Anatomy of the olfactory mucosa.

The classic notion that humans are microsmatic animals was born from comparative anatomy studies showing the reduction in the size of both the olfactory bulbs and the limbic brain relative to the whole brain. However, the human olfactory system contains a number of neurons comparable to that of most other mammals, and humans have exquisite olfactory abilities. Major advances in molecular and genetic research have resulted in the identification of extremely large gene families that express receptors for sensing odors. Such advances have led to a renaissance of studies focused on both human and nonhuman aspects of olfactory physiology and function. Evidence that olfactory dysfunction is among the earliest signs of a number of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders has led to considerable interest in the use of olfactory epithelial biopsies for potentially identifying such disorders. Moreover, the unique features of the olfactory ensheathing cells have made the olfactory mucosa a promising and unexpected source of cells for treating spinal cord injuries and other neural injuries in which cell guidance is critical. The olfactory system of humans and other primates differs in many ways from that of other species. In this chapter we provide an overview of the anatomy of not only the human olfactory mucosa but of mucosae from a range of mammals from which more detailed information is available. Basic information regarding the general organization of the olfactory mucosa, including its receptor cells and the large number of other cell types critical for their maintenance and function, is provided. Cross-species comparisons are made when appropriate. The polemic issue of the human vomeronasal organ in both the adult and fetus is discussed, along with recent findings regarding olfactory subsystems within the nose of a number of mammals (e.g., the septal organ and Grüneberg ganglion).

[Capillary hemangioma of the middle ear: a case report]. / Hemangioma capilar de oído medio.

Capillary hemangiomas are considered benign vascular tumours. Two-thirds of hemangiomas occur in the head and neck region. They commonly originate from the vascular networks around the geniculate ganglion. They are underdiagnosed because there are a great many diseases with similar clinical and radiologic signs. Therefore, the histological exam is definitive for diagnosis.

Recovery from neurological sequelae secondary to oncological brain surgery in an adult growth hormone-deficient patient after growth hormone treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To report an unusual case of significant neurological recovery in a 26-year-old growth hormone-deficient female patient with significant neurological sequelae resulting from brain surgery at 11 years of age. DESIGN: Case report. RESULTS: Most of the neurological sequelae present at admission recovered after 8 months of combined growth hormone administration and kinesitherapy/speech therapy. These include an increase in tongue size and mobility and in the amount and quality of saliva, improvement in vocal cords function, recovery of oesophageal peristalsis and disappearance of sleep apnoea. CONCLUSION: Since the patient had undergone intensive physical rehabilitation for a 15-year period with no significant improvement, it is tempting to speculate that the correction of growth hormone deficiency improved her rehabilitation. Therefore, we propose that growth hormone treatment, combined with the adequate kinesitherapy, may be a useful therapy for effective recovery from some neurological deficits in patients with growth hormone deficiency.

Paraganglioma of the thyroid gland: a rare entity.

Paragangliomas are neuroendocrine tumors. The thyroid gland is one of the anatomic sites in which paraganglia are not normally located and are exceptionally rare. We report a case of a 36-year-old Hispanic woman with a soft mass measuring about 30 mm in the right thyroid lobe. Patient was operated on and the neoplasm showed microscopically a typical nesting organoid pattern (zellballen). The inmunohistochemical analysis revealed that the tumor showed strongly and diffuse stain for NSE, Synaptophysin, Chromogranin A, and S-100 protein in the sustentacular cells, whereas no inmunoreactivity was detected with antibodies against thyroglobulin, calcitonin, TTF-1, CEA, and AE1-AE3. The MIB-1 labeling showed 7% of neoplastic cells. Head and neck paragangliomas usually develop slowly, and this tumor exhibited a low proliferative activity. In view of the uncertain malignant potential of paragangliomas, we recommended a careful long-term follow-up.