Nasopharyngeal Capillary Arteriovenous Malformation with Ancient/Symplastic Change: A Simulator of Malignancy

There are only 8 published cases of symplastic hemangioma (SH), a relatively recently described, distinct benign entity characterized by pleomorphic vascular smooth muscle and interstitial cells in a pre-existing, long-standing vascular lesion. Seven of these cases were of SH in cutaneous locations, and 1 case was described in the mediastinum. We report the case of the 12-year-old girl with a nasopharyngeal tumor mass with prominent symplastic changes arising in the background of a combined capillary arteriovenous malformation. After critical analysis of all published cases of SH, it is clear that these lesions commonly represent capillary arteriovenous malformations (CAVM) with ancient/symplastic changes according to current terminology proposed in the classification required by the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA). This is the first such lesion reported in a mucosal location and presenting in the pediatric age group. CAVM with ancient/symplastic change follows a benign clinical course, but it can simulate a malignant vascular tumor.

Surgical treatment of severe laryngomalacia: Six month follow up

BACKGROUND

Laryngomalacia (LM) is the most common congenital anomaly of larynx that causes stridor in children. We evaluated the efficacy of epiglottic suture and laser epiglottopexy for treatment of infants with severe LM.

METHODS

Surgical intervention was performed in 19 patients with severe LM, after the diagnosis was established using flexible laryngotracheobronchoscopy. Five patients had isolated type 1 LM, and 14 patients had a combination of type 1 and 3 LM. Indication for surgical treatment was the presence of LM with at least one of the following: malnutrition (body mass index [BMI] Z score < -2 SD), dysphagia or symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux and mean oxygen saturation (SaO2 ) <92% with oxygen desaturation index (ODI) > 3.

RESULTS

Epiglottic suture was performed in 11 patients, and laser epiglottopexy in eight, at mean age 3.95 ± 2.4 months. Rate of operation was 2.2-fold greater for more severe anomaly (combination of type 1 and 3 LM) than for isolated type 1. At 6 month follow up symptoms had gradually improved, as well as nutritional status, with increase of mean BMI Z score from -3.7 to -0.9 (P < 0.01). Mean preoperative SaO2 was 89.4 ± 4.3% with mean ODI of 5.8. At 6 month follow up, mean SaO2 was 96.7 ± 1.1%, and mean ODI was 1.2 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Epiglottic suture and laser epiglottopexy are efficient surgical techniques that lead to significant improvement of symptoms, oxygenation and nutritional status in patients with LM.

Comparison of cytokine levels in bilateral ear effusions in patients with otitis media secretoria

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to clarify the site of primary pathology in otitis media with effusion.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

The levels of the inflammatory mediators TNF-alpha, TNF-beta, IL-1beta, IL-8, IL-6, IL-4, IL-2, IL-5, IL-10, and IFN-gamma were measured in 54 pairs (108 samples) using specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs).

RESULTS

The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, TNF-beta, IL-1beta, IL-8, anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-5, IL-4, IL-10, IL-6, and cytokines with immunoregulatory potential IFN-gamma, IL-2 were different between both ears of the same patient.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that in one individual both ears have different immunological processes or rates and this has implications on using the opposite ear as a control in clinical trials.

SIGNIFICANCE

Profiles of interlink of examined cytokines within the samples of both ear effusions were significantly different. A significant bilateral difference was found in the levels of IFN-gamma.

Cytokine levels in groups of patients with different duration of chronic secretory otitis

Chronic secretory otitis relates to the permanent presence of secretion in the middle ear for more than 3 months. The reason why applied therapy is often ineffective is that, for now, etiopathogenic molecular mechanisms responsible for the cause and the course of the secretory process in the mucus of the middle ear have not been precisely defined. Cytokines are the key mediators in middle ear inflammation with secretory otitis and regulating different inflammation states can add to the cause of the molecular processes that lead to hystopathological changes in mucus and submucus characteristically for the chronic state of secretory otitis. The aim of our work was to define the pro-inflammatory, immunoregulatory and allergy-associated cytokine levels in middle ear secretion samples of diseased children and to compare the defined values with the secretory process continuance in groups of patients who were diseased for more or less than 3 months. According to the results that have showed higher concentration of all ten examined cytokines in the secretion samples of the children who had secretory otitis for a longer time, it can be concluded that the disturbance expression regulation of the pro-inflammatory TNFalpha, TNFbeta, IL1beta, IFNgamma, IL-6 and IL-8, as well as immunoregulatory IL-2 and IL-10, and allergy associated cytokines IL-4 and IL-5 relating to the hyper production can add to the conversion of the inflammatory process to the chronic state, which has been maintained for longer than 3 months.

Acute mastoiditis in infants

We present a retrospective study of 37 infants who were operated for acute mastoiditis during the period 2000-2004 in Mother and Child Health Care Institute, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. About 23 patients (62.2%) were male and 14 (37.8%) were female. Acute mastoiditis developed just after the first infection of the middle ear in 26 patients (70.3%). All patients had local and general symptoms. The most common local symptoms were blurred tympanic membrane in all patients, painful tenderness of mastoid in 21 (57%) and redness of tympanic membrane in 13 (36%). General signs of infection were loss of body weight in 28 (75.7%) patients, fever in 21 (56.8%), vomiting in 19 (51.3%), diarrhea in 19 (51.3%) and severe anemia that requested red blood cell transfusion in 6 (16.2%). Suppuration did not appear in any of the patients. Tympanocentesis had been performed prior to surgery in all patients. The most frequently isolated causative microorganism was Streptococcus pneumoniae which was found in 12 (32.5%) patients, Staphylococcus aureus was found in 8 (21.5%) and Hemophilus influenzae in 2 (5.5%). In 15 (405%) patients there was no bacterial isolation. Eleven patients (29.7%) who had previously had acute otitis media were implanted ventilation tubes during the surgical intervention. All patients were treated with antibiotics prior and after the surgical intervention. The finding on mastoidectomy was positive in all cases. According to the results of our study the combination of antibiotic and surgical treatment is optimal in treating acute mastoiditis. Making a diagnosis of acute mastoiditis might not be easy since there are no specific symptoms. We emphasize that it should always be considered as a differential diagnosis in cases of prolonged acute otitis media with no improvement after 10 days of antibiotic treatment, especially when accompanied with weight loss and general condition worsening.