The pectoralis myofascial flap in pharyngolaryngeal surgery after radiotherapy.

Pharyngocutaneous fistula after total laryngectomy remains a hardly inevitable complication. The predisposing factors are not clearly identified, but prior radiotherapy seems to increase the risk of fistulae. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the value of the pectoralis myofascial flap in pharyngeal reconstruction in post-radiotherapy total laryngectomy in order to decrease the risk of fistula formation.

Vein versus tragal perichondrium in stapedotomy.

Objective: To assess, in otosclerosis surgery, whether the vein or the tragal perichondrium in stapedotomy with interposition yields the better long-term hearing outcome.

Study Design: A retrospective chart review of prospectively collected audiometric data of 452 ears.

Setting: Academic tertiary otology-neurotology referral center.

[Surgical and/or endoscopic treatment of acquired tracheal stenosis in adult patients].

Objectives: Retrospective survey (over 13 Years) of the surgical treatment of 46 acquired tracheal stenosis, in adult patients. Our goals were to study their epidemiology, changes in the surgical technique with the cervical or endoscopic approach, and the recent contribution of endoprotheses.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-six therapeutic procedures were performed for 46 tracheal stenoses.

Chronic hypoxia protects against gamma-irradiation-induced apoptosis by inducing bcl-2 up-regulation and inhibiting mitochondrial translocation and conformational change of bax protein.

Malignant tumours contain zones of chronic or acute hypoxia, which influence their prognosis and progression. The goal of our study was to understand the role of hypoxia in radio-resistance in a squamous cell carcinoma cell line of the head and neck (KB-3-1 cells). Cell growth was evaluated by Trypan blue exclusion under chronic hypoxia (3-5% O2) for 4 weeks or under normal conditions (21% O2).

[Surgical strategy in paranasal sinus mucoceles].

Introduction: The aim of this retrospective study is to describe the surgical management of paranasal sinus mucoceles.

Materials & Methods: In the period from 1981 through 2000, 45 patients were treated for symptomatic mucoceles. The mucoceles were most frequently found in the anterior ethmoidofrontal system.

[Transmandibular buccopharyngectomy after radiotherapy for orpharyngeal cancer].

Materials & Methods: We present a retrospective study of 95 patients with recurrence of oropharyngeal carcinoma after exclusive radiotherapy. The treatment consisted in a salvage composite resection in all cases.

Results & Discussion: Since the use of muscular flaps, the post-operative complications have been relatively minimised but the carcinologic results were disappointing: only 20% of patients were alive free of disease at 5 years.

[Methods of identification and localization of ethmoid and sphenoid osteomeningeal breaches].

The accurate localization of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula presenting as rhinorrhea is an essential requirement for successful dural repair, in order to eliminate unsuccessful surgical exploration, and to achieve a definitive closure of the osteo-dural defect. The authors report their experience in 22 patients, and propose a simplified attitude: realization of high resolution CT scan in all cases, in first choice, and a MRI with MR cysternography sequences, in second choice, in case of negative CT scan.