Preclinical evaluation of Luffa operculata Cogn. and its main active principle in the treatment of bacterial rhinosinusitis.

Introduction: The prevalence of rhinosinusitis is quite high. Despite the widespread use of antibiotics for rhinosinusitis, there are other forms of treatment, including phytotherapy. One of the most widely used herbal medicines for treatment of rhinosinusitis is Luffa operculata.

Influence of estradiol administration on estrogen receptors of nasal mucosa: an experimental study on guinea pigs.

Introduction: Some clinical trials revealed a correlation between increased serum estrogen and nasal symptoms or inflammatory changes in nasal mucosa. Estrogen receptors tend to be controlled by a negative feedback, to avoid a deleterious stimulus over several body functions while in hyperestrogenic periods. This study proposes a hypothesis where mechanisms regulating expression of estradiol receptors in nasal mucosa are absent in some patients, and their concentration remains steady even in periods of high serum hormonal concentration, potentially leading to local estrogenic symptoms in nasal mucosa.

Determination of HPV prevalence in oral/oropharyngeal mucosa samples in a rural district of São Paulo.

Unlabelled: Knowledge about HPV infection in the oral cavity/oropharynx may contribute to the elucidation of the role it plays in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC).

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of the methodology used for sampling the oral cavity and oropharynx mucosae and to determine the prevalence of HPV in the oral cavity and oropharynx of adults and children.

Method: The study population was served by an assistance program in a rural district of São Paulo.

Bacterial cellulose as laryngeal medialization material: an experimental study.

Hypothesis: The use of a material made of bacterial cellulose with the aim of obtaining vocal fold medialization has not hitherto been fully investigated. Although the material has been tested in other animal models, the evaluation did not include the larynx; hence, situations, such as tissue reaction, material absorption, and extrusion, need to be addressed to evaluate its usefulness as a material for laryngeal reconstruction.

Objective: To evaluate the medialization, tissue response, and healing of rabbit vocal folds, after the implantation of a membrane of bacterial cellulose.

Experimental study of the tissue reaction caused by the presence of cellulose produced by Acetobacter xylinum in the nasal dorsum of rabbits.

Unlabelled: Several materials have been proposed for nasal reconstruction. There is no consensus on which is the best. The cellulose blanket produced by bacteria may be a possible cartilaginous addition element to the nose.

Granular cell tumor of the larynx in children: a case report.

The granular cell tumor (GCT) is an uncommon neoplasm, with slow progression, usually benign, that can be found in any organ. The most common region for GCT involvement is in the head and neck. Laryngeal involvement is uncommon and accounts for 6 to 10% of all cases reported.

Experimental study on the influence of facial muscle activity on the facial mesostructure bones in rabbits.

Unlabelled: Based on the functional matrix concept, scientists developed the hypothesis that soft tissue acting on certain bone pieces determines the process of facial growth. The possibility to modify muscle influence in the phase of facial development, or in postoperative of corrective surgery is of great preventive importance and it should be better investigated, since it could reduce the number and impact of these procedures.

Study Design: experimental in rabbits.

Tracheal inflammatory response to bacterial cellulose dressing after surgical scarification in rabbits.

Unlabelled: Exuberant scarring tissue formation is among the failure causes of tracheal stenosis surgery. Dressings that could avoid such reaction could be very helpful in these cases. Bacterial cellulose, produced by acetobacter xylinun can be useful in these cases.

[Incidence of structural vocal fold abnormalities associated with vocal fold polyps.

Unlabelled: Phonotrauma is considered the main cause of vocal fold polyps (VFP). However, the authors believe that an underlying anatomical deviation could render the vocal folds more susceptible to such trauma.

Aim: To prove this hypothesis a retrospective chart review was carried out to correlate the surgical findings of patients with VFP.

Transventricular chondroplastic laryngotomy--a new surgical technique for the endolarynx.

Current surgical techniques for laryngeal exposure pose distinct limitations. To address these issues, this article describes a novel surgical technique. Our technique, termed Transventricular Chondroplastic Laryngotomy, allows for extensive and direct external access to the endolarynx.

Comparative study of several sinusitis experimental modelling techniques in rabbits.

Unlabelled: Experimental models for clinical studies of rhinosinusitis are needed.

Aim: to define a reliable, solid and reproducible experimental model for inflammatory rhinosinusitis with no innoculation of infectious agents in rabbits.

Study Design: Experimental.

Infectious granulomatous laryngitis: a retrospective study of 24 cases.

The diagnostic and treatment of verrucous lesions of the larynx involves a high level of suspicion by the physician attending the patient. The causes may go from unspecific laryngitis to neoplasia and granulomatous diseases. This kind of lesion is uncommon and the presentation aspects may vary broadly.

The interference of voice change on structural vocal cords lesions.

Unlabelled: A longitudinal cohort study Introduction: Voice change may be defined as a group of changes in voice pattern that take place between childhood and puberty. During this period some vocal cord lesions (specifically cysts and nodules) may undergo transformation.

Aim: To evaluate changes in vocal cord structural lesions following voice changes.

Comparative study of salivary pH and volume in adults with chronic laryngopharyngitis by gastroesophageal reflux disease before and after treatment.

Introduction: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is the most prevalent digestive disease of the modern society and has been associated with abnormalities in the larynx and pharynx (LPR). Nonetheless, little is known about the mechanisms involved in this atypical form of the disease. Contradictory clinical data suggest a defense deficit at this segment.

Vocal impact on quality of life of elderly female subjects.

Unlabelled: Although there are several investigations focusing the physiology and anatomy of voice and the senior's larynx, little has been produced to support the knowledge of the impact of vocal conditions on quality of life of this portion of the population.

Aim: To verify the impact of voice on quality of the life of elderly women, using the questionnaires Short-Form Health Survey--SF36 and Voice Handicap Index (VHI).

Study Design: Prospective transversal cohort study.

Is there a relationship between the pH and volume of saliva and esophageal pH-metry results?

There are several implications in the buffer capacity and in the protective role of saliva in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other digestive disorders. The lack of knowledge about the production and quality of saliva and the fact that saliva plays an important role in digestive homeostasis motivated the authors to study the relationship between reflux measured by esophageal pH-metry and the pH and volume of saliva in individuals with GERD and its laryngopharyngeal manifestations (LPR). The study was designed as a randomized clinical trial.

Vocal and laryngeal effects of voiced tongue vibration technique according to performance time.

Our objective is to study the vocal and laryngeal effect as well as the negative signs and sensations related to the voiced tongue vibration technique (VTVT), regarding the time of performance (from 0 to 7 minutes). Thirty adults (15 men and 15 women) with no vocal complaints nor laryngeal disorders were involved. All subjects underwent laryngostroboscopic and auditory perceptual analysis and answered about the existence of uncomfortable sensations that occurred during the exercise (1, 3, 5, and 7 minutes) and postexercise.

Histologic behavior of the inflammatory process in autologous fat implantation in rabbit vocal folds.

Fat implantation in the vocal fold is described as a method of repairing vocal fold histostructural lesions that correlate with mucosal wave abnormalities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histologic behavior of autologous fat implants. A fat block was implanted in pockets surgically created in the vocal folds of rabbits, and the inflammatory process induced was compared to the status of the contralateral vocal fold.