[Assessment of the prognostic capacity improvement of the 5th edition of the TNM in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma]. / Evaluación de la mejoría en la capacidad pronóstica de la 5a edición del TNM en pacientes con carcinomas de nasofaringe.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the changes included in the 5th edition of the TNM classification in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 103 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with radical intention in our centre from 1985 to 1997. A reclassification according to the criteria defined in the 5th edition of the TNM was carried out. The loco-regional control and survival obtained when patients were classified with the 4th and 5th editions of the TNM were compared. RESULTS: The use of the 5th edition of the TNM led to a decrease in local category (T) and stage grouping, improving the prognostic capacity in local control and survival. The changes included in the 5th edition of the TNM did not modify the regional classification in a essential way. CONCLUSIONS: The changes included in the 5th edition of the TNM improved the classification of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

[Treatment for the early stages (T1-T2NO) of squamous cell carcinoma of the mobile tongue]. / Tratamiento de los estadios iniciales (T1-T2N0) del carcinoma de lengua móvil.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to define the best local treatment in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of mobile tongue in the early stages (I-II) and to establish the best election for neck management. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated 90 patients classified as stage I and II between 1984 and 1999. Sixty-eight patients out of the ninety (75%) were treated with radio-therapy and twenty-two (25%) with surgery. Neck dissection was used in 39% (35/90) of patients. RESULTS: The rates of ultimate local control for T1NO lesions were similar for both treatment groups (94% vs. 95%). For T2N0 lesions the ultimate local control did improved in those patients treated with surgery (100%) compared to those that had radiotherapy (77%). Regional control was better in the group that underwent neck dissection compared to the group that had just ganglionar control (89% vs. 79%). CONCLUSIONS: We recommend local surgical treatment for T1-T2NO and in our experience prophylactic treatment of lymph nodes leads to a better regional control.

[Glottic immobility: retrospective study of 229 cases]. / Inmovilidad glótica: estudio retrospectivo de 229 casos.

A retrospective study of the unilateral and bilateral vocal fold immobility cases diagnosed at our hospital between 1985 and 1998 was carried out. Of the 229 cases studied, vocal fold immobility was bilateral in 58 patients (25%), unilateral right in 60 (26%), and unilateral left 111 (49%). The most frequent etiologies in the bilateral cases were thyroid surgery (38%) and prolonged intubation (31%); idiopathic cases (32%) and thyroid surgery (23%) in the unilateral right cases; and idiopathic cases (28%) and extralaryngeal tumors (22%) in the unilateral left cases. Clinical compensation was achieved in more than 85% of cases of unilateral immobility when the etiology was idiopathic or due to surgical damage to the recurrent or vagus nerves, 70% when it was a prolonged intubation, 56% in neurological patients and 38% in extralaryngeal tumors. In patients with bilateral vocal fold immobility, 14% did not require any treatment, 34% had a permanent tracheostomy, and 52% recovered adequate naso-oral ventilation after surgery (tracheostomy only in 12 patients and arytenoidectomy in 18 patients).

[Antibiotic treatment in surgery for cholesteatoma]. / Tratamiento antibiótico en la cirugía del colesteatoma.

Cholesteatoma surgery is considered as a dirty one and consequently tributary of preoperative and postoperative antibiotic treatment. Thirty-seven patients diagnosed of cholesteatoma and surgically treated in 1994 are retrospectively analyzed in this article. All of them, whether or not presented with active preoperative otorrhea, received a protocolized antibiotic treatment with topical gentamicin and dexamethasone and oral clindamycin during seven postoperative days. The presence or absence of preoperative or postoperative infection, usually as suppuration is analyzed. Otopyorrhea occurred in 22 patients (62%) before surgery and only in 9 cases (25%) after surgery. Preoperative discharging ears showed greater disposition to continuing the suppuration. The surgical technique followed and the reconstructive middle ear procedure--with autologous bone or other synthetic materials (PORP, TORP)--have not proved, statistically, any predictably value regarding the appearance of any active postoperative infection. As a result of the study done, oral ciprofloxacin has been protocolized only in those adults showing a refractory suppuration to the antibiotic treatment employed. In patients with preoperative otorrhea, topical ciprofloxacin has been protocolized before surgery with the main aim to decrease the postoperative infections incidence of these cases.

[Results of salvage treatment of carcinoma of the larynx recurring after radiotherapy]. / Resultados del tratamiento de repesca en carcinomas de laringe recidivados tras radioterapia.

An analysis is made of salvage treatments and their results after unsuccessful radiotherapy in 113 carcinomas of the larynx. A group of 27 patients (24%) was excluded from salvage treatment. In the remaining 86 patients (76%), radical surgical salvage treatment was tried: total laryngectomy (74 cases) or partial surgery (12 cases). Four of the 12 patients treated with partial surgery suffered a second local relapse, which was rescued by new surgery. Treatment was successful in 72% of the laryngectomized patients and in all those treated with partial surgery. Survival correlated with local (T) and regional (N) extension of the initial tumor, its location, and simultaneous regional relapse. In contrast, survival did not correlate with the time interval between end of radiotherapy and relapse, or with local tumoral extension in the resection piece in surgically treated cases (rpT).

[Complications of total laryngectomy in relation to the previous radiotherapy]. / Complicaciones de la laringectomía total en función del uso previo de radioterapia.

Different factors, particularly prior radiotherapy, are associated with the occurrence of postoperative complications after total laryngectomy. We compared the postoperative complications of 50 patients who underwent total laryngectomy without prior radiotherapy and those of 50 patients who underwent total laryngectomy for tumor recurrence or persistence after radiotherapy. Twenty-four percent of the patients without previous irradiation suffered cervical complications compared with 26% of the patients with previous irradiation. The most frequent cervical complication was pharyngo-cutaneous fistula, which occurred in 12% of the non-irradiated patients and in 18% of the irradiated patients. There were no significant differences in the frequency of complications or in the occurrence of fistulas in relation to prior radiotherapy. In the group of irradiated patients, the proportion of major fistulas was greater. The occurrence of cervical complications, particularly pharyngo-cutaneous fistulas, significantly prolonged the hospital stay.

Experiencia en trasplante renal / Experience in renal transplantation

Se presenta la experiencia inicial del Programa del Trasplante Renal de la Universidad Austral y Hospital de Valdivia, con una serie de 10 pacientes , 8 hombres y 2 mujeres, con una edad promedio de 24,1 años. En 7 casos el riñón provino de un hermano y en 3 casos de un padre. El trasplante se efectuó según técnica quirúrgica clásica ubicando el injerto en fosa ilíaca derecha. En 2 casos había una arteria polar que se anastomosó a la arteria renal con técnica de microcirugía. El reimplante ureteral se hizo con técnica antireflujo. 7 pacientes hicieron un rechazo que fué tratado con series de Metilprednisolona y en 3 casos se adicionó radioterapia local. La principal complicación fué una necrosis ureteral que se solucionó anastomosando el ureter del donante al del receptor. Complicaciones secundarias fueron una fístula urinaria vesico-cutánea y un hematoma de la fosa ilíaca. Un paciente hizo una enfermedad tubular aguda post-trasplante que se recuperó totalmente. Como complicaciones de la terapia inmunosupresora hemos tenido cataratas, herpes simple y TBC pulmonar. La sobrevida varía entre 3 y 50 meses. Ocho pacientes vivos (uno con rechazo crónico) y dos fallecidos por rechazo crónico