Three layer interlocking: a novel technique for repairing a nasal septum perforation.

OBJECTIVE: Many techniques to repair a septal perforation using local flaps with or without an interpositioning graft with various rates of success have been described. Our aim was to describe a new and relatively easy technique for repairing these perforations. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with nasal septal perforations smaller than 2 cm in diameter were operated on between 2010 and 2012 at Eskisehir Osmangazi University. The described 3-layer interlocking method was applied to repair the septal perforation in all of the cases. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were operated on using this technique. The follow-up time ranged from 30 months to 10 months, with a mean follow-up time of 20.9 months. In 19 of the 22 patients, complete closure of the perforation was achieved (86.3%). We did not encounter any early or late postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: A novel technique that uses a temporalis fascia-conchal cartilage complex as an interpositioning material to repair septal perforations is described. This complex was endoscopically introduced to the perforation after elevating the edges of the perforation. We concluded that the low morbidity, short operating time, and high success rate make this technique a good choice for repairing small- to medium-sized perforations.

The round window diameter in congenital aural atresia and comparison with sensorineural hearing loss and control group.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to measure round window (RW) diameters in patients with congenital aural atresia (CAA) or sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and a normal control group and to analyze whether differences exist between these groups. METHODS: Temporal bone computed tomographic scans of 12 patients with CAA (5 males, 7 females) aged 1 to 50 years (median age, 6 years), 12 patients with SNHL (8 males, 4 females) aged 2 to 32 years (median age, 5 years), and 11 patients (3 males, 7 females) aged 2 months to 53 years (median age, 8 years) randomly selected from a pool of patients with unilateral chronic otitis media or cholesteatoma were reviewed. We measured RW diameter on oblique reconstruction planes. To prevent possible individual differences, skull width was measured. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between all groups for skull width. Both RW diameter and RW membrane width were found smaller in the CAA group than both SNHL group and control group with statistical significance, whereas there were no statistically significant differences between the SNHL group and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: We found that both the RW diameter and RW membrane width in CAA were smaller than those in the control group. If this finding is supported in future studies, the production of floating mass transducer with different sizes may be useful. We suggest that RW diameter should be measured in each patient before operation and thus a floating mass transducer with the appropriate caliber should be chosen.

An Investigation Into the Degree of Sinus Mucosal Delivery of Inhaled Black Cumin Volatile and Peppermint Essential Oils.

The aim of this study was to investigate the quantity of volatile components reaching the sinus mucosa (SM) by inhalation, which is responsible for the therapeutic effect, as a first step toward targeted drug design. In this study, 18 Wistar-Albino female rats with an average weight between 200 and 250 g were used. The rats to be used in the study were randomized: Black cumin (BC) essential oil group (group 1) (n = 6), Peppermint essential oil (PEO) group (group 2) (n = 6), and Control (group 3) (n = 6). Volatile oils were inhaled in group 1 and 2; in the control group volatile oils were not inhaled. In all groups, SM was removed and essential volatile oil composition was determined. In group 1, α-pinene was identified as the principal component in the gas phase from five different glass bottles containing SM. The data obtained were evaluated using the single sample T-test and results show that the α-pinene component in the group of inhaled BC essential oil reached significance (P < .001) when compared with the control group. The active component of the BC essential oil could not be identified as thymoquinone. In group 2, eucalyptol (1,8-cineole) was identified as the principal component in the gas phase from five different glass bottles containing SM. The data obtained were evaluated using the single sample T-test and it was found that the eucalyptol component in the group which inhaled PEO reached statistical significance (P < .001) compared with the control group. In group 3, no volatile oil compounds were detected. We have demonstrated that both oils (BC and peppermint) are delivered to the SM. There is a need for the optimum dose to be clarified by different methods of measurement than those used in the spectrometric data we have obtained. We are convinced that our work will lead to pharmacological, toxicological, and subsequent clinical trials in this area.

Evaluation and Prognostic Significance of Galectin-3 Expression in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: In squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity, factors that can predict prognosis are being studied. However, new prognostic factors are needed to provide information on the biological properties of tumors. Galectin-3 is known to be involved in many biological events such as cell adhesion and differentiation, angiogenesis, apoptosis, tumorigenesis, and metastasis. In our study, the prognostic role of galectin-3 expression in squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 60 patients with a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. The demographic characteristics of the patients were compiled from the patient files. Galectin-3 expression was studied immunohistochemically. Cytoplasmic and nuclear expressions of galectin-3 were evaluated separately. In addition, the total expression score was calculated by multiplying the percentage and intensity scores for each cases. The critical expression score was determined according to the median value of the total scores. RESULTS: Among 60 cases, 28 tumors were located on the lip, 21 on the tongue, 4 on the floor of the mouth, 3 on the orobuccal mucosa, 3 on the retromolar trigone, and 1 on the gingivobuccal junction. There was no statistically significant relationship between prognosis and nuclear or cytoplasmic galectin-3 expression. Tumor grade and invasion pattern were found to be associated with the galectin-3 total expression score. CONCLUSION: Although galectin-3 total expression score was correlated with the tumor grade and invasion pattern, it is not associated with overall survival or recurrence rates. However, there is a need for a large series of cases in which methods are standardized in order to clarify the prognostic role of galectin-3 expression in oral squamous cell carcinomas.