[Tonsil surgery in Brandenburg-trends between 2013 and 2017]. / Operationen an den Gaumenmandeln im Land Brandenburg ­ Entwicklungen von 2013 bis 2017.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of tonsil surgery in Brandenburg (BB) during the period from 2013 to 2017 is analyzed. Causes and possible consequences of the trends are discussed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An OPS code-based survey is carried out in the 10 ENT hospitals in BB and using the data from the federal states (Federal Statistical Office). In addition, the respective heads of ENT departments are interviewed concerning the indication for tonsillectomy (TE). The average number of operations in 2013/2014 is compared to that in 2017 (BB) and 2016 (federal states). RESULTS: In 9/10 participating hospitals in BB, 10,302 operations were performed, thereof 58.4% as TE, 19.0% as tonsillotomy (TT), 13.7% as abscess tonsillectomy (abscess TE), and 8.9% other. In BB in 2017 in comparison to 2013/2014, because of the decrease in TE by 45.6%, a total of 21.1% less operations were performed, while TT and abscess TE increased by 32% and 18%, respectively. The average age at surgery was 28.1, 38.1, and 5.9 years for TE, abscess TE, and TT, respectively. The entire trend for Germany until 2016 on the basis of 395,674 cases reflects a decrease in TE (30.7%) and abscess TE (14%), while TT was performed 27.5% more often, resulting in a total decrease of 21.3%. The interviewed persons follow the "justifiable operation indications" of the German guideline from 2015 and adapted their previous practice. CONCLUSION: Our survey and results indicate that the massive decrease of TE in BB is associated with the "justifiable operation indications" of the 2015 German guidelines on inflammatory diseases of the tonsils. TE is mainly performed in adults. Therefore, research concerning conservative versus surgical treatment for recurrent tonsillitis is urgently needed for this age profile.

[Significance of Secondary Mucosal Primaries in Patients with a Cervical CUP-Syndrome]. / Bedeutung des sekundär auftretenden Primärtumors bei einem zervikalen CUP-Syndrom.

BACKGROUND: We discuss the significance of an occult primary in the prognosis of cervical carcinoma with unknown primary (CUP) after completion of diagnostic and treatment. PATIENTS/METHODS: A series of 36 patients diagnosed between 2001 and 2009 underwent staging including panendoscopy, mapping and tonsillectomy, ultrasound and CT/MRI of the neck, thorax and abdomen. The patients recieved neck surgery followed by adjuvant radio-(chemo-)therapy of cervical fields as well as limited mucosal irradiation (IMRT, GHD 50 Gy). The results of tumor control and therapy-related toxicity were ascertained. RESULTS: A secondary primary of the cervical metastases was not detected during follow-up. 6 patients died from distant metastases and 1 from chemotherapy; 4 patients died from a different secondary tumour, 2 patients died intercurrently. We did not observe late toxicity but 8% of patients had Grade 3 dysphagia. DISCUSSION: Efficacy of diagnostic procedure and therapy are important in treating occult primary tumours in CUP. Our results show that omitting PET-CT, which was not available in diagnostic workup of the study-patients, did not impact negatively on the manifestation rate of mucosal primaries and/or was compensated for by intensive therapy. Distant metastases and infraclavicular secondary primaries had a negative impact for the survival. Elective therapy of a presumed occult primary tumour in CUP should be included into the therapeutic discussion considering its efficacy and toxicity.

[Extranodal Metastases of Renal Cell Carcinoma to the Head and Neck: A Diagnostic Challenge]. / Extranodale Metastasen von Nierenzellkarzinomen in der Kopf-Hals-Region.

BACKGROUND: Single case reports about extranodal renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis to the head and neck (HN) often implicating unusual clinical follow-ups are well known. Subject of our investigation is to ascertain the true meaning of RCC for differential diagnostic of the head and neck surgion. METHODS: We retrospectively review the reports of 612 patients with RCC treated in a 13-years period in the department of urology. RESULTS: Of the 612 RCC 191 (31%) were metastatic, 3 female and 4 male (mean 66.8a, 56a-78a) presented with extranodal metastases within the HN. Extranodal locations were parotid and thyroid glands (2 ×), tongue, forehead scin, bone and paranasal sinus. Occurrence of metastases were observed in mean 40.8 months (5-87) after the primary. In one patient metastasis to the parotid gland was the only manifestation of RCC 78 month treated before, the others presented with further metastases to infraclavicular organs. DISCUSSION: According to our results extranodal metastases of RCC to the HN are uncommon (1.1%). Therefore and because of the unusual location extranodal metastases of RCC remain a diagnostic challenge for the ENT specialist and the pathologist with peculiar knowledge of the oncological history of the patient remaining an essential condition. We found exclusive metastasis to the HN in only one of 7 cases. Nevertheless surgical treatment has to be considered in curative and symptomatic treatment strategies.

[Acute dyspnea in malignant melanoma]. / Akute Dyspnoe bei malignem Melanom der Haut.

Metastases to the larynx are rare. The current article presents the case of a 75-year-old patient with a history of shortness of breath due to a supraglottic exophytic lesion that was identified as a metastasis of a cutaneous melanoma treated 2.5 years previously. As a result of our medline analysis we found approximately 30 cases of metastatic melanoma to the larynx published to date. Primary tumors are always cutaneous in origin and spread over the whole integument of trunk and extremities. The time interval between diagnosis of the primary and the laryngeal metastasis is often several years. In most reports a supraglottic exophytic, red coloured lesion is described. Diagnosis can only be proven by histological examination. Laryngeal metastasis is usually an indication of tumor dissemination and always has a fatal prognosis.

[Neck tumor following tracheotomy]. / Raumforderung des Halses nach Tracheotomie.

The patient presented here suffered from a tumor of the frontal part of the neck and from position-dependent dyspnea. He had a history of tracheostomy following vascular surgery; the tracheostomy did not close spontaneously, so it needed to be sutured. The tracheostomy channel seemed to have developed spontaneous epithelization. After its closure, an epidermoid cyst developed from the epithelium. This cyst was the cause of the patient's symptoms, and it was surgically removed.

Expression of stanniocalcin in the epithelium of human choroid plexus.

Stanniocalcin (STC) is a 28 kD glycoprotein hormone originally found in bony fish in which it regulates calcium/phosphate homeostasis and protects against hypercalcemia. The recently characterized mammalian STC shows about 70% homology with fish STC. The epithelial cells of proximal tubuli in human and rat kidney and brain neurons have been found to express STC. Here we show that the epithelium of the choroid plexus, already at 16 weeks of fetal age, and of plexus papillomas, synthesize and express STC. Our findings suggest that STC may be of importance for the distribution of calcium and phosphate between the cerebrospinal fluid and blood.