ABSTRACT
Ewing's sarcoma is usually seen in bones but 20-30% are found in extra skeletal soft tissues like in head and neck region. We present the case of Ewing sarcoma of hypopharynx in a 1 year old child who presented to us with acute respiratory distress. Child was intubated using videolaryngoscope and mass was removed using microdebrider. Final histopathological examination revealed Ewing sarcoma. EWSR1 gene rearrangement studies were advised, which the patient refused. Post-operative patient was started on adjuvant chemotherapy. PET CT after 2 months showed no FDG avid lesions within or elsewhere in the region of the body surveyed. There is no case of Ewing's sarcoma in hypopharynx reported to date. The clinical presentation, management and outcome has been discussed with a review of the literature.
ABSTRACT
To analyse the postoperative hearing results of patients undergoing type III tympanoplasty using sculptured homologous spur cartilage. This prospective study included 156 patients of chronic otitis media (COM), between the ages 10-60 years. All cases underwent type III tympanoplasty with ossiculoplasty using homologous spur cartilage. The study sample of 156 patients contained 107 cases of mucosal type and 49 cases of squamosal type COM. Type III A tympanoplasty was done for 71 cases and type III B tympanoplasty was done for 85. Pure tone audiometry (PTA) was done pre and postoperatively, in all the cases. The patients were followed up for 6 months postoperatively. The average preoperative mean air-bone-gap (ABG) was 43.64 dB, whereas in type III A cases it was 39.7 dB and in type III B it was 46.9 dB. The mean ABG at 6th month follow up was 18.9 dB in the study group. In type III A cases, mean ABG was 15.2 dB and in type III B cases it was 22.11 dB. Homogenous spur cartilage graft can be used for ossicular chain reconstruction with the advantage of very low extrusion rate, technically easy to perform with less risk of residual disease.
ABSTRACT
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic, organic compound frequently present in consumer plastics, including plastic-lined cans, water bottles, toys, and teeth sutures. Previous studies have shown that BPA can produce adverse health effects that include defects in reproductive function and altered prenatal/childhood development. However, little is known regarding the effects of BPA on immune function. In this study, we assessed the effect of BPA on human neutrophils, a critical component of the innate immune system's defense against pathogens. We found that BPA induces a concentration-dependent increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by neutrophils, which is inhibited by the estrogen receptor-ß antagonist PHTPP. Furthermore, incubation with the membrane-permeable calcium chelator BAPTA-AM and/or removal of extracellular calcium inhibited BPA-induced ROS production, indicating that the process is calcium dependent. Transwell chemotaxis assays revealed that BPA exposure reduces the chemotactic capacity of neutrophils in a gradient of the bacterial cell wall component f-Met-Leu-Phe, a potent chemoattractant. Exposure to BPA also inhibits the ability of neutrophils to kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a leading human pathogen. Our findings reveal that BPA alters the in vitro function of neutrophils, including ROS production, chemotaxis, and bacterial killing, and raises the possibility of altered innate immunity in vivo, especially in those with compromised immune function and who can be exposed to BPA in a wide variety of products.
