Osteomyelitis of the jaw: resistance to clindamycin in patients with prior antibiotics exposure.

The purpose of this paper was to review our clinical experience in patients with osteomyelitis (OM) of the jaw, focusing on aspects of antimicrobial resistance. A retrospective review of the medical records of adult patients with jaw OM was carried out. Among 46 cases of jaw OM, the cause was odontogenic in 32 (seven had recent dental implants and four bisphosphonate osteonecrosis), postoperative/post-traumatic in eight, and secondary to osteoradionecrosis in six. Clinical features were chronic in 91.3%. The infection was polymicrobial in 24/41 (65.9%). Viridans streptococci were the most commonly isolated agents. Among 26 viridans streptococci tested, 81% were susceptible to penicillin and 96% to fluorquinolones, but only 11.5% to clindamycin. Overall, 35/38 (92.1%) had at least one clindamycin-resistant isolate. Appropriate antibiotics were administered for a mean of 5.8 +/- 3.2 months. Beta-lactams were used in 19 cases and fluorquinolones in 14. Among 39 cases with long-term follow-up, only two relapsed. Currently, jaw OM is commonly related to osteoradionecrosis, dental implants, and bisphosphonates. In patients with prior antibiotics exposure, a high percentage of infections were caused by clindamycin-resistant microorganisms, thus, beta-lactams should be the antibiotic of choice. In penicillin-allergic cases, the new fluorquinolones, probably in combination with rifampin and/or clindamycin, could be a promising alternative.

Rinoplastia abierta / Open rhynoplasty

La rinoplastia abierta frente a la cerrada ha sido objeto de discusión y uno de los tópicos más frecuentes de conferencias y publicaciones. El abordaje abierto ha ido ganando aceptación en la última década como resultado fundamentalmente de la amplia exposición y directa visualización de la estructura osteocartilaginosa del esqueleto nasal. Esta exposición ofrece ventajas especialmente en casos complejos de rinoplastia secundaria. El abordaje abierto proporciona mayores opciones y control de la técnica quirúrgica permitiendo el modelado del esqueleto nasal mientras se mantiene su integridad por lo que este abordaje es utilizado cada vez más frecuentemente en rinoplastia primaria (AU)

Preoperative induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy in advanced carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx.

BACKGROUND: Combined modality therapy plays a central role in the management of advanced head and neck tumors. The objective of our Phase II study was to determine the feasibility, toxicity, and clinical and pathologic response of preoperative induction chemotherapy, followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with Stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging of the oral cavity and oropharynx with no distant metastases. METHODS: After staging, 62 patients with locally advanced carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx were treated preoperatively with chemotherapy (1 cycle of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil [P-5FU]) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (3 cycles of P-5FU combined with radiotherapy, 60 grays [Gy] given in 33 fractions of 1.8 Gy). After evaluation, patients underwent surgery either as a diagnostic (biopsy) or therapeutic procedure (resection of the primary tumor and/or the neck). Surgery was performed with the intent to spare organ function. RESULTS: Grade 3-4 mucositis was observed in 37 patients (59%). Overall clinical response was obtained in 87%, and the complete clinical response rate was 50%. Surgery was performed in 53 patients, 50 at the primary tumor site (11 biopsies, 14 marginal excisions, and 25 wide excision) and 46 patients had neck dissection. Pathologic complete remission was observed in 29 patients (46%). After a median follow-up of 39 months, locoregional control rate was 76%, estimated 3-year disease free survival rate was 73% (+/- 4%), and estimated 3-year overall survival rate was 76% (+/- 4%). CONCLUSIONS: This intensive multimodality treatment is feasible, and toxicity is significant but tolerable. The treatment results appear promising and durable. Organ-preserving surgery can be performed in many patients.

Preoperative simultaneous chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx.

Combined chemoradiotherapy (CT/RT) treatments appear to yield better results for advanced tumours of the head and neck than do conventional therapies. In the present study, CT/RT was used preoperatively in unresectable tumors of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Forty patients were entered prospectively into a phase II study. Treatment consisted of three cycles of chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-day infusion of fluorouracil (FU), and the addition of simultaneous radiotherapy (30 Gy) from the second to third cycles. Patients with resectable residual disease or complete clinical response underwent surgery. All patients later received a second phase of irradiation (30 Gy) and two cycles of chemotherapy only in responders. During the first phase of treatment, 22 (55%) patients presented mucositis grades III-IV. Mean weight loss was 7%. Twelve patients were admitted for parenteral nutrition. Thirty-six (90%) patients obtained clinical response, which was complete in 15 (37%). Thirty-two of the 40 underwent surgery. The percentage of pathologic complete responses (PCR) was 35% (14 patients). With a median follow-up of 21 months, the median survival of patients was 23 months, and 19 (47%) of them are disease-free. A high PCR rate was attained with this treatment regimen. Toxicity was significant, but tolerable with adequate support measures.