Syedda Abbas

Management of deep-seated malformations with photodynamic therapy: a new guiding imaging modality

Photodynamic therapy is an emerging technology and results from the interactions between a photosensitiser, oxygen and light. The delivery of light may either be by surface illumination or by interstitial application. We describe the first clinical application of ultrasound-guided interstitial photodynamic therapy (US-iPDT). A total of 23 treatments with meta-tetra-hydroxyphenyl chlorine (mTHPC) and ultrasound-guided interstitial photodynamic therapy were performed on 21 patients with various conditions at the Head & Neck Centre, University College London Hospital. The needles could be clearly identified during insertion in all 23 treatments, and it was possible to guide parallel needle insertions using ultrasound. Although the resolution of ultrasound is not as high as that of other imaging modalities [i.e. computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)] it was satisfactory in identifying the centre and the peripheries of the pathological lesions. Ultrasound is very easy to perform, non-invasive, relatively inexpensive, quick, convenient, non-ionising, suited to the imaging of soft tissues and does not cause any discomfort. Ultrasound can be used to guide ‘real-time’ photodynamic therapy in deep-seated tumours and other malformations and can augment the information from other imaging modalities without affecting the patient’s treatment outcome.

Third molar surgery: the patient's and the clinician's perspective

Background In this report, the problems of third molar surgery have been reviewed from the perspective of both patient and clinician; additionally an overall analysis of preoperative imaging investigations was carried out. Specifically, three main areas of interest were investigated: the prediction of surgical difficulty and potential complications; the assessment of stress and anxiety and finally the assessment of postoperative complications and the surgeons experience. Findings In the first study, the prediction of surgical difficulty and potential injury to the inferior alveolar nerve was assessed. This was achieved by examining the patients orthopantomograms and by using the Pederson Difficulty Index (PDI). Several radiological signs were identified and a classification tree was created to help predict the incidence of such event. In the second study, a prospective assessment addressing the patients stress and anxiety pre-, intra- and postoperatively was employed. Midazolam was the active drug used against placebo. Objective and subjective parameters were assessed, including measuring the cortisol level in saliva. Midazolam was found to significantly reduce anxiety levels and salivary cortisol was identified as an accurate anxiety marker. In the third study, postoperative complications and the surgeons experience were examined. Few patients in this study suffered permanent nerve dysfunction. Junior surgeons reported a higher complication rate particularly in trismus, alveolar osteitis, infection and paraesthesia over the distributions of the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves. In apparent contrast, senior surgeons reported higher incidence of postoperative bleeding. Discussion These studies if well employed can lead to favourable alteration in patient management and might have a positive impact on future healthcare service.

cTNM vs. pTNM: the effect of not applying ultrasonography in the identification of cervical nodal disease

Accurate clinical staging of oral squamous cell cancer can be quite difficult to achieve especially if nodal involvement is identified. Radiologically-assisted clinical staging is more accurate and informs the clinician of loco-regional and distant metastasis.In this study, we compared clinical TNM (cTNM) staging (not including ultrasonography) to pathological TNM (pTNM) staging in 245 patients presenting with carcinoma of the oral cavity and the oro-pharyngeal region. Tumour size differences and nodal involvement were highlighted. US reports of the neck were then added to the clinical staging and results compared.Tumour size was clinically underestimated in 4 T1, 2 T2 and 2 T3 oral diseases. Also 20 patients that were reported as nodal disease free had histological proven N1 or N2 nodal involvement; while 3 patients with cTNM showing N1 disease had histologically proven N2 disease.Overall the agreement between the 2 systems per 1 site was 86.6% (Kappa agreement = 0.80), per 2 sites 90.0% (Kappa agreement = 0.68) and per 3 sites 90.5% (Kappa agreement 0.62).An accurate clinical staging is of an utmost importance. It is the corner stone in which the surgical team build the surgical treatment plan and decide whether an adjuvant therapy is required to deal with any possible problem that might arise. The failure to achieve an accurate staging may lead to incomplete surgical planning and hence unforeseen problems that may adversely affect the patients survival.

Detection of oral pathologies using optical coherence tomography

Optical biopsy techniques can provide immediate in vivo diagnosis of suspicious oral lesions. Other advantages include their non-invasive nature and reducing patient stress and anxiety while waiting for the diagnosis. Some of these techniques have already been incorporated into clinical practice and have become indispensable tools in oral dysplasia clinics (e.g. fluorescence spectroscopy); others continue to be applied in clinical research studies and results show great promise for their use in clinical practice in the near future (e.g. elastic scattering spectroscopy, microendoscopy and optical coherence tomography).

Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer

Background Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a condition that predominantly affects the population of South China (2–3 cases/100 000). At the present time, the conventional treatment of NPC is with chemoradiotherapy. This has revolutionised the prognosis and 5-year survival rates are of the order of 50–70%, size dependent. Treatment of recurrence is however difficult. Surgery is an option but suited to small localised recurrence; re-irradiation can cause demyelination and chemotherapy has very small complete response rates. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is approved for the treatment of advanced or recurrent head and neck cancers.