[Allergic rhinitis: evaluation of the sensitivity to allergens]. / Rinitis alérgica: valoración de la sensibilidad a los alergenos.

The high incidence of allergic rhinitis in our community allows us to study large groups of the population. We have observed that graminea pollen is the most common allergen, although mites --Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus-- produce the greatest number of cases. The age of appearance or of most acute symptomatology varies depending on the allergen; sensitivity to more than one allergen is most common. The highest incidence is during the months of November, December, April, May and June for domestic dust and mites, whereas December, May and June present the highest incidence for graminea pollen.

[Total and specific IgE in allergic rhinitis]. / La IgE total y específica en la rinitis alérgica.

The specific IgE can be accepted in allergic rhinitis as a determinant for the definite diagnosis, as there does not exist a correlation with total IgE, which may be either high or not, probably depending on other factors, amongst which neither the age of the patient nor the season of the year in which the rhinitis is determined are to be included.

[Follicular adenoma in lingual thyroid: report of a case]. / Adenoma folicular en tiroides lingual: a propósito de un caso.

We present a case of follicular adenoma which has its origin in a unique lingual thyroid. The interest lies in the oddity of this pathology and in the unusual clinical form of dysphagia. In spite of the fact that the thyroid ectopy is a congenital anomaly in the development of the thyroid, the history of previous administration of cervical radiotherapy and the diagnosis in an elderly person makes us suppose, in this case, that there is a different etiopathology.

[DNA ploidy and S phase in relation to metastases of pharyngolaryngeal epidermoid carcinoma]. / Ploidía de ADN y fase S en relación con las metástasis de los carcinomas epidermoides faringolaríngeos.

Lymph node metastases in pharyngolaryngeal squamous-cell carcinoma are the clinical finding that most precisely condition prognosis. Sometimes the presence of subclinical metastases modifies the initial therapeutic strategy because they are not detected by physical exploration or imaging techniques. We tried to establish a relationship between the tumor's intrinsic aggressiveness and the development of metastases through tumoral DNA damage. Aneuploidy and the S phase were more frequent in tumors of the larynx, particularly supraglottic tumors, that developed lymph node metastases (72%) than in diploid tumors with a normal S phase (18%). In pharyngeal tumors, no differences could be established because most were aneuploid with a high S phase and metastases. Flow cytometry is highly sensitive, but not sufficiently specific for routine clinical use. However, it is a useful point of departure for our line of research, which will continue with a search for more specific genetic or molecular markers of metastases among the general DNA abnormalities.

[Internal jugular thrombophlebitis: complications of the cervical oncological surgery. A case report]. / Tromboflebitis de la yugular interna: complicación de la cirugía oncológica cervical. Presentación de un caso.

Internal jugular vein thrombophlebitis is an infrequent complications, associated in the past to pharyngeal and amygdaline infections but related today to the use of catheters and intravenous drugs. The present paper reports the case of a patient who underwent total laryngectomy and functional neck dissection, developing recurrent neumonias and sepsis in the postoperative period which were secondary to an homolateral jugular thrombophlebitis. A physical exploration with no findings and the poor resolution of CT scan and ultrasound due to postsurgical alterations, lead to a late diagnosis and fatal evolution, in spite of the medical and surgical treatment.

[Clinico-histological scale for identifying preinvasive lesions of the larynx]. / Escala clínico-histológica en el pronóstico de las lesiones preinvasivas de laringe.

Preinvasive laryngeal lesions progress to infiltrating carcinoma in 7-15% of cases. Clinical manifestations and histological findings are not reliably predictive of progression. Quantitative cytometry improves predictive effectiveness, but is not a routine procedure. A clinico-histological scale consisting of 13 variables which were combined and used prospectively had a predictive value of 0.8 sensitivity and 0.9 specificity for progression of preinvasive laryngeal lesions.