In-vivo lymphoscintigraphy of sinonasal tumors identifies retropharyngeal node and level I as predominant sentinel nodes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate by in- vivo lymphoscintigraphy and SPECT-CT imaging, the lymphatic drainage patterns of para-nasal sinus(PNS) tumors. To confirm or refute the belief of the retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) being the significant draining lymph node for such tumors. METHODS: Prospective cohort study conducted on previously untreated PNS tumors with no clinico-radiological evidence of lymph node metastasis. Lymphoscintigraphy undertaken by nasal endoscopic assisted peritumoral injection of 99mTc Sulfur colloid. Injections were classified as anterior or posterior as per a vertical line along the maxillary sinus ostium. RESULTS: 17 patients were included. Lymphoscintigraphy successfully identified 17 sentinel nodes in 15 patients and was unsuccessful (lymphoscintigraphy failure) in 2 patients. Predominant sites of sentinel lymphatic drainage were noted to be the RPLN (n = 8; 47%), and Level I (n = 7; 42%). Occasional drainage was identified at the peri-parotid node(n = 1) and at Level II (n = 1). Contralateral drainage was noted in 2 patients (level I-1 and RPLN-1). Anterior injections drained predominantly to Level I (6/8) and RPLN (2/8), while posterior injections drained predominantly to the RPLN ( 6/7). The relative risk of RPLN being identified as the sentinel node was significantly higher for posteriorly placed injections than for anteriorly placed injections (RR- 3.43; 95% CI-1.0-11.8, p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: The RPLN is noted as a frequent draining node for sino-nasal tumours and merits routine attention in all sino-nasal tumors. The radio-colloid SPECT-CT technique described here offers an excellent in-vivo technique to further explore and validate the lymphatic drainage pathways of these tumours.

Giant Sialolith of Submandibular Duct.

Sialolithiasis is one of the most common diseases of salivary glands and commonly involves submandibular gland and ducts. "Giant sialoliths" typically measure more than 15 mm in any dimension. Here, an unusual case of sialolith in submandibular duct is reported which progressed into a giant sialolith in six months' time is reported. A 42-year-old man presented with complaints of recurrent pain and swelling in the right submandibular area. A large stone was palpable intraorally within the Wharton's duct and intra-operatively, an elongated giant sialolith of 50 mm length was found which is the second largest to be published till date.

Quality of life outcome measures using University of Washington questionnaire version 4 in early T1/T2 anterior tongue cancers with and without radiotherapy: A cross-sectional study.

CONTEXT: To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) outcome measures in disease-free survivors of pathological T1/T2 tongue cancers and to compare QOL in patients treated with only surgery and with adjuvant treatment. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All pathological T1/T2 anterior tongue cancer cases with follow-up from January 2011 till December 2015, who had locoregionally controlled disease with a minimum disease-free survival period of 1 year, were included in the study. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients, 28 are males and 8 are females with an age range of 24-66 years (median age of 43) were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups with (n = 26) and without adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy (RT) (n = 10) and the University of Washington-QOL questionnaire version 4 for physical and social domains, global questions and three important domains were analyzed. On the physical and social domain scores, the surgery-alone group outscored the combined modality group on all scales and the differences were statistically significant for specific physical domains such as saliva (0.0001), taste (P = 0.0001), chewing (P = 0.0004), swallowing (P = 0.0026), and social domains such as mood (0.0001), pain (P = 0.0001), and shoulder function (P = 0.0061). The overall global QOL scores were also better for the surgical group compared with group which received adjuvant RT but was not statistically significant. All patients chose saliva as their top priority domain in the group which received radiation, and 60% chose "swallowing ability" as the preferred top priority domain in the only surgical group. CONCLUSIONS: Although locoregional control and disease-free survival are the major treatment-related endpoints for cancer management, QOL outcome measures have to assess to determine the impact of a treatment modality on patients well-being and for better rehabilitation of cancer-free patients.

La linfogammagrafía in vivo de los tumores del seno nasal identifica el ganglio retrofaríngeo y el nivel I como ganglios centinela predominantes / In-vivo lymphoscintigraphy of sinonasal tumors identifies retropharyngeal node and level I as predominant sentinel nodes

Objetivo Evaluar mediante linfogammagrafía in vivo y con detección SPECT/TC los patrones de drenaje linfático de los tumores del seno paranasal (SPN). Confirmar o rebatir la creencia de que el ganglio linfático retrofaríngeo (GLRF) se erige en el ganglio de drenaje índice para dichos tumores. Métodos Estudio de cohorte prospectivo realizado en pacientes con tumores del SPN no tratados previamente y sin evidencia clínico-radiológica de metástasis a nivel ganglionar. La linfogammagrafía se realizó mediante la inyección peritumoral de sulfuro coloidal marcado con [99m]TcO4 y asistida por endoscopia nasal. Las inyecciones se clasificaron como anteriores o posteriores en función de una línea vertical que pasaba por el orificio del seno maxilar. Resultados Se incluyeron 17 pacientes. La linfogammagrafía identificó satisfactoriamente 17 ganglios centinelas en 15 pacientes, y no pudo evidenciarlo (fracaso de la linfogammagrafía) en 2 pacientes. Se observó que los lugares predominantes de drenaje del ganglio centinela fueron el GLRF (n=8; 47%) y el nivel I (n=7; 42%). Se identificó drenaje ocasional en el ganglio periparotídeo (n=1) y en el nivel II (n=1). Se observó drenaje linfático contralateral en 2 pacientes (en el nivel I y GLRF, respectivamente). Las inyecciones anteriores drenaron predominantemente hacia el nivel I (6/8) y a GLRF (2/8), mientras que las inyecciones posteriores drenaron predominantemente a GLRF (6/7). El riesgo relativo de que el GLRF fuera identificado como ganglio centinela fue significativamente mayor en las inyecciones administradas posteriormente respecto a las administradas anteriormente (RR: 3,43; IC 95%: 1,0-11,8; p=0,05). Conclusión El GLRF es considerado un ganglio de drenaje frecuente asociado a los tumores del seno nasal, y merece su atención rutinaria en todos los casos de tumor del seno nasal (AU)

Objective To evaluate by in vivo lymphoscintigraphy and SPECT-CT imaging, the lymphatic drainage patterns of para-nasal sinus (PNS) tumours. To confirm or refute the belief of the retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) being the significant draining lymph node for such tumours. Methods Prospective cohort study conducted on previously untreated PNS tumours with no clinico-radiological evidence of lymph node metastasis. Lymphoscintigraphy undertaken by nasal endoscopic assisted peritumoral injection of 99mTc sulphur colloid. Injections were classified as anterior or posterior as per a vertical line along the maxillary sinus ostium. Results Seventeen patients were included. Lymphoscintigraphy successfully identified 17 sentinel nodes in 15 patients and was unsuccessful (lymphoscintigraphy failure) in 2 patients. Predominant sites of sentinel lymphatic drainage were noted to be the RPLN (n=8; 47%) and level I (n=7; 42%). Occasional drainage was identified at the peri-parotid node (n=1) and at level II (n=1). Contralateral drainage was noted in 2 patients (level I-1 and RPLN-1). Anterior injections drained predominantly to level I (6/8) and RPLN (2/8), while posterior injections drained predominantly to the RPLN (6/7). The relative risk of RPLN being identified as the sentinel node was significantly higher for posteriorly placed injections than for anteriorly placed injections (RR: 3.43; 95% CI: 1.0-11.8; P=.05). Conclusion The RPLN is noted as a frequent draining node for sino-nasal tumours and merits routine attention in all sino-nasal tumours. The radio-colloid SPECT-CT technique described here offers an excellent in vivo technique to further explore and validate the lymphatic drainage pathways of these tumours (AU)

Direct labelling of ipratropium bromide aerosol and its deposition pattern in normal subjects and patients with chronic bronchitis.

A technique for the direct labelling of ipratropium bromide with bromine-77, with reconstitution of the drug in a metered dose inhaler so as to be identical to the commercial product, was used to study drug deposition patterns in seven normal subjects and seven patients with chronic bronchitis (mean FEV1 32% (SD 12.2%) predicted normal). The gamma camera image of the thorax was divided into a middle zone--the mediastinal zone--and the lung itself into a central zone comprising its medial third and a peripheal zone, the lateral two thirds. Measurements after 10 inhalations of labelled ipratropium bromide showed similar results for the two groups of subjects. The total lung dose inhaled was 11.2% of 203 micrograms and 11.7% of 186 micrograms in the normal subjects and the patients respectively. In contrast to the deposition patterns seen in aerosol studies using steady state inhalation methods, there was no difference in deposition pattern--that is, the distribution between the central and the peripheral lung zones--between the normal subjects and the patients with airways obstruction.