RESUMO
Ectopic secretion of beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-HCG) in pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma is remarkably rare. Such unusual ectopic hormone production by lung cancer may be initially misinterpreted as extragonadal choriocarcinoma or germ cell tumor. We report a 56-year-old postmenopausal female, smoker, who presented a 5-month history of progressive dyspnea, dry paroxysmal cough, and significant weight loss. She was referred by a local hospital with the preliminary diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia due to a rapidly growing thoracic tumor with persistently elevated serum ß-HCG. Computed tomography of the chest showed a lung mass in the right upper lobe associated with homolateral pleural effusion. Positron emission tomography showed pathological 2-[18F]FDG uptake at the mass lesion. Biopsies were performed. Histological examination described pleomorphic carcinoma with positive immunostaining for ß-HCG. The serum levels of ß-HCG were also elevated indicating ectopic secretion. The patient had rapid clinical deterioration and deceased before chemotherapy initiation. Only a few cases of paraneoplastic ß-HCG secretion have been reported in the literature. Previous studies suggested that the ability to secrete ß-hCG in tumors may correlate to some extent to chemoresistance; thus, it might be useful as a prognosis marker.
RESUMO
O acesso à cavidade pulpar é a etapa do tratamento endodôntico que tem como objetivo expor a embocadura dos canais radiculares. Por muito tempo, o formato ideal da cavidade era aquele que proporcionasse a criação de uma trajetória reta ao canal, com a remoção completa do teto da câmara pulpar. Porém, nas últimas décadas, foi investigado um desgaste excessivo de dentina que possibilita a redução da resistência do dente. Então, propuseram novo formato de cavidade de acesso, que permite a preservação máxima possível das estruturas de suporte, objetivando aumentar a resistência de dentes tratados endodonticamente. Apesar das vantagens, supostamente atribuídas aos acessos minimamente invasivos, esse formato tem sido questionado por dificultar a visibilidade da entrada dos canais, localização, e possibilidade de deixar áreas intocadas nas paredes dos canais. Diante disso, este trabalho realizou um levantamento bibliográfico a fim de verificar se há consistência científica quanto à interferência do acesso coronário na resistência dentária. Concluiu-se que o acesso minimamente invasivo não apresentou diferença quanto ao aumento da resistência à fratura de dentes tratados endodonticamente quando comparado ao acesso tradicional, entretanto, o tema ainda é relevante e os benefícios dessa técnica devem ser investigados clinicamente a longo prazo.
Access to the pulp cavity is the stage of endodontic treatment that aims to expose the mouth of the root canals. For a long time, creating a straight path to the canal, with the complete removal of the pulp chamber roof, was the ideal cavity format. However, in recent decades, excessive dentin wear, which makes it possible to reduce tooth strength, has been investi-gated. So, a new access cavity format, which allows the maximum possible preservation of the support structures, was proposed to increase the resistance of endodontically treated teeth. Despite the advantages supposedly attributed to minimally invasive accesses, this format has been questioned for hindering the visibility of the entrance to the channels, the location, and the possibility of leaving untouched areas on the walls of the channels. Therefore, this work carried out a bibliographical survey to verify the scientific consistency regarding the interference of coronary access in dental resistance. The minimally inva-sive access showed no difference regarding increased fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth compared to the traditional access. However, the topic is still relevant, and its benefits, in the long term, should be clinically investigated.