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Biomedical subjects

G J Spector

Publications and source records attributed to G J Spector.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Malignant tumors of the middle ear and external auditory canal: a 20-year review.

Twenty-four patients with malignant tumors of the external auditory canal and middle ear, originally seen between 1960 and 1980, were reviewed retrospectively. Seventeen patients had epidermoid carcinoma, one had adenocarcinoma, three had rhabdomyosarcoma, and one had osteosarcoma. At presentation, four had disease confined to the external auditory canal, three had superficial invasion of the bony canal, four had deeply invasive disease, and thirteen had disease that extended beyond the temporal bone. Treatment consisted of radiation, surgery, and combination therapy. Four patients with osteosarcoma or rhabdomyosarcoma received adjuvant chemotherapy. Five years after therapy, one of four patients with external auditory canal tumor died of disease, and two died of intercurrent disorders. One of three patients with superficial temporal bone invasion and two of four patients with deeply invasive tumor died of their disease; another died of intercurrent disorder. Twelve of 13 patients with tumor beyond the temporal bone died.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1987

Reirradiation of recurrent head and neck cancers.

Ninety-nine patients with recurrent cancers of the head and neck region were treated with surgery, radiation therapy, or combination therapy. The follow-up period ranged from 18 months to 18 years. An initial overall complete response rate of 67% and a partial response rate of 7% (overall response rate-74%) were achieved. The eventual tumor control rate was 15%. Although equal initial response rates were achieved in recurrences at the primary site and the cervical nodes, the eventual local control was better for the former (21% vs. 10%). Patients receiving less than 5,000 rad radiotherapy had a 44% complete response and an 11% eventual tumor control. Patients receiving over 5,000 rad had an 80% complete response and a 25% eventual tumor control.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Radiation therapy in the treatment of chemodectomas.

Twenty-six patients with chemodectomas were treated with radiation therapy from 1961 to 1983 and followed for at least 4 years. In 16 glomus tympanicum lesions treated primarily with radiation, long-term control was achieved in all (follow-up 4-24 years, mean 10.5). Fifteen of 16 had no clinical evidence of disease at time of death or last follow-up, and one patient had recurrent but stable disease at 10 years and died of an unrelated illness 19 years after treatment. Eight of the glomus tympanicum lesions were referred for radiation therapy with persistent disease after multiple surgical procedures. Two had extensive skull and intracranial involvement at the time of radiation. Six patients with glomus jugulare lesions were treated with radiation. Four achieved long-term control, and two died of their disease. In addition, two glomus vagal and one carotid body tumor were treated with palliative intent. One glomus tympanicum lesion was treated with preoperative radiation and resection. Chemodectoma was the cause of death in 4 of 25 patients--3 from intracranial extension and 1 from lung and mediastinal metastases. All four patients were referred for radiation with metastases or extensive bone involvement at the skull base. Radiation appears to be effective in achieving long-term clinical control of chemodectomas. Adequately treated volume should be determined with arteriography and/or contrast-enhanced computer tomography, allowing for geometric margins. Doses in the range of 4,500 to 5,000 cGy delivered in about 5 weeks are recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Adenoid cystic salivary gland carcinoma. A histopathologic review of treatment failure patterns.

Seventy-one cases of adenoid cystic salivary gland carcinoma were reviewed according to treatment modality and clinical course. Thirty-six patients (51%) were treated by combined surgery and radiation therapy. The tumors were classified by their histologic patterns into tubular, cribriform, and solid forms. Distant metastases, in 52%, were the most frequent and ominous sources of failure. In 35% of cases, distant metastases developed despite local control at the primary site. In this group, the disease had a more fulminant course with shorter survival. Histopathologically, the cribriform subtype was associated with multiple local recurrences, greater local aggressiveness, and a poorer salvage rate as compared with the tubular subtype. Late onset of local recurrences and distant metastases was especially associated with the cribriform subtype. Overall prognosis in terms of distant metastases and survival was worst for the solid subtype. Control of local disease is best achieved with combined surgery and radiation therapy. The high incidence of distant metastases may not be affected by this regimen. The ultimate outcome of therapy is poorly predicted. Survival appears to be based on the pattern in which distant metastases develop. Overly aggressive and mutilating surgical approaches for these tumors are not recommended in many instances. The need for the development of new, more effective forms of therapy is emphasized.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Fascial pulley: cross-commissure lip reanimation for inferior division facial nerve paralysis.

The risks of causing further harm to the facial nerve are greater in surgery for partial facial paralysis. We present a new active and passive reconstruction technique for paralysis of the buccal-mandibular divisions of the facial nerve. Our fascial pulley technique of reanimation and suspension of the oral commissure produces no further injury to the facial nerve and the eyelids. In addition, it adds a better technique to the armamentarium of the reconstructive surgeon dealing with partial lower facial nerve paralyses.

Facial Muscles↗
PubMed1985

Selective facial neurectomy for spastic disorders of the facial nerve.

Selective facial neurectomy in combination with bilateral musculocutaneous resection, plication brow lift, upper lid blepharoplasty, and limited rhytidectomy was performed on 18 patients with essential blepharospasm, eight with hemifacial spasm, and two with CNS vascular compression malformations. Microscopy showed the nerve tissues to be normal. Initial results were excellent. At 3 months there was a slight, persistent spastic twitching of the affected muscles in five nerves (a 14% failure rate in correcting blepharospasm). After 13 months there were four additional failures resulting from nerve regrowth in three and from one patient not completing therapy. The overall blepharospasm failure rate was 26%. On repeat neurectomy those with nerve regrowth presented with a diffuse, fine meshwork of nerve fibers reinnervating the mimetic facial musculature. In six of seven patients operated on again, spasticity was eliminated. The initial surgical failure rate has been corrected by resecting the frontal branch and the superior division of the buccal branch of the facial nerve. Only repeat neurectomy can correct long-term failures resulting from facial nerve regrowth.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma associated with juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis.

The speculation whether juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis may transform into or be associated with epidermoid carcinoma is explored. We document a case of invasive laryngeal carcinoma arising in preexisting juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis. After multiple childhood laryngoscopies and a tracheotomy, a 54-year-old, 30-pack per year smoker, who had never received radiation therapy, developed a florid exophytic transglottic squamous cell carcinoma. Histologically, the invasive epidermoid carcinoma was surrounded by a field of papillomata with varying degrees of atypical changes. After total laryngectomy, isolated papillomata were found in the lower trachea. There were no cervical lymph node metastases. No postoperative radiation therapy was given. Persistent squamous papillomata in the tracheostomy site, the lower trachea, and the posterior pharynx were treated with the CO2 laser. We emphasize the need to maintain a high index of suspicion for malignancy. In addition, we review the problem of benign papillomata in the aerodigestive tract following laryngectomy.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1982

The pathophysiology of compression injuries of the peripheral facial nerve.

The buccolabial branches of guniea pig facial nerves were crushed to produce axonotmesis, Wallerian degeneration, and demyelination. The lesions were followed from 1 to 8 weeks by transmission electron microscopy, electrophysiological tests, and cytochemical staining methods for Na+ channels. The first week demonstrated the classic degenerative neural changes. At 2 weeks the axoplasmic side of the demyelinated axolemma demonstrated diffuse staining for Na+ channels at a distance of 1 micrometer. At 4 weeks multiple condensed areas of dense staining were noted along the demyelinated axolemma. These staining areas resemble in character and length a normal node of Ranvier and denote new Na+ channels. The internodal distance is shorter than for the normal facial nerve. At 6 weeks a thin layer of myelin covered the nerve fibers. At 8 weeks half of the nerves were normal sized and the myelin sheath was normal in width. Following nerve crushing, electrical activity is present for 24-48 hours in the axonotmetic distal stump. Then the axon becomes unresponsive to electrical stimulation. There is gradual resumption of electrical activity between 5 and 14 days. Normal conduction resumes by 8 weeks. This study provides ultrastructural and cytochemical evidence for nerve fiber reorganization, axolemmal plasticity and sodium channel production and redistribution following Wallerian degeneration and demyelination in axonotmesis. Resumption of electrical neural excitability is achieved by an increase in the density of sodium channels and reduction in the internodal distance as a means for impedence matching. Reduction of the cross sectional diameter of the regenerating axon facilitates electrical conduction.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Later stages of development of the periotic duct and its adjacent area in the human fetus.

The later stages of development (16-40 weeks in utero) of the periotic duct and its adjacent areas in the human fetus indicate that the critical stages of development occur in four specific time related stages over a six-week period (20-26 weeks). First, the petrous apex ossifies to separate th inferior cochlear vein into the canal of Cotugno and forms the medial wall of the cochlear aqueduct (22 weeks); second, the canalicular otic capsule fuses with the cochlear otic capsule to obliterate Hyrtl fissure and forms of the lateral wall of the cochlear aqueduct (24 weeks); third, progressive bone deposition to the medial surface of the membranous labyrinth and cochlea at the petrous apex elongates the periotic duct and cochlear aqueduct (32 weeks in utero); and fourth, active arachnoid tissue ingrowth into the periotic duct occurs at 20-24 weeks and 34-40 weeks in utero. The terminal event is widening of the CNS opening of the periotic duct at 32 weeks in utero. The periotic duct and cochlear aqueduct length increase with gestation from 25 weeks until term. The periotic duct width remains the same throughout the gestation. The cochlear aqueduct width diminishes with gestational age. The periotic duct remains patent throughout 16-40 weeks in utero.

Cochlea↗
PubMed1979

The ultrastructural cytochemistry of peroxisomes in the guinea pig cochlea: a metabolic hypothesis for the stria vascularis.

The roles of catalase and alpha-hydroxyacid oxidase activities are studied in the peroxisomes of the guinea pig inner ear. The major activities are located primarily in the intermediate cells of the stria vascularis. The peroxisomes of the stria vascularis behave cytochemically in a similar fashion to those found in the proximal convoluted tubules of the kidney. This study indicates that the stria vascularis may behave as a compartmentalized metabolic system.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗