A Clinical Observation Study for Transnasal Endoscopic Marsupialization in the Treatment of Maxillary Cyst.

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and evaluate the clinical effects of transnasal marsupialization of maxillary cyst under nasal endoscope. Twenty patients with maxillary bone cysts were treated with endoscopic marsupialization. According to the location of the maxillary bone cyst, the opening window was selected in the nasal base or the inferior or middle nasal meatus. The cyst wall of the window was removed, and the fluid was drained out. The diameter of the opening window was more than 1 cm, so that the cyst and the maxillary sinus can be fused into a cavity. This ensured nasal drainage through the cyst cavity and nasal cavity or maxillary sinus. The patients were followed up for 6 to 18 months. No serious complications occurred. The cyst wall epithelialized 2 or 3 months after the operation, and the cyst cavity drained well with no recurrence. Intranasal marsupialization under a nasal endoscope is a feasible alternative for the treatment of maxillary cysts. It makes the procedure simple, safe, less traumatic, has definite clinical effects, and low recurrence rate. Especially suitable for maxillary cysts protruding into the nasal floor or maxillary sinus.

Comparative Study on the Treatment of Ankyloglossia by Using Er:YAG Laser or Traditional Scalpel.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to compare, respectively, postoperative pain, wound healing, and patient satisfaction following lingual frenum extension treated with the Erbium Yttrium aluminum garnet. (Er:YAG) laser or the conventional scalpel. Twenty-eight patients receiving lingual frenectomy were randomly assigned to the Er:YAG laser group (n = 15) or the traditional scalpel group (n = 13). The surgical parameters were set to 3W or 4W basing on types of the lingual frenum when the Er:YAG laser was working. The same procedure was applied to the traditional scalpel group with transverse incision and longitudinal suture. The postoperative pain, wound healing and patient satisfaction were evaluated at 3 hours, 3, 7, and 30 days after operation. The visual analog scale score of postoperative pain in Er:YAG laser group was lower than that in traditional scalpel group at each time point. The wound healing score of the laser group were significantly lower than that of the traditional scalpel group at 3 and 7 days after surgery. There was no significant difference in mental, diet, and language satisfaction between the 2 groups at different time points after operation. In conclusion, Er:YAG laser was superior to the scalpel regarding minor soft-tissue surgery, and it could relieve the pain and discomfort of patients in the early stage of wound.

The differential roles of mTOR, ERK, and JNK pathways in invariant natural killer T-cell function and survival.

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell is a critical element for both innate and adaptive immunity. The quick responses of mature iNKT cells to TCR stimulation require activation of several different signaling pathways. However, the roles of these signaling pathways in mature iNKT cell biology remain incompletely understood. To address this issue, single signaling pathway was blocked with inhibitor in iNKT cells, and the roles of these signaling pathways were estimated. Results showed that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays an essential role for cytokine production and survival in iNKT cells. In contrast, ERK and JNK are more important for iNKT cell effector function, but not survival. Our findings delineate the distinct roles of different signaling pathways in mature iNKT cells and therefore shed new light for modulating iNKT cell function in disease conditions.