Novel application of vinylpolysiloxane hearing aid impression mold as patient-specific bolus for head and neck cancer radiotherapy.

Hearing aid impression material composed of vinylpolysiloxane is an ideal bolus material which may be used to aid in delivery of adjuvant radiation to complex surgical defects of the head and neck. It is affordable, easily accessed, and efficient.

Effects of antithrombogenic agents on microvenous anastomoses in a rat model.

Objective: To compare venous thrombosis rates among animals treated with aspirin, clopidogrel bisulfate, and ketorolac tromethamine using an anastomotic "tuck" model.

Design: Single-blind randomized animal study.

Setting: An animal laboratory at a tertiary care academic referral center.

Repair of esophageal perforation due to anterior cervical spine instrumentation.

The complication of esophageal perforation after anterior cervical spine fusion for cervical spine disease is rare but potentially fatal. We describe two cases of esophageal perforation found by esophagoscopic visualization. In one patient, primary closure could not be achieved, and a submental island flap was used to repair the defect.

Free flap survival despite early loss of the vascular pedicle.

Background: Early success of microvascular free tissue transfer is dependent upon the patency of the primary vascular pedicle. In time, neovascularization from the recipient bed and surrounding wound margins into the graft may be sufficient to maintain flap viability. The time necessary for successful neovascularization to occur is unclear.

Naturally draining ostium of an agger nasi cell: a case report.

We describe the case of a 61-year-old woman who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic hyperplastic rhinosinusitis. During surgery, we were able to visualize the natural ostium of her left agger nasi cell. To our knowledge, such a finding has not been previously documented in the literature.

Evaluation of a thyroid nodule.

Solitary thyroid nodules are common entities and the majority of these are benign. The main goal in evaluating these nodules is to identify the [figure: see text] nodules with malignant potentials. A multitude of diagnostic tests is available to the clinician.