A better understanding of risk factors for the development ORN and of the underlying pathophysiology may improve our ability to prevent this complication and help to improve the prognosis for those being treated for osteoradionecrosis.

Complete dental clearance before treatment is no longer necessary. Controversy exists regarding the management of osteoradionecrosis of the maxillofacial skeleton because of the variability of this condition. The treatment of osteoradionecrosis has included local wound care, antibiotic therapy, surgical procedures, and the administration of hyperbaric oxygenation. Recently, new methods of treatment were introduced, according to the new theory about its pathophysiology.

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Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare spindle cell neoplasm that usually develops in the pleura and peritoneum. The head and neck region is involved in only 6% of the cases. Involvement of the parotid gland is a rare phenomenon, with only 24 cases reported in the literature. The aim of this study is to report an additional case of SFT affecting the parotid gland, and to review the literature on previously reported cases. The patient was a 42-year-old male with a 4-cm, fibro-elastic, movable, painless nodule in the inferior lobe of the parotid gland. The lesion was surgically excised and, following histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis, a diagnosis of SFT was rendered. The patient has been followed-up for ten months, with no signs of recurrence. Clinical, histopathological, immunohistochemical and treatment aspects of the tumor are discussed. Key words:Solitary fibrous tumor, parotid gland, case report.

Objective: This study compared the incidence of salivary fistula between groups with an early or late reintroduction of oral feeding, and identified the predictive factors for salivary fistula. Methods: A randomised trial was performed using 89 patients with larynx or hypopharynx cancer, assigned to 2 groups (early or late). In the early group, oral feeding was started 24 hours after total laryngectomy or total pharyngolaryngectomy, and in the late group, it was started from post-operative day 7 onwards. The occurrence of salivary fistula was evaluated in relation to the following variables: early or late oral feeding, nutritional status, cancer stage, surgery performed, and type of neck dissection. Results: The incidence of salivary fistula was 27.3 per cent (n = 12) in the early group and 13.3 per cent (n = 6) in the late group (p = 0.10). The following variables were not statistically significant: nutritional status (p = 0.45); tumour location (p = 0.37); type of surgery (p = 0.91) and type of neck dissection (p = 0.62). A significant difference (p = 0.02) between the free margins and invasive carcinoma was observed. Conclusion: The early reintroduction of oral feeding in total laryngectomised patients did not increase the incidence of salivary fistula.