Yoichiro Yamada

Clinical Assessment of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nasal Cavity Proper

The subjects were 14 patients with squamous cell carcinoma or undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasal cavity treated at Nihon University Hospital between October 1984 and November 1991, who were followed for at least 3 years. The site of the tumor origin within the nasal cavity was the lateral wall in 8 patients, the nasal septum in three patients, and unknown in three patients. Histologically, there were 13 squamous cell carcinomas in (3 well differentiated, 7 moderately differentiated, and 3 poorly differentiated) and 1 undifferentiated carcinoma. Treatment was by a combination of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery in 8 cases, a combination of radiotherapy and surgery in 5 cases, and surgery alone in 1 case. The 3-year and 5-year Kaplan-Meier survival rates were 86 and 69%, respectively. A total of 6 patients suffered a recurrence, with local recurrence occurring in 4 patients and pulmonary metastasis in 2 patients. Tumor control was achieved in 3 of the 4 cases of local recurrence by reoperation, and by surgery in 1 of the 2 cases of pulmonary metastasis. The duration of the recurrence-free interval in the patients who developed local recurrences, 18 to 46 months after the completion of the initial course of therapy, was of considerable interest.

Dysgeusia Due to an Orthodontic Wire: A Case Report*

A 14-year-old female developed gustatory disorder due to an orthodontic wire having pierced the right trigonal retromolar. The patients complaints included traction pain on the right lower jaw, numbness on the right front half of the tongue and hypogeusia with the exception of sweet tastes. Possible causes of dysgeusia in this case were: (i) direct mechanical compression of a gustatory nerve by the orthodontic wire; and (ii) disturbance of blood supply to a gustatory nerve by edema that developed in nerve tissues around the wire. The patients retention of a normal threshold for the recognition of sweet tastes is not fully understood.

Clinical Experience of Zinc Picolinate in the Treatment of Patients with Taste Disorders

The clinical efficacy of zinc picolinate in the treatment of taste disorders was assessed in an open trial.

Posterior paranasal sinus cysts with opthalmological symptoms.

Thirty-eight cases of posterior paranasal sinus cysts with opthalmological symptoms, treated at Nihon Univcrsity School of Medicine between 1977 and 1987 were reviewed.Location of cysts, predominance of sex and age, existence of pasthistory of sinus operation were the same as reported by many other otolaryngologists.Operation was carried out to drain the cysts. Good results were obtained in the cases of 1) good visual acuity preoperatively 2) operation carried out promptly after the devclopment of eye symptoms and 3) gradual onset of eye symptoms.Drainageoperation was satisfactory in patients with visualacuity of more than 0.01. When the visual acuity is below 0.01, more advanced opcration such as pecling off affected mucosa, decompression of optic nerve is preferable.