Establishing principles of macromolecular crowding for in vitro fibrosis research of the vocal fold lamina propria.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Vocal fold fibrosis represents a major disease burden. Screening of antifibrotic compounds could be facilitated by an in vitro fibrogenesis system. Limitations of existing models might be overcome by implication of the excluded volume effect. STUDY DESIGN: In-vitro study. METHODS: Vocal fold fibroblasts obtained from rats' lamina propria were cultured in four different settings: in standard medium, under "crowded" conditions by adding inert macromolecules, under external administration of transforming growth factor (TGF)ß-1, and under a combination of both. After 5 days, supernatant and cell layer were collected and analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunofluorescence was additionally performed. RESULTS: Collagen-alpha1(I) deposition increased significantly under crowded conditions and after administration of TGFß-1. Amounts of collagen in the cell layer were significantly higher under crowding conditions with TGFß-1 compared to administration of TGFß-1 alone. CONCLUSION: Crowding enhanced collagen deposition, resulting in more favorable conditions for studying fibrogenesis. This can be the first step toward developing a robust in vitro model for testing antifibrotic compounds. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA.

Unknown primary of the head and neck: A long-term follow-up.

BACKGROUND: A diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of an unknown primary (CUP) is a major burden for patients. Because the location of the primary tumor is unclear, patients remain fearful of recurrence, which aggravates the uncertain prognosis of the disease. This study evaluates factors associated with long-term recurrence-free and overall survival of patients with CUP of the head and neck. Additionally, patient survival rates are compared with those of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS: A total of 293 consecutive patients operated on between January 1999 and December 2009 with at least a 5-year follow-up (survival permitting), were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients with a CUP of the head and neck were identified. Patients with CUP had a low overall survival rate, comparable with that of patients with pN + HNSCC, and recurrent disease occurred with a similar likelihood as in patients with pN + HNSCC. The median recurrence-free survival in the CUP group was 28.5 months compared with 48 months in the whole of the HNSCC group. The median overall survival of the CUP group was 56 months versus 65 months for the HNSCC group. Extracapsular spread was the only independent prognostic factor for overall survival for CUP patients. CONCLUSION: Patients diagnosed with CUP syndrome have a poorer prognosis for overall survival compared with other HNSCC patients. Postoperative radiotherapy diminished disease recurrence and improved overall survival. Omission of postoperative radiotherapy resulted in a very high recurrence rate (75%) for CUP patients. Based on these results we suggest postoperative radiotherapy including the oral mucosa for all patients, regardless of histopathological results, possible favorable nodal disease, or favorable lymph node ratios.

Sudden unilateral hearing loss as first sign of cerebral sinus venous thrombosis? A 3-year retrospective analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Recently, several studies and case reports have dealt with the topic of cerebral sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT) and focused on sudden hearing loss as an early and rare symptom, to diminish the delay in diagnosing this serious disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis over 3 years and investigated MRIs of all inpatients who were treated for sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether sudden hearing loss could be an early indicator, or the first sign, of CSVT. RESULTS: In total, 554 patients were included. Only 2 patients with CSVT could be identified. In both, sudden unilateral sensorineural hearing loss was not the only symptom. They also reported headache, and 1 patient also reported tinnitus and vertigo. CONCLUSION: In our opinion, sudden unilateral sensorineural hearing loss alone is not a reliable indicator of CSVT. In combination with headache or visual impairment, this rare vascular disease should be taken into account.