False-positive positron-emission tomography-CT of a Teflon granuloma in the parapharyngeal space occurring after treatment for a patulous eustachian tube.

This report presents a 55-year-old woman who underwent 2 Teflon injections in 1971 for a patulous eustachian tube. The patient returned in 2006 with a bloody left otorrhea. A positron-emission tomography-CT scan demonstrated a 2-cm hypermetabolic parapharyngeal mass, initially interpreted as a skull base tumor. Repeat neck CT confirmed a 2-cm hyperattenuated left parapharyngeal granulomatous mass. This is the first reported case of a Teflon granuloma presenting as a false-positive parapharyngeal mass.

Long-term follow up on recurrence of 305 ameloblastoma cases.

The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate treatment for ameloblastoma by considering the factors associated with recurrence, and to make a quantitative prediction of the risk factors for recurrence. Data on age and gender distribution, location of the tumour, histopathological findings, treatment method, and whether or not patients had a preoperative biopsy confirmation report were collected in 305 cases (239 patients; M: 139, F: 100) of ameloblastoma diagnosed and treated in 1985-2002. After initial statistical evaluation (chi(2)-test and Fisher's exact test), logistic regression analysis was performed to check relative significance and predict recurrence. The disease-free survival function curves of the patients with or without recurrence were obtained by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using univariate regression analysis. The correlation between recurrence and the treatment method or histopathological type was significant. The differences between the 'conservative' and 'resection with bone margin' and between the 'conservative' and 'segmental resection or maxillectomy' groups in terms of disease-free survival were highly significant. The difference between the 'resection with bone margin' and 'segmental resection or maxillectomy' groups was not significant. A resection with safety margin is the best method to treat most proven ameloblastomas, and conservative treatment is reasonable for patients in their first decade or with unicystic or plexiform ameloblastoma.

The effect of aspirin and prostaglandin E(1) on the patency of microvascular anastomosis in the rats.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral prostaglandin E(1)(PGE(1)) on the patency of the microvascular anastomosis of the carotid artery in rat. A total of 48 rats were used, and divided into three groups. The first group (A) was used as a control with no medical agent being used after anastomosis, the second group (B) was medicated with aspirin, and the third group (C) was medicated with oral PGE(1). In each group, four rats were sacrificed serially on every post-operative 3, 5, 10 and 15 days after arterial anastomosis. Patency and histologic evaluations at the anastomotic site were observed. The results revealed that the PGE(1) therapied group showed highest patency rate (100%), lesser formation of mural thrombosis, and also minimal changes in the intimal hyperplasia and medial fibrosis. From these findings, we could conclude that PGE(1) has superior effect on maintaining the patency after microvascular surgery.