HeberFERON en el tratamiento de pacientes con carcinoma basocelular de la oreja / HeberFERON in the treatment of patients with basal cell carcinoma of the ear

Fundamento: El carcinoma basocelular de la región auricular es considerado uno de los más agresivos y con peor pronóstico, suele ser destructivo y mutilante por lo que el tratamiento conservador, como es el uso de los interferones, es importante en la práctica médica habitual. Objetivo: Evaluar los resultados de la aplicación del HeberFERON en una serie de pacientes con carcinoma basocelular en la región auricular. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y longitudinal en una serie de casos con diagnóstico clínico, dermatoscópico e histopatológico de carcinoma basocelular de la oreja que recibieron tratamiento con HeberFERON en el Policlínico Centro de la ciudad Sancti Spíritus, durante el período del 20 de febrero de 2017 a 20 de diciembre de 2022. En total se incluyeron 29 pacientes. Se realizó una evaluación inicial, durante y 16 semanas después del tratamiento; se les inyectó 10.5 UI de HeberFERON 3 veces por semana perilesional e intradérmico hasta completar 9 dosis. Las variables fueron la respuesta al tratamiento y presencia o no de eventos adversos. Resultados: Predominó el sexo masculino, la localización en la concha de la oreja, subtipo clínico nódulo ulcerativo y el histológico sólido, con respuesta completa en la mayoría de los pacientes. Como eventos adversos más comunes se presentaron dolor en el sitio de inyección, fiebre, edema y eritema perilesional. Conclusiones: La respuesta al tratamiento fue favorable en la mayoría de los pacientes y los eventos adversos que se observaron fueron los descritos en la literatura sin cambio en la actitud farmacológica.

Background: Basal cell carcinoma of the auricular region is one of the most aggressive cancers and with the worst prognosis, is usually destructive and mutilating, therefore conservative treatment, such as the use of interferons, is important in routine medical practice. Objective: To evaluate the results of HeberFERON application in a series of patients with basal cell carcinoma in the auricular region. Methodology: An observational, descriptive and longitudinal study was conducted on a series of cases with clinical, dermoscopic and histopathologic diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma of the ear treated with HeberFERON at the Center Polyclinic in Sancti Spíritus city, during the period from February 20, 2017 through December 20, 2022. A total of 29 patients were included in the study. An evaluation was conducted at the start of treatment, during treatment, and 16 weeks after treatment; the patients were treated with 10.5 IU of HeberFERON by perilesional and intradermal injections three times a week until completing nine doses. The variables were the response to the treatment and the presence or absence of any adverse events. Results: The male sex predominated, location in the ear turbinate, clinical subtype ulcerative nodule and solid histologic subtype, with a complete response in the majority of patients. The most common adverse events were injection site pain, fever, edema, and perilesional erythema. Conclusions: The response to treatment was favorable in most patients, and the adverse events observed were those described in the literature, with no change in pharmacologic attitude.

Phylogenetic and functional implications of the ear region anatomy of Glossotherium robustum (Xenarthra, Mylodontidae) from the Late Pleistocene of Argentina.

Several detailed studies of the external morphology of the ear region in extinct sloths have been published in the past few decades, and this anatomical region has proved extremely helpful in elucidating the phylogenetic relationships among the members of this mammalian clade. Few studies of the inner ear anatomy in these peculiar animals were conducted historically, but these are increasing in number in recent years, in both the extinct and extant representatives, due to wider access to CT-scanning facilities, which allow non-destructive access to internal morphologies. In the present study, we analyze the extinct ground sloth Glossotherium robustum and provide a description of the external features of the ear region and the endocranial side of the petrosal bone, coupled with the first data on the anatomy of the bony labyrinth. Some features observable in the ear region of G. robustum (e.g., the shape and size of the entotympanic bone and the morphology of the posteromedial surface of the petrosal) are highly variable, both intraspecifically and intraindividually. The form of the bony labyrinth of G. robustum is also described, providing the first data from this anatomical region for the family Mylodontidae. The anatomy of the bony labyrinth of the genus Glossotherium is here compared at the level of the superorder Xenarthra, including all available extant and extinct representatives, using geometric morphometric methods. In light of the new data, we discuss the evolution of inner ear anatomy in the xenarthran clade, and most particularly in sloths, considering the influence of phylogeny, allometry, and physiology on the shape of this highly informative region of the skull. These analyses show that the inner ear of Glossotherium more closely resembles that of the extant anteaters, and to a lesser extent those of the giant ground sloth Megatherium and euphractine armadillos, than those of the extant sloths Bradypus and Choloepus, further demonstrating the striking morphological convergence between the two extant sloth genera.

The petrosal bone and bony labyrinth of early to middle Miocene European deer (Mammalia, Cervidae) reveal their phylogeny.

Deer (Cervidae) have a long evolutionary history dating back to the Early Miocene, around 19 million years ago. The best known fossils to document this history belong to European taxa, which all bear cranial appendages more or less similar to today's deer antlers. Despite the good fossil record, relationships of the earliest stem deer and earliest crown deer are much debated. This hampers precise calibration against the independent evidence of the fossil record in molecular clock analyses. While much has been written on the Early and Middle Miocene deer, only two phylogenetic analyses have been performed on these taxa to date mostly based on cranial appendage characters. Because the petrosal bone and bony labyrinth have been shown to be relevant for phylogeny in ruminants, we describe for the first time these elements for four iconic early cervids from Europe (Procervulus dichotomus, Heteroprox larteti, Dicrocerus elegans and Euprox furcatus) and include them in a phylogenetic analysis based on the ear region exclusively. The analysis recovered E. furcatus in a sister position to the living red deer (Cervus elaphus). Further, it placed D. elegans in a sister position to Euprox + Cervus and a clade Procervulinae that includes P. dichotomus and H. larteti, in sister position to all other deer. The inclusion of E. furcatus in crown Cervidae, which was previously suggested based on antler morphology, cannot be ruled out here but needs a more comprehensive comparison to other crown deer to be confirmed. J. Morphol. 277:1329-1338, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Shape variation and ontogeny of the ruminant bony labyrinth, an example in Tragulidae.

Despite its growing use in anatomical and ecological studies, the morphological variability and ontogenetic development of the bony labyrinth have very rarely been investigated in ruminants. Here we study its morphology in 15 adult and 10 juvenile specimens in the three extant tragulid ruminant genera. Intraspecific and interspecific variability is quantified using morphometric and 3D geometric morphometrics analyses. The bony labyrinth of Tragulus, Hyemoschus, and Moschiola is strikingly different, clustering in clearly different morphospaces despite similar ecological adaptations. Although the bony labyrinths within two species of the same genus cannot be distinguished from each other based on the chosen semi-landmarks, discrete interspecific differences exist. We were able to show for the first time that an artiodactyl mammal in a late fetal stage possesses an almost fully formed bony labyrinth similar to that of adults. No significant change either occurs in size or morphology after ossification of the petrosal bone. Some intraspecific variation is observed on the shape of the lateral semi-circular canal, the size and shape of the common crus, the coil of the cochlea or the stapedial ratio. Variable structures are expected to be highly informative characters for a large cladistic analysis. They can be used for phylogenetic studies in ruminants. Incorporating juvenile specimens in studies is not problematic, as they fall within the morphological range of adults.

Morphology of the tympanic-basicranial region in Mirounga leonina (Phocidae, Carnivora), postnatal ontogeny and sexual dimorphism.

The auditory region of pinnipeds has seldom been described. Here we describe and analyze the ontogenetic trajectory of the tympanic bulla of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina (Phocidae, Mammalia). This species is extremely sexually dimorphic and highly polygynous (organized in harems). We examined 118 specimens, arranged in three age classes (CI, CII, and CIII), ranging from newborn to adults (males and females). To analyze the overall size and shape of the tympanic bulla we performed a geometric morphometric analysis including 87 skulls. Females reach definitive shape and size of the bulla at earlier ontogenetic stages than males, in agreement with their earlier involvement in reproductive activities. The internal anatomy of the tympanic region (e.g. form and extension of the paries) does not show remarkable differences between sexes or age classes. The greatest differences between age classes are related to bone thickness, resulting from the apposition of new annual layers. An examination of possible sex-related external differences among age classes shows significant shape differences between males and females in CIII. The morphology observed in neonates is conserved across all individuals from CI, which included specimens up to 1 year old. Clear morphological differences were observed between CI individuals, on one hand, and CII individuals plus CIII females on the other. During cranial development of both male and females, the glenoid cavity expands and compresses the bulla; this condition reaches its maximum expression in CIII males. CIII males showed the greatest morphological differences, with respect to both CI and CII individuals, and CIII females.