Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N Bourdon.
83 participants thought about a white bear before or after trying to suppress the idea. There was no rebound effect (more expression of white-bear thoughts after than before suppression) for either introverts or extraverts.
We dissected 30 facial nerves in fresh cadavers after arterial casting with red latex to provide specific information about the arterial-related anatomy of the trunk of the facial nerve from the stylomastoid foramen to its bifurcation. We found that a wide anatomic variability does exist. The trunk of the facial nerve was in proximity to the stylomastoid artery, which originated from the posterior auricular artery in 70% of the specimens (21/30), from the occipital artery in 20% (6/30), and directly from the external carotid artery in 10% (3/30). The stylomastoid artery passed medially to the trunk of the facial nerve in 63 of the specimens (19/30) and laterally in 37% (11/30). Among these 11 specimens, 8 were large-caliber stylomastoid arteries. During parotid surgery, the main trunk of the facial nerve may be difficult to identify, because a large-caliber stylomastoid artery can mask it. Therefore, it is important to dissect this artery with caution.
We report a case of desmoid tumor in the submandibular region in an 18-month-old girl. Head and neck desmoid tumors are uncommon in children and diagnosis is a difficult task because the tumors are often classified as different types of fibromatosis. This histologically benign affection is characterized by local expansion or destruction and tends to recur. Pathology gives the positive diagnosis, showing fibroblastic monoclonal proliferation between the cellular center and the collagen periphery. Electron microscopy evidences an abundant collagen network enclosing a polymorphous cellular proliferation. Immunohistochemistry defines vimentin and actin positive desmoid tumors. Surgery is usually the therapeutic choice. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy may be used in conjunction with surgery in situations of recurrence or unsatisfactory surgical margin. There is a risk of recurrence which can be detected with regular follow-up examinations.
We present a case of right sided blindness caused by a cavernous carotid artery aneurysm in a 17-year-old patient presenting with an Alagille syndrome. The diagnosis was made by magnetic resonance imaging and confirmed by angiography. This aneurysm was treated successfully with endovascular placement of detachable balloons. Cerebral vascular malformations are rarely reported in association with this syndrome. We discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and detection of this type of abnormality.
Craniofacial fibrous dysplasia manifests clinically with dysmorphic syndrome, ophtalmologic or otologic signs. We report a case of temporal polyostotic fibrous dysplasia with vertigo and sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss, with no cholesteatoma associated, as described in our case is rarely described. We review the literature concerning main clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of this disease.
We report a case of Kikuchi's disease in a young man. It is a rare entity, described for the first time in 1972. It manifests clinically with cervical adenopathy and fever, often associated with other non-specific clinical signs. Laboratory tests are often normal. The diagnosis is established on the basis of histologic of lymph node excisional biopsy. Kikuchi's disease is likely to be misinterpreted as malignant lymphoma or systemic lupus erythematosus. It generally needs no treatment because it runs a spontaneously benign course with complete resolution of the symptoms within 6 months. Secondary systemic lupus erythematosus may develop. For this reason, regular follow-up of patients is recommended. The etiopathogenesis of this disease is still unknown, perhaps due to an immunologic phenomenon. It could be a hyperimmune reaction induced by various antigenic agents (infectious, neoplasic), or an autoimmune process.