Usefulness of bovine pericardium as interpositional graft in the surgical repair of nasal septal perforations (experimental study).

A 2.5-cm nasal septal perforation was performed in 18 pigs and repaired as follows: group I (n = 6), septal perforation without treatment; group II (n = 6), surgical repair with interpositional graft of glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium (GPBP); group III (n = 6), surgical repair with interpositional graft of lyophilized GPBP (LGPBP). The animals were evaluated clinically and radiologically (x-ray and CT scan) 2 days before surgery, daily during the first postoperative week, and weekly during the next 6 months. At the end of the study the animals were euthanized with an overdose of pentobarbital. Macroscopic and microscopic examination of the grafts and nasal septum was performed. All the animals survived the surgical procedure. Five pigs in group I showed persistence of the septal perforation. All the animals in groups II and III showed total closure of the septal perforation, with the presence of fibrotic tissue on the pericardial grafts as well as in the septal cartilage, and overall good healing. In conclusion, GPBP and LGPBP are adequate materials that can be used as interpositional grafts in the surgical closure of septal perforations in pigs

Modificaciones estructurales de la mucosa respiratoria expuesta al medio ambiente en la Ciudad de México. Estudio experimental / Structural modifications of respiratory mucosa exposed to the environment of Mexico City

La contaminación ambiental constituye uno de los principales problemas de salud pública en las ciudades del mundo. En la Ciudad de México, tiene como principales contaminantes de ozono y al dióxido de azufre. En el presente estudio se reportan los hallazgos histopatológicos mediante microscopía óptica de 24 ratas de laboratorio, en la que se examinó el tracto naso-tráqueo-bronquial. Los animales de laboratorio se repartieron en 3 diferentes zonas de la Ciudad de México y se les encontraron cambios importantes de tipo estructural, desde la pérdida ciliar, hasta alteraciones crónicas del conjunto respiratorio. Se concluye el trabajo haciendo notar la necesidad de que el otorrinolaringólogo tenga conciencia de la intensidad del problema a nivel mundial y su ingerencia en la toma de soluciones para el mismo