Fine needle aspiration biopsy of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the oral cavity: report of one case and review of literature.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is an uncommon vascular tumor with biological behavior intermediate between hemangioma and angiosarcoma. It rarely occurs in the oral cavity. We report a case of an 81-yr-old woman with a 2-mo history of a 2 x 2 cm2 submucosal buccal mass. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) smears were paucicellular and showed mainly single atypical large epithelioid cells in a bloody background. The atypical cells had abundant dense cytoplasm, some with fine vacuoles. Occasionally, cells with large cytoplasmic lumina were seen. Cytology preparations from fresh tissue received for frozen section revealed numerous neoplastic cells with large intracytoplasmic lumina, some of which contained red blood cells. In addition, cells with distinct intranuclear inclusions were present. Histologic sections and immunohistochemical stains confirmed the diagnosis of EHE. Although the histologic features of EHE are well recognized, reports of FNA cytology findings are sparsely existent in the literature as several case reports. The characteristic cytological features of EHE are reviewed in this report. We believe that the diagnosis of this rare tumor can be suggested when an adequate FNA specimen is obtained.

Nasal valve reconstruction: experience in 53 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the cause of nasal valve obstruction in a series of patients requiring surgical correction, to evaluate the efficacy of our surgical techniques, and to assess the cosmetic effect of nasal valve repair. METHODS: Retrospective review of 53 consecutive cases involving adult patients who underwent nasal valve reconstruction over an 8-year period. The preoperative symptom severity, cause of nasal valve obstruction, preoperative photographs, anatomical findings at the time of surgery, and reconstructive techniques were reviewed. Postoperative photographs and resolution of symptoms were analyzed. RESULTS: The most common cause of nasal valve obstruction was previous rhinoplasty (79%), followed by nasal trauma (15%) and congenital anomaly (6%). Spreader grafts were used in 42 patients (79%), and alar batten grafts were used in 19 patients (36%). The patients received a minimum of 1 year of follow-up. All 12 patients with external valve dysfunction showed improvement after surgery. Thirteen (93%) of the 14 patients with concomitant external and internal valve dysfunction had improvement in nasal obstruction after treatment. Twenty-four (89%) of 27 patients with internal nasal valve dysfunction reported improvement in nasal obstruction. Spreader grafts caused a widening of the middle third of the nose. Alar batten grafts resulted in effacement of deep alar creases and a widening of the nasal tip. CONCLUSIONS: We have found that surgical correction of nasal valve obstruction is extremely effective in improving subjective nasal obstruction. Success of this procedure is predicated by correct diagnosis and appropriate surgical technique.