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Thyroid cancer accounts for 1% of all malignancies, and is becoming increasingly common worldwide. The literature reports a prevalence of ~50% of thyroid nodules detected during autopsies in subjects with unknown thyroid pathology. An extended retrospective study of 526 autopsy cases was performed to identify the prevalence of thyroid carcinoma, among various types of thyroid nodules identified incidentally. Tissue samples were taken from thyroid nodules, for investigation of the presence of thyroid carcinoma, along with their macroscopic and microscopic features by means of histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods. Histopathological diagnosis of malignancy was found in 51 cases of analyzed thyroid samples. Systematic detailed studies demonstrated that a thyroid gland, apparently normal on macroscopic examination, may be the site of pathological manifestations, sometimes presenting carcinomatous findings. Among thyroid carcinomas, the highest frequency was that of papillary microcarcinomas, which have a long evolution, and are incidentally detected during autopsies. Papillary microcarcinoma is an extremely common incidental finding and the vast majority of these tumors pursue a benign course. Furthermore, it is therefore necessary to create national screening programs for the early detection of thyroid carcinoma.

Bacillus anthracis is a sporulating gram-positive rod whose main route of entry into the human body is cutaneous. Anthrax meningitis is usually fulminant and fatal. We present here a successfully treated case of anthrax meningoencephalitis complicated with brain abscess. The patient was a shepherd, with disease onset 7 days prior to hospital admission with fever, chills, occipital headache, and vertigo, followed by right hemiplegia, motor aphasia, agitation and coma. He had cutaneous lesions with black eschar on the limbs, which was a clue (along with his occupation), for diagnosis suspicion. The polymerase chain reaction for B. anthracis DNA was positive in both cerebrospinal fluid and cutaneous lesions. The cerebrospinal fluid was compatible with bacterial meningitis without being haemorrhagic. Magnetic resonance imaging showed meningeal enhancement and multiple intraparenchymal heterogeneous lesions with an important haemorrhagic component in the left parietal lobe, surrounded by vasogenic oedema with maintenance, 22 days later, of the left parietal lobe lesion, having a ring contrast enhancement and a central diffusion restriction, compatible with an abscess. From admission, he was intensively treated with combined large-spectrum antibiotics; this could be the most valuable factor in the successful outcome.

Nasal haemorrhage or epistaxis is the most common otolaryngologic emergency. It affects about 60% of the population and a percentage of 6% do not cease spontaneously, medical approach being needed.The management of epistaxis varies depending on its severity and etiology. The therapeutic conduct of this ENT emergency is based on three main principles: 1. local haemostasis; 2. detection and ceasing of the cause; 3. evaluation and correction of hypovolemia if necessary. Haemostasis can be done by chemical or electric cauterisation after identifying the bleeding source, by nasal packing, by endoscopic or external surgery or, in special cases, when none of the above methods returns any results, embolization. The current paper emphasizes our experience and a brief literature concerning epistaxis management in patients presented in the Emergency Room, in chronic cases of vascular intranasal tumors with recurrent bleeding, in iatrogenic haemorrhages, and none of the least we will bring into discussion the treatment applied for patients diagnosed with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

BACKGROUND. Primary sinonasal mucosal melanoma is a rare tumor with a poor survival rate. There is an inherent difficulty in diagnosing these lesions, especially because their complex anatomic locations and symptoms can be frequently confused with other benign or malignant processes. The purpose of our study was to report a difficult case and review the literature and recent research on therapeutic modalities. MATERIAL AND METHODS. We herein report a 61-year-old female patient, with a history of right eye enucleation and prosthesis, who presented with obstruction of the left nostril, anterior and posterior mucopurulent rhinorrhea, anosmia, left facial numbness, left exophthalmia accompanied by ipsilateral epiphora and decreased visual acuity. RESULTS. Clinical and imagistic testing revealed a large, grayish, fleshy tumor localized in the left maxillary sinus, with extension to the left orbit (producing osteolysis of the inferior and medial orbital walls), nasopharynx, ethmoidal cells and left frontal sinus. Pathological and immunohistochemical examination confirmed the diagnosis of mucosal melanoma. Other primary sites were excluded. The patient succumbed shortly after, following only palliative treatment. CONCLUSION. Early diagnosis of primary sinonasal mucosal melanoma is essential but very difficult to detect. Any symptoms such as unilateral epistaxis or nasal obstruction in a patient over the age of 60 should be rendered suspicious. Pathological and immunohistochemical examination for diagnosis and prognostic factors are important. Although surgery is the first option for treatment, one must consider, according to tumor staging, radiotherapy and chemotherapy with immunotherapy as a viable course of treatment for advanced cases.

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Frequently encountered in medical practice, the gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a chronic condition characterized by the passage of gastric acid or gastric contents into the esophagus. In otorhinolaryngology, the diagnosis of pharyngo-laryngeal or rhinosinusal inflammatory conditions secondary to GER is one of exclusion and it is based on a detailed anamnesis in which we are interested in symptoms, behavioural and medical risk factors, on the ENT clinical examination, the laryngo-fibroscopical assessment, the phoniatric examination, the barite pharyngo-esogastric exam, the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and the esophageal manometry. The authors are making a systematization of the contribution of the gastroesophageal reflux has in the ENT pathology, emphasising the sympytoms and the most frequent associated pathological entities.

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