[Morphometric study of the mastoid segment of the facial nerve]. / Estudio morfométrico del tercer segmento del nervio facial.

OBJECTIVE: Our study emphasizes the relationship between the temporal bone structures and the mastoid portion of the facial nerve. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-two temporal bones taken from adult cadavers of both sexes subjected to tympanoplastic procedure were used to make reference measures of the mastoid portion of the facial nerve. Appropriate instruments were used for measurement and statistic analysis was subsequently performed. RESULTS: The digastric ridge presented a positive correlation with the stylomastoid foramen in comparison with the sigmoid sinus (P=.03). There was a correlation between the position of the short apophysis of the incus and the position of the facial nerve (P=.001). The distance from the sigmoid sinus to the mastoid portion of the facial nerve presents a positive linear relationship throughout its length (P< .001). The tympanic membrane presented a positional correlation with the distal portion of the facial nerve (P< .008). CONCLUSIONS: The mastoid portion of the facial nerve is proportional to reference structures in the temporal bone and this may help us to define measures prior to surgical otologic procedures.

Estudio morfométrico del tercer segmento del nervio facial / Morphometric Study of the Mastoid Segment of the Facial Nerve

Objectivo: Enfatizamos en este estudio la relación entre las estructuras de referencia del hueso temporal y su relación con la tercera porción del nervio facial. Material y método: Nuestro estudio se ha realizado con 32 huesos temporales humanos, provenientes de cadáveres de adultos de ambos sexos a los que se practicó timpanoplastia con el objetivo de hacer mediciones de referencia de la porción mastoidea del nervio facial. Luego se las midió con instrumentos adecuados y se practicó análisis estadístico. Resultados: La cresta digástrica presenta una relación positiva con el agujero estilomastoideo en relación con el seno sigmoideo (p = 0,03). Existe relación entre la posición de la apófisis corta del yunque y la posición del nervio facial (p < 0,001). La distancia del seno sigmoideo respecto a la tercera porción del nervio presenta una relación lineal positiva por todo su recorrido (p < 0,001). La membrana timpánica presenta una relación de posición con la porción distal de nervio facial (p < 0,008). Conclusiones: La porción mastoidea del nervio facial presenta relación proporcional con estructuras de referencia del hueso temporal, lo que nos ayudará a definir medidas previas a intervenciones quirúrgicas otológicas

Objective: Our study emphasizes the relationship between the temporal bone structures and the mastoid portion of the facial nerve. Material and methods: Thirty-two temporal bones taken from adult cadavers of both sexes subjected to tympanoplastic procedure were used to make reference measures of the mastoid portion of the facial nerve. Appropriate instruments were used for measurement and statistic analysis was subsequently performed. Results: The digastric ridge presented a positive correlation with the stylomastoid foramen in comparison with the sigmoid sinus (P=.03). There was a correlation between the position of the short apophysis of the incus and the position of the facial nerve (P=.001). The distance from the sigmoid sinus to the mastoid portion of the facial nerve presents a positive linear relationship throughout its length (P<.001). The tympanic membrane presented a positional correlation with the distal portion of the facial nerve (P<.008). Conclusions: The mastoid portion of the facial nerve is proportional to reference structures in the temporal bone and this may help us to define measures prior to surgical otologic procedures

Tyrosinase mRNA in blood of patients with melanoma treated with adjuvant interferon.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical significance of the detection of circulating melanoma cells in patients treated with adjuvant interferon and to determine their potential value as a marker of interferon response. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively analyzed 616 peripheral-blood samples from 120 melanoma patients with stage IIA (n = 33), IIB (n = 22), III (n = 50), or IV (surgically resected) (n = 15) disease receiving adjuvant interferon alfa-2b therapy. Tyrosinase mRNA was assayed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as a marker of circulating melanoma cells before the start of interferon and every 2 to 3 months thereafter. RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 32.3 months (range, 7.1 to 77.5 months), 47 patients (39.8%) relapsed and 31 (26%) died. During adjuvant interferon treatment, 76 patients (64%) had undetected circulating melanoma cells and 44 patients (36%) had a positive RT-PCR result in at least one sample. Actuarial 5-year disease-free survival was 62% in patients with persistently negative RT-PCR during interferon treatment and 38% for patients with positive RT-PCR during interferon (P =.02). Actuarial 5-year overall survival was 75% and 50%, respectively (P =.03). CONCLUSION: Patients with melanoma and tyrosinase mRNA detected in the blood during adjuvant interferon therapy had a worse prognosis compared with patients with undetected tyrosinase mRNA during treatment. Further investigation into the detection of circulating melanoma cells as a surrogate marker of response to adjuvant interferon therapy is warranted.