Bone cement ossiculoplasty offers cost effective and significant improvement in conductive hearing loss.

In order to evaluate lymphatic metastasis to the supraretrospinal recess (SRSR) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), we separately dissected SRSR lymph nodes and submitted them to pathological examination. Fifty-three lateral neck dissections (LNDs), 2 radical neck dissections (RNDs), and 19 modified RNDs were performed in 49 previously untreated patients with laryngeal SCC. The nodal status of the patients was N0 in 29 patients, N1 in 17, and N2 in 3. The neck was pathologically positive in both RNDs (100%), in 7 of 19 modified RNDs (37%), and in 7 of 53 LNDs (13%). No SRSR lymph nodes were positive in any of the dissection materials. No metastasis was found in the SRSR lymph nodes in the N0 necks treated with LND, and none was found even in N1 and N2 necks treated with RND or modified RND. We conclude that the SRSR may be left undissected during treatment of an N0 neck with LND so that accessory nerve dysfunction can be minimized and operative time can be saved.

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Objective: Serotonergic neurons innervating motoneurons increase their firing rates in response to respiratory challenges, and long-term facilitation of respiratory activity in response to hypoxia is serotonin (5-HT) dependent. Polymorphism of the genes which code for 5-HT receptors may affect functions of the serotonergic system, and may be associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The objective in this study was to assess the significance of T102C and –1438G/A polymorphisms of the 5-HT_2A receptor gene in OSAS. Methods: Fifty-five patients with OSAS and 102 healthy volun teers were included for genetic analyses of T102C and –1438G/A polymorphisms of the 5-HT_2A receptor gene. Results: For the T102C polymorphism, there was no significant difference between the patients and controls and both genders (p > 0.05). For the –1438G/A polymorphism, the A/A and G/A genotypes were overrepresented in the patients and controls, respectively (p = 0.045). In the control group, the genotypes of both genders were not significantly different (p > 0.05). In the patients, the A/A and G/A genotypes were overrepresented in males and females, respectively (p = 0.035). Concerning males, the A/A genotype was overrepresented in patients (p = 0.007). Conclusion: Serotonergic mechanisms appear to be related to OSAS. The T102C polymorphism of the 5-HT_2A receptor gene is not associated with OSAS. However, the –1438G/A polymorphism is associated with OSAS occurrence, especially in male patients. This polymorphism may also be associated with different OSAS incidences of both genders.

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