Elia Pérez-Fernández

Aurora B kinase expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and its prognostic implications

García‐Fernández E, De Diego J I, Collantes‐Bellido E, Mendiola M, Prim M P, Pérez‐Fernández E, Miguel‐Martín M, Nistal M & Hardisson D
(2011) Histopathology58, 368–376
Aurora B kinase expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and its prognostic implications

Health-related Quality of Life in Danish Patients with Hereditary Angioedema

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare, but potentially life-threatening disease characterised by attacks of swellings. It is caused by a lack of functioning C1 esterase inhibitor (C1INH). The oedema is usually located to the face, extremities or abdominal mucosa, but may involve the larynx. Although rare, the laryngeal attacks are particularly dreaded due to the risk of asphyxiation. It is known that HAE can have substantial impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (1, 2). Today, Danish HAE patients have access to several modalities of treatment including intravenously administered C1INH concentrate (3). Patients are offered training in self-injection if they suffer from frequent and/ or severe attacks. The aim of this study was to investigate HRQoL in Danish HAE patients. METHODS The study was carried out in 2009 at the Danish HAE Comprehensive Care Centre, Odense University Hospital. Twenty-seven Danish HAE patients filled out The Short Form (36) Health Survey , version 2 (SF-36v2) and a clinical questionnaire. Patients were asked about number and locations of attacks within the last 6 months, age of onset, types of treatment and ability to do self-injection. Danish population norms for SF-36v2 were not available, it was recommended by the producers to compare to the US population norms (4). To examine if there was any correlation between disease severity and score in SF-36v2, a clinical severity score recently developed by Bygum et al. (5) was used. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on disease severity, and for each group median scores in SF-36v2 were calculated. We also examined whether scores in SF-36v2 were related to self-injection with C1INH concentrate by calculating median scores for the self-injecting and non-self-injecting subgroup, respectively. RESULTS Fig. 1 outlines the SF-36v2 mean score reported for 8 specific dimensions. In all dimensions but one, HAE patients rate equally to or higher than the general population. The relation between disease severity and median scores in SF-36v2 is illustrated with a box and whiskers plot (Fig. 2). In all dimensions there is no statistically significant difference in median score between the 3 severity groups (p > 0.05 in Kruskall-Wallis test). In the study, 25 patients had C1INH concentrate at home and 11 were able to do self-injection. In the dimension General health the self-injecting subgroup scored lower than the non-self-injecting subgroup (median Mann Whitney U rank-sum test). Otherwise there was no difference between the 2 groups. Nor did we find any …

Long-term results of open cordectomy for the treatment of T1a glottic laryngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE To assess the long-term results and prognostic factors in patients who have undergone open cordectomy (OC) for the treatment of T(1a) glottic laryngeal carcinoma. METHODS One hundred four epidermoid cancer patients operated from January 1989 through December 1999 were included in the study. Clinical parameters, postoperative complications, and postoperative stay were retrospectively evaluated in all cases. RESULTS Mean survival for the patients included in the study was 61.5+/-24.8 months after the date of operation (range: 11-121 months). Ninety-four patients did not have recurrent tumor (90.4%). Local, regional and distant recurrence were linked with a statistical negative impact on survival rates (p<0.05). Only sero-hematoma was significantly related to local recurrence (p<0.05), whereas the remainder complications did not. None of the complications was associated with neck recurrence or distant metastasis (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Open cordectomy is nowadays a valid technique for the surgical treatment of T(1a) glottic laryngeal carcinoma. Its results are comparable with those of other more recent techniques.

A Method to Calculate the Volume of Palatine Tonsils

The purpose of this study was to obtain a mathematical formula to calculate the tonsillar volume out of its measurements assessed on surgical specimens. Thirty consecutive surgical specimens of pediatric tonsils were studied. The maximum lengths (“a”), widths (“b”), and depths (“c”) of the dissected specimens were measured in millimeters, and the volume of each tonsil was measured in milliliters. One‐sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to check the normality of the sample. To calculate the reproducibility of the quantitative variables, intraclass correlation coefficients were used. Two formulas with high reproducibility (coefficient R between 0.75 and 1) were obtained: 1) [a*b*c* 0.5236] with R = 0.8688; and 2) [a*b*b* 0.3428] with R = 0.9073. It is possible to calculate the volume of the palatine tonsils in surgical specimens precisely enough based on their three measures, or their two main measures (length and width). Anat Rec, 2010.

El género en las tesis doctorales en otorrinolaringología en España

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE In last decades women in Spain have a greater access to postgraduate education. The objective of this study was to perform a gender analysis on the Otolaryngology doctoral theses presented in a 25 year-period. METHODS The TESEO data base on doctoral theses was searched for theses on Otorhinolaryngology written between 1981 and 2005. As strategy for the research we employed the terms: 1) Otorrinolaringología (Otorhinolaryngology); 2) Cirugía de garganta, nariz y oídos (Ear, nose and throat surgery); 3) Fisiología de la audición (Physiology of hearing); 4) Fisiología del equilibrio (Physiology of balance); 5) Física de la audición (Physics of hearing); and 6) Bioacústica (Bioacoustics). RESULTS A total of 450 theses (18.0±8.3 theses/year) were found, of which 129 were written by females (28.6%). There was a gender imbalance among authors, with 5.2±3.4 theses/year for women vs. 12.9±6.6 theses/year for men (p=0.0002). Nevertheless, there was a tendency toward equality in the last 10 years (p=0.001). On the other hand, the PhD students gender was clearly related to the supervisors gender (p=0.0001). With respect to the main topics in our area (otology, audiology/vestibular diseases, rhinology and pathology of paranasal sinuses and neck diseases), there were no significant differences between males and females (p=0.231). CONCLUSIONS These results indicate a tendency towards equality in the number of men and women successfully completing doctoral studies in Otolaryngology. However, the PhD students gender is clearly related to the supervisors gender.

Gender patterns in Spanish otolaryngologic doctoral theses

Abstract Introduction and objective In last decades women in Spain have a greater access to postgraduate education. The objective of this study was to perform a gender analysis on the Otolaryngology doctoral theses presented in a 25 year-period. Methods The TESEO data base on doctoral theses was searched for theses on Otorhinolaryngology written between 1981 and 2005. As strategy for the research we employed the terms: 1) Otorrinolaringologia (Otorhinolaryngology); 2) Cirugia de garganta, nariz y oidos (Ear, nose and throat surgery); 3) Fisiologia de la audicion (Physiology of hearing); 4) Fisiologia del equilibrio (Physiology of balance); 5) Fisica de la audicion (Physics of hearing); and 6) Bioacustica (Bioacoustics). Results A total of 450 theses (18.0±8.3 theses/year) were found, of which 129 were written by females (28.6%). There was a gender imbalance among authors, with 5.2±3.4 theses/year for women vs 12.9±6.6 theses/year for men (P=.0002). Nevertheless, there was a tendency toward equality in the last 10 years (P=.001). On the other hand, the PhD students gender was clearly related to the supervisors gender (P=.0001). With respect to the main topics in our area (otology, audiology/vestibular diseases, rhinology and pathology of paranasal sinuses and neck diseases), there were no significant differences between males and females (P=.231). Conclusions These results indicate a tendency towards equality in the number of men and women successfully completing doctoral studies in Otolaryngology. However, the PhD students gender is clearly related to the supervisors gender.