Facial fracture repair in the traumatic brain injury patient.

Purpose: To review the surgical complications of patients who had facial fractures repairs in the setting of a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Patients And Methods: A review of all individuals admitted with the diagnosis of TBI based on an evaluation by the neurotrauma service who also underwent facial fracture repair was performed. More than 600 charts were reviewed and 99 patients met study criteria.

Videostroboscopy of the pharyngoesophageal segment in laryngectomy patients treated with botulinum toxin.

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to use videostroboscopy to study the physiologic and biomechanical effects of botulinum toxin (Botox) injection on the pharyngoesophageal segment (PES) in total laryngectomy patients with poor-quality tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) voice caused by PES spasm.

Methods: The following was a prospective study. Videostroboscopy of the PES and videotaped recordings of patients performing TEP voice tasks were conducted before and after Botox injection of the PES.

Anti-CD3/anti-CD28 bead stimulation overcomes CD3 unresponsiveness in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: To test whether T-cell CD3 responses are altered in patients with advanced-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and whether anti-CD3/anti-CD28 (alphaCD3/alphaCD28) bead stimulation could reverse CD3 unresponsiveness.

Design: Anti-CD3 (alphaCD3) monoclonal antibody immobilized on tissue culture plastic was used to stimulate lymph node mononuclear cells (LNMCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with advanced-stage HNSCC. Proliferation, T-cell phenotype, and cytokines were measured during 8-day in vitro stimulation.

Anti-CD3/anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody-coated suture enhances the immune response of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To test whether anti-CD3/anti-CD28 (alphaCD3/alphaCD28) monoclonal antibodies could be coated on surgical suture and used to enhance T-cell immune function in patients with advanced-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Design: AlphaCD3/alphaCD28 monoclonal antibodies at varying concentrations and ratios were coated on surgical sutures and tested on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from normal donors to identify the optimal stimulating condition. Immune-enhancing properties of alphaCD3/alphaCD28 monoclonal antibody suture were tested on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and regional lymph node mononuclear cells isolated from patients with advanced HNSCC and on normal donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Botulinum toxin injection to improve tracheoesophageal speech after total laryngectomy.

Total laryngectomy patients, after undergoing a tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP), may have poor TEP speech because of hypertonicity or spasm of the pharyngoesophageal segment (PES). Conventional treatment options include speech therapy, PES dilation, pharyngeal neurectomy, and myotomy. Botulinum toxin injection into the PES has recently been reported to be effective for this disorder.