Management of frontal sinus fractures requiring surgical intervention: An analysis of a case series.

<b><br>Introduction:</b> Isolated frontal bone fractures constitute 5-15% of traumatic facial fractures cases, with frontal sinus fractures categorized into anterior wall, posterior wall, or complex fractures. The approach is tailored to fracture type and bone fragment displacement. This paper presents the summary of surgical management in patients with isolated and complex fractures of the anterior wall of the frontal sinus.</br> <b><br>Material and Methods:</b> Five patients with different frontal sinus fractures were treated surgically. The same management protocol - diagnosis and surgical intervention was implemented in all cases The retrospective analysis included fracture assessment, surgical approach, and long-term outcomes evaluation.</br> <b><br>Results:</b> The most common cause of fractures was falls, while two complex fractures involved the anterior and posterior walls. External approach, bone fragment removal, endoscopy, and external stabilization were employed in all cases. One patent required delayed revision surgery due to retaining metallic foreign body. Follow-up radiological examinations showed proper healing and cosmetic outcomes were satisfactory in all of the cases.</br> <b><br>Conclusion:</b> Surgical management of isolated fractures of the frontal sinus anterior wall, involving bone fragment removal, realignment, and endoscopy, yielded satisfactory functional and cosmetic outcomes without internal or external stabilization. Long-term monitoring and symptom assessment are crucial, especially in cases with penetrating injuries and foreign body risk.</br>.

Pituitary stalk metastasis of a neuroendocrine tumour of unknown origin.

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Diversity of Pathological Conditions Affecting Pituitary Stalk.

Pituitary stalk lesions (PSL) are a very rare pathology. The majority of conditions affecting the infundibulum do not present with clinically apparent symptoms, what makes the diagnosis difficult. The recognition might be also complicated by the non-specific and transient characteristics of hormonal insufficiencies. In our study, we retrospectively analysed demographic, biochemical, and clinical long-term data of 60 consecutive, unselected adult patients (34 women and 26 men) with PSL diagnosed in the Department of Endocrinology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The diagnosis of PSL were categorized as confirmed, probable, or undetermined in 26, 26 and 8 patients, accordingly. Given the possible aetiology congenital, inflammatory, and neoplastic stalk lesions were diagnosed in 17, 15 and 20 patients, accordingly. In eight cases the underlying pathology remained undetermined. The most common pituitary abnormality was gonadal insufficiency diagnosed in 50.8% of cases. Diabetes insipidus was detected in 23.3% of cases. In 5% of patients the pituitary function recovered partially over time. Stalk lesions were extensively discussed in the context of the current literature. Based on the published data and our own experience a diagnostic algorithm has been proposed to help physicians with the management of patients with this challenging condition.

Radiological and hormonal improvements in a 22-year-old patient with lymphocytic hypophysitis - the watchful waiting approach.

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Pituitary tumours in MEN1 syndrome - the new insight into the diagnosis and treatment.

Pituitary tumours are a common pathology affecting 15-20% of the population. Only about 1‰ of adenomas are clinically manifested; among them, about two/thirds are hormonally active, most often secreting prolactin or growth hormone. Pituitary tumours are mainly an isolated pathology, without any genetic background. However, the latest studies pay special attention to the possibility of developing an adenoma as a result of genetic mutation. Among pituitary adenomas, the leading group of genetically determined lesions is related to a mutation in AIP or MEN1, followed by PRKAR1A, GRP101, DICER, and SDHx. The genetic basis of these pituitary tumours is related to positive family history, young age of the patient, aggressive clinical process, and resistance to treatment. Pituitary tumours occur in over 40% of patients with MEN1 syndrome - often in women, they are more than 1 cm in diameter, and secrete prolactin. They are usually diagnosed in the fourth decade of life and show a worse response to pharmacotherapy than sporadic ones. Confirmation of the genetic background of the pituitary tumour implies measurable implications; it might help to direct the diagnosis in patients' family members, partially predict the development of the disease, and, above all, extend patients' life expectancy.

Hypophysitis - new insights into diagnosis and treatment.

Hypophysitis is a broad term used to describe conditions leading to inflammation of the pituitary gland and the pituitary stalk. It may develop as a primary condition or secondary to other diseases. Hypophysitis is classified based on aetiological, anatomical, and histological criteria. Clinical symptoms result from enlargement of the pituitary gland, hormonal deficiencies, diabetes insipidus, and hyperprolactinemia. Histopathological verification of tissue samples from a pituitary biopsy remains the gold standard in diagnosing hypophysitis. However, due to the invasiveness and risk of the procedure it is rarely performed. The diagnosis is based mainly on clinical presentation, laboratory tests, and imaging. The rarity of the disease and the deficit in reliable data result in a lack of clear guidelines in the treatment of hypophysitis. The basic therapy relies on hormonal replacement. High doses of steroids are the first-line treatment of symptoms caused by mass effect in sella and compression of surrounding structures. In steroid-resistant patients or in cases of inacceptable sides effects, treatment with other immunosuppressant drugs was administered with success. The course of the disease varies: some patients present remission, in other cases hypophysitis leads to fibrosis and atrophy of the pituitary gland, which is reflected in persistent hormonal deficiencies and images of an empty sella. The objective of this article is to present the most important information: the epidemiology, clinical image, diagnostic procedures, and treatment of primary hypophysitis, in order to allow better understanding of this disease and implementation of proper management. Posttraumatic and immunotherapyrelated hypophysitis are also briefly characterised.

Risk factors of tympanoplasties in long-term observation.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate risk factors influencing the results of tympanoplasties on the base of material taken from the Department of Otolaryngology and Laryngological Oncology Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Bydgoszcz between 2004-2009. In this period 98 operations were done. The time from operation to hearing examination was 3 to 7 years, mean 5,43. Tympanoplastic operation were divided according to Tos classification. Measuring hearing results, tonal audiometry was done and mean air bone gap on four frequencies was assesed (500, 1000, 2000, 3000 Hz), according to AAO-HNS guidelines (1995). This parameter was compared between groups separated according to risk factors, that could potentially affect the results. Those risk factors were: disfunction of the Eustechian tube, localisation and size of the perforation of the tympanic membrane, damage of the ossicles, the state of the mastoid process, the number of operations, the presence of the cholesteatoma or granulating tissue, chronic otitis media in the opposite ear, smoking cigarettes, mastoidectomy, canal wall down technique. The results were analysed using statistical test. RESULTS: The most impotant risk factor affecting treatment's results (besides discharge from the ear) is damage of the ossicles, especially the malleus and stapes. Well done operation ensures good hearing results irrespectively of the presence of cholesteatoma or granulating tissue, and also in case of reoperation. For all types of tympanoplasties neither the localisation, nor the size of perforation do not influence on hearing results in long term observation.

Temozolomide therapy for aggressive pituitary Crooke's cell corticotropinoma causing Cushing's Disease - a case report with literature review.

CONTEXT: Aggressive pituitary tumours causing Cushing's Disease are very rare, difficult to treat, and usually resistant to conventional therapy. There is growing evidence for the use of temozolomide (TZM), an alkylating chemotherapeutic agent, as first line chemotherapy in tumours resistant to repeated neurosurgery, radiotherapy and adrenalectomy. OBJECTIVE: To present the response to TMZ in a rare case of an aggressive pituitary tumour in the course of Cushing's Disease and to review the literature referring to similar cases. PATIENT: In this report, we present the case of a 61 year old male patient who was diagnosed with Cushing's Disease in the course of a pituitary invasive macroadenoma in 2011. The patient underwent 4 transphenoidal non-radical neurosurgeries (2012,2013) with rapid tumour progression, repeated non-radical bilateral adrenalectomy (2012, 2013) and stereotactic radiotherapy, and gamma knife surgery (2013, 2015). Histopathological examination revealed macroadenoma with high cell polymorphism and the presence of Crooke's cells, Ki- < 2%. Since 2015 the patient has been treated with 6 cycles of TMZ (320 mg per day for 5 consecutive days, 28-day cycle) with clinical and biochemical improvement and stabilized tumour size and no side effects. TMZ was continued for up to 9 cycles with a stable serum level of cortisol and ACTH being observed. However, clinical symptoms like headaches, visual field impairment, and finally hearing loss started to progress from the eighth cycle. After the ninth cycle of TMZ, there was a sudden increase in the size of the tumour, impairment of the cortisol and ACTH level, marked deterioration of the clinical status with the recurrence of severe headaches, narrowing of the visual field and hearing loss. At the beginning of 2016, a sudden clinical status and sight deterioration, strong headaches, drop of the right eyelid with widening of the pupil were observed. The patient died in February 2016. LESSONS: The case of our patient suggests that the response to the TMZ treatment monotherapy in aggressive pituitary tumour causing Cushing's Disease could be partial and restricted to 7-8 cycles followed by rapid progression of the tumor mass. Therefore, further research should be carried out with regard to new methods to extend the responsiveness and duration of TMZ treatment and to investigate predictors of responsiveness. < p > < /p >.

Pituitary insufficiency following traumatic thoracic injury in an adolescent male patient: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Traumatic thoracic injuries in adolescents are rare but could be connected with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and development of chronic hypopituitarism. Early recognition of these endocrine problems is a significant challenge to clinicians. We present difficulties in diagnosis of hypothalamic-pituitary insufficiency following traumatic thoracic injury in adolescence. We also review the literature of similar cases. PATIENT CONCERNS: We present a case of a 24-years-old male. In 2007, at the age of 15 he underwent a severe traffic accident followed by thoracic injury with concussion, hemothorax and dissection of the aorta requiring aortic stent-graft implantation. DIAGNOSES: During the post-traumatic period, transient polydipsia and polyuria symptoms were observed. The patient had no medical history of any serious disease before the accident, his growth and pubertal development was normal. After the accident the patient did not undergo any routine medical check-ups. In 2013 gonadal axis deficiency was diagnosed during investigation of libido problems. Following the diagnosis testosterone replacement therapy was initiated. INTERVENTIONS: Further endocrinological investigation was carried out in 2016. The patient's main complaints were decreased mood and poor physical fitness. BMI was 27.34 kg/m, with a tendency to abdominal fat distribution. The patient's height is 160 cm, while Mid Parental Height (MPH) is 173.5 cm. Decreased bone density was found in DEXA examination. Serum growth hormone level (GH) was normal while insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) level was below normal. Insulin tolerance test (ITT) and low levels of IGF-1 confirmed somatotropic axis deficiency. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of the hypothalamo-pituitary region showed no abnormalities. PROP 1 and other common genetic mutations associated with GH deficits were excluded. Testosterone treatment was continued. The patient increased physical activity and implemented diet. OUTCOMES: The patient has lost weight, improved physical activity performance and is feeling better. The procedure to start GH supplementation is now in process. LESSONS: Based on our case and available literature we suggest that adolescent patients after traumatic brain injuries may require precise investigation and strict monitoring due to the possibility of unrecognized hypopituitarism.