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PubMed2006

A new combined approach to the nasopharynx in head and neck plastic surgery: technique and application.

This article presents a combined approach to the nasopharynx, which has not been previously described. The technique is applicable to cases of recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma which exhibit lateral extension. We describe the technique and report a case in which it was used. A review is presented of all other techniques currently described. The authors would not advocate the use of a combined approach to the nasopharynx in all cases, but there certainly appears to be a place for this technique.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1976

Growth of the nasopharynx and adenoid development from one to eighteeen years.

1. The dimensions of the nasopharynx, the adenoids and the nasopharyngeal airway were analyzed in twelve subjects selected from the longitudinal growth study of the Child Research Council of Denver. 2. The nasopharyngeal area was defined by four skeletally defined lines which formed a trapezoid. The nasopharyngeal area was divided into an adenoid-pharyngeal wall and airway areas which were measured using a polar planimeter. The trapezoid analysis proved to be a useful technique for quantification of nasopharyngeal dimensions. 3. The growth of the nasopharynx from nine months to 18 years was established and reflected the different growth patterns of males and females. 4. The sphenoid line/palatal line angle (theta) and nasopharyngeal depth were established early in life and contributed little to the increase of nasopharyngeal area. The increase in nasopharyngeal area corresponded to the descent of the palate from the sphenoid bone which increased nasopharyngeal height. 5. Restriction of the nasopharyngeal airway frequently occurred during the pre- and early school years due to adenoid hypertrophy which exceeded the usual increase in nasopharyngeal capacity. 6. The nasopharyngeal airway increased during pre- and early adolescence due to the concurrent increase in nasopharyngeal area and adenoid involution. 7. Ten subjects had a history of tonsil and adenoid surgery, but of these only five demonstrated what appeared to be complete removal of nasopharyngeal and adenoid tissue as seen on postsurgical radiographs. The possibility that surgical technique may be the critical factor in the completeness of adenoid removal is presented. 8. The mandibular angle did not apear to be affected by periods of nasopharnygeal airway obstruction is any of the subjects in this study. However, an expanded longitudinal study would be required to determine if restriction of the nasopharyngeal airway influences facial form and occlusion.

Adenoids↗
PubMed2000

Children with recurrent episodes of acute otitis media: the effect of local administration of immunoglobulin G on acute otitis media, colonization and turnover of non-encapsulated Haemophilus influenzae in the nasopharynx.

In most children with recurrent episodes of acute otitis media (AOM), tube treatment is successful, but there are those who nevertheless suffer from middle ear infections. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether local administration of immunoglobulin could reduce the number of episodes of otorrhoea in otitis-prone infants <2 years old who were treated with tubes, or whether it could affect the nasopharyngeal colonization and turnover of bacterial pathogens in the nasopharynx. IgG or placebo were also administered intranasally daily for 6 months to 50 infants, randomized in a double-blind study. An arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) was used to characterize the different isolates of NTHI (non-encapsulated, non-typable Haemophilus influenzae). Three infants in the IgG group and six infants in the control group suffered from > or =3 episodes of acute otitis media. No effect on the nasopharyngeal colonization or the turnover of non-encapsulated H. influenzae in the nasopharynx could be detected in either group.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

[Modern radiologic diagnosis of the nasopharynx].

The nasopharynx is one of the most delicate areas of the head and neck for diagnosis and treatment. Biopsies can be taken easily under local anaesthesia; however, since many tumours in this particular region grow in the submucosa, biopsies taken from the superficial tissue layers might not show any signs of malignancy. Thus, diagnostic imaging has become important in evaluating the nasopharyngeal region. Until the early seventies, when computed tomography (CT) was introduced, conventional tomography was commonly used. Since the development of CT and --particularly--the "high-resolution" technique, tumour infiltration of the skull base and parapharyngeal space as well as intracranial extension can be evaluated sufficiently and the different compartments of the soft tissue can be clearly distinguished due to their varying density. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)--a new technique introduced a few years ago--yields a much better soft tissue contrast than CT. Contrast enhancement after application of Gd-DTPA provides further information on tumour outlines and architecture. Benign lesions can be distinguished from malignant tumours, as well as recurrent tumours from postoperative fibrosis. MRI can also show large bony defects while minor infiltrations of the skull base are detected by HR-CT. Both MRI and CT are well-established methods in diagnosing diseases of the nasopharynx and its surroundings. For evaluations of the vascular supply prior to operation digital subtraction angiography (DSA) might be necessary in some cases.

Contrast Media↗
PubMed2001

Bacterial pathogens of otitis media and sinusitis: detection in the nasopharynx with selective agar media.

Carriage rates for the bacterial pathogens associated with otitis media (Streptococcus pneumoniae [SP], Hemophilus influenzae [HI], and Moraxella catarrhalis [MC]) are of interest. Culture on three selective agars was compared with culture on two standard agars to determine the more accurate method for detection of these species in the nasopharynx of healthy children. Weekly samples were obtained in winter from 18 healthy children (ages 1 through 9 years) as part of a longitudinal study. A 0.1-mL sample of 116 nasopharyngeal aspirate/washes was inoculated onto each of five agars. Two were standard (sheep blood and chocolate), and three were selective (blood with gentamicin for SP; chocolate with vancomycin, bacitracin, and clindamycin for HI; blood with amphotericin B, vancomycin, trimethoprim, and acetazolamide for MC). One technician read the standard plates and another the selective; both were blinded to the results of the other. SP was found in 44% of samples with selective agar versus 25% with standard agar; HI was found in 31% with selective versus 9% with standard; MC was found in 56% with selective versus 37% with standard. Overall, 80% of samples had one or more pathogens detected with selective agars as compared with 58% with standard agars (P =.0004). Selective agars were more accurate than standard agars for detecting otitis pathogens in the nasopharynx, where they are a common part of normal flora in healthy children.

Agar↗
PubMed2005

Radiopaque contrast dye in nasopharynx reaches the middle ear during swallowing and/or yawning.

CONCLUSION: Contrast dye in the nasopharynx reaches the middle ear during swallowing and yawning in normal adults. This suggests that displacement of bacteria in nasopharyngeal secretion to the middle ear may occur frequently during sleep. OBJECTIVE: The middle ear is sterile under normal conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine by means of CT whether radiopaque contrast dye in the nasopharynx would reflux into the middle ear of normal adults during swallowing and/or yawning. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six normal adult volunteers were studied. Contrast dye was kept at the orifices of the Eustachian tube during swallowing and/or yawning by placing volunteers in either a head-down or lateral decubitus position. Reflux was determined by the presence of contrast dye in the middle ear on CT scanning of the temporal bone. RESULTS: Two of the three volunteers in each group (four out of six in total) had contrast material detected in one or both middle ear cavities.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1998

Ribotyping of strains of Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis cultured from the nasopharynx and middle ear of children with otitis media.

Moraxella (Branhaomella) catarrhalis is frequently present in the nasopharyngeal microflora of small children, especially during episodes of acute otitis media . By means of ribotyping (restriction endonuclease analysis of chromosomal DNA combined with rRNA probing), we studied the genetic heterogeneity of 78 cultures of M. catarrhalis obtained from different localities in the nasopharynx of nine young children with secretory otitis media. Using HindIII and PstI as endonucleases, five different ribotypes were recognized, representing at least five different genotypes of M. catarrhalis. The distribution of these types was found to be almost identical to the distribution among 16 M. catarrhalis strains cultured from middle ear exudates of 16 children with acute otitis media. Ribotype HAPA was found in two-thirds of all the cultures investigated, and 44% of the children harboured more than one ribotype in the nasopharynx at the same time. The vast majority of the nasopharyngeal M. catarrhalis cultures were beta-lactamase positive. One child had both a HAPA ribotype, beta-lactamase-negative strain in the nasopharyngeal secretions, and HAPA ribotype, beta-lactamase-positive strains at the entrance of the eustachian tube, the nasopharyngeal tonsils, the folds of the nasopharyngeal tonsils and the oropharynx. All except one of the M. catarrhalis strains cultured from middle ear exudates were beta-lactamase positive.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Impact of IgG replacement therapy and antibiotic treatment on the colonization of non-encapsulated Haemophilus influenzae in the nasopharynx in patients with hypogammaglobulinaemia.

Non-typable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI) and Streptococcus pneumoniae are regarded as the main pathogens in patients with humoral immunodeficiency. These patients have been given IgG replacement therapy since the 1950s. However, a number of individuals still suffer from recurrent episodes of respiratory tract infections. Nasopharyngeal cultures were obtained on a regular basis over a 3-6-month period from 11 patients with common variable immunodeficiency disease in 1989 and 1998. The proportion of cultures positive for NTHI decreased from 56% in 1989-90 to 16% in 1998-99 (p < 0.003). After 9 y of IgG therapy, 7 of the 11 patients were free from NTHI in the nasopharynx. Specific NTHI strains were analysed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and compared, with regard to genetic relatedness, on an intra-individual basis. In 1 patient the same NTHI strain was found in both 1989 and 1999. The apparent absence of NTHI from the nasopharynx in most of the patients was assumed to be due to subcutaneous IgG treatment, as well as adequate antibiotic treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

From ecological reservoir to disease: the nasopharynx, day-care centres and drug-resistant clones of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Several lines of epidemiological and microbiological studies point to the multiple and critical roles of the nasopharynx of children-particularly those of pre-school age and attending day-care centres (DCCs)-in the emergence and spread of drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (DRP). A systematic yearly surveillance of the nasopharyngeal flora of children attending DCCs has been carried out in Lisbon since 1996. Molecular typing of several hundred DRP isolates showed that the great majority of DRP were represented by a relatively few clonal types that were frequently carried by many children in geographically distant DCCs and over several years of surveillance. The same epidemic DRP clones were also frequent among pneumococci causing both paediatric and adult disease worldwide. Penicillin-resistant pneumococci carry sequences of heterologous origin in their pbp genes and also in the recently identified murM: a gene essential for expression of penicillin resistance and for the unique cell wall structure of penicillin-resistant pneumococci. Virtually all DRP express only a limited number (five or six) of the very large genetic repertoire (up to 90) of serotypes available for this bacterial species and the serotypes of drug-resistant strains happens to be the same as the serotypes of drug-susceptible pneumococci that most frequently colonize pre-school age children. These observations strongly suggest that the nasopharynx of children is an important global ecological reservoir of DRP and may also play a critical role as the favoured anatomical site for the evolution of DRP.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Detection of Bordetella pertussis by polymerase chain reaction and culture in the nasopharynx of erythromycin-treated infants with pertussis.

BACKGROUND: Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease and the most serious effects occur in young infants. Recently it has been shown that rapid and highly specific PCR can be a useful diagnostic tool for detection of pertussis infection. To our knowledge there are no previous studies concerning the disappearance of Bordetella pertussis DNA from the nasopharynx during antimicrobial treatment. METHODS: We studied prospectively how rapidly live B. pertussis organisms and DNA of these bacteria disappear from the nasopharynx during erythromycin therapy in unvaccinated infants. Eighty-five nasopharyngeal swabs obtained from nine erythromycin-treated infants with pertussis on consecutive days during hospitalization were tested by PCR and culture. The PCR products were further analyzed by Southern hybridization. RESULTS: On the fourth day of treatment 56% of the samples were positive by culture and 89% by PCR, whereas after 7 days the rates were 0 and 56%, respectively. In seven of nine patients PCR remained positive for 1 to 7 days longer than culture. The follow-up study also showed the semiquantitative nature of the PCR assay. The intensity of the PCR products in agarose gel usually weakened with time during erythromycin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that PCR assay can achieve the specific diagnosis of pertussis infection in a large proportion of infants even when antimicrobial treatment has killed the organisms and culture is no longer positive.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed2005

Increase of macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae-expressing mefE or ermB gene in the nasopharynx among children with otitis media.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prevalence of macrolide resistant strains and the genotypes of the resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from the nasopharynx of children with otitis media. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. METHODS: A total of 858 S. pneumoniae isolates were collected from the nasopharynx of pediatric patients with acute otitis media at the clinics of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University Hospital and six affiliated hospitals in Wakayama prefecture between January 1998 and December 2002. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns were analyzed for penicillin, erythromycin, and clindamycin according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Macrolide resistance genes of mefE and ermB were determined by polymerase chain reaction of all S. pneumoniae. RESULTS: Of 858 clinical isolates, 259 (30.1%) were strains without ermB or mefE gene, 279 (32.5%) carrying mefE, 292 (34.0%) carrying ermB, and 28 (3.4%) carrying both genes. There was a strong correlation between phenotypes and the presence of macrolide resistance genes. The macrolide resistance genes were especially frequently identified among penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae. Strains carrying ermB gene gradually increased from 25% in 1998 to 45% in 2002, with a concurrent decrease in strains carrying mefE from 36% in 1998 to 1999 to 19% in 2002. Strains having mefE were frequently identified among children younger than 2 years old. The current finding suggested that high-level ermB-mediated macrolide resistance in S. pneumoniae is increasing at an alarming rate in pediatric patients with otitis media, especially among young children. Physicians should pay close attention to such macrolide-resistant bacterial pathogens in the antimicrobial treatment of pediatric patients with otitis media.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1977

Undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx: a light and electron microscopical study.

Light microscopical study of 29 cases of undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx showed evidence or origin of the tumour cells from overlying epithelium in 10 cases. In all cases the tumour cells had a distinctive cellular appearance of 'empty' chromatin deficient nuclei, prominent nucleoli and indefinite cytoplasmic margins. Electron microscopy indicated desmosomes and poorly defined tonofilaments in addition to the above cytoplasmic features. Undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx shows characteristic light and electron microscopic features which indicate that the tumour cells take origin from squamous epithelium, but are of an extreme degree of dedifferentiation.

Carcinoma↗
PubMed1989

The skull base and nasopharynx in Down's syndrome in relation to hearing impairment.

Children with Down's syndrome have a higher incidence of middle ear effusion than normal children. Twenty-eight patients with Down's syndrome and 33 age and sex-matched normal controls were studied. They were subdivided into 2 further matched groups on the basis of having normal or impaired hearing. Each underwent pneumatic otoscopy, audiometry and lateral head and neck radiography. This study examines radiological parameters to determine whether skeletal or soft tissue factors within the skull base or nasopharynx could be implicated as a cause or diagnostic feature of Eustachian tube dysfunction. The nasopharynx tended to be smaller in those with Down's syndrome and this resulted in a reduction in the airway size due to encroachment by the soft tissues. The angle between the base of skull and hard palate was significantly less acute in those with Down's syndrome and in those with hearing loss.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Melanotic oncocytic metaplasia of the nasopharynx.

Two cases of melanotic oncocytic metaplasia occurring in the nasopharynx are reported. One presented with serous otitis media and the other with tinnitus. Nasoscopic examination revealed a small brown nodule obstructing the Eustachian tube in both cases. While oncocytic metaplasia of the nasopharynx is not too uncommon, melanin pigmentation of the nasal or nasopharyngeal mucosa is very rare. To our knowledge, their combination has not been described.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Prevalence of bacterial respiratory pathogens in the nasopharynx in breast-fed versus formula-fed infants.

In several studies, breast-feeding has been associated with decreased frequency or duration of otitis media episodes. If a causal relationship exists, the mechanism of protection of breast-feeding has not been established. We hypothesized that infants who are breast-fed, compared with infants who are formula-fed, have a lower prevalence of nasopharyngeal colonization with the bacterial respiratory pathogens (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes) commonly isolated from the middle ear effusions of children with acute otitis media. In two private pediatric practices, we obtained specimens from the nasopharynx for culture from 211 infants at 1 month of age and from 173 of these infants at 2 months of age. A swab was left in place in the nasopharynx for 45 s and was then immediately transferred onto appropriate culture media. Exclusively breast-fed (n = 84) and exclusively formula-fed (n = 76) infants were similar regarding the number of persons in the household, the number of children in the household, the number of siblings in day care, and the proportion with a recent upper respiratory tract infection. The two groups did not differ significantly in the proportions found to have one or more respiratory pathogens at 1 month of age (10.7 versus 18.4%; P = 0.12) or 2 months of age (34.8 versus 35.1%; P = 0.57). We conclude that during the first 2 months after birth, the exclusive receipt of breast milk appears not to substantially influence the prevalence of nasopharyngeal colonization with common bacterial respiratory pathogens.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1973

Isolation of Neisseria lactamicus from the nasopharynx.

During 1971 and 1972, 71 cultures of neisseriae that attacked lactose were received by this laboratory. All strains except one from an eye swab were from the nasopharynx of healthy subjects. Nineteen similar strains from the nasopharynx were isolated in this laboratory. The characteristics of these strains were compared with those of Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria pharyngis, Neisseria catarrhalis, and Neisseria lactamicus. The 90 strains under investigation closely resembled Neisseria meningitidis but could be differentiated by production of acid from lactose and beta-galactosidase activity and were therefore classified as Neisseria lactamicus.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1987

MR imaging of the nasopharynx and floor of the middle cranial fossa. Part I. Normal anatomy.

The normal anatomy of the nasopharynx and floor of the middle cranial fossa was analyzed with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. MR images from five healthy volunteers were correlated with whole-organ cryomicrotome sections from three cadavers. Anatomic connections exist between the paranasopharyngeal spaces and the surface structures of the skull base. These anatomic connections include the intimate relationship between the eustachian tube and the pharyngobasilar fascia, the attachment of the muscles of mastication and deglutition to the skull base, and vascular and nervous structures in the foramina. The inherent contrast between the soft tissues of the nasopharynx and related structures and the bone of the floor of the middle cranial fossa allowed excellent visualization of these anatomic connections.

Cadaver↗
PubMed1995

Decreased acute toxicity by using midline mucosa-sparing blocks during radiation therapy for carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, and nasopharynx.

PURPOSE: To determine whether midline mucosa-sparing blocks (MSBs) protecting the aerodigestive tract can statistically significantly reduce acute toxicity during radiation therapy for carcinoma of the head and neck, without compromising tumor control. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiation records and simulation films were reviewed in 125 patients with carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, or nasopharynx. Patients with and without MSBs were compared. Measures of acute toxicity during radiation therapy were weight loss (> or = 5%), hospitalization for nutritional support, and unplanned treatment interruptions (> or = 5 days). Actuarial local-regional tumor control was compared. RESULTS: Patients with MSBs had significantly less weight loss (26 of 50 vs 37 of 47 patients, P = .006), fewer hospitalizations for nutritional support (one of 61 vs seven of 64 patients, P = .04), and a trend toward fewer treatment interruptions (10 of 61 vs 19 of 64 patients, P = .07) than patients without MSBs. The 3-year actuarial tumor control rates in the neck were similar. CONCLUSION: Midline MSBs decrease acute toxicity during radiation therapy for carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, and nasopharynx without compromising tumor control.

Actuarial Analysis↗