[Head and neck phlegmons - diagnosis and treatment - own observations]. / Ropowice glowy i szyi - diagnostyka i leczenie - obserwacje wlasne.

INTRODUCTION: Head and neck phlegmons are rare diseases, however they are associated with high risk of mortality. They can derive from different structures of the described anatomical area. They are often odontogenic. Imaging studies, especially computerized tomography play the greatest role in diagnosis of phlegmons. The treatment is based on surgical incision and drainage as well as analgesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 11 patients from three different ENT centers: ENT Department of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, ENT Department of the Municipal Hospital in Sosnowiec and ENT Department of the Hospital No.1 in Bytom. Laboratory results, imaging results, treatment and other factors influencing the course of the disease were analyzed. RESULTS: Most patients were males and the average age was 50.8. In most cases the phlegmons were diffused and localized in different regions of head and neck. The phlegmons were mainly located in the carotid and parapharyngeal space. Streptococci and staphylococci were the most common pathogenes found in the examined material. Antibiotics and metronidasol were effective in all cases. Two types of surgical procedure were performed - either common abscess incision or broad incision along sternocleiodomastoid muscle. CONCLUSIONS: Head and neck phlegmons are rare and they affect patients at any age. The dominating localization of the phlegmons depends mainly on the starting point. Computerized tomography plays the most important role in diagnosis. The treatment is based on surgical procedures and antibiotics.

[Interleukin-10 in laryngeal cancer patients treated by surgery or radiotherapy]. / Interleukina-10 u chorych na raka krtani leczonych operacyjnie lub radioterapia.

INTRODUCTION: The early detection and right monitoring of the laryngeal cancer make a better chance of recovery. Therefore factors that might be showing the presence of neoplastic process are constantly being looked for. The detection of correlation between incidence of cancer and immunity system disorders makes us look for and try to answer an important question: are there any factors that might be cancer markers in immunity system? Cytokines are molecules that regulate the process of differentiation and proliferation. They are also the mediators of immunological and inflammatory reactions. Interleukina-10 (IL-10) is a cytokine that has various important functions stimulating immunity processes. IL-10 is a factor stimulating killer cells/cytoxic lymphocytes/ and is able to kill cancer cells growth spontaneously. It has been detected that some cancer cells can produce some IL-10, too. The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum level concentration of IL-10 in the laryngeal cancer patients before any medical treatment and its denotation after surgery or radiotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A group of 43 male patients with laryngeal cancer was considered for the purpose of this study. 22 patients were treated by surgery and 21 by radiotherapy. In all the cases the serum concentration of IL-10 before the treatment, in the first and 30th days after therapy was evaluated. The results were compared with the group of 20 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: The mean value of IL-10 concentration in laryngeal cancer patients treated by surgery was 14.0 pg/ml before treatment, 12.8 pg/ml in the 1 day and 14.4 pg/ml 30 days after the therapy. IL-10 concentrations in patients treated by radiotherapy were respectively: 15.4, 14.4 and 15.9 pg/ml. The mean value of IL-10 in the control group was 4.9 pg/ml. The serum concentrations of IL-10 in the laryngeal cancer patients were significantly higher than in the control group. These IL-10 concentrations didn't change significantly after the surgery or radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: The serum concentration of IL-10 in the laryngeal cancer patients is significantly higher than in the healthy control group. The changes of serum concentrations after the surgery or radiotherapy of laryngeal cancer patients are not significant and characteristic.

[Interleukin 2 concentration changes in the laryngeal cancer patients during the surgical treatment]. / Zmiany stezenia interleukiny 2 u chorych leczonych chirurgicznie z powodu raka krtani.

INTRODUCTION: Cytokines are molecules that regulate the process of differentiation and proliferation. They are also the mediators of immunological and inflammatory reactions. One of the cytokines that participates in immunological processes is interleukine-2 (IL-2), whose participation in neoplastic processes has been proved in many researches. It's anticancer effect is an indirect one and is connected with stimulating processes of immunologically competent cells, which are cytotoxic for cancer cells. IL-2 is produced by T-helper lymphocytes (THL), and on the basis of feedback it stimulates those lymphocytes to new cells and other cytokines, which stimulate next immunity cells or kill the cancer cells, production. The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum level concentration of IL-2 in the laryngeal cancer patients before any medical treatment and its denotation after the surgical procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A group of 22 male patients with laryngeal cancer was considered for the purpose of this study. All of them were treated by surgery. In all the cases the serum concentration of IL-2 before the treatment, in the first and 30th day after therapy was evaluated. The results were compared with the group of 20 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: The mean value of IL-2 concentration in laryngeal cancer patients treated by surgery was 23.4 pg/ml before treatment, increased to 37.8 pg/ml in the 1 day and to 54.3 pg/ml 30 days after the therapy. The serum concentrations of IL-2 in the laryngeal cancer patients were lower than in the control group before the surgical treatment. These IL-2 concentrations increased significantly after the surgery and 1 month after the treatment were higher than in the healthy population. CONCLUSION: The serum concentration of IL-2 in the laryngeal cancer patients treated by surgery is lower than in the healthy control group. IL-2 increased significantly after the surgery to higher levels than in the control healthy group.