A case (female, 39 years of) of thyroid-like nasopharyngeal low-grade papillary adenocarcinoma with a significant spindle cell component is presented. The tumor was located on the posterior nasal septum. The spindle cells displayed nuclear features very much similar to the epithelial component and the two cell types merged imperceptibly. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells (including the spindle cell component) were strongly and diffusely positive for TTF-1, cytokeratins (AE1-3), cytokeratin 19 and vimentin. C-kit immunohistochemistry showed diffuse mild to moderate membranous positivity with focal areas displaying moderate to strong immunoreactivity. EMA was strongly positive in the epithelial component with membranous and cytoplasmic reactivity whereas the spindle cell component was weakly although diffusely positive. Carcinoembryonic antigen, calcitonin, chromogranin A, S100-protein, thyroglobulin, cdx2 and p63 were negative. The proliferative activity (Mib-1/Ki-67) was low; 3-4%. In the molecular genetic study we found no mutations at position 1799 (exon 15) in the BRAF-gene, (BRAFV600E) or in exons 9 and 11 of the KIT-gene.

In this work, we aim to achieve low-cost real-time tracking for nasogastric tube (NGT) insertion by using a tracking method based on two magnetic sensors. Currently, some electromagnetic (EM) tracking systems used to detect the misinsertion of the NGT are commercially available. While the EM tracking systems can be advantageous over the other conventional methods to confirm the NGT position, their high costs are a factor hindering such systems from wider acceptance in the clinical community. In our approach, a pair of magnetic sensors are used to estimate the location of a permanent magnet embedded at the tip of the NGT. As the cost of the magnet and magnetic sensors is low, the total cost of the system can be less than one-tenth of that of the EM tracking systems. The experimental results exhibited that tracking can be achieved with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 2–5 mm and indicated a great potential for use as a point-of-care test for NGT insertion, to avoid misplacement into the lung and ensure correct placement in the stomach.

Objectives: Determine whether the insertion site of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) occurs at a predictable distance from the midline trachea, to help guide safe dissection during thyroid surgery. Design: Prospective clinical trial. At the inferior edge of the cricoid cartilage, we measured the distance from mildline trachea to the RLN insertion site. Setting: Single institution. Participants: 50 consecutive patients undergoing thyroid surgery. Main outcome measures: Distance from midline trachea to laryngeal insertion of RLN. Results: The study population included 36 women and 14 men, with 72 total nerves measured. The average distance-to-midline + standard deviation (range) of the RLN was 20.7 + 2.3 (17-26) mm in women compared to 26.3 + 2.1 (22-32) mm in men. Conclusion: The insertion point of the RLN into the larynx at the level of inferior border of the cricoid cartilage can be reliably predicted, to facilitate early identification of the RLN during thyroid surgery.

Background Resection of parotid carcinomas involving the parapharyngeal space is challenging. How this affects tumor margin control, recurrence, and survival is unclear. Methods Patients who underwent resection of parotid carcinomas between 1985 and 2015 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center were evaluated for the impact of parapharyngeal extension (PPE) on margin status, local recurrence‐free probability (LRFP), and disease‐specific survival (DSS). Results Out of 214 patients in whom preoperative imaging was available for review, 22 (10.3%) had PPE. Matched by histotypes, carcinomas with PPE had comparable margin positivity (p = 0.479), T classification (p = 0.316), pathologic risk (p = 0.936), and adjuvant therapy (p = 0.617) to those without PPE. The 3‐year LRFP was 88.9% versus 95.4% (hazard ratio [HR] 2.23 after adjusting for pT classification, p = 0.342) and the 5‐year DSS was 74.2% versus 69.5% (adjusted HR 0.45, p = 0.232) in patients with and without PPE. Conclusion PPE does not appear to worsen oncologic outcomes in the resection of parotid carcinomas.