Short-term tissue response of lapine carotid artery microanastomoses to BioGlue.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive coronary artery surgery needs fast, reliable and easy methods of carrying out anastomoses. The aim of our study was to evaluate the use of BioGlue in sutureless vascular anastomoses in the lapine model. METHODS: In 24 New Zealand white rabbits, 43 transsected carotid arteries were re-anastomosed using either a combination of balloon catheterisation and BioGlue or a conventional suture. In five carotid arteries, only BioGlue was applied. The animals were euthanised and tissue samples were taken for histological and immunohistological examination. RESULTS: A higher inflammatory cell infiltrate was present in the glue control and glue anastomosis groups, with the invasion of inflammatory cells located especially at the junction between the wall with and the wall without glue. Early calcification was detected in two arteries. CONCLUSION: The results of this short-term study show that the rabbit is an adequate as well as a sensitive model for the study of microanastomoses by glueing. Marked inflammatory reactions developed which may lead to vascular sclerosis or stenosis, and long-term studies are necessary to elucidate this problem further.

[Intralesional cidofovir injections for recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis: first results]. / Intraläsionale Cidofovir-Injektion bei rezidivierender Larynxpapillomatose--Erste Ergebnisse.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis still presents an important therapeutic problem. This primarily benign disease of the larynx is caused by an infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV) and forms epithelial neoplastic papillomas. Therapy in larynx obstructing papillomatosis usually requires laser ablation. Cidofovir acts virustatically as an nucleosidanalogon. Currently pilot studies investigate the effectiveness of intralesional Cidofovir injection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present study covers the period from October 2001 to March 2003. Seven patients, age of five to 70 years, were treated with intralesional injections of Cidofovir after microlaryngoscopic ablation of laryngeal papillomas. In all patients papillomatosis was confirmed histologically and a clinical-phoniatric examination and a photo documentation pre- and postoperatively was carried out. We treated patients to a maximum of six sessions. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: After three to six sessions of laser ablation of the papillomas and intralesional injections with Cidofovir a distinct papilloma reduction could be observed in all patients and in two cases a complete remission was achieved. The follow-up period of seven to 15 months revealed no recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis. The majority of patients showed a defined voice improvement. There were no local or systemic side-effects caused by the virustatic drug. Intralesional injection of Cidofovir appears to develop into a promising adjuvant therapy option in recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis. First results of the study seem to achieve a considerable reduction of the previously high rate of recurrence of laryngeal papillomatosis.

[Resorbable material for osteosynthesis or titanium for the cricothyroidopexy?]. / Resorbierbares Osteosynthesematerial oder Titan für die Cricothyroidopexie?

BACKGROUND: The failure of cricothyroid approximation in male-to-female-transsexuals--as described by Isshiki--is often caused by suture cutting through the cartilage early postoperatively. At this stage there is no stabilized scarring and the previously approximated edges of the cartilage can drift apart, lowering the voice pitch through reduction of the tension of the vocal cords. The cartilage can be protected from cutting injuries of the wire sutures by using mini plates made of either titanium or LactoSorb. The present study examined the influence of the different materials on the result. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cricothyroidopexy in male-to-female-transsexuals was performed in 67 patients between October 1993 and December 2001. The medium age was 39 years, ranging from 24 to 67 years. For stabilizing the thyroid and cricoid cartilage titanium mini plates were used in 28 patients (41.8 %) and LactoSorb mini plates in 39 (58.2 %). A complete voice diagnostic work-up was performed pre- and postoperatively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In 94 % of all patients the medium speaking voice could be raised on average by five half tones through the increased tension of the vocal cords. In 39 % very good (rise by more than 12 half tones) and good (rise by six to 12 half tones) results could be achieved, while in 55 % a minimal (one to two half tones) or very small (three to five half tones) rise was noted. The material of the mini plates had no impact on the degree of voice pitch raising, the long-term results or the number of revision surgeries.

[Pyoderma gangrenosum and orbital pseudotumor]. / Pyroderma gangraenosum und Pseudotumor orbitae.

Pyoderma gangrenosum belongs to the chronic, neutrophilic and necrotic dermatoses. These very painful, inflammable and purulent skin-ulcers often arise after injury or surgical intervention. About half of the patients suffer from systemic disease, for example hematological, gastrointestinal or rheumatic diseases. Our report includes a 77-year-old female with a multilocular emergence of pyoderma gangrenosum following surgery for an orbital pseudotumor. An additional lesion was detected on her anterior neck. Because the possibility of wound-infection was suspected, the lesion was treated locally and with a systemic antibiotic therapy. After this treatment the condition of the wound deteriorated. Upon dermatological examination, pyoderma gangrenosum was identified and a immunosuppressive therapy with corticosteroids and cyclosporin was initiated. As a result of this treatment the lesion healed slowly--with the formation of typical, atrophic and reticular scars. A connection between the pyoderma gangrenosum and the orbital pseudotumor can, on the basis of similar clinical and structural characteristics, not be excluded. A related disease was not diagnosed in this patient. Recurrence can be predicted in patients who have had skin injuries, therefore strict observation is required.

[Operative voice pitch raising in male-to-female transsexuals. A survey of our technique and results]. / Operative Stimmerhöhung bei Mann-zu-Frau-Transsexuellen. Eine Ubersicht der Ergebnisse mit eigener Technik.

BACKGROUND: Transsexuality constitutes a complex,permanent transposition due to a paradoxical sense of belonging to the opposite sex. The persons concerned experience such a high degree of suffering that they strive to undergo operative sex reversal. Mainly in the case of male-to-female transsexuals this may often lead to a subsequent discrepancy between the external appearance and the character of the voice,since only a deepening of the voice can be achieved by hormonal treatment and not a raising of its pitch.Also,logopedic treatment on its own cannot,as a rule, guarantee a lasting success. In order to adapt the voice as an essential aspect of human identity to the external female appearance,a variety of phonosurgical operation techniques have been developed since the seventies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 1993 a modified cricothyroidal approximation via miniplates, following ISSHIKI's technique, has been performed at the ENT Department of the Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg. This procedure is based upon an approximation of the cricoid and thyroid cartilages resulting in an increase in the vocal cord tension. This intervention does not affect the inner structures of the larynx and is on principle reversible. Combined with a chondrolaryngoplasty it allows for a reduction of the Adam's apple. So far 57 patients have undergone this surgical intervention. Laryngoscopy, stroboscopy and a detailed voice diagnostic, as well as ultrasound and computertomographic examinations of the larynx are performed pre and postoperatively in order to record the anatomical-physiological and functional data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: So far good functional results could be achieved showing an average rise of the medium voice range by approximately one fourth. As a long-term result a permanent raising of the basic voice pitch has been reported. The majority of the patients are satisfied with the functional and cosmetic effect reporting an enhanced self-esteem.

Pyoderma gangraenosum und Pseudotumor orbitae.

Pyoderma gangrenosum belongs to the chronic, neutrophilic and necrotic dermatoses. These very painful, inflammable and purulent skin-ulcers often arise after injury or surgical intervention. About half of the patients suffer from systemic disease, for example hematological, gastrointestinal or rheumatic diseases.Our report includes a 77-year-old female with a multilocular emergence of pyoderma gangrenosum following surgery for an orbital pseudotumor.An additional lesion was detected on her anterior neck. Because the possibility of wound-infection was suspected, the lesion was treated locally and with a systemic antibiotic therapy. After this treatment, the condition of the wound deteriorated. Upon dermatological examination, pyoderma gangrenosum was identified and a immunosuppressive therapy with corticosteroids and cyclosporin was initiated. As a result of this treatment, the lesion healed slowly - with the formation of typical, atrophic and reticular scars.A connection between the pyoderma gangrenosum and the orbital pseudotumor can, on the basis of similar clinical and structural characteristics, not be excluded. A related disease was not diagnosed in this patient. Recurrence can be predicted in patients who have had skin injuries, therefore strict observation is required.

[Adult multilocular rhabdomyoma as etiology of a space-occupying lesion in the area of the neck]. / Das adulte multilokuläre Rhabdomyom als Ursache einer Raumforderung im Halsbereich.

Real rhabdomyomas belong to the rarest tumors in the human body. The origin of these benign neoplasms is in the cardiac or skeletal muscle, in the beginning, there are no significant symptoms and the tumor grows very slowly. Extracardiac rhabdomyomas seldom occur and are mostly located in the head and neck region. A multilocular occurrence represents a rarity. We describe a 77-year-old female patient with a multilocular adult rhabdomyoma in the parapharyngeal and paratracheal space. The tumor was accidentally found; the patient had not complained of any specific symptoms. After histological examination, complete resection was carried out. On discharge the patient showed no functional deficits. Long-term follow-up is necessary because local recurrences have been described.