[Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in a 12-year-old boy]. / Plattenepithelkarzinom des Larynx bei einem 12-jährigen Jungen.

This is a case report on a middle grade differentiated keratinized squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx in a 12-year-old boy. Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx is very rare in children and adolescents and in older literature studies less than 70 cases have been reported in children. Histologically the same variants are present as in adults. The way to the final diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma often takes longer in children because dysphonia or dyspnoe are often caused by other pediatric diseases, risk factors such as those found in adults cannot be elucidated and many symptoms can be due to incomplete development of the laryngeal skeleton. Generally speaking, prior radiation therapy of the neck region and papillomatosis have been described as risk factors. In rare cases translocations or mutations can play a causative role.

Integration of human papilloma virus type 26 in laryngeal cancer of a child.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in larynx is rare with children and adolescents. Usually larynx cancer is common with male smokers in the 7th decade. Among patients with no history of tobacco and/or alcohol consumption several factors have can play a role in the outbreak of laryngeal cancer: such as individual predisposition, radiation, gastroesophageal reflux, viral infection, dietary factors and environmental influences. In literature only few cases of laryngeal cancer with children are reported. Recent studies show that the most frequent laryngeal malignancy is the embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Besides the recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) based on an infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) types 6 and 11 (low risk) and types 16 and 18 (high risk) is known for a possible malignant transformation towards a SCC. HPV type 26 is only reported as low risk type HPV associated with cervical cancer. Final diagnosis often takes a long time. Initial symptoms such as hoarseness, cough or shortness of breath are often referred to more typical pediatric diseases or laryngeal development.

[Wegener's granulomatosis in ENT: clinical presentation, diagnosis and therapy]. / Die Wegener Granulomatose: Klinik, Diagnose und Therapie anhand eines Fallberichts und einer Literaturübersicht.

INTRODUCTION: Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a vasculitis that effects the upper and lower part of the respiratory tract and the kidneys. Untreated the disease results in death within weeks or months. The diagnosis is based on clinical criteria, level of antineutrophil cytoplasmatic antibodies (ANCA) and signs of granulomatous necrotizing vasculitis in histology. METHODS: A case of an 18-year-old woman with initially symptoms of bilateral "mastoiditis" and weakness of her facial nerve is described. In this case ANCA levels remained normal for 3 months and persistent otological symptoms were predominant. The further clinical course was characterized by neurological problems (Palsy Nn. VII, IX, XII and thrombosis of the right sigmoid sinus). The initial therapy consisted of Prednisone 100 mg and Cyclophosphamide 100 mg daily. The patient has been treated successfully with Methotrexate 20 mg 1 x/week and Prednisone 15 mg/die for 4 months now. CONCLUSION: A common clinical presentation of WG involves the upper respiratory tract. Therefore ENT-specialists should be familiar with the disease. Especially in cases of persistent signs of bilateral "Mastoiditis" and neurological symptoms WG should be ruled out as differential diagnosis. A close interdisciplinary cooperation is essential for therapy and follow-up, because systemic involvement is the limiting prognostic factor.

[Responsibilities of the otorhinolaryngologist in the follow-up of malignancies of the head and neck]. / Nachsorge bei Patienten mit Tumoren des Kopf- und Halsbereiches. Aufgaben des Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Arztes.

The aims of follow-up of head and neck cancer patients are the detection of new tumour manifestations, management of impairments after tumour therapy, psychological care and the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy. The extent, success and cost-benefit ratio of follow-up are currently under discussion. We recommend interdisciplinary cooperation between the relevant specialists, such as oncology and radiotherapy, together with the otorhinolaryngologist for reasons of cost-efficacy and improvement of long-term results. We present a follow-up schedule for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, which are the by far most common manifestation. We recommend a standardized protocol, which should be individualized depending on tumour site, size, treatment and therapeutic options in the case of tumour recurrence. The most common salivary gland malignancies are also discussed. The objective is to increase the efficacy of follow-up in patients with head and neck cancer.

[Therapy of postoperative nausea and vomiting in ENT--tardive dyskinesia as an adverse effect of metoclopramid--a case report]. / Medikamentöse Therapie bei postoperativer Ubelkeit und Erbrechen in der HNO: Metoclopramid bei umstrittener Wirksamkeit als Auslöser extrapyramidaler Störungen--ein Fallbeispiel.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are among the most common complications in operative medicine. Especially patients undergoing middle ear surgery or stapedectomy are frequently suffering from PONV. On the other hand vertigo might be a symptom of an operative complication. For symptomatic therapy a various number of different drugs is available. PATIENT: We describe the clinical course of a 25-years-old female patient, who presented with massive orofacial tardive dsykinesia after therapy with metoclopramide (MCP). She had stapedectomy in general anaesthesia and suffered from PONV. The dyskinesia was treated successfully with Biperiden 5 mg i. v. DISCUSSION: Tardive dyskinesia is a potential and in rare cases irreversible complication of MCP-therapy. The efficiacy of MCP is in controversy. Studies with 5-HT3-antagonists like Ondansetron or neuroleptics like Droperidol show good results in PONV especially after middle ear surgery. CONCLUSION: Tardive dyskinesia is a rare but possible drug-related adverse effect of MCP. After review of the literature we can not recommend MCP as an antiemetic drug in PONV.

[The value of chest CT-scanning for staging of progressed or recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC)]. / Die Wertigkeit der Computertomographie des Thorax im Rahmen des Stagings von fortgeschrittenen Kopf-Hals-Malignomen.

AIM: At time of diagnosis, up to 17 % of HNSCC present with distant metastasis or a second primary tumour. Distant metastases of these tumours most commonly occur in the lung, requiring a particularly precise evaluation of this organ within the staging process. It was the aim of this study to compare the radiological findings of plain chest X-rays with the results of CT-scans of the chest in regard to their sensitivity for metastasis detection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The staging examinations of 47 patients (f: 13, m: 34, mean age: 61.6 y) with progressed (T3, T4, N+) or recurrent HNSCC were prospectively analysed and results of chest X-rays as well as CT-scans of the chest compared. RESULTS: Only one plain chest X-ray showed a possible metastasis, which was excluded by the following CT-scan. In none of the other 46 patients did X-ray reveal findings of metastatic disease or second primary tumours. CT-scans of the chest showed tumorous lesions in 8/47 (17 %) patients. Three of these tumours were confirmed as neoplastic by biopsy, in another case radiological signs and clinical symptoms permitted definite assumption of malignancy (4/47 : 8.5 %). Histologically, only one of the latter four tumours could be identified as metastatic. In the remaining three cases we found second primary tumours. A follow up CT-scan of one of the remaining four cases showed normal results. In 3 cases the aetiology of the CT-findings remained unclear. CONCLUSION: Cervical lymph node metastases, tumour-size and recurrence of HNSCC are known risk factors for metastatic disease in HNSCC. Chest X-ray as staging procedure in patients with progressed or recurrent HNSCC may not be able to identify metastases or a second primary tumour of the lung. We therefore recommend a CT-scan of the chest as a routine procedure in such patients to optimise the pre-operative staging.

[Relapsing polychondritis -- a case report and review of the literature]. / Polychondritis recidivans et atrophicans - ein Fallbericht und Literaturübersicht.

PATIENT: A case of a 54-year-old woman with a three month history of recurrent bilateral chondritis of the auricles, cochlear and vestibular inner ear damage and conjunctivitis is described. The diagnosis was based only on clinical criteria (auricular chondritis, conjunctivitis, inner ear damage). Antinuclear antibodies, ANCA and HLA-DR 4 antigen were negative. The only laboratory abnormality was an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The patient has been treated successfully with Methotrexate 20 mg 1 x /week and Prednisone 15 mg/die for 4 month now. DISCUSSION: The relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare, multisystemic and potentially fatal disease. The pathogenesis and optimal therapeutic approach is poorly understood. The disease is characterized by episodic inflammation of cartilage such as auricular, nasal and laryngotracheal. Many other proteoglycan-rich structures like inner ear, eye, kidney and blood vessels, may be involved as well. RP has an equal sex prevalence. The majority of cases appear between 40 and 60 years. Auricular inflammation is the most common feature. Effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, dapsone, immunosuppressive drugs and prednisone has been described. The overall survival rates were 74 % at 5 years and 55 % at 10 in one 1986 series. CONCLUSION: The most common clinical presentation of RP regularly involves ENT-structures. Therefore ENT-specialists should be familiar with this disease. A close interdisciplinary cooperation is essential for therapy and follow-up, because pulmonary and cardiac involvement are limiting prognostic factors.

[Sodium selenite reduces acute radiogenic damage of the rat parotid glands during fractionated irradiation]. / Reduktion akuter radiogener Schädigungen durch Natriumselenit. Wirksamkeit unter fraktionierter Bestrahlung der Glandula parotis der Ratte.

BACKGROUND: In vitro studies show that sodium selenite is a potential radioprotector in normal cell cultures, but not tumor cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytoprotective potency of sodium selenite during conventional fractionated irradiation of rat salivary glands, but also on tumor response and metastasis frequency of rhabdomyosarcomas R1H. METHOD: The head-neck area of male WAG/RijH rats and the tumor in the flank were irradiated with (60)Co-gamma-rays (60 Gy/30 fractions/6 weeks). Sodium selenite (15 microg/kg body weight) was applied through a venous port 30 min before irradiation. Rats of a control group were treated in the same manner with an equal volume of physiologic sodium chloride. In the course of treatment the salivary glands were extirpated at different stages and examined histopathologically. The evaluation of the gland function was performed prior to and after radiotherapy by sialoscintigraphy. Tumor volume was measured during irradiation and plotted in tumor-volume curves. Rat body weight was determined sequentially to estimate the general constitution of the animal during the treatment. RESULTS: Irradiation caused dose-dependent damage in the salivary glands. Intra- and intercellular edema (16 Gy), vacuolization (30 Gy), degranulation (46 Gy), and necrosis of the acinar cells (60 Gy) occurred. Sodium selenite delayed the development of the described damage, and the amount of necrotic acinar cells after the application of 60 Gy was reduced (control: 75% vs sodium selenite 30%), confirmed by the sialoscintigraphic results. The loss in gland function in the control group was 44% vs 74% (p<0.05) in the sodium selenite group. Sodium selenite had no influence on the response of R1H tumors to radiation and general constitution. CONCLUSIONS: Based on morphological and sialoscintigraphic findings, a cytoprotective effect on acute toxicity of rat salivary glands could be detected under irradiation with synchronous application of sodium selenite. In addition, no effects on tumor response and metastasis frequency were observed. The general animal constitution was not affected by additional medication with sodium selenite during irradiation.

The radioprotectors amifostine and sodium selenite do not modify the radiosensitivity of rat rhabdomyosarcomas.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy of head and neck tumors often leads to acute reactions of the adjacent normal tissues resulting e.g. in mucositis and xerostomia. Therefore, radioprotective drugs have been developed to reduce these effects. Studies on a tumor model using amifostine and sodium selenite adjuvant to fractionated irradiation should show whether the radioprotective effect on normal tissue leads to an increase of radioresistance in the tumor and its metastatic potential. METHODS: Rhabdomyosarcomas R1H of the rat growing subcutaneously in the right flank of male adult WAG/RijH rats were irradiated with 60Co-gamma rays (60 Gy/30 fractions/6 weeks). Amifostine (375 mg/m(2)), sodium selenite (15 microg/kg), and equivalent volumes of 0.9% saline were administered intraperitoneally 30 min before each irradiation. Tumor response was determined. Statistical analysis was performed using the post-hoc-test. RESULTS: Irradiation alone inhibited R1H tumor growth (AUC 86.8+/-18.3). The efficacy of irradiation during radiotherapy was significantly improved by amifostine (AUC 63.1+/-15.8) in comparison to the irradiated controls. The radiosensitizing effect of sodium selenite (AUC 73.6+/-21.3) as well as irradiation and amifostine plus sodium selenite (AUC 68.3+/-7.8) was less compared to the irradiated controls and not statistically significant. However, tumor growth delay and metastasis rate were not changed by the radioprotective drugs. Further, the administration of amifostine and amifostine plus sodium selenite induced an enhanced decrease of animal body weight except for sodium selenite in comparison to the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The application of amifostine and sodium selenite to conventionally fractionated irradiation have no influence on the radiosensitivity of the rhabdomyosarcoma R1H. The systemic toxicity of amifostine might be of importance for the radiation treatment of a patient.

[Histomorphologic and salivary gland scintigraphic findings in radiation-induced sialadenitis due to fractionated irradiation of the head and neck region of rats. A model for evaluating potentially radioprotective substances]. / Histomorphologische und sialoszintigraphische Befunde zur Radiosialadenitis unter fraktionierter Bestrahlung der Kopf-Hals-Region von Ratten. Ein Modell zur Evaluierung potenziell radioprotektiver Substanzen.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to correlate structural, histomorphological damage of the salivary gland with scintigraphic findings during fractioned radiotherapy. METHODS: The head and neck area of 27 WAG/RijH rats was irradiated with (60)Co-gamma-rays (60 Gy/30f/6 weeks). A port-system was implanted and (99m)Tc-pertechnetat applied at different stages of irradiation (0, 16, 30, 46, 60 Gy and 6 months post irradiation). RESULTS: After the application of 16 Gy an intra- and extra-cellular oedema developed in the salivary glands. The progressive vacuolisation (30 Gy) passed over into lipomatosis (46 Gy) and necrosis (60 Gy) in the parotid and mandibular glands. Six months after irradiation treatment, the chronic histomorphological damage corresponded to stage II according to Seifert. The corresponding loss in gland function was 13% (16 Gy); 26% (30 Gy); 57% (46 Gy); 75% (60 Gy) and 66.5% (6 months post irradiation). CONCLUSION: This animal model demonstrates the correlation between histomorphological and scintigraphic findings.

Investigation of radiosialadenitis during fractioned irradiation: sialoscintigraphical and histomorphological findings in rats.

Xerostomia is the most debilitating side effect induced by irradiation of head and neck tumours and is caused by irradiation damage to the salivary glands. The aim of this study was to correlate structural histomorphological damages and sialoscintigraphical findings during fractioned radiotherapy. The head and neck area of 27 WAG/RijH rats was irradiated with 60Co-gamma rays (60 Gy/30f 6 weeks). To evaluate salivary gland function, a port system was implanted, and 99mTc-pertechnetate was applied at different stages of irradiation (0, 16, 30, 46, 60 and 6 months post-irradiation). In the course of treatment the parotid glands were examined histopathologically. Rat salivary glands developed a dose-dependent radiosialadenitis. After a dose of 16 Gy an intra- and extra-cellular oedema developed in the salivary glands. Progressive vacuolisation (30 Gy) developed into lipomatosis (46 Gy) and necrotic changes (60 Gy) in the parotid glands. Six months after irradiation treatment, the chronic histomorphological damages corresponded to stage II according to Seifert. The corresponding loss in gland function investigated by measurement of the 99mTc-pertechnetate uptake of the salivary glands was 13% (16 Gy), 26% (30 Gy), 57% (46 Gy), 75% (60 Gy) and 66.5% (6 months post-irradiation). The presented animal model is suitable to demonstrate the correlation of histomorphological and sialoscintigraphical findings.

Multiple application of drugs in rats--a new port system.

The implantation of a small port system for repeated intravenous applications of drugs in rats is described. The system basically consists of a Teflon catheter which is inserted into the right internal jugular vein. The open end of the catheter under the right foreleg is subcutaneously carried through to the back and closed by a small port. The port then is implanted into a skin pocket on the back of the rat. The advantage of this method is that repeated intravenous injections of drugs into rats can easily be applied with high accuracy. Complications were rarely observed (7%) and could be mastered successfully in all cases.