Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) as a food ingredient - Nutritional composition, bioactivity, safety, and health claims: A review.

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is a perennial herb from the Cichorium genus, Asteraceae family, and is worldwide cultivated. So far, chicory has been used mainly in animal feed, but also in several cases in the food industry: as salad, for teas and tea blends, for coffee supplementation, and as a source for the inulin production. Nowadays there is an increasing interest in chicory utilization for food production and supplementation. Some compounds present in chicory, such as polyphenols, inulin, oligofructose and sesquiterpene lactones may be considered as potential carriers of food functionality. This review describes nutritional, mineral and bioactive composition of the chicory plant and summarized the main biological activities associated with the presence of bioactive compounds in the different plant parts. Finally, the review explores possibilities of uses of chicory and its implementation in food products, with intention to design new functional foods.

Vocal fold mucosa "blue lines" observed on contact telescopy at Reinke's edema.

Reinke's space is a highly specific structure critical for the function of the vocal fold, involved in a majority of pathological changes of the larynx. The aim of the study was to contribute to the understanding of edematous areas of vocal fold mucosa in patients with Reinke's edema using contact telescopy (ConTel). The edematous tissue which could be identified grossly by microlaryngoscopy under general anesthesia was stained topically with methylene blue and then examined using ConTel. The observed changes on contact images were further correlated with corresponding histological sections of biopsied edematous tissue. In patients with Reinke's edema examined using ConTel, we observed longitudinal arranged mucosal "blue lines" (BL). In the histological sections of edematous tissue showing the BL on ConTel, we almost regularly observed well-developed hollow spaces in subepithelia. Also, they were regularly oriented from the middle of the membranous portion of the vocal fold toward the arcuate line distributed almost parallel to the free edge of the vocal fold. BL were a specific feature of Reinke's edema as they were not found in control groups with normal vocal fold mucosa and with vocal fold polyps. For the first time we are describing a new superficial morphological feature of Reinke's edema. The BL could present epithelial ConTel markers of the area between two enlarged neighboring subepithelial crevices of Reinke's space, as indicated on histological sections. Further characterization of BL is required for the understanding of their role in Reinke's edema.

Giant funicular intrapharyngeal schwannoma.

BACKGROUND: Schwannoma is a rare solitary tumor of Schwann cell origin. The Schwann cell surrounds peripheral nerve tissue and is believed to originate from neural crest. Surgery presents main treatment for patients with schwannoma. METHODS: This is a report of a rare case of giant and bizarre-shaped intrapharyngeal schwannoma. A 38-year-old woman with a very large schwannoma (25 cm x 6 cm x 4 cm), which gradually increased in size and with a progressive dysphagia, is presented. RESULTS: Schwannoma was detected by clinical and endoscopic examination and also with CT scan. Complete resection was achieved by external approach surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The advantage of the lateral pharyngotomy with tracheotomy for complete excision of a mass is demonstrated. It provides an excellent operative exposure and recovery without impairment of breathing and deglutition.

Contact telescopy reveals blood vessel alterations of vocal fold mucosa in Reinke's edema.

AIM: To evaluate contact telescopy findings for estimation of blood vessel changes in vocal fold mucosa in patients with Reinke's edema. Histological features significant for diagnosis of microvascular vocal fold alteration were correlated with clinical findings. METHODS: In 80 patients with Reinke's edema, laryngoscopy and video-telescopy image analysis of vocal folds were performed. Vocal fold mucosa biopsies were histologically analyzed and compared with contact telescopy findings. An interesting aspect of vocal fold microcirculation found both by contact telescopy imiging and by histological specimens was described. RESULTS: Contact telescopy in vivo revealed different forms of pathological blood vessel networks with unusual appearance of loops or branching. Some dilated varicose vascular channels had very thin walls, and within atypical capillaries, partial erythrocyte accumulation was found. Details of blood flow are also visible, showing multidirectional and discontinuous blood flow in neighboring vessels. CONCLUSION: The noninvasive contact telescope technique is very useful as an additional diagnostic tool for defining a condition of a subepithelial Reinke's space in a very short period of time. The great advantage of contact telescopy is systematic in vivo and in situ observation of microvascular details in the vocal folds. The contact technique allows dynamic follow-up of the microcirculation in Reinke's edema as well as simultaneous consultation of a pathologist in the operating theater.

Huge extracranial asymptomatic frontal invasive meningioma: a case report.

Meningioma is a well-recognized tumor of the central nervous system, but it rarely appears as an extracranial tumor secondarily extended into the paranasal sinuses. Meningiomas arise from arachnoid cap cells that form the external membrane of the brain. Most meningiomas are slow growing and are usually not associated with substantial underlying brain edema; they cause symptoms by the compression of adjacent neural structures. An interesting natural history of a neglected meningioma with extracranial extension is described. The diagnosis of meningioma was established by CT imaging, finally based on the histopathology and immunochemistry. The meningioma cells in our male patient were positive for progesterone receptors. The patient underwent surgical treatment and recovered without complications. On follow-up 1 year later there were no signs of process expansion.

[Rigid telescopy and contact endoscopy in the diagnosis and surgery of Reinke's oedema--clinical and histological assessment].

We focussed our attention on the use of both rigid telescopy and contact endoscopy in order to assess their effectiveness in the diagnosis and surgery of Reinke's oedema. Changes were observed in a sample of 40 patients, suffering from different stages of Reinke's oedema, who had undergone microlaryngoscopies. For the first time during our laryngological praxis, we discussed a number of parameters that appeared to be significant in the monitoring and detailed evaluation of this vocal fold disease. With contact endoscopy, during the early stages of the disease, the cells and nuclei of normal squamous layered epithelium continued to display uniform morphological features. The appearance of epithelial changes helps to distinguish between different stages of Reinke's oedema, which can be associated with severe inflammation or keratinisation. With latter-stage oedemas, the following was observed: various changes in the blood vessels of the glottis, which when viewed through the endoscope have an unusual "loop-like" or "branching" appearance, as well as elongated and varicose blood vessels, and the build-up of erythrocytes inside atypical capillaries. Both endoscope techniques are non-invasive and very appropriate for precisely diagnosing Reinke's oedema within a relatively short period of time. Rigid telescopy has the advantage of enabling the systematic observation of many details in the large area of both vocal fold mucosae, particularly when access to the larynx is difficult. This enables dynamic monitoring and immediate pathology consultations inside the operating theatre. The special contribution of contact endoscopy is that, both in vivo and in situ, it allows a detailed scanning and mapping to be performed of all cell changes and ofvascularisation throughout the entire mucosa surface. Video-assisted telescopy does not permit a completely first-rate surgical resection of Reinke's oedema, because of unsatisfactory control or insufficient stability of the instrument during the operation using the one-handed method.