[Mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN) as a side effect of head and neck cancer treatment: Factors that induce it].

Introduction: Osteoradionecrosis of the mandible is a relatively common complication in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy or concomitant chemoradiotherapy, characterized by exposure of the mandibular bone either in the mouth or in the facial skin, with no improvement with conservative treatment for six months. The risk factors are radiotherapy in head and neck region, lack of dental prophylaxis before treatment and dental extraction.

Material And Methods: Retrospective observational study analyzing incidence and etiologic factors of osteoradionecrosis in 250 patients undergoing radiotherapy or combined treatment of cervicofacial area between 2002 and 2010.

[Clinical characteristics of malignant tumours originating in the external ear].

Background: Skin tumours that originate in the external ear are common in individuals with type 1 skin and phenotype 1 and 2. The skin cancer is associated with chronic or intermittent, but intense sunlight. The most common malignant tumour is basal cell carcinoma, followed by squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.

[Dermoscopy in cutaneous melanoma].

Background: The mortality of cutaneous melanoma has not declined over the past 50 years. The only interventions that can reduce mortality are primary prevention and early diagnosis, and the dermoscopic evaluation is essential to achieve this. Dermoscopy identifies characteristics of melanoma that would go unnoticed to the naked eye.

[Thyroidectomy associated with laryngectomy in laryngeal cancer treatment. Is it routinely necessary?].

Introduction: In patients with laryngeal invasive epidermoid carcinoma who are candidates for total laryngectomy, it is recommended to resect en bloc at least half of the thyroid gland on the same side as the laryngeal tumor with the objective of decreasing local recurrence associated with thyroid infiltration. Nevertheless, in the histopathologic analysis of the specimen, a minority of thyroid glands show tumor infiltration. The fact that in these patients even partial thyroid resection is associated with hypothyroidism increased by postoperative radiotherapy is well known.