Study on the effect of phototherapy for inhibition of symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis.

Summary: Previous published work has indicated that treatment of the inside of the nose with certain wavelengths of light can reduce the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy of the phototherapy device on the relief of a range of symptoms provoked by indoor and outdoor allergens. A phototherapy emits visible light (mUV/VIS) and infrared light, and was compared to a placebo device which did not emit light on two groups of allergic rhinitis sufferers. Rhinophototherapy improved nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis arising from exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens. The difference in the intensity of symptoms scored at the baseline, and at the final visit for the group using the photoperiod device was significantly lower. The device could potentially help improve the quality of life for allergy sufferers. Phototherapy may be suitable for sufferers either as a replacement therapy or used alongside traditional medication.

Proposed expansion margins for planning organ at risk volume for lenses during radiation therapy of the nasal cavity in dogs and cats.

Radiation therapy protocols for the feline or canine nasal cavity can damage epithelial cells of the posterior pole of the lens and lead to the development of cataracts. Aims of this retrospective, descriptive study were to calculate movements of the lens during radiation therapy of the nasal cavity in a sample of cats and dogs, and to propose species-specific expansion margins for planning organ at risk volume (PRV) to minimize radiation doses to the lens. All included patients were immobilized with an indexed bite block and positioned in a vacuum positioning cushion for head irradiation. On-board cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging was used for patient alignment. Both ocular lenses were contoured on the therapeutic CBCTs. Coregistration (fusion) between the planning CT and CBCTs was used to measure the movements of the lens. Two measurements were made: the differences between the centroid point of each lens as well as the displacement of the coregistrations. A total of 496 different observations were recorded from 14 cats and 52 dogs. Using the displacement results, we calculated how often the lens would be within the lens-PRV contour. We proposed that an optimal expansion margin from the lens volume of 2 mm in cats and 3 mm in dogs may be necessary in generating PRV expansion for the lens. From our results, we expect the lens would therefore be within these proposed PRV expansions in 92% of the feline measurements and 95% of the canine measurements.

Synchronous myeloproliferative and inflammatory disease of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses: an interesting differential diagnostic problem.

The authors present a case of synchronous manifestation of a myeloproliferative--extramedullary plasmocytoma--and a chronic inflammatory disease of the nose and the paranasal sinuses. They emphasise the importance of imaging techniques and immunohistochemistry in the differential diagnosis. They discuss on the basis of published articles the new classification, clinical manifestations, diagnostic and therapeutical approaches of this tumour belonging to the group of monoclonal gammopathies, which originates from an abnormal proliferation of mature B-lymphocytes, and is a rarity in the literature even nowadays.

CO2 laser vaporization for disfiguring lupus pernio.

Presented in this paper are two cases of longstanding gross and disfiguring lupus pernio of the nose successfully treated by CO2 laser resurfacing Both patients were resistant to previous medical therapy and have had an excellent postoperative cosmetic result.

Granuloma faciale in a child successfully treated with the pulsed dye laser.

Granuloma faciale, a rare, chronic, cutaneous disorder, is uncommon in children. Numerous treatment modalities have been used to treat granuloma faciale but none are consistently effective. In addition, many of the previously used therapies have unwanted side effects or are not well tolerated by children. We report a case of granuloma faciale in an 11-year-old child successfully treated with the pulsed dye laser. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this treatment modality for granuloma faciale.

The successful treatment of lupus pernio with the flashlamp pulsed dye laser.

Lupus pernio of the nose is the most characteristic cutaneous lesion of sarcoidosis. It is cosmetically disfiguring and can be the cause of significant morbidity. In particular, the affected skin is often red or purple due to increased vasculature. It is particularly resistant to both surgical and medical therapy. We describe a patient with lupus pernio affecting her nose, which showed a dramatic improvement following treatment with the pulse dye laser (PDL). A biopsy taken after treatment showed the continued presence of sarcoidal granulomas. We therefore feel that treatment with the PDL is an effective tool in improving the cosmetic appearance of lupus pernio, but does not influence the underlying disease process.

[Low-intensity laser irradiation in otorhinolaryngology]. / Nizkoénergeticheskoe lazernoe izluchenie v otorinolaringologii.

Low-intensity laser irradiation is a modality widely practiced in otorhinolaryngology. Basing on extensive personal experience and literature data the authors provide ENT specialists with relevant techniques and parameters of the radiation for different otorhinolaryngological diseases.

[Unusual radiation reaction after soft roentgen radiotherapy in a patient with pemphigus vulgaris]. / Ungewöhnliche Strahlenreaktion nach Röntgenweichstrahltherapie bei einer Patientin mit Pemphigus vulgaris.

A 71-year-old woman suffered from pronounced erosion of her nose after soft X-ray therapy (total dose 28 Gy, half dose depth 10.5-11.5 mm). 5 weeks after the end of the irradiation no healing tendency was observed. This unusual clinical course was caused by a simultaneously existing pemphigus vulgaris that worsened after radiotherapy, presumably as a consequence of the release of epidermal antigens. In this case it is improbable that the pemphigus was induced by the radiotherapy, as has been reported on several occasions in the literature. However, this possibility cannot be entirely excluded.

Treatment of lupus pernio with the flashlamp pulsed dye laser.

Lupus pernio, a form of cutaneous sarcoidosis usually affecting the face, is often disfiguring and resistant to therapies, both medical and surgical. To our knowledge, there have been no previous reports of laser therapy for this condition. We describe a case of nasal lupus pernio successfully managed with the flashlamp pulsed dye laser.

Plasma cell granuloma of the nasal cavity treated by radiation therapy.

Plasma cell granuloma is a rare, benign tumor most commonly found in the lungs in patients younger than 30 years. Although presentation has been reported at a number of other anatomic sites, this report is the first of plasma cell granuloma of the nasal cavity. The tumor was initially resected, but progression was seen at 1-month follow-up. Because further surgery to completely eradicate the tumor would have been extensive and disfiguring, 40-Gy external beam radiation was given in 20 fractions using a three-field wedge technique. Most recent clinical follow-up at 27 months showed local control. Surgery remains the treatment of choice for plasma cell granuloma when the disease can be completely resected. However, irradiation can also be effective in patients with recurrent or inoperable local disease.

Nd:YAG laser-induced hyperthermia treatment of spontaneously occurring veterinary head and neck tumors.

Conventional hyperthermia treatment of superficial tumors in the oral cavity is troublesome due to difficulty in accessing the lesion. A new hyperthermia technique employing near-infrared radiation delivered through a flexible silica optical fiber is described. The system consisted of an Nd:YAG laser for tissue heating, a He-Ne laser for aiming beam, a computer-controlled optical shutter, an interstitial thermometer, computer, and a printer. A 3-m-long 600-microns silica fiber delivered laser energy to the tumor via surface illumination. Using the aiming beam, the spot size was adjusted to include 5 mm of surrounding normal tissue. A thermocouple implanted in the tumor base provided temperature feedback to maintain desired hyperthermic temperature within the lesion. Three spontaneously occurring canine (two squamous cell carcinomas on the gum, one pigmented melanoma on the hard palate) and one feline tumor (squamous cell carcinoma on the nose) have been treated with Nd:YAG laser hyperthermia. Hyperthermia was delivered at 43.5 degrees C for 1 h. All animals received standard radiation treatment prior to hyperthermia. Nd:YAG laser hyperthermia allowed effective and efficient delivery of heat to veterinary nasal and oral lesions otherwise not treatable with conventional heating techniques.

Argon laser treatment of the red nose.

Ten patients with red nose due to telangiectasias were treated with the argon laser. Seven had telangiectasias due to rosacea, two had had rhinoplasty, and one had experienced trauma. All of the patients had a good clinical result.

Treatment of the red nose with the argon laser.

Nasal telangiectasias, a common condition, can be caused by chronic exposure to ultraviolet light, rosacea, topically applied corticosteroids, or rhinoplasty. Use of the argon laser for 15 to 45 minutes in a continuous mode over the entire involved area can produce considerable lightening of the nasal redness and improvement in the cosmetic appearance, as illustrated in the two cases described in this report.

[Weiss' nasal lymphoma (histiocytic, malignant)]. / Linfoma nasal de Weiss (histiocítico-maligno).

We presented a patient with a deforming and necrotizing syndrome of the nasal pyramid. The histopathology demonstrated a lymphoma. The original works of Weiss are related. The diseases is characterized by: ecotaxis of the nasal pyramid, localized persistency during a long time, malaise in advanced studies and sensibility to radiations. We proposed the name linfoma histiocitico maligno nasal de Weiss and consider it as a autonomous entity.

Radiotherapy of polymorphic reticulosis.

The term "lethal mid-line granuloma" does not properly reflect current knowledge that several different diseases can produce non-infectious mid-facial destruction. The disorders producing erosion of the upper aerodigestive passages are more accurately classified by clinical and histological criteria as either Wegener's or non-Wegener's causes. The non-Wegener's causes of mid-facial erosion include extranodal lymphoma, idiopathic mid-line granuloma and polymorphic reticulosis. Polymorphic reticulosis (PR) is a rare disease which is histologically identical to lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LG). The term PR has been used to describe LG localized to the upper airways. PR-LG is characterized by a remarkably polymorphic angiocentric mixed cellular infiltrate. The disease is locally invasive, has the potential for distant spread, and can cause fever, sweats and weight loss. When it is localized to the upper airways, PR-LG is potentially controllable by radiation therapy. Local symptoms at other body sites can be successfully palliated by radiation. The clinical presentation of two recent patients with PR-LG is summarized, as well as the radiotherapy employed. The pertinent literature is reviewed.