Investigation on the hypoglycaemic effects of extracts of four Mexican medicinal plants in normal and alloxan-diabetic mice.

The hypoglycaemic activities of four water ethanol extracts (WEE) prepared from Bidens pilosa L., Salvia officinalis L., Psacalium peltatum H.B.K. (Cass) and Turnera diffusa Willd. were investigated in healthy and alloxan-diabetic mice. The WEE of S. officinalis significantly reduced the blood glucose of fasting normal mice 120 (15.7%) and 240 min (30.2%) after intraperitoneal administration (p < 0.05). The WEE of P. peltatum and B. pilosa also significantly diminished glycaemia in healthy mice at 240 min (19.6% and 13.8%, respectively). In mildly diabetic mice, the WEE of P. peltatum lowered the basal blood glucose level 120 (16%) and 240 min (54%) after intraperitoneal administration (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). The WEE of B. pilosa and S. officinalis also significantly diminished the hyperglycaemia in mildly diabetic mice at 240 mins (32.6% and 22.7%, respectively). The administration of these three extracts to animals with severe hyperglycaemia did not cause a significant decrease. The WEE of T. diffusa did not show any hypoglycaemic activity. Thus, three of the WEE studied conserved the hypoglycaemic activity originally detected in the traditional preparations of the studied antidiabetic plants. It appears that these extracts require the presence of insulin to show hypoglycaemic activity.

[First year of experience in laryngectomy and pharyngolaryngectomy with Pearson type laryngotracheal myomucosal shunt]. / Primer año de experiencia en laringectomías y faringolaringectomías con shunt miomucoso laringotraqueal tipo Pearson.

In this essay we deal with different aspects of the techniques described by Pearson and cols. in 1980, carrying out an analysis of objectives, indications and contraindications, physiological fundamentals, description of the surgical technique, aftercare and exposition of the results achieved in patients operated from September 1996-97.

[Microcytic carcinoma of the nose cavity. A case report]. / Carcinoma microcítico de fosa nasal. A propósito de un caso.

Tumors of the nasal cavity and sinuses are rather infrequent, being squamous carcinoma the predominant type, which accounts for the 80 percent of the totality of them. Maxillary sinus is the most affected, followed by nose cavity. Half of cases are originated on turbinates. We present the clinical case of a woman patient diagnosed of microcytic carcinoma of the right nasal cavity originated at the level of middle turbinate. The mass filled the width of the fossa getting in touch with the nasal septum, without encroaching it. According its extent the tumor was classified as T2, N0, M0 and treated with radiotherapy only. Microcytic carcinoma is an exceptional histological type in nasal cavity and next to its numeric meagerness in this location makes this case a very peculiar one.

[Maxillary sinusitis caused by Aspergillus]. / TI: sinusitis maxilar por Aspergillus.

Naso-sinusal aspergillosis is an infrequent ailment which true incidence is not correctly assumed and furthermore the cases are increasing because of the progression of immunodeficiency problems. Suspicious become accentuated when repeated antibiotic treatments fail or in patients with previous dental pathology or radiologically show inside of sinus images of forcing bodies. Despite of which the diagnosis should be histological thanks to the examination of the surgical piece gained following the classic approaches through the canine fossa or endoscopic surgery. The only real treatment is surgery. We report one clinical case of an acute naso-sinusal aspergillosis with ineffectiveness of all used treatments and whose diagnose was achieved only through the anatomopathological study of the piece supplied by the Caldwell-Luc procedure.

[Tongue tuberculosis as the first expression of the lung process]. / Tuberculosis lingual como primera manifestación de un proceso pulmonar.

Nowadays tuberculosis incidence seems to increase again after past decades fall. This event has been worsen because of the growth of resistances, basically due to patient's failure to comply with scheduled specific therapeutics. Anyway the decrease of tuberculosis leads initially to lowering of extrapulmonary forms, being the mouth cavity one of the most infrequent seat, so that location can be omitted at first glance diagnosis. We report one tongue tuberculosis case, which was the first expression of a lung tuberculosis, and discuss other manifestations within oral cavity and also the problems of some cases, as well as the best treatment.

[Goldenhar syndrome: a polymalformation syndrome with conductive hearing loss]. / Síndrome de Goldenhar. Un síndrome polimalformativo con hipoacusia de transmisión

We report the case of a 9-years-old girl showing at examination facial asymmetry, right ear with II degree dysplasy and degree III in the left ear (according Marx classification), cleft palate, renal agenesy, scoliosis and hypoplasy of the left thumb. Otoscopically both external ear canals looked very narrow and very upright positioned. The drumhead image recalling that of chronic mucoid effusion. The measurement of hearing through pure-tone audiometry, PEATC, and tympanometry resulted in a pattern of bilateral transmissive pantonal hearing impairment accounting for 50-60 dB. Scoliosis was due either to bars or hemivertebrae or even to an atlas occipitalization. Chromosoma caryotype was normal.

[Acute infectious mastoid complications in infancy]. / Complicaciones infecciosas agudas mastoideas en la infancia.

The incidence of acute mastoiditis accounts for 0.004% of acute middle otitis. Nowadays there is a decrease of number of mastoiditis and its complications, but from time to time are seen outbreaks without logical explanation of facts. We report 4 clinical cases of acute mastoiditis complicated with subperiosteal abscess, in children between 8 and 23 month old, seen at our department during the last 3 years, three of them diagnosed in a 4-month term.

[Pendred syndrome as a cause of familial deafness]. / Síndrome de Pendred como causa de sordera familiar.

Pendred syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by congenital deafness and goiter. The gene responsible for this syndrome is located on chromosome 7q31. The disorder is related to a defect in iodine organification, but the molecular basis of the defect remains unknown. We report two cases of Pendred syndrome, a young woman and her brother. The patients presented deafness, goiter that appeared in the prepubertal years, and a positive perchloriate discharge test. The genetic factors, clinical features, and diagnosis are reviewed.

[Deep neck infections]. / Infecciones cervicales profundas.

Deep neck infections are charts potentially dangerous though of low incidence. Few times linked to severe complications, as mediastinitis, of high morbi-mortality. They call for emergency procedures combining neck and thorax surgery, if there is a mediastinitis, with a broad-spectrum antibiotherapy within an Intensive Care Unit, with the aim of the maintain the patients's equilibrium constant till their reestablishment. We report 3 cases seen in a term lesser than one year at the Universitary Hospital of Salamanca. The 3 presented with thoracic complication because the spread of the neck's infect. Nevertheless the pending severity all three survived. We emphasize the necessity of realizing the pressing surgery and the utilitarianism of broad-spectrum antibiotherapy as key elements in order to get the patient's reestablishment. Literature review on the subject.

[Solitary extramedullary plasmocytoma of oropharynx]. / Plasmocitoma solitario extramedular orofaríngeo.

Report on a solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma case, an entity rarely diagnosed in daily practice, because of its low incidence. When the process occurs is seen fundamentally located at upper aero-digestive tract. Our patient was a 34-year-old man, who was diagnosed as oropharyngeal plasmacytoma with the peculiarity that the lesion feigned a benign one wether for the clinical features or the macroscopical aspect. The patient underwent surgery and postoperative rontgentherapy, after discarding a systemic disease. Till now the evolution proved good.

[Prognostic value of morphometry and nuclear stereology in laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma]. / Valor pronóstico de la morfometría y estereología nuclear en el carcinoma epidermoide laríngeo.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: A series of 70 consecutive patients with laryngeal carcinoma treated by induction chemotherapy is reported. The prediction of the response to induction chemotherapy was evaluated by nuclear morphometric and stereological analysis of the tumor cells. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found in the nuclear form factor (FF, p < 0.021) and nuclear contour index (NCI, p < 0.017) between the groups of patients with a complete response (CR), partial response (PR) or no response (NR) to induction chemotherapy. Comparison of the groups of patients with partial response or complete response to IC with the group with no response yielded statistically significant differences in the nuclear form factor (FF, p < 0.002), nuclear contour index (NCI, p < 0.0032) and nuclear orientation angle (NOA, p < 0.036). CONCLUSION: Nuclear morphometric analysis of the tumor cells was a useful tool for predicting response to induction chemotherapy in a significant number of the patients with laryngeal tumors in our series.

[Cervical lymphangioma in adults. Description of 2 cases]. / Lymphangiomes cervicaux chez l'adulte. Description de deux cas.

Cervical lymphangioma is an uncommon entity, usually reported in children, rarely in adults. We report two cases in adults and present a review of the literature. Cervical lymphangioma involves congenital and cystic abnormalities derived from lymphatic vessels with a progressive and unpainful growth. Diagnosis can be suggested by clinical features and CT or MRI findings. Final diagnosis is based on postoperative histology. Surgery is indicated. Complete removal is more easily achieved in adults than in children. Recurrences are thus more frequent in adults.