The effects of aminoguanidine, methylprednisolone, and melatonin on nerve recovery in peripheral facial nerve neurorrhaphy.

BACKGROUND: The medications may enhance the recovery after nerve paralysis. We aimed to evaluate the effects of aminoguanidine (AG), melatonin, and methylprednisolone on peripheral facial nerve neurorrhaphy. METHODS: The buccal branch of the facial nerve was transected and autografted in 32 New Zealand rabbits. Subjects were divided into 4 groups equally (AG, melatonin, methylprednisolone, and control). After the medical treatment latency and amplitude were measured with nerve conduction study at 3, 6, and 10 weeks. Then, coapted segments of nerve were examined microscopically. The groups were compared with each other. RESULTS: The latent period was shortened, and the amplitudes were increased in the AG group; the latent period was shortened, and the amplitudes did not show significant change in the melatonin group with the time. There were no significant differences between the amplitudes at 3 to 6 and 3 to 10 weeks in the methylprednisolone group, and the latent period was shortened. There was no significant difference between the amplitude values at 3, 6, and 10 weeks in the control group. In the histological examination, AG had the best influence on preventing myelin degeneration and reducing the accumulation of myelin debris. Considering the increase in collagen fibers, the best results were achieved in the melatonin group. The degree of myelin-axonal degeneration was higher in the methylprednisolone group. The degree of collagen fiber increase, axonal degeneration, myelin degeneration, and the accumulation of myelin debris were detected quite high in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Aminoguanidine and melatonin alone achieved an increase in regeneration after peripheral facial nerve neurorrhaphy, but methylprednisolone did not. The best healing was determined in the AG group.

The significance of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography findings in sphenoid sinus agenesis.

Agenesis of the sphenoid sinuses is a very rarely encountered anatomic variation. Findings on magnetic resonance imaging can mislead the radiologist and clinician. Therefore, the gold standard for diagnosis is computed tomography (CT) of the paranasal sinuses. We present the case of a 28-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital with a 3-month history of headache. CT of the paranasal sinuses revealed isolated bilateral sphenoid sinus agenesis.

Unilateral inferior turbinate bone hypertrophy: is it compensatory or congenital?

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the degree of the unilateral hypertrophied inferior turbinate (HIT) by computed tomography (CT) and determines and compares the enlargement of the turbinate bone and soft tissue in different parts of the HIT in pediatric and adult groups. METHODS: Both pediatric and adult patients were studied in two groups: those with a straight or nearly straight septum (n = 25 and 124, respectively) and those with deviation (n = 64 and 129, respectively). The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the IT bone and soft tissue were measured at anterior, middle, and posterior thirds of the IT in coronal CT sections. The ratio of CSA of the IT bone and soft tissue on two sides of the septum (interturbinate ratio [IR]) were calculated. IRs were then compared among straight septum and deviation groups for both the pediatric and the adult groups. RESULTS: IR of the bony concha CSA for the deviation group was significantly higher compared with the straight septum group in anterior, middle, and posterior segments in adults (p = 0.028, 0.018, and <0.001, respectively; independent samples t-test). The soft tissue component hypertrophy was prominent only in the middle segment (p = 0.15); however, there was no significant difference for pediatric patients. Also, there was a statistically significant difference between the adult group with septum deviation and the pediatric group with septum deviation for both soft tissue and bone components (p < 0.001 for all segments; independent samples t-test). CONCLUSION: We claim that these results indicate that skeletal and soft tissue IT hypertrophy seem to be compensatory and evolves with age rather than being congenital. Therefore, skeletal enlargement is prominent in anterior, middle, and posterior thirds of HIT in patients with septal deviation in adults but not in the pediatric group.