Three Synchronous Head and Neck Cancers: A Multidisciplinary and Surgical Challenge.

Second primary cancer (SPC) is a term used to describe a new primary cancer occurring in patients who had formerly been diagnosed with tumor. Even though SPCs appear to be related to primary cancers, they are actually entities that have arisen independently and not as a result of recurrence. This report is of the first case in literature of a patient hospitalized for the surgical treatment of 3 synchronous Head and Neck Cancers. A 66-year-old male was admitted to our hospital (Ospedale Degli Infermi—Biella, Italy) complaining about pharyngodynia. Three different lesions were identified through endoscopic examination and narrow band imaging: the first one on left tonsil, the second one on epiglottis, and the third one on right aryepiglottic fold. The case was subject to a multidisciplinary team analysis due to its complexity, then the surgery consisted in (1) CO2 laser left tonsillectomy, associated with (2) CO2 laser excision of the lesion on epiglottis free edge, and (3) CO2 laser excision of right aryepiglottic fold lesion. Synchronous tumors are among the most defiant challenges for surgeons since no international guideline specifies differentiated strategies to be adopted in patients affected by synchronous Head and Neck Cancers, therefore surgical planning must be tailored differently from patient to patient, and many unsolved questions still concern clinical treatments to be adopted

952-30 Left Ventricular Ejection Performance Improves Late After Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients with Aortic Stenosis and Reduced Ejection Fraction

To assess the time course and magnitude of change in left ventricular (LV) wall stress and ejection performance indices, 24 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic stenosis were prospectively evaluated. Each patient underwent resting radionuclide angiography (RNA), echocardiography, and cardiac catheterization (high fidelity pressure) before AVR, then RNA and echocardiogram at one week and six months after AVR. Patients were stratified by preoperative ejection fraction (EF) into reduced EF (<50%) and normal EF (≥50%) groups.Pre-operatively, peak positive dp/dt was lower in the reduced EF group (1300 vs 1700mmHg/sec, p=0.035), and wall stress was elevated similarly in both groups (p=NS).Temporal Relationships of EF and Wall StressPre-op1 Week6 MosNormal EF (n=14)Mean Ejection Fraction (%)666468Mean Wall Stress (dyne/cm2×103)623444Reduced EF (n=10)Mean Ejection Fraction (%)383757Mean Wall Stress (dyne/cm2×103)785261Wall stress was reduced at one week post-operatively (p<0.005) in both groups. Ejection fraction remained depressed in the reduced EF group. By six months, however, EF had dramatically improved in the reduced EF group (p=0.002).ConclusionIn patients with LV dysfunction, EF remains low one week after AVR despite rectification of afterload mismatch. At six months, however, ejection performance improves. Therefore, when measured by ejection phase indices, the surgical benefit from AVR is not evident until late post-operatively

Echocardiographic imaging of tricuspid and pulmonary valve abnormalities in primary ovarian carcinoid tumor

Carcinoid is a rare malignancy originating from enterochromaffin cells and is clinically characterized by flushing, diarrhea and bronchospasm, due to secretion of vasoactive substances. A dreaded complication is carcinoid heart disease, which mainly affects right cardiac chambers, resulting in thickened, immobile and retracted tricuspid and pulmonary valves. In the current report, a case of a 60-year old female presenting with symptoms of right heart failure is described. Transthoracic two-dimensional and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography findings, as well as biochemical markers, including pro-BNP and NT-pro-BNP, were consistent with carcinoid syndrome. The histological diagnosis of carcinoid was confirmed after surgical resection of an ovarian mass

Plasma CCN2/connective tissue growth factor is associated with right ventricular dysfunction in patients with neuroendocrine tumors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Carcinoid heart disease, a known complication of neuroendocrine tumors, is characterized by right heart fibrotic lesions. Carcinoid heart disease has traditionally been defined by the degree of valvular involvement. Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction due to mural involvement may also be a manifestation. Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) is elevated in many fibrotic disorders. Its role in carcinoid heart disease is unknown. We sought to investigate the relationship between plasma CCN2 and valvular and mural involvement in carcinoid heart disease.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Echocardiography was performed in 69 patients with neuroendocrine tumors. RV function was assessed using tissue Doppler analysis of myocardial systolic strain. Plasma CCN2 was analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare groups where appropriate. Linear regression was used to evaluate correlation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean strain was -21% ± 5. Thirty-three patients had reduced RV function (strain > -20%, mean -16% ± 3). Of these, 8 had no or minimal tricuspid and/or pulmonary regurgitation (TR/PR). Thirty-six patients had normal or mildly reduced RV function (strain ≤ -20%, mean -25% ± 3). There was a significant inverse correlation between RV function and plasma CCN2 levels (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). Patients with reduced RV function had higher plasma CCN2 levels than those with normal or mildly reduced RV function (p < 0.001). Plasma CCN2 ≥ 77 μg/L was an independent predictor of reduced RV function (odds ratio 15.36 [95% CI 4.15;56.86]) and had 88% sensitivity and 69% specificity for its detection (p < 0.001). Plasma CCN2 was elevated in patients with mild or greater TR/PR compared to those with no or minimal TR/PR (p = 0.008), with the highest levels seen in moderate to severe TR/PR (p = 0.03).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Elevated plasma CCN2 levels are associated with RV dysfunction and valvular regurgitation in NET patients. CCN2 may play a role in neuroendocrine tumor-related cardiac fibrosis and may serve as a marker of its earliest stages.</p

Take a Social Break : A design project aimed to help students release stress and anxiety through visual communication.

Take a Social Break is a design project investigating how to use visual communication as a tool to relieve stress and anxiety for university students at Linnaeus University, through creative workshops by conducting crafting and creative activities.The purpose of this project is to help students improve their mental wellbeing through the practice of crafting. The project aims to form creative workshops through the use of a workshop toolkit. During workshops, LNU students gather in a safe space as a community and have a chance to unwind from all the stress of student life by doing creative activities together. Students are invited to conduct something different from the routine, as a way to distract from daily stress. The change aspect of the project is to introduce to Linnaeus University a new activity for students that has a focus on their mental wellbeing but which is organised by students for students.

Take a Social Break : A design project aimed to help students release stress and anxiety through visual communication.

Take a Social Break is a design project investigating how to use visual communication as a tool to relieve stress and anxiety for university students at Linnaeus University, through creative workshops by conducting crafting and creative activities.The purpose of this project is to help students improve their mental wellbeing through the practice of crafting. The project aims to form creative workshops through the use of a workshop toolkit. During workshops, LNU students gather in a safe space as a community and have a chance to unwind from all the stress of student life by doing creative activities together. Students are invited to conduct something different from the routine, as a way to distract from daily stress. The change aspect of the project is to introduce to Linnaeus University a new activity for students that has a focus on their mental wellbeing but which is organised by students for students.