Most patients already had advanced clinical stages and independent of the treatment option, had a low survival rate, confirming the poor prognosis of this neoplasm.

Dent al lesions represent about 1% of oral cavity tumors being ameloblastoma the most common one. It is a tumor of epithelial origin that mainly affects the jaw, and less commonly the maxilla. Its clinical presentation is that of an asymptomatic slow-growing tumor. Despite being a benign tumor, it has an invasive behavior with a high rate of recurrence if not treated properly.Objective: To describe the cases of ameloblastoma in a reference department.Methods: Retrospective analysis of 40 cases. The variables analyzed were: age, gender, ethnicity, tumor location, type of treatment, complications and recurrence. Results:The most affected gender was male -21 cases (52.5%); with a predominance of Caucasians -24 cases (60%). The mean age was 35.45 years; the most common location was in the jaw -37 cases (92.5%). Facial asymmetry was the most frequent complaint. Of the 40 cases, 33 were submitted to surgery. Of those submitted to surgery, 24 (72.72%) underwent segmental resection, with recurrence in 4 (12.12%) cases. Conclusion:Ameloblastoma may relapse when treatment is not performed with broad surgical resection of the lesion with wide safety margins. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2012;78(3):38-41. ORIGINAL ARTICLE BJORL

Diced cartilage grafts are used to increase and refine the nasal contour, providing easy molding and versatility when compared with block grafts. However, all grafts present the possibility of visibility, distortion, and absorption. The aim of this study is to evaluate, through a systematic review, the outcome of the use of the free diced graft cartilage in rhinoplasty. A systematic search of the literature was performed in the databases (PubMed, Lilacs, Scielo, Cochrane) with the terms “diced cartilage” and “rhinoplasty.” Studies were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and data extracted and grouped for analysis. Six eligible studies were included. In total, 4,044 patients underwent rhinoplasty with free diced cartilage graft, with 61 (1.51%) of them requiring reoperation. The main reasons were overcorrection and irregularities of the nasal dorsum. The infection rate was reported in three studies, with 2 (0.06%) of 3,252 patients presenting infection at the graft site. Two cases of displacement were treated with external molding, without reoperation. The graft resorption was reported in four articles, which described 22 (0.67%) cases of partial resorption in 3,288 patients. Therefore, the available evidence suggests that resorption of the graft and unfavorable outcomes are rare.

Objective: to assess the prevalence of abnormalities found by computed tomography (CT) of the chest in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Methods: we retrospectively analyzed chest CT exams of 209 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The CT findings were stratified as inflammatory / infectious, parenchymal, nodular uncharacteristic and nodular metastatic / tumoral Results: alterations were diagnosed in 66.6% of patients. Of these, 25.3% represented emphysema; 18.8%, uncharacteristic micronodules; 12.9%, metastases; 11.9%, thoracic lymph node enlargements; and in 6.6% we detected active pulmonary tuberculosis or its sequelae, pneumonia or inflammatory / infectious signs and pleural thickening or effusion. Conclusion: the prevalence of exams with alterations and the considerable rate of detected metastases indicate that chest CT should be required for diagnostic and / or staging in cases of head and neck cancer.

Thyroi d cancer is the most common endocrine cancer, accounting for about 1% of all cancers.Sarcomas, lymphomas and metastases to the thyroid gland are rare and only with a handful of descriptions in the literature.Objective: To describe rare histological types of thyroid cancer found in a reference center.Methods: Medical chart review from admitted patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the period from 1977 to 2010. Demographic, diagnostic, therapeutic and histopathological information were collected.Results: 3,018 records of patients admitted with thyroid disease were reviewed. Among the cases diagnosed with rare tumors there was a predominance of: anaplastic carcinoma: 22 cases (0.7%), followed by 11 cases of medullary carcinoma (0.36%); 2 cases of sarcoma (0.07%), 2 cases of lymphoma (0.07%) and one case of metastatic carcinoid tumor (0.03%). There were more females diagnosed (57%) as well as Caucasians (84%). The most frequent clinical presentation was a palpable thyroid nodule. All patients with lymphoma, sarcoma and anaplastic carcinoma died. Conclusion:Sarcomas, lymphomas and thyroid metastases are uncommon and tend to worse outcomes. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2012;78(4):48-51. ORIGINAL ARTICLE BJORL