[Self-adjusting monocanalicular intubation for congenital lacrimal obstruction]. / Intubación monocanalicular autoajustable para la obstrucción lagrimal congénita.

OBJECTIVE: To present our work with the Masterka self-adjusting monocanalicular intubation without nasal recuperation in congenital lacrimal obstruction in children over 12-months old. METHODS: A total of 40 children between the ages of one and seven (average age 2.6 years) were consecutively operated on. The Masterka catheter has a flexible metal guide inside the silicone tube that covers it completely. The proximal end is fixed onto the lacrimal punctum by pushing it with a dilator or forceps. Its correct position was monitored and visually checked in real time during surgery in all cases. RESULTS: The average surgery time, excluding anaesthetic, was 1.56min, ranging from 1.05 to 4min. The final success was 97.5%, considering absence of epiphora, disappearance of colouring in lacrimal meniscus, and mucopurulent secretion. The average follow-up time was 15 months (ranging from 7 to 21 months). CONCLUSIONS: Masterka intubation is an effective primary treatment. It is no more difficult than a simple catheter, since the surgical technique is similar, but with better functional results. It avoids the possibility of having to repeat the catheterization and it is easier to carry out than bicanalicular intubation, since there is no need to manipulate repeatedly or use surgical instruments in the inferior meatus, thus simplifying the process.

Aberrant methylation of multiple genes in neuroblastic tumours. relationship with MYCN amplification and allelic status at 1p.

Aberrant hypermethylation occurs in tumour cell CpG islands and is an important pathway for the repression of gene transcription in cancers. We investigated aberrant hypermethylation of 11 genes by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), after treatment of the DNA with bisulphite, and correlated the findings with MYCN amplification and allelic status at 1p in a series of 44 neuroblastic tumours. This tumour series includes five ganglioneuromas (G), one ganglioneuroblastoma (GN) and 38 neuroblastomas (six stage 1 tumours; five stage 2 tumours; six stage 3 cases; 19 stage 4 tumours, and two stage 4S cases). Aberrant methylation of at least one of the 11 genes studied was detected in 95% (42 of 44) of the cases. The frequencies of aberrant methylation were: 64% for thrombospondin-1 (THBS1); 30% for tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP-3); 27% for O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT); 25% for p73; 18% for RB1; 14% for death-associated protein kinase (DAPK), p14ARF, p16INK4a and caspase 8, and 0% for TP53 and glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1). No aberrant methylation was observed in four control normal tissue samples (brain and adrenal medulla). MYCN amplification was found in 11 cases (all stage 4 neuroblastomas), whereas allelic loss at 1p was identified in 16 samples (13 stage 4 and two stage 3 neuroblastomas, and one ganglioneuroma). All but one case with caspase 8 methylation also displayed MYCN amplification. Our results suggest that promoter hypermethylation is a frequent epigenetic event in the tumorigenesis of neuroblastic tumours, but no specific pattern of hypermethylated genes could be demonstrated.

Trichofolliculoma of the eyelid.

The clinical and histological features of 2 cases of trichofolliculoma of the eyelid are described. One case presented the typical wool-like wisp of immature hairs and was easily diagnosed clinically. The other one was mistaken for a basalioma. In both cases the histological structure was diagnostic for trichofolliculoma.