Subglotic malt-lymphoma of the larynx: an unusual presentation of chronic cough.

Extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas limited to the larynx are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all laryngeal neoplasms. The most common site of development of primary laryngeal lymphomas is the supraglottic region. In most cases, the presenting symptoms are hoarseness, dysphagia, dyspnea, and cervical lymphadenopathy. They consist mainly of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, especially of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. We report a case of a primary extranodal marginal zone of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (Malt Lymphoma) of the larynx in a 73-year-old non-smoker woman, presented as chronic cough, unresponsive to oral corticosteroid. We present a detailed report of her clinical and paraclinical data as well as treatment options. In patients with chronic cough, uncommon causes should be considered when the cough persists after evaluation for common causes. If a cough persists after consideration of the most common causes, CT scan and a bronchoscopic evaluation are fundamental for the diagnosis of tumors of the upper and lower respiratory tract.

The thermal transformation of Man Made Vitreous Fibers (MMVF) and safe recycling as secondary raw materials (SRM).

This work describes the high temperature reaction sequence of commercial Man Made Vitreous Fibers (MMVF) Cerafiber, Superwool, Rock wool and Glass wool which may be used as substitute for asbestos in some industrial applications. Knowledge of the reaction path and transformation sequence is very important to assess whether carcinogenic crystalline phases are formed during devitrification, which may occur when used as insulators. In addition, knowledge about the nature of the phases formed at high temperature is mandatory to assess if thermally transformed MMVF can be safely recycled as secondary raw material (SRM). In this scenario, this study provides useful information for the optimization of the industrial annealing process aimed to attain a safe, recyclable product. The results of this work show that one of the high-temperature products of Cerafiber and Superwool is cristobalite which is classified as a carcinogenic. It was possible to define the temperature interval at which Cerafiber and Superwool fibers can be safely used as thermal insulators (e.g. insulators in tunnel and/or roller kilns, etc.). As cristobalite is formed in both synthetic fiber products at temperatures higher than 1200 degrees C, their use should be limited to devices operating at lower temperatures. Rock and Glass wool melt upon thermal treatment. As far as the industrial process of inertization is concerned, a maximum firing temperature of 1100 and 600 degrees C is required to melt Rock wool and Glass wool, respectively, with the high-temperature products that can be safely recycled as SRM. Recycling of these products in stoneware tile mixtures were subsequently attempted. The addition of 1-2 wt.% of the melts of Rock and Glass wool gave promising results in terms of viscous sintering reactions and resistance to staining with the only weak characteristic being the color properties of the fired bodies which tend to worsen.

Fibroelastoma of the mitral valve as a cause of transient ischemic stroke.

A 44-year-old woman had a transient ischemic stroke, fibroelastoma of the mitral valve being the source of the embolus. The patient evolved with neutropenia induced by ticlopidine after 10 days of treatment. We report the major clinical features, therapeutical options, and medicamentous toxicity resulting from the use of antiplatelet drugs.