Nasopharyngeal pressure gradients during non-phonetic activities of the velopharyngeal valve. Part I

The phonetic activity of the velopharyngeal valve has been the subject of electromyographic, radiological, ultrasonic, endoscopic, and of various acoustic and aeromechanical investigations. The subject of the present study was the non-phonetic activities of the velopharyngeal valve. Ten patients were assessed by nasendoscopic examinations of the velopharyngeal valve. The pressure gradients in the nasopharynx during these activities were recorded. Typical individual nasopharyngeal pressure patterns were revealed inducing a development of a special technique and tests for a further study of the non-phonetic activities of the velopharyngeal valve in correlation with its abnormality and pathological speech activities.     

Conservative surgical management of invasive differentiated thyroid cancer

The majority of well differentiated thyroid carcinoma are tumours of low grade malignancy. Laryngotracheal invasion by well differentiated thyroid carcinoma is an uncommon occurrence. The surgical management of patients with thyroid cancer invading the upper airway has primarily been by total laryngectomy. Other surgeons recommend in selected cases partial laryngeal and/or tracheal resection. A total of 122 patients with thyroid carcinoma were treated in our department between 1967 and 1982. Only seven patients with well differentiated tumours had airway invasion. In these seven patients we used a partial laryngeal and/or tracheal resection. In three of the patients with tracheal invasion a myoperichondrial flap was used for closing the tracheal defect. A partial resection of the larynx and trachea, and end to end anastomosis between the trachea and the remaining part of the larynx was performed in another four patients. The techniques used and a long-term follow-up are presented (Table I).     

Teratoma of the mastoid region in a newborn

Teratomas are congenital tumours arising from pluripotent cells and usually consisting of tissue arising from all 3 embryonic germ layers. Teratomas are quite uncommon in head and neck sites and to date only 150 such cases have been reported. A rare case of teratoma of the mastoid region in a newborn is reported. The method of diagnosis and treatment are discussed and the literature is reviewed.     

Eliminating the Toynbee phenomenon in patients with nasal packs

Nasal packing is a common procedure in otolaryngology, but is not a completely innocuous procedure. Besides aggravating mouth breathing, complete nasal obstruction results in an annoying Toynbee phenomenon. In patients with bilateral anterior nasal packing, we recorded high pressure gradients in the nasopharynx and, in consequence, in the middle ear. Patients in whom rubber tubes were inserted between the gauze layers of the anterior nasal packs suffered no such inconvenience and showed no such gradients. Our work proves the value of using these tubes for pressure equalization when nasal packs are necessary.     

Foreign body aspiration in childhood

We studied 149 children aged seven months to 13 years (mean age 2.9 +/- 0.2 years) who had aspirated foreign bodies for age, sex, and type of foreign body. Symptoms, physical findings, chest x-ray, and fluoroscopy were compared with different sites of enlodgement. Positive history was obtained in 135 (91%). In 133 children, the diagnosis was made on admission. Frequent symptoms were cough (80%) and cyanosis (27%) following aspiration, while prevalent emergency department symptoms were cough (33%) and dyspnea (30%). Common physical findings on admission were decreased breath sounds (65%), tachypnea (43%), and fever (36%). Admission chest radiographs revealed emphysema (43%) and infiltrates or atelectasis (29%). Forty-one children (27%) were asymptomatic, and 43 children had normal chest x-ray. Fluoroscopy showed inspiratory mediastinal shift in 57%. Bronchoscopy performed within 48 hours of admission was successful in removing the foreign material in 88% of the children. Food particles were the most common type of foreign body. Hoarseness and stridor were significantly more common in upper airway enlodgement (P less than 0.01). Decreased breath sounds were significantly more common among children with lower airway enlodgement (P less than 0.001). A delay in diagnosis of longer than three weeks was associated with equivocal history of aspiration (P less than 0.05), and with significantly more wheezing (P less than 0.02) and atelectasis (P less than 0.01). Our study reemphasizes the importance of integrating various diagnostic tools in order to accurately evaluate and manage these children.     

Bifid condyle of the mandible with associated polythelia and manual anomalies

Syndromes of oro-mandibular-skeletal anomalies are confusing by their ambiguous and overlapping components. It is our purpose to bring attention to a case comprising a group of anomalies: bifid mandibular condyle, asymmetric contralateral ascending ramus of the mandible, supernumerary nipples (polythelia), supernumerary-rudimentary postaxial sixth fingers and clinodactyly. The associated malformations presented do not correspond to any previous report. The case may therefore represent a new malformation syndrome.     

Pre-excitation syndrome in infants and children. Effect of digoxin,verapamil, and amiodarone.

Clinical and electrocardiographic findings for 30 patients with the pre-excitation syndrome are described together with details of treatment. Nineteen (63%) were younger than 2 years, 14 of whom were under 2 months. Sixteen infants and 7 children (77%) presented with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, 14 (61%) of whom had the electrocardiographic pattern of type A Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. During paroxysmal bouts the QRS complex was normal in 21 patients and wide in two. Six (20%) patients had congenital heart disease often associated with WPW syndrome type B. Seventeen patients were treated with either digoxin or verapamil intravenously to stop tachyarrhythmias. Verapamil was more effective due to the immediate response and lack of adverse effects. The tachyarrhythmias resolved in all the patients and in some of them the WPW pattern resolved later indicating maturation of the conduction tissue with loss of the accessory pathways. Verapamil provides a rapid and safe form of treatment for conversion of tachyarrhythmias since it has no effect on the accessory pathways. Oral amiodarone prevents recurrent tachyarrhythmias resistant to other treatment.     

Growth inhibition of prostate cancer xenografts by halofuginone

BACKGROUND: Halofuginone, an inhibitor of collagen type I synthesis, is an anti-angiogenic agent. Here we evaluated the efficacy of halofuginone to inhibit prostate cancer (PC) xenografts representing various phenotypes of the disease. METHODS: An androgen-dependent (CWR22), an androgen-independent (PC3), and a neuroendocrine (WISH-PC2) PC xenograft were used. Halofuginone was given orally or injected intraperitoneally. Tumor size, collagen alpha1(I) gene expression (in situ hybridization), collagen content (sirius red staining), angiogenesis (immunohistochemistry with factor VIII antibodies), and apoptosis/necrosis (DNA fragmentation) were evaluated. RESULTS: Halofuginone inhibited the growth of all subcutaneously implanted xenografts and of WISH-PC2 when transplanted orthotopically. The effect was dose-dependent (WISH-PC2) and accompanied by decrease in plasma PSA levels (CWR22). In all xenografts, halofuginone inhibited collagen alpha1(I) gene expression, reduced collagen content, and endothelial cell number resulting in an increase in apoptosis/necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Oral administration of halofuginone slowed the progression of PC xenografts representing a broad range of phenotypes. Halofuginone may become a new modality for PC prevention.