Clinical presentation of a sphenochoanal polyp

Although choanal polyps frequently arise from the maxillary sinus, a choanal polyp originating from the sphenoid sinus is a rare entity. In this report, an unusual case of a large choanal polyp taking origin from the sphenoid sinus is presented. The reasons for its development and methods of management are discussed

Ameloblastic carcinoma containing melanocyte and melanin pigment in the mandible: a case report and review of the literature

A case of ameloblastic carcinoma containing melanocyte and melanin in a 66-year-old male with swelling and an ulcerating firm mass in the left submandibular region is presented. The diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy. The current histopathological diagnosis and management are discussed

Chondrosarcoma of the parapharyngeal space - A case report

Chondrosarcomas are the malignant cartilagenous tumors and they are seen rarely in the head and neck area. They are usually slow growing lesions. The head and neck chondrosarcomas may show an aggressive course and the occurrence of this malignant cartilagenous tumor in the parapharyngeal space is only a few. They are mostly located in relation with jaw bones and base of the skull. Chondrosarcomas of the parapharyngeal space are limited in number and among them there is no low-grade one. In this case report, a case of low-grade chondrosarcoma which was treated with a simple excision without neck dissection was reported

A subglottic mass mimicking near-fatal asthma: A challenge of diagnosis

Upper airway obstruction due to a subglottic tumor can be easily misdiagnosed as bronchial asthma. We report on a 50-year-old woman who was ultimately diagnosed with subglottic tumor, but who presented with near-fatal asthma. According to her medical history she had been treated with high doses of prednisolone and bronchodilators for the past year for difficult asthma. The patient presented to the Emergency Department (ED) in severe respiratory distress. The chest X-ray study revealed bilateral hyperinflation. The flow-volume curve suggested a fixed airway obstruction. After performing a laryngoscopic examination, a subglottic mass was discovered and an urgent tracheotomy was performed. After the operation, all symptoms and respiratory distress disappeared. This case report emphasizes the fact that not all wheezes are attributable to asthma. Upper airway obstructions can lead to asthma-like symptoms in which establishment of the correct diagnosis may be challenging. © 2004 Elsevier Inc

Submandibular accessory salivary gland causing Warthin's duct obstruction

Background. Submandibular masses are mostly secondary to sialolithiasis. Salivary gland tumors should be considered in the differential diagnosis. In this case report, an unusual cause of Warthin's duct obstruction caused by an accessory salivary gland tissue is presented

Scanning electron microscopy of hydroxylated polyvinyl acetal and conventional gauze strip nasal packing materials

The application of nasal packing is one of the most commonly performed procedures in rhinology. Various materials have been used as nasal packing, including conventional gauze strips and hydroxylated polyvinyl acetal. Complications related to nasal packing may cause problems that lend to increased morbidity. Among those complications, infectious ones range from localized infection in the nasal cavity to toxic shock syndrome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate conventional gauze strips and hydroxylated polyvinyl acetal nasal packing materials by scanning electron microscopy to reveal their surface characteristics that would promote or prevent the development of infectious complications. The two types of materials were examined before and after application into the nasal cavity. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that hydroxylated polyvinyl acetal material had a smooth surface, whereas conventional gauze strips had an ii-regular surface with fibers projecting, thus increasing the surface area for bacterial adherence and allowing possible evasion of bacteria from the elements of the immune system within this fibrillar structure

Prognostic importance of COX-2 expression in patients with colorectal cancer

A relationship between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer has been reported in recent studies. Moreover, it has been indicated that COX-2 expression may have a prognostic role in colorectal cancer patients. In this study, we investigated the prognostic significance of COX-2 expression in 83 patients with colorectal cancer. COX-2 expression was assessed using immunohistochemical methods and was evaluated by grading both staining intensity and staining extension. The relationships between COX-2 expression and clinicopathological features of the patients and patient survival were evaluated. There was no relationships between COX-2 expression and tumor size (tm = 3cm), tumor histopathological differentiation (poorly differentiated or moderately+well differentiated), number of metastatic lymph nodes (= 4), histopathology of the tumor, localization of the tumor (colon or rectum), distant metastasis, and vascular invasion of the tumor. In the multivariate analysis, COX-2 expression was not found as an independent prognostic factor. We demonstrated that COX-2 expression was not correlated with clinicopathological characteristics of colon carcinoma and disease outcome. (c) 2005 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved

Insulin receptor substrate gene polymorphism is associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in men

Objective. The objective of this study was to assess significance of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) -1 gene polymorphism (Gly972Arg) at codon 972 in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Methods. Using the polymerase chain reaction technique, the codon 972 polymorphism. of the IRS-1 gene was analyzed in the DNA obtained from leukocytes of 50 patients and 143 healthy controls. Results: An overall comparison between the genotypes and allele frequencies of the patients and controls did not reveal any statistically significant difference between the patients and controls (P > .05). Gender-specific comparisons were not significantly different except for a significant difference between the genotypes and allele frequencies of the male patients and male controls (P .05). There was no relationship between the genotypes and diabetes mellitus (P > .05). Body mass indices and polysonmography parameters of the patients with and without diabetes mellitus were not significantly different (P > .05). Conclusion. The polymorphism of the IRS-1 gene at codon 972, especially Gly/Arg variant, or the presence of the allele for Arg appears to be associated with occurrence of OSAS in male patients, whereas this polymorphism is not related to severity of OSAS