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Biomedical subjects

M Onerci

Publications and source records attributed to M Onerci.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Reappraisal of probing of the congenital obstruction of the nasolacrimal system: is nasal endoscopy essential?

OBJECTIVE: The rate of false passages during probing for congenital nasolacrimal system obstruction (CNLO) is a major limiting factor for a successful outcome. This shortcoming may be decreased with the use of a nasal endoscope during probing. This approach is particularly important in the probing training of ophthalmology residents. METHODS: An experienced pediatric ophthalmologist performed probings on 11 eyes, and a group of ophthalmology residents under his supervision performed probings on another 11 eyes for CNLO. Their claims of a successful or unsuccessful procedure were evaluated with nasal endoscopy by an ear--nose--throat (ENT) surgeon. The age range of the patients was 8-23 months. RESULTS: The ophthalmologist made two false passages, one of which he was aware, out of 11 eyes. The residents had five false passages, two of which were unclear to them, out of another 11 eyes. No false passages occurred in obstructions at the level of the Hasner valve. None of the successful probings required more than a 30 mm probe introduction into the nasolacrimal canal from the inferior punctum. CONCLUSION: It seems justified to have a nasal endoscopic evaluation, performed by an ENT surgeon, for probings during the training program of ophthalmology residents. Difficult cases with stenosis proximal to the inferior meatus, prior false passage experience on a particular case, and any indication for silicone tube implantation will benefit from the use of an endoscope during the procedure. In order to achieve the best results in CNLO, the collaborative teamwork of an ophthalmologist and an ENT specialist is necessary.

Endoscopy↗

Pulmonary metastasectomy in the treatment of recurrent ameloblastoma of the maxilla and mandible: a case report.

Ameloblastoma is an aggressive benign tumor with frequent local recurrences. Although histologically benign, it occasionally metastasizes to many organs, most commonly to the lungs. The metastasis develops after multiple recurrences and many unsuccessful attempts at removal of the tumor. When distant metastasis occurs, the prognosis is poor and there is no effective treatment. A case of metastatic ameloblastoma of the mandible and maxilla is reported which was treated with pulmonary metastasectomy. The treatment options are discussed in relation to the literature.

Adult↗

Positive surgical margins in cancer of the larynx.

In order to determine what should be done for laryngeal cancer patients when surgical margins are positive, and to evaluate their prognosis, a retrospective review of 21 laryngeal cancer patients with positive surgical margins out of 714 surgically treated cases (2.9%) was carried out. Nineteen patients were treated with postoperative radiation therapy. Two patients who had had endolaryngeal partial laryngectomy were treated with vertical partial laryngectomy. Two patients were lost to follow-up. Ten patients (10/19; 53%) were recurrence-free. Four patients had local, two had regional, and two had locoregional recurrences. Only one patient with a local recurrence could be salvaged with total laryngectomy and is disease-free. One patient developed liver metastasis. Nineteen patients had a mean and median disease-free survival of 48 and 36 months, respectively. Nine out of fourteen patients (64%) treated curatively were recurrence-free. The patients with positive margins developed significantly more locoregional recurrences than those with free margins (P < 0.05). We conclude that surgical margins must be checked peroperatively with frozen sections to make sure that they are free. The margins of every laryngectomy specimen must be diligently examined. If positive, re-excision, postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy are treatment alternatives. They should not just be managed with close follow-up. However, whatever treatment is applied, the prognosis for patients with positive margins is significantly worse than for those with free margins.

Adult↗

Supernumerary tooth in the maxillary sinus: case report.

The ectopic development of teeth has been reported in many locations including the nasal cavity, maxillary sinus and the chin. Ectopic teeth may be permanent, deciduous or supernumerary. A case is presented in which a supernumerary tooth erupted into the maxillary sinus of an 11 year old boy.

Child↗

Hamartoma of the larynx: a case of unusual bleeding after microlaryngoscopy.

We report on a rare complication of surgery in a 36-year-old man who had undergone removal of a hamartoma of the larynx. The patient had developed a submucosal lesion in the left ventricular fold, which was removed by surgical microlaryngoscopy. Following the excision, the patient began to experience an excessive amount of bleeding at the surgical site. Before hemostasis was achieved, the patient had lost almost 1,000 ml of blood. Although the occurrence of hemorrhage during surgical laryngoscopy is rare, surgeons should be aware of and prepared for this possibility.

Adult↗

Intranasal endoscopic silicone intubation for congenital obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct in children.

Aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of intranasal endoscopic silicone intubation to treat congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction in children who failed conventional lacrimal system probing. Silicone intubation with intranasal endoscopic visualization was performed in 18 eyes of 16 patients with an age range of 18-48 months (mean, 25 months) to treat congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Out of 16 patients, ten had already undergone previous probings with failure, the other six were primary intubation cases without any previous probings. The tubes were left in place an average of 6 months. Follow-up ranged from 4 months to 2 years (mean, 12 months) following removal of the silicone tubing. Intranasal endoscopic silicone intubation is effective in the treatment of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction as a primary procedure in children over 18 months of age and, it is also recommended as the next step in the management of epiphora which fails to resolve after probing.

Child, Preschool↗

Trace elements in children with chronic and recurrent tonsillitis.

Trace elements are indispensable for life and play a very important role in the essential functions. According to some reports in the literature lower trace element levels increase the susceptibility to recurrent infections. Since there are no reports available in the English literature about the effects of trace elements on recurrent and chronic tonsillitis, 37 children with recurrent and chronic tonsillitis were evaluated for Zn, Cu and Mg levels. Serum levels of Zn in 6 patients were slightly lower than the normal limit. All the other serum levels of Zn, Cu and Mg were within the normal range. On the other hand, the mean serum level of Zn in the 37 patients was significantly lower than in a control group of 28 age and sex matched children. In contrast, the mean serum levels of Cu and Mg in the patients were significantly higher than in the control group. Whether this alteration in the trace element status causes or fosters recurrent and chronic tonsillitis is not clear.

Adolescent↗

Mucociliary function of the maxillary sinuses after restoring ventilation: a radioisotopic study of the maxillary sinus.

Ostium patency and sinus ventilation play a key role in the normal function of the sinuses and the pathogenesis of sinusitis. Experience with endoscopic treatment modalities has indicated that even severe mucosal disease in the maxillary and frontal sinuses will heal after eradication of an infectious focus in the ethmoid and maintaining ventilation and drainage of sinuses. The aim of this study was to use scintigraphic methods to evaluate possible differences in mucociliary function of chronically diseased maxillary sinuses after establishment of ventilation. Fourteen patients (22 maxillary sinuses) and 3 controls (6 maxillary sinuses) were evaluated after functional endoscopic sinus surgery. The drainage ratios of sinuses at 20 min were calculated at the 3rd postoperative day and again at 3 weeks. When the early and late postoperative drainage ratios were compared it was found that mucociliary function returned to normal after 3 weeks in sinuses with cysts but without hyperplastic mucosal degeneration. While the mucociliary function and drainage improved significantly in sinuses with hyperplastic mucosa, depending on the severity and extension of the pathology present, it was still less than levels found in normal sinuses at 3 weeks.

Adolescent↗

nm23 Protein expression in larynx cancer and the relationship with metastasis.

The nm23 gene, which encodes nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase, is proposed as a metastatic suppressor gene and has been demonstrated to correlate inversely with metastatic potential in several tumours. To elucidate the role of nm23 in larynx carcinomas, we examined using immunohistochemistry the expression of the nm23 protein in matched sets of primary tumours and metastatic lymph nodes. nm23 Protein was expressed in all the carcinomas as well as in non-neoplastic larynx mucosa. Overexpression of nm23 protein was found in the majority of primary tumours compared with corresponding normal mucosa, while decreased expression was associated with poor differentiation and distant metastasis and/or recurrence. No significant difference in age, sex and stage was found between primary tumours with high and low nm23 protein expression. These results suggest that decreased nm23 protein expression may play a role in metastasis and/or recurrence in larynx cancer and therefore could be used as a prognostic factor.

Adult↗

Glass in the frontal sinus: report of three cases.

Patients with paranasal sinus foreign body are not commonly seen in otolaryngological practice; glass in the frontal sinus as a complication of maxillofacial trauma should be very rare, and papers dealing with this issue appear to be rare in the English literature. To elucidate the diagnostic pitfalls and the treatment aspects we present three cases of glass in the frontal sinus which occurred as a result of road traffic accidents.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Audiological findings in kernicteric patients.

Audiological findings in kernicteric patients. Thirty patients followed up because of kernicterus sequelae and 15 normal children serving as control group were examined to determine their hearing status and evoked response audiometry (ERA) results. Seventeen out of the 30 patients (57%) had high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. Sixteen of them had bilateral hearing loss. Ten had no response or prolonged bilateral latencies. The results showed that high neonatal serum bilirubin levels affect the hearing adversely.

Adolescent↗

Pneumatised superior turbinate: a common anatomic variation?

Anatomic variations are important in preendoscopic CT evaluation of the paranasal sinuses. In this study, we investigated whether the superior turbinate could become pneumatised like the middle turbinate, pneumatisation of which is well-known. Images of 52 patients who underwent CT examination prior to endoscopic sinus surgery and who had normally aerated posterior ethmoidal cells and an unobscured nasal cavity were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were 12-68 years old (median age, 35 years); 28 were women and 24 were men. Pneumatisation of the superior turbinates was graded in two groups as minimal or marked. Pneumatisation was evident in 25 patients (48%). 13 unilateral (25%), 8 bilateral (15%) pneumatisations were detected in the group graded as minimal, whereas 1 unilateral and 3 bilateral pneumatisations were present in the markedly (8%) pneumatised group of patients. Superior turbinates were seemingly aerated through the posterior ethmoid cells. The superior turbinates can be pneumatised as the middle turbinate is a not frequent anatomic variation that should be taken into account in preendoscopic CT evaluation of the paranasal sinuses.

Adolescent↗

Evaluation of the microbiology of chronic sinusitis.

Chronic sinusitis is one of the most common diseases treated in outpatient centres. In this prospective study, 49 patients with the diagnosis of chronic maxillary sinusitis were evaluated microbiologically by using sinus swab, irrigation fluid and sinus mucosal tissue specimens obtained during endoscopic sinus surgery. There was no bacterial growth in seven cases. In the remaining 42 cases a total of 89 bacteria were isolated, 28 of them being classical pathogens and 61 being non-classical pathogens. Among the classical pathogens Staphylococcus aureus was the most common one. The correlation between the isolates obtained from maxillary sinus and isolates obtained from throat, nose and nasopharynx did not have a predictive value. Since the overall rate of classical pathogen isolation from patients with chronic sinusitis was not significantly high, the possible role of factors other than bacterial growth should be identified in the pathogenesis of chronic sinusitis.

Adolescent↗