Biomarker discovery and authentication of cold-slaughtered chicken through classical analytical procedures and mass spectrometry based proteomic approaches

1. This study evaluated the suitability of routine analytical procedures and used mass spectrometry-based proteomic approaches to distinguish meat from dead chicken/ cold-slaughtered birds (CS), electrically stunned and slaughtered birds, as per standard protocols (ES), and birds slaughtered according to halal guidelines (HS).2. Meat from CS birds had lower (P < 0.05) pH, water-holding capacity and higher (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation, haem iron content, residual blood and total viable counts relative to ES and HS meat indicating poor quality.3. The results demonstrated the presence of unique protein bands on SDS-PAGE only in CS meat that can be used for routine screening.4. Protein analysis using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identified haemoglobin subunit alpha-A and alpha-D; Adenylate kinase isoenzyme 1 as reliable and stable marker proteins for authentication of dead chicken meat under raw and cooked conditions and halal slaughtered chicken, respectively.5. The methods used may be employed by the food safety and regulatory agencies for regular screening of meat quality and to authenticate CS or HS chicken.

Invasive Maxillary Aspergillosis in an Otherwise Healthy Individual

Invasive aspergillosis is usually seen in immunocompromised individuals. We report the case of a 56-year-old immunocompetent housewife with Aspergillus niger invading the ethamoid and sphenoid sinuses and extending to the anterior cranial fossa. A. niger grew on three occasions (from the biopsy, mass and duramater). In spite of medial maxillectomy and ethmoidectomy followed by craniofacial resection and antifungal drugs (amphotericin B) the patient died on tenth post-operative day.

Schwannoma of the nose and paranasal sinuses

Sckhwannoma is a benign tumor arising from the Schwann cells of nerve sheath.Through they arise more commonly in the head and neck than other regions, a through search in the liturature including medline revealed only about 47 reported cases of schwannoma in the paranasal sinuses of which the maxillary sinus involvement is more common. We report three cases of schwannoma arising from unusual sites in the paranasal sinuses with different modes of presttation each requiring a specific approach for surgical excision Transnasal endoscopic approach in combination with vonventional approaches is of immense value in the surgical management of these benign lessions of the paranasal sinuses.

Recurrent metastasi zing neuroendocrine tumor of paranasal sinuses

Neuroendocrine tumours- their rare occurrence and propensity for recurrences can undoubtedly pose as a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. A case report of one such case with recurrence and bony metastasis is presented.

Mucormycosis of the middle ear: a case report with review of literature

Mucor is a saprophytic organism and commonly invades the nose and paranasal sinuses of immunocompromised and diabetic patients involvement of the middle ear and mastoid in a nondiabetic patients is very rare and this may be the first case report clinical presentation of ear pain with reference to the mastoid and upper neck may be the early symptoms unlike the foul smelling ear discharge as seen in atticoantral disease. Radical debridement in the form of M.R.M with or without the use of amphotericin B may suffice in non-diabetic patients this case is reported to highlight the point that mucormycosis can also involve middle ear and mastoid in nondiabetic patients.

Leiomyoma of the nasal septum

Leiomyoma of nasal cavity is an extremely rare and unusual benign mass that uncommonly arises from the nasal septum. These are vascular or nonvascular masses of myogenic origin. We present a rare case of leiomyoma arising from the nasal septum and discuss its management using KTP 532 laser.

Removal of iron from groundwater by ash: a systematic study of a traditional method

A traditional method for removal of iron from ground water by using ash has been systematically investigated. Ashes from five different sources, viz., banana rind, banana pseudostem, banana leaf, rice husk and bamboo has been studied. The principle applied is enhanced precipitation of iron at high pH caused by ash. The study included laboratory analysis of some relevant chemical parameters of the ashes and the efficiency of the ashes in removing iron from prefabricated water with respect to quantity of ash and corresponding increase in pH of water. The ash of banana pseudostem has been found to be most suitable for removal of iron. A low-cost and easily made iron removal system for household use has been designed and tested in the laboratory. The ash of banana pseudostem has been found to remove iron to below 0.3ppm without increasing the pH above the acceptable limit. The optimum values of the different parameters for removal of iron are 200-300mgl(-1) ash, 1.0lh(-1) flow rate and 1h of contact time with ash for groundwater having [Fe] of about 2.20ppm. The amount of ash can be increased for groundwater having higher [Fe] and can be decreased gradually during continuous use of the system. Acceptability of the method has been examined based on chemical analysis of the treated water. Increase in the essential minerals such as Ca, K has been observed in the water after treatment. The designed iron removing system is expected to be suitable for household use.

Endoscopic KTP-532 laser assisted diverticulotomy for Zenker's diverticulum

Zenker's diverticulum, though counnon in western countries is uncommon in India. This diverticuham is an extension of umcosa through Killian's dehiscence. Various surgical methods have been described for the treatment of this condition including the use of lasers but none in Indian Journals. In this paper we describe a case of Zenker's diverticulum where diverticulotomy using KTP532 laser was successfully performed. Its advantages over other techniques are mentioned.

Surgical access to parapharyngeal space tumours--the Manipal experience

A few series of parapharyngeal space tumours have been reported earlier but recently not many series have been published in English literature. It is rare for any medical center, let alone an individual surgeon, to develop sufficient experience in evaluating these tumours. We present our experience in the treatment of 41 cases of parapharyngeal tumours from January 1992 to December 2001. FNAC, ultrasound and CT scan of the presenting mass was done in most of the patients as the main pre-operative work-up. The strategic location and extension of the tumour may occasionally alter the surgical approach for tumour excision.

Fourth branchial pouch sinus: a case report

The fourth branchial pouch sinus is a very rare developmental anomaly; it usually presents as a recurring abscess in the left side of the neck. A high index of suspicion, combined with Barium swallow and computed tomography scan, aids in diagnosis. A case of branchial pouch anomaly is reported here for its rarity and late presentation. Complete excision of the entire epithelial tract combined with ipsilateral thyroid lobectomy remains the mainstay of management.

Fas ligand expression by neoplastic T lymphocytes mediates elimination of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes in mycosis fungoides: a potential mechanism of tumor immune escape?

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and arises from the accumulation and clonal proliferation of epidermotropic, CD4+/CD45RO+ (helper/memory) T lymphocytes. Loss of CD8+ CTLs within MF lesions is associated with poor prognosis and disease progression. Because T-lymphocyte apoptosis is controlled mainly through the Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) pathway and tumor cells may escape immune surveillance by expressing FasL, triggering apoptosis of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes, we studied the role of this system in MF. T-cell subsets, Fas/FasL expression, and apoptosis were evaluated in normal and lesional skin biopsy specimens from 21 patients with all stages of MF and in cultured CTCL cell lines (MJ, HUT78, and HH) using immunohistochemistry, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), and Western blotting. MF lesions and paired, clinically "normal," uninvolved skin showed increased numbers of both TUNEL-positive epidermal keratinocytes (n = 13; F = 31.146; P < 0.01, ANOVA) and dermal lymphocyte infiltrates (n = 13; F = 15.825, P < 0.01, ANOVA) compared with the normal control skin. FasL expression was highest in lesional epidermal keratinocytes, in CTCL tumor cell lines, and in dermal tumor lymphocytes in MF lesions compared with uninvolved skin. FasL colocalized with CD45RO+ cells. CD8+ cells in or adjacent to CD45RO+ cells were positively labeled by TUNEL for apoptosis. In addition, CD8+ cell numbers were decreased in areas in which FasL+ tumor cells were abundant (2.01 +/- 0.86%) compared with non-FasL expressing areas (13.53 +/- 3.54%; P < 0.02). These results suggest that a potential mechanism of tumor immune escape in MF is FasL-mediated apoptosis of infiltrating CD8+ CTLs.

Carcinoma of external auditory canal

Tumors of external auditory canal are rare and malignant neoplasms of external auditory canal are uncommon. We report two cases of carcinoma of external auditory canal. Primary carcinomas of the external auditory canal are rare, the incidence being approximately two cases per one million per year. Incidence in females is more than males (1). The cases are usually diagnosed late because of the absence of significant presenting complaints.

Clear cell carcinoma of the larynx--a case report

Clear cell carcinoma (CCC) of the larynx is extremely rare and to the best of our knowledge no such case has been reported in the paediatric age group. These tumours resemble the clear cell carcinoma of the major and minor salivary glands. We report such a lesion in a 15 years old boy presenting with hoarseness and an exophytic growth in the glottis. A frontolateral conservation laryngectomy with laryngoplasty was done and over 2 years follow-up has shown no evidence of loco-regional recurrence and he enjoys an acceptable voice.

Congenital cervical bronchogenic cyst

A bronchogenic cyst is a rare developmental aberration that occurs in the paediatric age group. Over 50 cases of bronchogenic cysts have been reported in the literature. There is still a possibility of clinically misdiagnosing this condition as a more common congenital neck cyst like a branchial cyst. We report here the case of a 12-year-old female presenting with a neck swelling since birth who was diagnosed to have a bronchogenic cyst based on characteristic clinical and histopathological findings.

Osteolipoma of the skull base

Although lipomas are the most common benign tumours of the head and neck, the involvement of the skull base is rare and it is also very rare for a lipoma to undergo osseous metaplasia to become an ossifying lipoma or osteolipoma. We present a case of a solitary osteolipoma involving the skull base in a 17-year-old girl. A few cases of osteolipoma involving the head and neck have been reported, but this may be the first reported case of a solitary osteolipoma involving the skull base with extension to the infratemporal fossa and parapharyngeal space. The computed tomography (CT) scan helped to clinch the diagnosis and the histopathology confirmed it. The clinical presentation, role of CT scan, surgical approach used, histological features and the review of literature are discussed.

Rosai-Dorfman disease of the subglottis

A case of subglottic narrowing caused by an extranodal deposit of sinus histiocytosis in a 29-year-old man is reported. The characteristic features of Rosai-Dorfman disease, such as massive painless cervical lymphadenopathy, fever, raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate and raised white cell count, were all found to be absent. However, typical histological features, such as diffuse lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, Russel bodies, foamy histiocytes and histiocytes with emperipoiesis, confirmed the diagnosis. Rosai-Dorfman disease is an uncommon disorder and its presentation with progressive subglottic narrowing is extremely rare. Our experience in the management of this condition is reported and the review of literature is discussed.

Expression of a retinoid-inducible tumor suppressor, Tazarotene-inducible gene-3, is decreased in psoriasis and skin cancer

Tazarotene-induced gene-3 (TIG-3), isolated from human keratinocytes treated with the retinoic acid receptor-selective retinoid Tazarotene, is homologous to H-rev, a class II tumor suppressor. TIG-3 gene localized to chromosome 11q23, a site of loss of heterozygosity in several malignancies. Retinoids influence epidermal differentiation and are used to treat and prevent skin cancer. Therefore, we studied TIG-3 mRNA expression in psoriasis and in basal and SCCs by in situ hybridization and a quantitative QT-RT-PCR assay. Psoriasis lesions had significantly lower staining (median, 3) than paired normal control skin (median, 4; P = 0.012). TIG-3 mRNA was significantly higher in normal control skin (P = 0.001), in paired adjacent skin (median, 3; P = 0.007), and in overlying epidermis (median, 3.0; P = 0.0001) than in 21 SCC specimens as a group (median, 1.5).

Flotillin 2 is distinct from epidermal surface antigen (ESA) and is associated with filopodia formation

ECS-1, a monoclonal antibody (MoAb) raised to cultured human keratinocytes, stains the intercellular glycocalyx with a pemphigus-like pattern and recognizes a 35-kDa epidermal surface antigen (ESA) on Western blotting of keratinocyte extracts. When ECS-1 MoAb was used to screen a keratinocyte expression library, a unique cDNA was identified that predicted a 42-kDa globular protein of unknown function. This putative ESA was conserved between mice and humans and was encoded by a gene on chromosome 17q11-12 in linkage with neurofibromin. Homology between the cDNA sequence has been reported with flotillin 1, a caveolae associated protein, as well as Reggie 1 and 2, neuronal proteins expressed during axonal regeneration present in activated GPI-anchored cell adhesion molecules in non-caveolar-associated micropatches. In order to determine whether the cDNA predicted protein and ECS-1 antigen were identical, we compared ECS-1 with the immunoreactivity of a new antibody raised to the cDNA fusion protein in epidermis and cultured cells. The cDNA fusion protein was expressed in bacteria and in cos cells with his, FLAG, and EGFP reporter tags and by stable transfection as an EGFP fusion protein. The fusion protein and native protein of 42 kDa were detected by the new antibody, but not by the original ECS-1. Thus, the ECS-1 antigen, ESA (35 kDa), is clearly distinct from the protein predicted by the cDNA (renamed flotillin 2). Stable transfection of ESA/flotillin 2 fusion protein in cos cells induced filopodia formation and changed epithelial cells to a neuronal appearance. Thus, the function of flotillin 2 may resemble that of the goldfish optic nerve neuronal regeneration proteins, Reggie 1 and 2.

Synovial sarcoma of the head and neck a report of 3 cases

Synovial sarcoma is very rare and highly malignant tumour of the head and neck. Only 3 cases of synovial sarcoma have been treated 1980-1997 in Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. Treat-ment involved extensive surgical resection of the tumour (with neck dissection in two cases); and post- operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy in one case. Behaviour of the tumour was followed up till August 1997. It remains in our experience that synovial sarcoma, though a tumour or poor prognosis if treated by adequate tumour resection and adjunctive radiotherapy and chemotherapy, has good patient survival.

Solitary adult myofibroma of the pinna

Solitary myofibroma is a recently described benign neoplasm of the skin or superficial soft tissue and it represents the adult counterpart of infantile myofibromatosis. This new clinicopathological entity is being recognized increasingly. A case of solitary myofibroma occurring in the pinna of a 50-year-old woman is presented. Such a lesion occurring in the pinna of an adult has not been reported in the literature.

Olfactory neuroblastoma - our experience

The authors present six cases of olfactory neuroblastoma with or without intracranial extension operated on by the team headed by Otolaryngologists and Neurosurgeons. Data was analysed with respect lo age group, sex, presenting symptoms and signs, stage, and results of combined modality of treatment. The author's experience suggests excellent local control can be achieved by combined craniofacial resection followed by radiation therapy. Hence the authors recommend planned combined radical treatment for all the resectable lesions and routine use of nasal endoscope along with other conventional methods for compehensive follow-up of all cases.

Prevention and management of synechia in pediatric endoscopic sinus surgery using dental wax plates

Synechia formation is a very common complication of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Inspite of meticulous post-operative care, synechia do form in quite a large number of patients. Moreover, frequent post-operative cleaning may not be possible without general anesthesia in non-compliant patients, especially children. This study compares the incidence of synechia following pediatric ESS with or without spacer/tamponade in the operated cavity. The authors have found dental wax plates to be equally effective and more economical spacers compared to Merocel tamponade, in prevention and management of synechia in the pediatric age group.

The indications and complications of pectoralis major myocutaneous flap reconstruction in head and neck surgery-our experience

Most of the head and neck cancer patients in India present to the Otolaryngologist, Head and Neck surgeon in the advanced stages of their disease. Extensive resection followed by acceptable morphological & functional reconstruction is the goal for the surgeon. Use of the pectoralis major myocutaneous (PMMC) flap enables extensive ablative procedures to be carried out followed by immediate and reliable reconstruction. Thirty consecutive cases of biopsy proven squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region were studied. All underwent extensive resection of the tumour with pectoralis major myocutaneous flap reconstruction, with preor post-operative external irradiation. This study concentrates on the indications for and complications encountered with the use of the pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. Also included is an extensive review of the literature relating to the complications encountered with the use of this method of reconstruction.

Dual ectopic thyroid: a report of two cases

Ectopic thyroid is an uncommon embryological aberration characterized by the presence of thyroid tissue at a site other than in its usual pretracheal region. Usually it occurs along the path of descent of the developing thyroid primodium from the foramen caecum, commonest being lingual followed by sublingual and in the anterior midline of neck at, or below, the level of the hyoid bone. It is unusual for lingual thyroid to present simultaneously with another ectopic thyroid; reported here are two such cases.

Anterior skull base surgery-our experience

Anterior skull base surgery is now an accepted treatment modality for many lesions involving the anterior skull base including the pituitory region. This paper deals with a fifteen year experience over various approaches to the anterior skull base, and thereby trying to rationalize the appropriate approach for the tumours in different anatomical situations. Relevant literature has also been reviewed.

Mastoid obliteration using temporo-parietal fascia flap-our experience

The management of cholesteatomatous ear disease by open cavity mastoidectomy is plagued by a number of cavity problems. A chronically discharging cavity besides being a frustrating dilemma to the surgeon is also a social handicap to the patient. Obliteration of such discharging cavities seems to be an effective therapeutic modality. This paper deals with mastoid obliteration using a vascularized axial pattern temporoparietal fascia flap. Twenty post-mastoidectomy cases were retrospectively studied for cavity problems and prospectively for efficacy of the technique in terms of achieving a dry ear and hearing improvement. Also included is an extensive review of literature regarding the various causes of cavity problems and techniques of obliteration.

Interleukin-8 is induced in skin equivalents and is highest in those derived from psoriatic fibroblasts

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) may be important in psoriasis as it is expressed in the stratum granulosum, attracts polymorphonuclear cells, and stimulates angiogenesis and keratinocyte mitogenesis. To study intrinsic cutaneous factors in psoriasis, we constructed skin equivalents from psoriatic or adult control fibroblasts with normal foreskin keratinocytes. IL-8 levels were measured in supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and in skin equivalents by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. IL-8 was highly induced in skin equivalents compared to cells grown alone. Epidermal stratification varied among fibroblast lines and was correlated with IL-8 levels, but lesional and nonlesional psoriatic skin equivalents from the same donor were similar. Six fibroblast lines (two psoriasis lesion and four normal) supported only monolayers, while 12 lines (seven psoriasis lesion and five normal) produced stratification. Mean IL-8 levels were significantly lower in dermal equivalents of the first group than the second (0.78 +/- 0.40 vs 3.93 +/- 2.83 ng per ml, mean +/- SD, p = 0.01, analysis of variance). Significantly more IL-8 was secreted by psoriatic than normal fibroblast skin equivalents over 14 d (p = 0.015) with greatest differences at 1 and 4 d. Psoriatic IL-8 levels peaked first and remained increased. IL-8 protein and mRNA were initially strongest in dermal fibroblasts, and at the dermal-epidermal interface. Diffuse epidermal expression was replaced by accentuation in the stratum granulosum. Psoriatic skin equivalents were thicker, had more intense IL-8 staining, and developed invagination. We hypothesize that an IL-8 paracrine loop between fibroblasts and keratinocytes may play a key role in epidermal regeneration in the skin equivalent, in normal wound healing, and in the determination of an intrinsic psoriatic wound-healing phenotype.

Hearing anomalies following radiation therapy for head and neck cancers

Ionizing radiation used for the treatment of head and neck tumors affected epithelial and connective tissue. Epithelial lining of the middle ear mucosa desquamated, when exposed to conventional dose of radiation. Mucosa becomes oedematous which subsequently lead to formation and collection of sterile fluid within middle ear cavity and thus producing radiation otitis media with conductive deafness. Radiation induced changes in the structure surrounding the end organs of hearing such as vascular and connective tissue alterations which later eventually could affect the end organ leading to perceptive type of hearing loss as a result of chronic anoxia to end organ.

Giant neurofibroma of the tongue

Neurofibroma of the tongue arising from the hypoglossal nerve is rare [7], but a combined neurofibroma of the hypoglossal and lingual nerve is extremely rare in the English literature to our knowledge [4,6]. Here one such case is being presented for its rarity, peculiarity of its clinical presentation and the surgical approach to excise it.

Osteogenic sarcoma of sphenoid bone: an extended lateral skull base approach

Osteogenic sarcoma involving the sphenoid bone is an extremely rare condition. The rarity of the disease and the close proximity of the sphenoid bone to the various important intracranial structures poses a real challenge in diagnosis and surgical management of these lesions. An extended lateral craniofacial resection by a multidisciplinary approach was carried out in one such case to attempt en bloc resection. This case is presented and also a review of the relevant literature.

Invasive maxillary aspergillosis in an otherwise healthy individual

Invasive aspergillosis is usually seen in immunocompromised individuals. We report the case of a 56-year-old immunocompetent housewife with Aspergillus niger invading the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses and extending to the anterior cranial fossa. A. niger grew on three occasions (from the biopsy, mass and dura mater). In spite of medial maxillectomy and ethmoidectomy followed by craniofacial resection and antifungal drugs (amphotericin B) the patient died on tenth post-operative day.

Foreign body in the ethmoid sinus

An air gun pellet lodged in the posterior ethmoid sinus in a 1-year-old child is described. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery enabled the removal of the pellet, obviating an external ethmoidectomy.

Congenital internal carotid artery aneurysm

Congenital carotid aneurysms are frequently found in the intracranial arteries but rarely seen in extracranial part of the internal carotid artery. A case of a congenital internal carotid artery aneurysm at the skull base was treated in a 13-year-old female child. This case is being presented for its rarity and also to highlight the ease of exposing the upper end of the aneurysm via lateral skull base approach. Infratemporal fossa approach was adopted in this case. The carotid canal was drilled off and the upper end of the aneurysm in the intrapetrous part was mobilized and vascular clip applied before dissection of the aneurysm. Relevant literatures pertaining to this case are also reviewed.

Cellular basis for the negative inotropic effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the adult mammalian heart

To define the mechanism(s) responsible for the negative inotropic effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) in the adult heart, we examined the functional effects of TNF alpha in the intact left ventricle and the isolated adult cardiac myocyte. Studies in both the ventricle and the isolated adult cardiac myocyte showed that TNF alpha exerted a concentration- and time-dependent negative inotropic effect that was fully reversible upon removal of this cytokine. Further, treatment with a neutralizing anti-TNF alpha antibody prevented the negative inotropic effects of TNF alpha in isolated myocytes. A cellular basis for the above findings was provided by studies which showed that treatment with TNF alpha resulted in decreased levels of peak intracellular calcium during the systolic contraction sequence; moreover, these findings did not appear to be secondary to alterations in the electrophysiological properties of the cardiac myocyte. Further studies showed that increased levels of nitric oxide, de novo protein synthesis, and metabolites of the arachidonic acid pathway were unlikely to be responsible for the TNF alpha-induced abnormalities in contractile function. Thus, these studies constitute the initial demonstration that the negative inotropic effects of TNF alpha are the direct result of alterations in intracellular calcium homeostasis in the adult cardiac myocyte.

Antibody against a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator-derived synthetic peptide inhibits anion currents in human colonic cell line T84

The cystic fibrosis (CF) phenotype is characterized by a regulatory defect in Cl- permeability in epithelia. A gene (250,000 base pairs) that is associated with this autosomal genetic disorder has been identified. To determine the cellular function of the recently cloned gene product, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), we have produced antibody against a synthetic peptide deduced from the CFTR cDNA sequence corresponding to positions 505-511. This site includes phenylalanine 508, the deletion of which is the most commonly expressed mutation in CF. We sought to determine whether the anti-CFTR505-511 peptide antibody could modulate the activation of the volume-sensitive, Ca(2+)-dependent, as well as the cAMP-dependent Cl- conductances present in the Cl(-)-secreting human colonic T84 cell line. Affinity-purified anti-CFTR505-511 antibody was introduced into the cytoplasm of individual T84 cells and its function studied using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Although cAMP-dependent Cl- current activation was inhibited in cells perfused with the anti-CFTR505-511 peptide antibody, Ca(2+)-dependent anion current activation remained unaffected. Chloride current activation, which accompanies cellular swelling, was partially attenuated in anti-CFTR505-511 antibody-loaded cells as compared with control cells perfused with either saline or irrelevant antibody. These results further support a role for CFTR in anion transport in epithelial cells and suggest its possible involvement in a number of anion transport pathways in chloride secretory epithelia.

Neurogenic tumours of the parapharyngeal space in the paediatric age group

Two cases of neurogenic tumours of parapharyngeal space in children of 7 years old are presented. Difficulties during the diagnosis, investigations and management are discussed along with a review of the available literature. CAT scan with sialography, carotid angiography during surgery, angle mandibulectomy and liberal incision to expose the great vessels for better control of bleeding are stressed to minimise the peri-operative complication and to assist in complete removal of the tumours.

Otogenic brain abscess in childhood

Brain abscesses are quite rare complications of middle ear infections. Although temporal lobe abscesses are more common than cerebellar abscesses, the converse was found to be true in our series of 10 cases. Eight cases of cerebellar abscess and 2 cases of temporal lobe abscess in the paediatric age group were reported including 4 cases of latent brain abscesses which manifested themselves after mastoidectomy for middle ear infection. Brain abscess is by far the most serious of otogenic complications.

Regulation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-release channel requires intact annexin VI

Annexin VI has eight highly conserved repeated domains; all other annexins have four. Díaz-Muñoz et al. (J Biol Chem 265:15894, 1990) reported that annexin VI alters the gating properties of the ryanodine-sensitive Ca(2+)-release channel isolated from sarcoplasmic reticulum. The investigate the domain structure of rat annexin VI (67 kDa calcimedin) required for this channel regulation, various proteolytic digestions were performed. In each case, protease-resistant core polypeptides were produced. Annexin VI was digested with V8 protease and two core polypeptides were purified by Ca(2+)-dependent phospholipid binding followed by HPLC. The purified fragments were shown to be derived from the N- and C-terminal halves of annexin VI, and demonstrated differential immunoreactivity with monoclonal antibodies to rat annexin VI. While both core polypeptides retained their ability to bind phospholipids in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, they did not regulate the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-dependent manner, they did not regulate the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-release channel as did intact annexin VI.