Royal jelly proteins (MRJPs) of the honeybee bear several open questions. One of them is their expression in tissues other than the hypopharyngeal glands (HGs), the site of royal jelly production. The sole MRJP-like gene of the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris (BtRJPL), represents a pre-diversification stage of the MRJP gene evolution in bees. Here we investigate the expression of BtRJPL in the HGs...

Following oncologic surgery for advanced cancer of the hypopharynx, primary closure of the defect of the upper aerodigestive tract is difficult to achieve. Usually locoregional or free flaps are used, the choice being determined by the extent of the surgical defect, the expertise of the surgeons and the general condition of the patient. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the functional re...

Purpose: To retrospectively review the outcomes of adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) following surgery in patients with advanced hypopharyngeal cancer treated at an academic tertiary referral center. Methods: Data of patients treated with curative intent in a single radiotherapy unit over a 15-year period (1990-2004) with upfront surgery followed by PORT was retrieved from an electroni...

To evaluate the predictive role of the oncogene p53, the proliferating marker Ki-67, angiogenic factors platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor/thymidine phosphorylase (PD-ECGF/dThdPase) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma, we immunohistochemically studied a series of 84 primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma patients who were treated at the Depar...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To discuss patient variables associated with swallowing dysfunction in head and neck cancer (HNCA) patients prior to intervention. STUDY DESIGN Prospective, multi-institutional cohort study. METHODS All patients included had newly diagnosed head and neck malignancies. Patients undergoing instrumental swallowing evaluations prior to oncologic management were included fo...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT for the identification of extracapsular spread (ECS) with supporting histologic correlation in hypopharyngeal cancer. METHOD We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 57 patients who underwent FDG PET/CT for hypopharyngeal cancer. RESULTS ECS was present in...

BACKGROUND Coordination between breathing and swallowing helps prevent aspiration of foreign material into the respiratory tract. The authors examined the effects of anesthesia and hypercapnia on swallowing-breathing coordination. METHODS In a randomized controlled crossover study, general anesthesia with propofol or sevoflurane was titrated using an up-down method to identify the threshold f...

Microwave-heated food may cause serious injury if it is not allowed to cool before consumption. We describe a case in which a hypopharyngeal burn occurred following consumption of a microwave-heated potato immediately after cooking.

ultrasound is one of the preferred modalities for evaluation of the parathyroid glands. this study was undertaken to determine the accuracy of high resolution ultrasound for secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with chronic renal failure. from march 2008 to march 2009, ninety-one hemodialysis patients were examined by high resolution ultrasound (14 mhz) of the parathyroid glands in compari...