Botulinum neurotoxins: fundamentals for the facial plastic surgeon.

The most commonly performed nonsurgical cosmetic procedure in the facial plastic surgery armamentarium involves the various commercial preparations of botulinum neurotoxins. These drugs have undergone a transformation from public health scourge to near ubiquitous therapeutic modality across the entire medical spectrum. Herein, the history of botulinum neurotoxins is reviewed, including an exploration of their pharmacology, neuromuscular junction physiology, a description of the commercially available preparations, and the recent research concerning the practicalities of their clinical use.

Integrity of craniofacial plating systems after multiple sterilization procedures.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of multiple autoclave sterilization cycles on the integrity of titanium plates and screws used in craniofacial reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Torque to fracture was evaluated for 36 titanium 6AL-4V (Ti 6/4) screws divided evenly into 3 groups and tested as machined (control), after 10 cycles of autoclaving or after 50 cycles of autoclaving. Sterilization was carried out by autoclaving for 15 minutes followed by 8 minutes of drying at 270 degrees to 272 degrees F. The maximum torque attained before fracture was recorded. Rotating beam specimens were crafted from single lots of Ti 6/4, commercially pure titanium grade 4 (CP4) and commercially pure titanium grade 2 (CP2), and then subjected to testing in a standard rotating beam device as machined (control), after 10 cycles of autoclaving or after 50 cycles of autoclaving. The cycles required to fracture the specimen at a given applied stress were recorded for each material and for the number of autoclavings carried out before testing. RESULTS: Although there was a trend toward decreased strength and increased ability to fracture with increased number of autoclave cycles, this did not reach statistical significance. Torque to fracture testing for 7 mm Ti 6/4 screws showed no significant difference in the maximum torque reached before fracture between controls, those screws that had been autoclaved 10 times (P < .500 +/- 5.70) and those that had been autoclaved 50 times (P < .398 +/- 4.08). Rotating beam specimens of Ti 6/4, CP4, and CP2 showed no significant difference in cycles to fracture regardless of the number of sterilization cycles to which the material was subjected. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated cycles of autoclaving had no significant effect on the integrity of titanium plates and screws routinely used in craniofacial surgery.

Liposarcoma of the tongue: case report and review of the literature.

Liposarcoma is the most common soft-tissue malignancy in adults, but the appearance of a liposarcoma in the head and neck region is distinctly unusual. Intraoral liposarcomas represent a particularly interesting subset of this tumor in that (1) they are exceedingly rare and (2) affected patients tend to have a better prognosis than do patients with a similar lesion located elsewhere in the head and neck. An understanding of the histologic subtypes and corresponding clinical behavior of liposarcomas will assist physicians in appropriately managing these patients. Most of these tumors can be effectively treated with conservative surgery. We report the rare case of a well-differentiated liposarcoma arising in the tongue of a 55-year-old man. We also discuss the typical pathologic findings in these malignancies and review the diagnosis, associated controversies, management, and prognosis.

Fungal rhinosinusitis: state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment.

The past 30 years has been witness to a period of tremendous growth and innovation within the field of rhinology, facilitating a better understanding and improved management techniques for a variety of local and systemic conditions manifesting within the nose and paranasal sinuses. Of these disease states, the spectrum of conditions considered under the rubric of fungal rhinosinusitis best exemplifies modern rhinology's position as a truly multidisciplinary specialty. We review the classification of the various forms of fungal rhinosinusitis and their clinical presentations, radiologic findings, and treatment options.

Metastatic breast cancer of the oral cavity.

OBJECTIVE: To present a rare case of breast carcinoma initially presenting as an oral cavity mass. STUDY DESIGN: Case report with review of the literature. RESULTS: A case is presented of a postmenopausal woman with a remote history of treated breast carcinoma who was declared disease-free 2 years before presentation. She presented with an enlarging vestibule mass consistent with metastatic breast carcinoma. Subsequent investigations revealed widely metastatic disease for which the patient was referred for palliative chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Metastatic disease to the oral cavity represents only 1% of all oral cavity malignancies. A high index of clinical suspicion is necessary when evaluating patients with a history of non-head and neck carcinoma.

Metastatic head and neck carcinoma to a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy site.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement is a safe and widely accepted alternate route for enteral alimentation in the head and neck cancer patient population. Cancer metastatic to a PEG tube exit site is a rare but serious complication of this procedure. We sought to determine the route of spread responsible for PEG site metastases such that we may prevent further occurrences of this highly morbid condition. We also report a case of PEG site metastasis at our institution. METHODS: We performed a MEDLINE search for the years 1962 to 2002 and conducted a review of the literature. In the case at our institution, a 63-year-old man was referred to our institution with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the right base of tongue; he also had a 1.5-cm left apical lung nodule. He underwent PEG tube placement at the time of staging panendoscopy. Six months after the original tube placement, he had an ulcerated mass develop at the PEG site; biopsy of the mass revealed squamous cell carcinoma histologically identical to the base of tongue tumor. He also had recurrent lung cancer and four hepatic lesions develop. RESULTS: In our MEDLINE search, of the five patients diagnosed with PEG site disease >10 months after PEG placement, all five (100%) had synchronous distant metastatic disease. In the group of patients diagnosed with PEG site metastases < or =10 months after PEG placement, only four (24%) of 17 had synchronous distant metastatic disease. All patients underwent PEG placement by means of the "pull" technique. Direct implantation with a variable-sized initial tumor burden can explain all cases of PEG site metastasis. The presence of distant metastases is representative of the natural history of advanced head and neck malignancies. Smaller initial tumor implants present later than would larger initial tumor burdens, when the patient is more likely to have distant metastatic disease. In the case at our institution, the patient did not respond to treatment for his hepatic and PEG site metastases and his lung cancer, and he died 4 months after detection of the PEG site metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: PEG site metastases are iatrogenic complications of PEG tube placement in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. The use of laparoscopic, open, or the "push" technique of PEG tube placement in patients with head and neck cancer may prevent direct implantation of malignant cells into an enteral access site.

Rhinoplasty in male patients.

The complexities of rhinoplasty are further emphasized when this operation is undertaken in the male patient, and a growing percentage of the rhinoplasty population comprises men. We review the senior author's approach to rhinoplasty analysis, preoperative consultation, and surgical techniques that have been successfully employed for over 40 years. Specific recommendations and modifications to these techniques are discussed as they relate to the rhinoplasty operation in male patients.

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia presenting as an ear canal mass.

OBJECTIVE: We discuss the first reported case of a chronic leukemia involving the external auditory canal. STUDY DESIGN: Case report and review of the literature (Medline, 1962-2003). METHODS AND RESULTS: An adult man in good health came to receive medical attention because of a sensation of aural fullness. Radiologic and physical examination demonstrated an ovoid soft tissue mass of the lateral external auditory canal that, after biopsy and flow cytometry studies, was found to be T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia. The patient presented with minimal disease in a highly symptomatic location, allowing early initiation of therapy and extending his life by nearly four times the average life expectancy for this aggressive chronic leukemia. CONCLUSION: Lymphomas of the external auditory canal are extremely rare neoplasms. Only a few cases have previously been reported, and all of the previous reports involve acute leukemias. This report indicates that chronic leukemias can present with otologic manifestations such as an external auditory canal mass.

Spontaneous cervical haematoma resulting from intrathoracic pathology.

Spontaneous cervical haematomas are rare occurrences for which a wide variety of aetiologies have been reported. Although the pathogenesis of this condition can be quite diverse, all known cases have emanated from a cervical source. The authors report the first case of a spontaneous cervical haematoma arising from an intrathoracic source. A case review and Medline search from 1962-2003 was carried out. No prior experience with intrathoracic sources for cervical haematomas has previously been reported. Transcervical haematoma evacuation confirmed the intrathoracic origin and a median sternotomy was required to gain control of this haemorrhage. Thoracic sources should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a spontaneous cervical haematoma. Preparations for a combined procedure with a thoracic surgeon can be predicted pre-operatively based on imaging studies.