Osteosarcoma of the mastoid process following radiation therapy of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland--a case report.

Radiation therapy is frequently used method in treatment of the head and neck malignancies. Osteosarcoma is a rare complication of radiation therapy and usually occurs after a long latent period. We report the case of 75-year-old female with osteosarcoma of the mastoid process. Twelve years before presentation she received radiation therapy after total parotidectomy and radical neck dissection in treatment of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland. Diagnostic procedures included contrast-enhanced CT and MRI of the head and neck and HRCT of the temporal bone. The final diagnosis of the low grade osteosarcoma was confirmed by biopsy. Diagnostic criteria were fulfilled and the lesion was classified as a radiation induced osteosarcoma.

Patient with lingual thyroid and squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue base--case report.

We demonstrate a rare case of lingual thyroid together with squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue. 54-year-old patient presented with left sided lymph node enlargement in regions II, III and IV without any clinical symptoms. Physical examination revealed semicircular bulge at the base of tongue measuring 30 x 20 mm and tumorous lesion was suspected. Neck ultrasound showed pathological enlargement of lymph nodes and FNA of lymph node revealed squamous carcinoma cells in the smear. Further investigation included CT and MRI of the neck depicted ectopic thyroid tissue in base of tongue and enlarged and necrotic lymph nodes in regions II and III. Primary carcinoma could not be depicted. Biopsy of the lingual mass was performed and histology confirmed ectopic thyroid tissue. Physical examination of the oral cavity was repeated and suspicious area on the left side of the tongue base near ectopic thyroidal tissue was identified. Histology after biopsy confirmed squamous cell carcinoma with superficial growth. This case emphasizes the important role that collaboration of radiologist and otorhinolaryngologyst has in correctly diagnosing oropharyngeal pathology. Also, we underline the importance of careful oropharyngeal region screening in case of unknown pathologic lymphadenopathy, when the possibility of oropharyngeal cancer has to be considered.

Radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma and immunohistochemical analysis of vessel proliferation: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma presents with symptoms of nasal obstruction and epistaxis. The treatment of choice is embolization followed by surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 52-year-old man underwent surgery for nasopharyngeal angiofibroma after adjuvant radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first case of angiofibroma with clinical follow-up after thermocoagulation therapy supported by quantitative, double immunohistochemistry. We found this case of angiofibroma to be of interest owing to the presentation of symptoms leading to biopsy, the pathohistological observations obtained with synchronous Ki67/cluster of differentiation 34 and Ki67/smooth muscle actin immunohistochemistry and high pericyte proliferation. CONCLUSION: Coagulation of angiofibroma vessels followed by acquisition of a thick mantle of pericytes in a patient with a nasopharyngeal growth suggests that radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy could be a useful, palliative therapy for bleeding nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, supporting vessel maturation prior to surgical tumor removal.

Quantitative analysis of nasal vascularization in allergic patients treated with mometasone furoate.

The purpose of this study was to compare vascularization of the nasal mucous membrane among non-allergic, non-treated allergic and allergic patients treated with mometasone furoate, by means of the stereology method in quantitative analysis. Three groups of patients (GP), each containing 10 patients were examined. The first group (GP 1) had a negative inhalatory allergen test while the second (GP 2) and third (GP 3) group both had positive results with the same test. GP 3 included allergic patients treated with mometasone furoate for 15 days before analysis, when a small piece of the nasal mucous membrane was taken from the frontal pole of the lower nasal shell. The specimens were examined immunohistochemically for expression of CD31 and VEGF-C. Vascular phase was determined by using length density (L(v)). Differences in CD31 and VEGF-C expression were compared using one-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD post-hoc tests. CD31 expression in GP 1 had significantly lower values than in the GP 2 and GP 3 groups (p < 0.001). VEGF-C expression in GP 1 was significantly lower than in GP 2 (p = 0.007), but not in GP 3 (p = 0.292). We have shown that 15-day treatment with mometasone furoate results in a significant reduction of the density of vascular elements in allergic patients.

The quantitative analysis of the vascularization following two basic auditory canal skin incisions.

Three groups of nine patients each were analyzed. The first two groups consisted of those that underwent tympanoplastic due to chronic inflammation of middle ear. Two different standard auditory canal skin incisions were applied, i.e. tympanomeatal flap (TMF) or vascular strip (VS). The third control group consisted of non-operated patients. All the operated patients were subjected to a quantitative analysis of the auditory canal revascularization by means of the Weibel stereological test method, i.e. the B 100 double network system. The density of capillaries, arterioles, venulolymphatic spaces and a total volume density of all vascular elements of the auditory canal skin were measured. The obtained results of vascularization were compared with those of the target control group. It was found out that there were no significant differences in vascularization of auditory canal skin between TMF and VS patients from one side and the control group on the other side.