The T350G Variation of Human Papillomavirus 16 E6 Gene Prevails in Oropharyngeal Cancer from a Small Cohort of Greek Patients.

Recent trends have shown a dramatic rise in the incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma strongly associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) of type 16. The genetic variability of HPV16 has been extensively studied in cervical cancer but there are very limited published data concerning the genetic variations of this HPV type in oropharyngeal cancer. In the present study, the genetic variations of HPV16 E6 gene sequences originated from a small cohort of Greek patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer were assessed. The vast majority of the sequences clustered within the European variant branch. The T350G variation was found to be the predominant one. This finding may indicate the need for further studies that could explain the possible impact of this variant in the pathomechanisms of oropharyngeal cancer.

Pemphigus Vulgaris and Bullous Pemphigoid of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract: A Review Article and Novel Approaches to Management.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune bullous diseases are rare conditions characterized by blistering of the skin and mucous membranes. The 2 commonest forms are pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid. The oral cavity or oropharynx may be the initial site of presentation or often the only site involved. SUMMARY: These conditions are often misdiagnosed or overlooked leading to poorer patient outcomes. Due to the chronic nature of these conditions and the systemic effects of treatment, there is a significant associated morbidity and mortality. As such, an understanding of the fundamentals of autoimmune bullous diseases is vital to those working in otolaryngology. The mainstay of management in both conditions is topical and systemic corticosteroids. There is also a role for immunomodulating and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as adjunct or alternative therapies. Surgical intervention may be required to protect the airway. Often multimodality treatment is required involving multidisciplinary input from otolaryngologists, oral surgeons, dermatologists, and rheumatologists. This review article will highlight the aetiology, pathology, clinical features, investigations, and management of both pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid including recent advances in management.

Delays in surgery for cholesteatoma due to COVID-19: is there an impact on rates of recidivism and major complications?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between the waiting time for surgery, and cholesteatoma recidivism rates and major complications. The secondary aims were to identify any other prognostic factors for cholesteatoma recidivism. METHODS: A retrospective single-centre study of 312 patients who underwent cholesteatoma surgery under the care of a single-surgeon, between 2004 and 2018, was performed. Waiting times for surgery were categorised into ≤ 90 days, 91-180 days, 181-270 days and > 271 days. The outcome measures were cholesteatoma recidivism and major complications (facial nerve palsy or intracranial complications). RESULTS: The mean age was 36.1 years ± 21.5 with 242 adults (77.6%) and 70 children (22.4%). The mean waiting time for surgery was 126.2 days (4.1 months) ± 96.0 days and the overall rate of recidivism was 11.2% (35/312 patients). No instances of facial nerve palsy or intracranial complications were identified. Rates of recidivism by waiting time for surgery were: 15.3% for 118 patients who waited ≤ 90 days, 9.7% for 134 patients who waited 91-180 days, 6.7% for 30 patients who waited 181-270 days and 4.3% for 23 patients who waited > 271 days. There was no significant difference amongst the different waiting time groups for rates of recidivism (p = 0.266). CONCLUSION: Increased waiting times for cholesteatoma surgery do not appear to be associated with increased rates of recidivism or major complications. Clinical judgement will always be required for complicated disease or patients with additional risk factors. The other prognostic factors for recidivism identified in this study were age (< 15 years) and congenital cholesteatoma.

Multiple synchronous squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck: A case report.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) of unknown primary represents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for treating physicians. Detection of the primary site requires appropriate diagnostic work up. During the past few years more cases of concurrent primaries are described posing significant therapeutic dilemmas. Herein, we describe the first case of a patient with three synchronous HNSCCs.

Localized Nasopharyngeal Amyloidosis: A Clinicopathologic Series of 7 Cases with a Literature Review.

Localized nasopharyngeal amyloidosis is an extremely rare entity with only 25 cases described in the English and German literature. We present a case series of seven patients with localized nasopharyngeal amyloidosis and combine the findings with a thorough review the literature.

Measurement of glomerular filtration rate with chromium-51 ethylene diamino tetraacetic acid in the presence of gallium-67 citrate: a novel method for the solution of the problem.

Chromium-51 (5¹Cr)-ethylene diamino tetraacetic acid plasma clearance is commonly used in glomerular filtration rate measurements. In the presence of additional radionuclides in plasma samples, glomerular filtration rate may be seriously underestimated and a correction of the crosstalk interference may be necessary. This type of correction is problematic in the case of gallium-67 (67Ga) mainly because of the close vicinity of its 300 keV photopeak with that of the 320 keV photopeak of 5¹Cr. A novel method of calculating and removing the interfering 67Ga counts within the 5¹Cr counting window, based on the different decay rates of the two radionuclides, is presented, requiring two series of sample counting in the 5¹Cr counting window only, separated by a 3-day interval. This method was developed to solve a clinical problem and then it was validated by a controlled 67Ga contamination of plasma samples with known counts from 5¹Cr-ethylene diamino tetraacetic acid.