Arthroscopy of the Inferior Compartment of the Temporomandibular Joint: A New Perspective.

Objective: Arthroscopy of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) has become a well-standardized non-invasive procedure for the treatment of TMJ internal derangement (ID). Since the last 1980s, no clinical application for arthroscopy of the inferior compartment has been established because of the intrinsic difficulty of the technique and the believing of the absence of clinical relevance for treatment of ID.

Methods: We report on a particular case in which arthroscopy of the inferior joint compartment together with the examination of the upper joint space was performed in a patient with ID of the TMJ.

Straightforward Method for Coverage of Major Vessels After Modified Radical Neck Dissection.

A new method for covering the internal jugular vein and carotid artery after exposure of the cervical vascular axis subsequent to neck dissection is presented. To cover the most caudal part of the vascular axis, a platysma coli muscle flap is harvested from its most medial and inferior part of the neck in a caudally based fashion and is slightly rotated posteriorly up to 45°. In addition, a superiorly based sternocleidomastoid muscle flap involving the posterior half of the muscle after detachment of the clavicle head is harvested and rotated 45° anteriorly to cover the upper two thirds of the vascular axis.

Cholesterol granuloma of the orbit. Report of cases and analysis of controversial treatment.

Cholesterol granuloma of the orbit is a rare entity originated from a foreign body reaction against cholesterol crystal. Its pathogenesis still remains unclear, while controversy is still present concerning its management. In the present report, two new cases of cholesterol granuloma of the orbit are presented and the authors focus on treatment considerations.

Lateral rhinotomy combined with anterior transantral approach for the treatment of large malignant melanoma of the nasal cavity involving the nasopharynx.

The authors report a case of nasal malignant melanoma involving the septum, nasal turbinates and nasopharynx which was approached by lateral rhinotomy combined with an anterior transantral approach with excision of the septum and the lateral wall of the nasal cavity for wide exposure of the tumour. Using this technique complete surgical resection of a large nasal malignant melanoma was achieved with minimal morbidity and good aesthetics.

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis following dental extraction. Radiological features and surgical treatment considerations.

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) following dental extraction is an extremely serious infection with a high mortality rate. Oral infection may rapidly descend into the mediastinum across the retropharyngeal and retrovisceral spaces. Once established, mediastinitis is rapidly followed by sepsis and death.

Influence of the upper joint surface and synovial lining in the outcome of chronic closed lock of the temporomandibular joint treated with arthroscopy.

Purpose: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthroscopy has been reported to be an effective and reliable technique for the treatment of chronic closed lock (CCL) of the TMJ. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether the status of the joint surface and the synovial lining directly visualized with arthroscopy could determine postoperative results in patients with CCL of the TMJ.

Materials And Methods: In all, 257 of 500 patients (344 joints) fulfilled the inclusion criteria for CCL of the TMJ.

Reconstruction of oromandibular defects by vascularized free flaps: the radial forearm free flap and fibular free flap as major donor sites.

Purpose: Since the advent of the modern microvascular techniques, the radial forearm free flap (RFFF) and the vascularized fibular free flap (VFFF) have become reliable methods for reconstructing oromandibular defects. The purpose of this study is to evaluate our experience with the use of both free flaps in the reconstruction of oral cavity defects after tumoral ablation.

Patients And Methods: Over a 9-year period, 103 consecutive patients were treated in our department for the reconstruction of oral defects after tumor ablation by means of microvascularized free flaps.

Local recurrences and second primary tumors from squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity: a retrospective analytic study of 500 patients.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of local recurrences (LRs) and second primary tumors (SPTs) from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity primarily treated with surgery and to further study their relationship with several primary tumor clinical and pathological features.

Methods: Five hundred of 522 patients with SCC of the oral cavity primarily treated with surgery were retrospectively analyzed for the appearance of LRs and SPTs within the oral cavity. All patients with SPTs fulfilled the Warren & Gates criteria.

Solitary cystic lymph neck node metastasis of occult thyroid papillary carcinoma.

The appearance of a solitary lateral cervical cystic mass as the only initial presenting symptom of occult thyroid carcinoma is uncommon. Its presence is often misdiagnosed due to the more frequent branchial cyst in young people. Although oronasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has been reported as the main cause of lymph neck node metastasis, thyroid papillary carcinoma may be responsible for solitary cervical cystic masses as the initial manifestation of the disease.

Migration of aluminum silicate from the oral cavity to the submandibular region, with foreign body granuloma formation: report of a case.

We present the first case of foreign body granuloma in the cervical (submandibular) region as a result of migration of noninjected aluminium silicate particles from the oral mucosa. This migration can be explained by macrophage phagocytosis and transport through the local lymphatic network and surgical disruption of fascial layers. The appearance of foreign body granulomas in distant sites may appear several weeks after the local event in a specific disposition according with the migration route.