Good practice guide for cervical ultrasound scan and echo-guided techniques in treating differentiated thyroid cancer of vesicular origin.

Good practice guide for cervical ultrasound scan and echo-guided techniques in treating differentiated thyroid cancer of vesicular origin. American, European and French Recommendations for the treatment of differentiated vesicular thyroid cancer were recently published. Cervical ultrasound scanning is now considered a key examination in the follow-up of these cancers. This examination is noninvasive, easy to perform and to obtain, is not costly, but remains operator-dependent. To date, there are no recommendations published that assemble all the technical aspects, results, indications and the limits of this examination in the initial medical report and the follow-up of these cancers. In order to standardise the procedure and validate the quality of the examination, a workgroup made up of a panel of experts particularly involved in carrying out ultrasound scans was set up. The aim was to draw up a good practice guide for performing cervical ultrasound scans and echo-guided techniques in treating patients with differentiated thyroid cancer of vesicular origin. The main objectives are to: (a) standardise the procedure and reports, (b) define the criteria for establishing whether lesions identified during a cervical ultrasound scan are malignant or benign, (c) standardise the indications for carrying out cytological tests and an in situ assay of markers, (d) help doctors to select the patients who ought to receive a cervical ultrasound scan and or cytological tests, (e) discuss how frequently the examinations should be carried out depending on the risk of recurrence.

[Mandibular reconstruction for the treatment of oral carcinomas: state of the art and perspectives]. / Reconstruction mandibulaire en cancérologie: état actuel et perspectives.

INTRODUCTION: Mandibular reconstruction in head and neck oncology uses a number of techniques whose results are inconsistent and whose indications do not benefit from consensus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of the literature allowed us to assemble the available knowledge on current mandibular reconstruction techniques, their functional results, and the research perspectives. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Marginal resections lead to dental rehabilitation problems, which can be palliated by alveolar enhancement techniques but whose results have not been validated in cases subjected to irradiation. Reconstruction of segmental substance loss is warranted by the repercussions on the vital prognosis when it is anterior and on the quality of life when it is posterior. The ideal means of reconstruction is the free fibular flap, which is limited by cost, morbidity of the donor site, and selection of the patient's surgical team. For these reasons, it may be necessary to turn to pedicled osteo-myocutaneous flaps, abandoned because of their reputedly very high failure rate, but few have been reported in the literature. CONCLUSION: Poor functional results of mandibular reconstruction plates make this a last-resort solution. Tissue engineering is currently the most promising line of research. It runs counter to the principles of oncology itself because postoperative radiotherapy reduces the osteoinduction potential of the biomaterials proposed.

[Parapharyngeal tumors: diagnosis and treatment]. / Tumeurs parapharyngées: diagnostic et traitement.

OBJECTIVES: Parapharyngeal space tumors are rare and usually benign. Their treatment is surgical and many approaches have been described. We report our experience in managing these neoplasms. Two points are developed more fully: the correlation between imaging and surgical observation and the reliability of the cervical approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective review of primary parapharyngeal space tumors treated at the Rennes University Hospital between 1992 and 2004 is presented. Nine patients were included, all treated surgically with a cervical approach without parotidectomy. RESULTS: Eight MR imaging and seven CT scans were done. Two retrostyloid tumors and six prestyloid tumors, all independent of the deep lobe of the parotid gland, were found. They were benign in all cases (five salivary tumors and four schwannomas). Two patients treated for a pleomorphic adenoma presented recurrence and were reoperated successfully. The average follow-up was 66 months. None of the patients died. Definitive postoperative complications occurred only for neurogenic tumors. CONCLUSION: The cervical approach is safe and allows the surgical excision of retrostyloid and prestyloid tumors, independent of the deep lobe of the parotid gland. Large tumor (8cm in our study) excision can be done with few complications. An attentive study of preoperative imaging is necessary to choose the best surgical approach.

[Neck dissection for stage N0 oral cavity carcinoma]. / Evidement cervical dans les carcinomes de la cavité orale classes N0.

OBJECTIVES: The management of N0 neck remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of selective neck dissection (SND) in managing N0 neck of oral cavity carcinomas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 77 previously untreated patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity with N0 neck from 1988 to 2001 was performed. Cervical treatments were "wait and see" policy in 7 cases, neck dissection in 56 cases, radiotherapy alone in 14 cases. 77 neck dissections were performed in which 62 were selective and 15 were radical modified. RESULTS: On pathologic examination, the average number of lymph nodes was 10.7 per neck. Occult disease (cN0pN+) was detected in 32.5%, and occult extracapsular spread (cN0pN+R+) was detected in 7.8%. The median follow-up was 43 months. The overall neck recurrence rate in patients with controlled primary disease was 2.4%. Recurrent disease developed in 2.9% of the cNOpN0 neck. Regional control rate of the dissected neck was 94%. No cervical recurrence occurred in 11 patients treated with SND alone. There was no survival or recurrence rate difference in T1T2pN0 patients with or without post-operative radiotherapy. Post-operative radiotherapy could be avoided in 27% of the dissected neck. One, 3 and 5 years overall survival rate were 89.3%, 77.7% and 63.2%. CONCLUSIONS: SND is an effective procedure for staging and treating the clinically negative neck of oral cavity cancer.

[Treatments of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia of the nasal mucosa]. / Indications et stratégies thérapeutiques des épistaxis dans la maladie de Rendu Osler.

UNLABELLED: Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia is a systemic autosomal dominant disorder involving blood vessels. The most common symptom is recurrent epistaxis. The treatments of these epistaxis are numerous but such treatments are often symptomatic and their effects are often not sustained. Some of these treatments may be complicated by visceral vascular malformations. The aim of this study is to propose a treatment plan for these patients with hierarchical organisation of therapeutic options taking into account of their previous therapy. METHOD: H. Plauchu organized in Paris, december 2002 a meeting with any medical specialists of this disease. They have analysed variety of therapies that have been proposed for epistaxis control in Hereditary Haemorrhagic Télangiectasia. RESULTS: Most common use packing of nasal fossa and then hyperselective embolization of the internal maxillary and facial arteries for severe epistaxis. For chronic epistaxis, best treatment use sclerotics products (Ethibloc) and laser. After discussion, primary embolization could be useful to reduce vascularization of nasal fossa. CONCLUSION: Treatment of epistaxis in Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia could increase in few years. Use of an index card of for epistaxis in the disease of Rendu-Osler could help to find treatment of choice.

[Myospherulosis of the maxillary sinus]. / Myosphérulose du sinus maxillaire.

BACKGROUND: We present a case of a myospherulosis, describe the underlying cause and discuss ways of preventing its development. CASE REPORT: A 35-year-old man presented myospherulosis of the maxillary sinus caused by an antibiotic ointment placed in the sinus three years earlier during a Caldwell Luc procedure. The patient underwent a second Calwell Luc procedure. Outcome was uneventful and no recurrence was noted. DISCUSSION: Histological examination should be ordered at reoperation and petroleum-based ointments and packings should be avoided in sinus surgery.

[Exercise-induced laryngomalacia]. / La laryngomalacie induite par l'exercice.

Exercise-induced laryngomalacia is a rare differential diagnosis of exercise-induced asthma. We report the case of a previously fit 14-year-old female patient who presented with dyspnoea on intense exertion and whose condition had not improved with treatment prescribed for a misdiagnosed exercise-induced asthma. A diagnosis of exercise-induced laryngomalacia was eventually made when a variable extra-thoracic airway obstruction on the flow-volume loops was obtained after an incremental exercise test. Flexible fiberoptic rhinolaryngoscopy confirmed this abnormality and demonstrated an anterior prolapse of the arytenoid region, partially obstructing the airway. The patient therefore underwent laser aryepiglottoplasty which produced a satisfactory anatomical outcome in the larynx but which only resulted in a partial functional improvement. Laryngomalacia is rare and its pathophysiology is not well understood. However, it should be considered in patients presenting with exertional dyspnoea, particularly if there is inspiratory embarrassment, who fail to improve with beta-2-adrenergic agonists. The diagnosis can be made from the flow-volume loop and direct laryngoscopy, before and after exercise.

[Inflammation and seromucous otitis]. / Inflammation et otite séromuqueuse.

1. AN IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP: There is a strong relationship between tubular dysfunction, tympanic depression and effusion of the tympanic cavity. 2. TWO IMPORTANT PHENOMENA: Increased secretory capacity of the mucosa and decreased mucociliary clearance subsequent to a reduction in the number of ciliated cells have an important impact. 3. CONTINUUM: Rhinopharyngeal infection, acute middle ear infection and seromucosal otitis constitutes a continuum demonstrated by the fact that PCR (polymerase chain reaction) studies reveal the same germs in the rhinopharynx, in the middle ear fluid, and in seromucous otitis (SMO) effusions. 4. BACTERIA AND VIRUSES: By producing toxin, bacteria and viruses induce severe inflammatory reactions in SMO, triggering the cascaded of inflammation mediators. 5. MEDIATORS: Several elements participating in the cascade of inflammatory events have been demonstrated in human patients and animal models of SMO despite the minimal number of elements producing inflammation mediators initially. Recurrent favoring factors have a primordial effect. 6. ALLERGY: The clinical and epidemiologic data are widely debated, but do not favor the hypothesis of an allergic reaction, yet several studies have demonstrated that mediators of the allergic response are present in SMO effusions. 7. ANTIBIOTICS: Used in short-term regimens, antibiotics have a favorable [not readable: see text] on SMO, but their duration of action is short due to the persistent inflammatory reactions. 8. ORAL CORTICOSTEROIDS: The beneficial effect of oral corticosteroids in SMO is generally short-lived with a rapid decline in efficacy after a few weeks. 9. LONG DURATION AND RELAPSE: SMO is usually a long-standing highly recurrent condition proscribing use of long-term systemic corticosteroids. It might be interesting to assess the contribution of local corticosteroid therapy after classical "acute" treatment associating antibiotics and a short course of oral corticosteroids. 10. OTHER OPTIONS: Clinical trials using other treatment options in SMO have not been conclusive for mucolytic, decongestant or antihistamine agents.

[Long-term results of swallowing after horizontal sub-glottic laryngectomy]. / Evolution à long-terme de la déglutition après laryngectomie horizontale sus-glottique.

This is a retrospective study of 80 patients who have had a horizontal subglottic laryngectomy. The functional results were assessed by means of clinical findings at follow-up and a questionnaire. The mean time to decannulation was 32 days, and to removal of the nasogastric tube 25 days. 45% of patients had no fistula. Of the remaining 55%, there was a false passage for fluids in 90%. These fistulae remained patent for an average of 12 weeks. At one year and beyond, 40% of patients were on a normal diet, 33% were on ground food, 10% on a soft paste diet, 6% on a semi-liquid diet, and 10% were fed by tube. The factors militating towards poor function are age above 65 years, and previous radiotherapy.

Pituitary adenomas with infra-sellar extension into the nasopharynx.

Three cases of pituitary adenomas with infra-sellar extension into the nasopharynx and the nasal cavities are reported. The clinical signs were epistaxis, nasal obstruction, painful sinuses and purulent rhinorrhoea. The initial diagnostic hypothesis was that of a carcinoma of the nasopharynx or the sinuses in all three cases. The diagnosis was made by histological examination and measurement of plasma hormone levels. These cases highlight the difficulty in the diagnosis of such tumours due to their misleading clinical, radiological and histological features.

Primary aspergillosis of the larynx and squamous cell carcinoma.

Primary laryngeal aspergillosis is exceptionally rare, and only five cases have been reported in the literature. We present here two cases of invasive laryngeal aspergillosis without tracheobronchopulmonary extension and without any generalized immune deficit. Aspergillosis developed after local radiotherapy for a squamous cell carcinoma and preceded a recurrence of the tumor. The relationships between the clinical features, the histopathology, and the etiology of laryngeal aspergillosis and squamous cell carcinoma are discussed. We recommend that following treatment of laryngeal aspergillosis, these rare patients should systematically be investigated for a squamous cell carcinoma or a recurrence thereof.

[Diving goiter. Apropos of 139 cases]. / Les goitres plongeants. A propos de 139 cas.

Between 1976 and 1994, 139 cases of diving goiter were operated. Hyperthyroidism is a factor in compression. Morbidity is low for surgery for diving goiters, but increases if performed in emergency situations. Cervicotomy was used alone in more than 99% of the cases.

[Extemporaneous anatomo-pathological test in surgery of thyroid cancers. Values and limitations]. / L'examen anatomo-pathologique extemporané dans la chirurgie des cancers thyroïdiens. Intérêts et limites.

We report our experience in surgical treatment of thyroid cancer; 2470 total or partial thyroidectomies were performed for a thyroid nodule, 205 were primitive thyroid carcinoma (8.3%). Intraoperative frozen sections diagnoses were performed in 100% of the patients. In this study, a 100% specificity and 74% sensitivity were found. Data for each histological type were compared with the previous studies. Each false negative macroscopic aspect carcinoma's size, differenciation, plurificality were studied in order to understand the limits of frozen sections diagnoses. The higher rate of false negative was found with small, well differenciated vesicular carcinoma. This study shows that high accuracy of frozen sections diagnoses allows to improve the intraoperative management of thyroid cancer. The high specificity of frozen sections diagnoses strengthens our reliance upon this examination.

[Malformation of the internal ear and recurrent meningitis: radio-surgical correlations]. / Malformation de l'oreille interne et méningites à répétition: corrélations radio-chirurgicales.

Authors report one case of bilateral inner ear malformation in a 3 years-old child with congenital sensorineural hearing loss, recurrent meningitis and cerebro-spinal fluid leakage. This anomaly is a pseudo-Mondini's malformation with a meningocele through the oval window and a fistula of C.S.F. of the round window. A close radiological and surgical correlation support some physiopathological hypothesis about fistula between sub arachnoid space and middle ear. Authors discuss the place of high resolution computed tomography in case of congenital sensorineural learning loss.

[Latent forms of parathyroid cysts. Report of two cases]. / Les formes latentes des kystes parathyroïdiens. A propos de deux cas.

The authors report two cases of non functional parathyroid cyst both found by a systematic clinical examination in two women of 56 and 67 years. In the first case, the cyst was associated to a thyroid dystrophy; the other patient had a history of thyroid dystrophy but also of pituitary prolactin adenoma.

[Cell culture in thyroid cancers]. / Cultures cellulaires en carcinologie thyroïdienne.

The authors studied the diagnostic interest of cell cultures in thyroid tumors. They cultivated 10 tumours (4 papillary carcinomas, 5 medullary carcinomas and 1 sarcoma-looking tumour). In 7 cases, cultures yielded nothing more than pathologic examination. Nonetheless the study allowed to detect a double secretion (calcitonin and thyroglobulin) in 2 medullary carcinomas which turned out to be mixed proliferations. It also detected a production of thyroglobulin by the sarcoma. They think that cell cultures may have a diagnostic interest besides pathologic examination, allowing precise study of secretory features of the tumors.