced beta-catenin and increased gelatinase expression, is possible. Increased desquamation, the accumulation of keratin debris, and loss of tissue-stability support our findings.

[Nail dystrophy of the big toe. Description of a clinical case]. / Distrofia ungueal del primer dedo del pie. Descripción de cuatro casos.

We report on four cases of great toenail dystrophy. This malformation presented itself in the first months of life. Involvement of other toenails and also of fingernails has been observed. In some of the cases spontaneous involution was referred. Pathogenesis, differential diagnosis and therapy are discussed.

Listeriosis en Guatemala: reporte del primer caso de listeriosis neonatal

Se comunica el primer caso comprobado de Listeria Monocytogenes en un recien nacido pretérmino de 36 semanas, que nació con asfixia perinatal, desarrollando un síndrome de dificultad respiratoria progresivo en as primeras horas de vida, haciendo un cuadro compatible de Septicemia y Síndrome de Coagulación intravascular, falleciendo a las 51 horas de vida por hemorragia pulmonar masiva. Habiéndose aislado la Listeria Monocytogenes de secreción ocular y de la sangre del niño