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Biomedical subjects

E Sesenna

Publications and source records attributed to E Sesenna.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The localization of facial motor impairment in sporadic Möbius syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the neurophysiologic aspects of facial motor control in patients with sporadic Möbius syndrome defined as nonprogressive congenital facial and abducens palsy. METHODS: The authors assessed 24 patients with sporadic Möbius syndrome by performing a complete clinical examination and neurophysiologic tests including facial nerve conduction studies, needle electromyography examination of facial muscles, and recording of the blink reflex and of the trigeminofacial inhibitory reflex. RESULTS: Two distinct groups of patients were identified according to neurophysiologic testing. The first group was characterized by increased facial distal motor latencies (DMLs) and poor recruitment of small and polyphasic motor unit action potentials (MUAPs). The second group was characterized by normal facial DMLs and neuropathic MUAPs. It is hypothesized that in the first group, the disorder is due to a rhombencephalic maldevelopment with selective sparing of small-size MUs, and in the second group, the disorder is related to an acquired nervous injury during intrauterine life, with subsequent neurogenic remodeling of MUs. The trigeminofacial reflexes showed that in most subjects of both groups, the functional impairment of facial movements was caused by a nuclear or peripheral site of lesion, with little evidence of brainstem interneuronal involvement. CONCLUSION: Two different neurophysiologically defined phenotypes can be distinguished in sporadic Möbius syndrome, with different pathogenetic implications.

Adolescent↗

Iliac crest free flap in oromandibular reconstruction. 13 cases study.

Oromandibular reconstruction following oncological resection is particularly challenging. In this past decade, great improvements have been made, in functional and aesthetic terms, following the introduction of composite free flaps. By means of this reconstructive technique, it is, in fact, possible to restore mandibular continuity, and, consequently, the morphology of the lower third of the face; rehabilitate mastication through osteointegrated implants, and optimise the reconstruction of soft tissue, employing the fascio-cutaneous or muscular portion of these flaps. Between January 1995 and January 2001, 70 oromandibular reconstructions employing osseous free flaps were performed in the Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery of the Ospedale Maggiore in Parma, and in 13 of these the iliac crest free flap was used. Personal experience is described regarding the indications and use of this flap.

Adolescent↗

Oromandibular reconstruction with simultaneous free flaps: experience on 10 cases.

Composite defects resulting from surgery for advanced oral cancer represent a difficult reconstructive problem and, in some cases, tissutal defects are extensive requiring multiple free flaps. Personal experience is reported with double free-flap technique in the reconstruction of large complex defects in 10 patients treated for T4 oral squamous-cell carcinoma. Fibula osteo-cutaneous free flap was used in association with forearm free flap in 5 cases, fibula osseous-forearm in 3 cases, fibula osseous-rectus abdominis in 1 case, iliac crest-forearm in 1 case. Forearm free flap was used for intra-oral reconstruction in all cases. Total flap survival is 100% and all patients regained adequate oral diet. At the time of evaluation (February 2001), 40% of patients are alive and mean survival rate is 36 months. In conclusion, simultaneous free flap reconstruction, in massive oro-mandibular defects, represents in some selected patients, a good choice to achieve satisfactory aesthetic and functional results.

Adult↗

Role of intra-operative sentinel lymph node biopsy in oral cavity and oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma: preliminary data.

In patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx, the presence of latero-cervical lymph node metastases was found to be the most important of the better known prognostic factors. Still, today, the most reliable technique by which to detect the presence of lymph node metastases is surgery aimed at the dissection of the latero-cervical space; albeit, this surgical procedure has been shown to be an over-treatment in a large percentage of patients presenting squamous cell carcinoma, clinically, radiologically and histologically negative, at neck level. The technique of intra-operative biopsy of sentinel lymph node, routinely used in the staging and treatment of tumours with elective lymphatic involvement such as carcinoma of the breast and malignant cutaneous melanoma, has progressively caught the attention of head and neck surgeons in the most important referral centres in the world, and, indeed, its role has been hypothesised in the treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx with clinically N0 neck. Preliminary results are reported, concerning the use of this intraoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy technique with double tracer in patients presenting squamous cell carcinoma originating in the mucosa of the upper air-digestive tract, clinically and radiologically free from disease at latero-cervical level.

Adult↗

Synovial cell sarcoma of the neck. Case report and review of the literature.

Synovial sarcoma is an uncommon neoplasm accounting between 8 and 10% of all soft tissue malignancies. Involvement of the head and neck region is rare. So far, fewer than 100 cases have been reported in the literature and only a few originated in the soft palate, tongue, larynx, hypopharynx, and cervical oesophagus. We report the case of a synovial sarcoma of the parapharyngeal space in a 72-year-old female, and experience in the behaviour and surgical treatment of this neoplasm is described. The patient has remained disease free for 28 months, with regular follow-up. Based upon this case and the others reported in the literature, synovial sarcoma does not have a good overall prognosis, and on account of its rarity and unpredictable biologic behaviour, surgical excision, and regular clinical and radiographic follow-up for at least 3 years are strongly recommended.

Aged↗

[Distraction osteogenesis in a newborn infant with Pierre-Robin sequence].

BACKGROUND: The prognosis for Pierre Robin sequence is often closely correlated with direct postnatal asphyxia (ARDS) and permanent cerebral damage. Unfortunately, all of the well-known treatments entail many problems, which often lead to medical care of the patient for many years. Distraction osteogenesis was recently introduced as a very promising procedure. We revised this concept for newborn children aged up to 3 months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The first patient was operated with an extraoral distractor at an age of approx. 3 months. The second patient was operated at an age of approx. 2 months. A new distractor was used, conceived specifically by our department for newborn children. RESULTS: Distraction osteogenesis was successful in both cases. After 20 days the first patient was able to breathe without the tracheotomy cannula. In the second case, we removed the nasopharyngeal tube successfully on the 7th postoperative day. The bilateral length gain amounted to 20 mm in the first case and 15 mm in the second. DISCUSSION: The usual jaw distraction osteogenesis has many disadvantages in babies: scar formation in the places depressed by pins and early pin loss. For the above-mentioned reasons, we developed a new type of extraoral distractor, which solves these problems. Less required space and the absence of pins resulting in fewer disfiguring scars are the clinical advantages of this new distractor.

Facies↗

Treatment of carcinoma of the parotid gland: the results of a multicenter study.

PURPOSE: This study analyzed the prognostic factors for carcinoma of the parotid gland and the role of surgery alone or with radiotherapy in treating these lesions. METHODS: Forty-five patients with malignant parotid tumors were studied retrospectively. Patients were treated by combined surgery and radiation therapy between 1984 and 1995 at the Maxillo-Facial Departments of the General Hospitals of Bologna and Parma. Resection was conservative when possible, depending on the extent of the tumor. The median follow-up time was 54 months. Data regarding incidence, tumor stage and grade, local control, distant metastases (calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method), and survival were analyzed. Cox's multiple linear regression was used to identify patient and tumor characteristics with the greatest prognostic significance. RESULTS: The actuarial 5- and 8-year disease-free survival rates were 81% and 62%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that tumor stage was a more prognostic variable than tumor grade. Residual microscopic disease at the excision margins was also an important prognostic variable. Laterocervical metastases affected 4 patients (9%), and distant metastases appeared in 8 patients (18%). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative irradiation is indicated for patients with stage III and IV disease, patients with positive excision margins, and for patients with lymph node metastases.

Actuarial Analysis↗

A comparison of open and closed treatment of condylar fractures: a change in philosophy.

A comparison between two samples of patients with condylar fractures is reported: the first treated non-surgically and the second with open reduction and rigid internal fixation. The functional results for both groups were similar. However, open reduction gave better occlusal results, anatomic restoration and faster recovery rates than non-surgical techniques.

Adolescent↗

[Lymphatic metastases in the parotid region from malignant skin neoplasm of the head: considerations for surgical treatment based on personal clinical experience].

The present paper considers some of the problems linked to the surgical treatment of parotid metastases. The authors base these considerations on their limited personal cases and on the most accredited literature. In the presence of cutaneous malignancies of the upper portion of the face, accurate clinical-radiological evaluation must be made of the parotid and neck region. Elective parotidectomy is performed when the cutaneous carcinoma is quite extensive or located in proximity of the gland or when the case involves a melanoma. Depending on the oncological margins, a sub-total parotidectomy may be enough; however, the facial nerve must be sacrificed if there is a clinical deficit or if it is directly affected by the tumor. As the dimensions of the neoplasm increase, the feasibility of saving the nerve decreases. Prophylactic treatment of the neck is advisable in parotid metastases from cutaneous malignancies, particularly melanoma. Nevertheless, it is possible to perform a selective dissection, avoiding the V level of the neck as the incidence of its involvement is quite low. Prognosis for these tumors is extremely poor. Of the eleven patients surgically treated, only 4 (36%) survived: 2 passed away from other causes not involved in the base pathology; 2 for distant metastases but with no signs of local recurrence and 1 other for recurrence of the primary pathology in the maxillary sinus mucosa. There is no difference in the survival of the two main histological groups: 2 out of 3 of the patients with melanoma (67%) died as did 3 out of 5 (60%) of those with epidermal carcinoma. This does not, obviously, include the two patients who died from other causes.

Aged↗

[Primary reconstruction of lateral oro-mandibular defects using titanium plates (Thorp) and revascularized non-osseous flaps: a personal experience].

Reconstruction of a particular defect is an highly complex problem, that is reflected in the number and variety of techniques proposed. This is particularly true for reconstruction of mandibular segment defects usually together with the need to repair oro-pharnygeal soft tissues defects of various size. The high rate of successes that can be obtained today using microvascular reconstruction techniques explains the reason why bone free flaps have progressively become the "gold standard" used as benchmark for all other forms of primary mandibular reconstruction. However, for selected patients (elderly patients or individuals in poor general health; the presence of lateral oro-mandibular defects or soft tissue defects significantly exceeding the bone defect) the association of non-osseous microvascular free flaps (such as forearm skin flaps or miocutaneous free flaps of the abdominal rectus muscle) with a titanium mandibular reconstruction plate (THORP) can prove a valid alternative. Indeed, in these cases reconstruction of choice would be the association of two free flaps, one osseous and the other non osseous. The use of THORP-type mandibular reconstruction plates in repairing lateral defects increases the overall risk of complications related to the reconstruction technique which is already hindered by the risks associated with the use of microvascular free flaps. The present work starts with a retrospective evaluation of 5 years series of primary mandibular reconstruction for lateral oro-mandibular defects following oncological surgery. The role of THORP-type titanium mandibular plates, used in combination with non-osseous free flaps in the treatment of selected patients, is then described and discussed.

Aged↗

Myoepithelioma of the palate: a case report.

Myoepithelioma is a rare malignant neoplasm, representing about the 1% of all the salivary gland's tumors. It mainly affects women, particularly in the 7th and 8th decade of life. A case of myoepithelioma of the palate in a 70-year-old woman is described. The tumor was completely excised two years ago. Nowadays, there are no signs of local recurrence and/or distant metastasis. The discrepancy between the histological diagnosis of low-grade malignancy and the clinical aggressive behavior of the tumor is discussed.

Aged↗

Hemimandibular hyperplasia treated by early high condylectomy: a case report.

A case of hemimandibular hyperplasia in a young patient treated 12 years ago is presented. Clinical and radiographic findings were consistent with a diagnosis of right hemimandibular hyperplasia. An early high condylectomy was performed. In our opinion, the esthetic and functional results after this long-term follow-up are fairly satisfactory. We present a brief review of the literature to make a differentiation between condylar hyperplasia and hemimandibular hyperplasia and to stress the importance of early condylectomy to correct this disease.

Child↗

Role of surgical reduction of condylar fractures in the management of panfacial fractures.

We present nine panfacial fractures that were treated during a two-year period in which the first step in treatment was reduction of condylar fractures. There was no evidence of dental or skeletal alterations and measurement of the mandibular ramus and radiographic examination show that posterior facial height as well as projection and width of the inferior lower third of the face, was restored. The correct timing of surgical intervention and the use of rigid fixation allows the restoration of the morphological and functional nature of the face after panfacial fractures.

Facial Bones↗

[Retropharyngeal lymphadenopathy in patients with advanced stage squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx: report of 2 cases and review of the literature].

Drawing from two cases which came under observation, the authors consider the high incidence of retropharyngeal metastases in oropharyngeal carcinoma. The diagnosis is made on the basis of radiographic examinations such as CAT and NMR which reveal the increase in size, the presence of central necrosis of the lateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes and the asymmetry of the long neck muscle. In the presence of advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma, the treatment calls for dissection of this space, even when radiology does not show any evident involvement. Lymph node positivity worsens the prognosis. Because of the marked significance of this involvement, some authors have proposed further N staging. Adjuvant RT completes the therapeutic protocol for such patients.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

Skeletal relapse of maxillary osteotomies in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients.

The outcomes of a consecutive series of 10 adults who had unilateral cleft lip and palate and who had undergone Le Fort I advancement fixed with miniplates were investigated. The amount and timing of horizontal and vertical relapse, the correlation between advancement and relapse, and the effectiveness of various methods of internal fixation were analyzed with respect to the authors' clinical experience and the data from the international literature. Tracings of the preoperative and serial postoperative lateral cephalograms--taken immediately and during the 1 1/2 to 2 postoperative years--were analyzed to calculate horizontal and vertical maxillary change. We found that the use of rigid fixation is associated with a significantly more stable postoperative result, as described by other authors. Our study suggests that this useful technique does not eliminate but reduces and controls the problem of relapse in a series of unilateral cleft lip and palate adult patients undergoing Le Fort I osteotomy.

Adult↗

[Secondary oro-mandibular reconstruction using revascularized bone flaps].

BACKGROUND: Oro-mandibular reconstruction using vascularized bone-containing free-flaps can be accomplished with flap survival rates in the range of 95%. Primary reconstruction offers the best opportunity to achieve the optimal aesthetic and functional results. Patients presenting for secondary oro-mandibular reconstruction have a unique set of problems; these include the presence of soft tissue contracture displacing the mandibular segments in malposition and soft tissue deficiencies, that makes surgical correction more difficult and potentially more hazardous. Vascularized bone-containing free-flaps are indicated in secondary oro-mandibular reconstruction where both hard and soft tissues replacement is needed or when the recipient bed is unfavourable due to previous surgery and/or radiation. METHODS: Authors presents personal experience in ten cases of secondary oro-mandibular reconstruction treated at Maxillofacial Department of Parma from September 1995 to September 1996 with secondary oro-mandibular reconstruction using bone containing free flaps. Two different donor sites were used to harvest bone-containing free flaps: iliac crest in 2 cases and fibula in the others. In 4 cases the flap was only osseous while in the other 6 cases it was osteocutaneous. RESULTS: All flaps were transplanted successfully; in 1 case necrosis of the skin component of the flap was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of vascularized bone containing free flaps transferred from distant sites by microvascular techniques has changed mandibular reconstruction. Vascularized bone transferred into tissue beds compromised by salivary contamination and previous irradiation and the rational use of the soft tissutal components of the flap permit also the restoration of articulation, deglutition and mastication with quality of life better than non-vascularized alternatives.

Adult↗