[Nasal patency patterns observed during working hours in a group of technicians habitually exposed to formaldehyde].

Formaldehyde is a substance which is widely used in several work fields, including many medical and biological sectors. It appears that formaldehyde exposure may cause bronchial asthma. Little information is available, however, with regard to upper aereal tracts.

[Nasal hyperreactivity and work environment].

The Authors report bibliographic data concerning the effects of some substances present in the work environment of the nose and the possibility of nasal hypersensitivity to these substances. Preliminary data referring to a current study in the First ENT Clinic of the University of Turin on workers exposed to formaldehyde vapors are reported.

[A cancer marker study in patients with neoplastic pathology of the neck and head area].

Specific markers able to detect either the presence of tumours or to identify the histological type of tumour are not currently available. Previous work yields an inconsistent picture of actual effectiveness of oncological markers, we therefore carried out a study on the cancer patients in our clinic. The present paper considered five markers (CEA, SCC, ca 19-9, TPA and Ferritin) and tested their effectiveness in diagnosing and following patients with head and neck neoplasias.