Parapharyngeal space tumors: Fifty-one cases managed in a single tertiary care center.

CONCLUSIONS: Pre-operative planning for parapharyngeal tumors must include meticulous analysis. Factors such as tumor size, distance to cranial base, and relation to neurovascular structures must guide the selection of a surgical approach. OBJECTIVE: To summarize experience in diagnosis and surgical management of parapharyngeal tumors, analyzing the frequencies of various tumoral types, clinical presentation, choice of surgical approach and outcomes. This study also compares the results with the most relevant case series in the literature. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of the records of 51 patients treated by the team, from 1984-2012. Only primary tumors were included, excluding invasion from adjacent spaces and metastatic disease. All patients underwent imaging studies and surgical resection of the neoplasm. Cytological analysis and arteriography were used on an individualized basis. Surgical excision was performed via different approaches, predominantly through a cervicoparotid route. RESULTS: Benign neoplasms were predominant (80%), and the most frequent tumor was pleomorphic adenoma. FNAC had a 100% accuracy to differentiate benign vs malignant tumors. The most common post-operative sequel was compromise of a cranial nerve, and three patients presented local complications after surgery. After follow-up, only three of 41 patients with benign tumors had recurring disease.

N-Acetylcysteine affects obesity-related protein expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

OBJECTIVES: Oxidative stress plays critical roles in the pathogeneses of diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis, but its effect on fat accumulation is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the role of the well-known antioxidant and a glutathione (GSH) precursor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in fat accumulation and the expression of obesity-associated proteins. METHODS: We studied the effects of 10 µM NAC on obesity-related protein expression in cultured 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, which are able to differentiate into mature adipocytes and accumulate lipids. RESULTS: NAC treatment inhibited fat accumulation and reduced the expression of obesity-related proteins, including monoamine oxidase A, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), aminoacylase -1 (ACY-1), and transketolase. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that the effects of NAC on triglycerides (Tgs) and protein expression are correlated. In support of this, we showed that NAC treatment affected both the Tg synthesis pathway and the expression levels of proteins implicated in human obesity.

[Toluidine blue solution as a diagnostic aid in oropharyngeal cancer]. / Azul de toludina en enjuagues, como auxiliar diagnóstico de cancer orofaríngeo.

In the literature exist investigations made to extensive series of patients, with premalignant oral lesions or suspicious of malignancy, in which it has been employed toluidine blue (TB), to verify the trustiness of this method as a resource for support in clinical diagnosis. The results are favourable whenever is observed the correct realization of the technique that must be preceded by a careful buccal exploration and that both findings be corroborated. This work tries to exemplificate one of the techniques of TB as will as the results obtained in 28 patients, whom, for their characteristics were considered of High Risk. Emphasis is made in relation to the false positive found. Besides, is insisted in the convenience of the routine use of this resource in the odontologic private practice and at institutional level in patients over 50 years old, to whom is necessary to accomplish at a time an adequate patient history and an accurate intraoral examination, that in addition to the use of TB, will make feasible to detect more cases of malignant lesions in early stages.