Maxillary-to-petrous internal carotid artery bypass: an anatomical feasibility study

The possibility for maxillary artery (MA) to petrous internal carotid artery (ICA) bypass was investigated. Five adult cadavers were dissected bilaterally. After zygomatic arch osteotomy, the coronoid process was sectioned at its base. An extensive infratemporal craniotomy was performed at the level of foramina ovale, rotundum and spinosum. The petrous portion of the ICA was exposed by drilling away the floor of the middle fossa, posterior to the foramen ovale and medial to the foramen spinosum. The MA was identified medial to the infratemporal crest and was followed in the pterygopalatine fossa, then transected at the origin of the infraorbital artery. The MA graft was brought posteromedially to reach the petrous ICA. The mean caliber of the MA before the origin of the infraorbital artery was 2.54±0.31 mm, 2.76±0.14 mm at the site of anastomosis, and 3.46±0.32 mm after giving off the middle meningeal artery. The average length of the MA between the middle meningeal artery and the infraorbital artery was 43.4±2.35 mm, and up to the site of anastomosis was 37.64±1.68 mm. We conclude that the length and diameter of the MA are sufficient for a tension-free anastomosis between MA and petrous ICA, and such a procedure could be used in the treatment of patients with tumors of the infratemporal fossa invading the high cervical ICA.

---

Electronic Supplementary Material The french version of this article is available in the form of electronic supplementary material and can be obtained by using the Springer Link server located at

---

Étude anatomique des possibilités de by-pass entre la partie pétreuse de l'artère carotide interne et l'artère maxillaire

Résumé La possibilité d'un by-pass entre l'artère maxillaire et la partie pétreuse de l'artère carotide interne a été étudiée. Cinq cadavres adultes ont été disséqués des deux côtés. Après ostéotomie de l'arcade zygomatique, le processus coronoïde était sectionné à sa base. Une large craniotomie infra-temporale était effectuée au niveau du foramen ovale, du foramen rond et du foramen épineux. La partie pétreuse de l'artère carotide interne était exposée par fraisage du plancher de la fosse cérébrale moyenne, en arrière du foramen ovale et en dedans du foramen épineux. L'artère maxillaire était identifiée en dedans de la crête infra-temporale et suivie dans la fosse ptérygo-palatine, puis sectionnée à l'origine de l'artère infra-orbitaire. Le greffon d'artère maxillaire était transposé en dedans et en arrière pour atteindre la partie pétreuse de l'artère carotide interne. Le calibre moyen de l'artère maxillaire était de 2,54±0,31 mm à l'origine de l'artère infra-orbitaire, 2,76±0,14 mm au niveau de l'anastomose, et 3,46±0,32 mm après la naissance à l'artère méningée moyenne. La longueur moyenne de l'artère maxillaire entre l'artère méningée moyenne et l'artère infra-orbitaire était de 43,4±2,35 mm et au-delà du site d'anastomose était de 37,64±1,68 mm. Nous en avons conclu que la longueur et le diamètre de l'artère maxillaire était suffisant pour une anastomose sans tension entre l'artère maxillaire et la partie pétreuse de l'artère carotide interne. Ainsi, une telle technique pourrait être utilisée pour le traitement de patients porteurs d'une tumeur de la fosse infra-temporale envahissant la partie cervicale haute de l'artère carotide interne.

     

Prognostic factors in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a two-center experience

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is usually at advanced stage when it is diagnosed. There is no consensus about the standard treatment in elderly patients with advanced NSCLC. Generally, data regarding elderly patients with NSCLC are withdrawn from general NSCLC studies based on subgroup analyses and suggestions. We evaluated prognostic factors in elderly patients with advanced NSCLC. We reviewed retrospectively 338 patients from August 2005 to July 2009 in two centers in Turkey. Medical records of the patients ≥65 years with advanced NSCLC were collected. Collected data included demographic informations, clinical assessments and information on treatment, toxicities and outcomes. Survival was estimated by using Kaplan–Meier method and prognostic factors were evaluated with log-rank and Cox regression tests. The median overall survival (OS) for the entire group was 15.4 months (95% CI: 12.7–18.0). In univariate analysis, weight loss, stage, combination therapy, second-line chemotherapy and tumor response (P < 0.01) and performance status significantly affected OS (P < 0.05). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10 months (95% CI: 8.4–11.6). In univariate analysis, there was only a significant association between tumor response and PFS (14.6 vs. 8.5 months; P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that only response to therapy was an important prognostic factor for OS (P < 0.001). Survival of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC is significantly influenced by performance status, weight loss, stage, combination therapy, second-line chemotherapy and response to therapy. Not only age but also these factors may be kept in mind in the treatment planning of the elderly patients with NSCLC. These results may be of benefit in changing clinical practice in elderly patients with NSCLC who are often undertreated.     

Scyllo-inositol in post-mortem brain of bipolar, unipolar and schizophrenic patients

Summary. Inositol levels measured in postmortem brain of unipolar, bipolar and schizophrenic patients, suicide victims and normal controls showed no difference in scyllo-inositol levels in frontal or occipital cortex between any of the groups. We could not replicate previous reports of low myo-inositol levels in the frontal cortex of unipolar, bipolar and schizophrenic patients and suicide victims. There was no correlation between myo-inositol levels and estimated chlorpromazine equivalents in neuroleptic-treated subjects, and no effect of chronic haloperidol treatment on rat brain myo-inositol levels. Received July 23, 1999; accepted January 18, 2000     

Role of preoperative plasma CA 15-3 and carcinoembryonic antigen levels in determining histopathologic conventional prognostic factors for breast cancer

Abstract Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death among women all over the world, with about one million new breast cancer cases diagnosed per year. This large number of cases make the diagnosis, treatment, and determination of the factors affecting the survey extremely important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of the preoperative plasma CA 15-3 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels when determining the conventional histopathologic prognostic factors (tumor grade, lymphatic infiltration, stromal invasion, vessel invasion, tumor necrosis, elastosis, and number of positive lymph nodes in levels I and II). We believe that with this protocol doctors can add to their knowledge about the prognosis of patients. After examining the serum tumor marker levels and the histopathology results of 29 patients and submitting them to statistical calculations, we strongly believe that preoperative serum CA 15-3 levels can be taken into consideration when evaluating the prognosis because the CA 15-3 level is directly and positively correlated with the gold standard prognostic factor: the number of level I and II positive lymph nodes. Electronic Publication     

Surgical correction of hallux valgus deformity in children with cerebral palsy

Objective

This study aimed to present a treatment algorithm for the correction of the hallux valgus deformity in Cerebral Palsy (CP) patients and to discuss the outcomes based on our clinical and radiological results.

Development of a nursing home vision-targeted health-related quality of life questionnaire for older adults

PURPOSE: To develop a questionnaire assessing vision-targeted health-related quality of life in older adults residing in nursing homes. METHODS: Using content previously identified through structured interviews with nursing home residents, the 57-item Nursing Home Vision-Targeted Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire (NHVQoL) was drafted with nine subscales - general vision, reading, ocular symptoms, mobility, psychological distress, activities of daily living, activities/hobbies, adaptation/coping and social interaction. Construct validity and internal consistency and test-retest reliability of subscales were evaluated in a sample of adults >or=60 years old residing in nursing homes in Birmingham, Alabama, who had Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores of >or=13. RESULTS: Participants (n=189) had a mean age of 82 years (SD=7.7), were 84% women and 16% men, 24% African-American and 76% Caucasian and had resided in a nursing home for two years on average. All NHVQoL subscales were correlated with subscales from other vision-targeted and generic health-related quality of life instruments (ADVS, 0.43 to 0.85; VF-14, 0.46 to 0.84; SF-36, 0.19 to 0.43). Lower scores were associated with increased depressive symptomatology by the Geriatric Depression Scale (-0.23 to -0.59), increased mobility problems (-0.17 to -0.54), worse distance and near acuity (-0.21 to -0.51) and worse contrast sensitivity (0.20 to 0.50). All subscales had Cronbach alpha>0.95. Test-retest reliability (two-week period) for subscales ranged from 0.57 to 0.84. Subscale scores did not differ as a function of MMSE scores. CONCLUSIONS: The NHVQoL has subscales with good internal consistency reliability and validity. Test-retest reliability is comparable to other questionnaires designed for the nursing home population. This questionnaire may ultimately be useful in understanding the personal burden of visual impairment and eye disease on quality of life and mental health in older nursing home residents and for evaluating the impact of psychosocial and eye care interventions on health-related quality of life in this population.