Rhino sinusal bilateral hamartoma: a case report

The hamartoma is a benign rare tumor constituted by a mixture of tissue. It is very unusual in the nasal cavity.The objective of the study is to describe all unusual case of bilateral nasal hamartoma. We report a 52-year-old male patient with a bilateral paranasal hamartoma of the ethmoid and maxillary sinus. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery was performed to completely remove the masses.The reported localization is unusual because the most common site in the nose is the posterior septum. Although hamartoma arising from the rhino sinusal region is very rare, head and neck surgeons Must know this entity in order to differentiate it from inverted papilloma and adenocarcinoma. Misinterpretation of this lesion may result in aggressive surgery for a benign lesion. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in children affected by myelomeningocele

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study is to establish if the vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) could be used as a clinical test for the evaluation of vestibular function in children affected by myelomeningocele (MMC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen children, aged between 3 and 17\ua0years, who had been affected by MMC were investigated. Data obtained from these children were compared with normal data from healthy children of the same age. Electromyographic activity of sternocleidomastoid muscle was recorded, while children were laid supine and asked to raise their head off the bed in order to activate their neck flexors bilaterally. The saccular receptors were acoustically stimulated with a logon of 500\ua0Hz at an intensity of 130\ua0dB peSPL presented monaurally through earphones. In each recording, we analyzed latencies and amplitudes of the p13-and n23 waves and the amplitude ratio between the two ears. RESULTS: VEMPs were detected to be normal in 13 patients. In particular, the mean p13 and mean n23 latencies were 15.7 (\ub11.4) and 21.7 (\ub11.1)\u2009ms, respectively; the mean amplitude value was 84.7 (\ub136.6), while the mean amplitude ratio was 17.4 (\ub112). A comparison of latencies and amplitude ratios between the children and healthy control group did not reveal any significant difference. On the contrary, a comparison of amplitude values between the two groups showed significant differences. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, vestibulocollic reflex is normal in patients affected by MMC, and VEMPs could represent a valid and noninvasive technique eligible to investigate the vestibular functions in these children

Cephalometric findings in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy patients with obstructive sleep apneas

The purposes of the study are: (1) to establish if cephalometry and upper airway examination may provide tools for detecting facioscapulohumeral (FSHD) patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS); and (2) to correlate cephalometry and otorhinolaryngologic evaluation with clinical and polysomnographic features of FHSD patients with OSAS