Stage-dependent sensitivity to Müller-Lyer visual illusion in schizophrenia patients.

RATIONALE: Schizophrenic patients show perceptual deficits, which may be detected in visual illusion tasks. Previous studies found that chronic patients show increased sensitivity to Müller-Lyer illusion as the disorder progresses, although there are a few conflicting reports in the scientific literature. To address these issues, moderate and chronic schizophrenic patients were tested on the Brentano version of the Müller-Lyer illusion task. Their performance was compared to first-degree relatives and unrelated matched controls. Chronic patients showed increased susceptibility to the illusion. Performance on the visual illusion task was not correlated to the number of years since disease onset, medication or (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) PANSS scores. The lack of association between illusion sensitivity and PANSS score may reflect the absence of the perceptual dimension in this scale. Based on these results, we suggest that susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer illusion is associated with the stage of schizophrenia rather than disease length.

Clinicopathological evaluation and survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of oral cancer is the most effective means of reducing morbidity, complexity, and extent of treatment. This study evaluated the clinicopathological profile of epidermoid carcinoma of the tongue, including treatment and survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This observational, retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue treated at the Dr. Luiz Antônio Hospital, Natal, Brazil, from January 2001 to December 2011. Survival variables were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log rank tests. RESULTS: Of the 412 patients diagnosed in this period, 298 (72.3%) were men; their mean age was 60.5 years, and 69.2% were diagnosed with stage III/IV tumours. Improved survival was associated with early stage diagnosis, absence of affected lymph nodes at diagnosis, and treatment with surgery alone. CONCLUSIONS: Late stage diagnosis of oral cancer negatively affects patient survival. In addition, the general public should be made aware of the prognostic factors for oral SCC of the tongue and of the importance of periodic examinations of the oral cavity.

Immunohistochemical evaluation of intermediate filament proteins in squamous papilloma and oral verrucous carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Cytokeratins (CKs) are the intermediate filament proteins of the epithelium cells, which have become important markers of normal and abnormal cell differentiation. The goal of the present study was to investigate the expression pattern of CK 10, 13, 14 and 16 in oral verrucous carcinoma (OVC) and oral squamous papilloma (OSP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections from eight cases of each lesion were assessed. Immunohistochemistry was carried out using streptoavidin-biotin complex method. RESULTS: In OVC, CK 10 was expressed in suprabasal to superficial layers whereas in OSP mainly in superficial layer. CK 13 was detected in prickle and superficial cells in most cases of OVC and in suprabasal to superficial cells of OSP. All the cell layers of OVC reacted positively for CK 14 while basal and suprabasal layers of OSP were more pronounced for CK 14. Finally, CK 16 was observed in suprabasal to superficial layer in OVC and the majority cases in OSP showed only superficial reactive cells. CONCLUSIONS: CK 10, 13, 14 and 16 immunohistochemical profile emphasis the biological behavior of the studied lesions and confirm the use of these proteins as markers of differentiation.