Relation of Nonrecurrent Laryngeal Nerve with Zuckerkandl's Tubercle.

The nonrecurrent laryngeal nerve (NRLN) is a rare anatomical variation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) that may hinder the identification and preservation of this nerve during surgery and is associated with increased iatrogenic risks. Zuckerkandl's tubercle (ZT) is considered a useful reference for locating the RLN during thyroid surgery. We report the case of an asymptomatic patient with a 23 mm uninodular goitre suspicious for cancer.

Can the Zuckerkandl tubercle assist in the location of the inferior laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomies?

Objective: to evaluate whether the lateral projection of the thyroid gland, called Zuckerkandl's tubercle (ZT), can assist the surgeon in identifying the inferior laryngeal nerve during conventional open thyroidectomy.

Methods: we conducted a prospective study with 51 patients submitted to thyroidectomy, with a total of 100 resected thyroid lobes, and observed the presence or absence of ZT in sufficient dimensions to be identified without image magnification, its base and height, its location in the gland, and its anatomical relationship with the inferior laryngeal nerve.

Results: ZT was present in 68 of the 100 thyroid lobes analyzed (68%).

Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer at Critical Facial Sites: Results and Strategies of the Surgical Treatment of 102 Patients.

Background: To evaluate the surgical treatment results of a consecutive series of patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer in critical facial regions such as the nose, lip, eyelid, ear, forehead, cheek, and chin.

Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study evaluating the surgical treatment results of 102 patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer who underwent surgical excision and required some type of reconstruction. The reconstruction strategy used, histological type and margins, aesthetic result, and complications were evaluated.

Nosocomial infections in a neonatal intensive care unit during 16 years: 1997-2012.

Introduction: Surveillance of nosocomial infections (NIs) is an essential part of quality patient care; however, there are few reports of National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) surveillance in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and none in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to report the incidence of NIs, causative organisms, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in a large cohort of neonates admitted to the NICU during a 16-year period.

Methods: The patients were followed 5 times per week from birth to discharge or death, and epidemiological surveillance was conducted according to the NHSN.