Cutanplast nasal pack results in significantly less pain and less bleeding compared to Merocel pack.

BackgroundMature cystic teratomas (MCTs) are common benign tumors occurring in the ovaries. Malignant transformation of teratomas (TMT) occurs in 1–3 % of all MCTs, usually in postmenopausal women. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common tumor type. Primary carcinoid tumors of the ovary are uncommon, representing only 0.3 % of all carcinoid tumors and less than 0.1 % of all ovarian cancers.Case presentationA carcinoid tumor of the trabecular type arising from a MCT is presented in a 25-year-old woman. TMT was detected incidentally. Histologically, uniform, polygonal cells were arranged in a cord and trabecular pattern. Immunohistochemical staining showed positivity for neuro-specific enolase, synaptophysin, and CD56.ConclusionsThis case represents a very rare example of carcinoid tumor occurring in a woman younger than 30 years of age. Our findings suggest that sufficient tumor sampling is necessary to avoid overlooking small lesions, which, in our case, were not detected on either radiologic or gross examination.

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Commercial gelatin-based packing materials are available under different names and compositions to be used after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Spongostan and Cutanplast nasal packing on patients' subjective symptoms, hemostasis, and wound healing following ESS. One hundred adult patients with chronic sinusitis requiring the same extent of ESS were included. Following surgery, one nasal cavity was packed with Cutanplast and the other one with Spongostan. Patients' subjective symptoms while the packing was in situ, hemostatic properties, degree of remaining amount of packing materials, postoperative wound healing, and the cost of the pack were evaluated. Cutanplast and Spongostan are equally effective in the control of postoperative bleeding following ESS. However, Cutanplast packing was significantly more comfortable than Spongostan for nasal obstruction, postnasal drip, rhinorrhea, and headache. Furthermore, the Cutanplast packing was significantly less painful at all time points. The remaining amount of the pack was significantly lower in the Cutanplast than Spongostan packing. Spongostan packing appears to impair wound healing within the sinus cavities up to 3 months postoperatively. Cutanplast was less expensive than Spongostan as used in this study. Cutanplast may be more useful gelatin-based packing material than Spongostan in terms of efficacy and cost-benefit after ESS.

Acute atherosis is unique vascular changes of the placenta associated with poor placentation. It is characterized by subendothelial lipid-filled foam cells, fibrinoid necrosis of the arterial wall, perivascular lymphocytic infiltration, and it is histologically similar to early-stage atherosclerosis. Acute atherosis is rare in normal pregnancies, but is frequently observed in non- transformed spiral arteries in abnormal pregnancies, such as preeclampsia, small for gestational age (SGA), fetal death, spontaneous preterm labor and preterm premature rupture of membranes. In preeclampsia, spiral arteries fail to develop physiologic transformation and retain thick walls and a narrow lumen. Failure of physiologic transformation of spiral arteries is believed to be the main cause of uteroplacental ischemia, which can lead to the production of anti-angiogenic factors and induce endothelial dysfunction and eventually predispose the pregnancy to preeclampsia. Acute atherosis is more frequently observed in the spiral arteries of the decidua of the placenta (parietalis or basalis) than in the decidual or myometrial segments of the placental bed. The presence and deeper location of acute atherosis is associated with poorer pregnancy outcomes, more severe disease, earlier onset of preeclampsia, and a greater frequency of SGA neonates in patients with preeclampsia. Moreover, the idea that the presence of acute atherosis in the placenta may increase the risk of future cardiovascular disease in women with a history of preeclampsia is of growing concern. Therefore, placental examination is crucial for retrospective investigation of pregnancy complications and outcomes, and accurate placental pathology based on universal diagnostic criteria in patients with abnormal pregnancies is essential for clinicopathologic correlation.