Role of maxillofacial surgery in patients with neurofibromatosis type I.

Neurofibromas are a clinical manifestation of neurofibromatos is type I (NF1). Management of these tumors remains a challenge for the clinician. The goal of the present study is to point out treatment guidelines for these lesions. Eighteen patients diagnosed with NF1 and presenting lesions of the craniomaxillofacial district were included in the study. On the basis of clinical evidence and patient's expectations, only six patients of this group underwent surgery. All patients that had no surgery were included in a follow-up protocol to evaluate progression of disease. Four patients who underwent surgery had good functional/aesthetic results, whereas two patients had incomplete rehabilitation.

Interleukine-6 (IL-6) may be a link between myasthenia gravis and myoepithelioma of the parotid gland.

Myoepithelioma is a rare benign neoplasm of the salivary glands occurring more frequently in the parotids. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic, T-cell dependent, antibody and complement-mediated autoimmune neuromuscular transmission disorder. Interleukine-6 (IL-6) is an immune protein belonging to the family of the hematopoietins, liberated in response to infection, burns, trauma, and neoplastic diseases. It seems that an overproduction of IL-6 might play an important role in the pathophysiology of MG. Moreover, it has been discussed the possible role of IL-6 as a modulating factor either in proliferation or in differentiation of pleomorphic adenoma cell line into myoepithelioma. The authors present a rare case of parotid myoepithelioma occurred in a patient affected by myasthenia gravis and suppose a possible IL-6 mediated relationship between myasthenia gravis and parotid myoepithelioma.