Purpose: This retrospective study was performed to assess the beneficial effect of preoperative embolization of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNA) in terms of blood loss during surgery. Methods:Intraoperative blood loss in a group of 7 patients who underwent 10 procedures for JNA without preoperative embolization was compared with the blood loss of 13 patients who underwent 16 procedures after embolization of one or both external carotid arteries.Results: Mean blood loss was 5380 ml in patients without embolization and 1037.5 ml in those with embolization. This difference was not statistically significant because of the high standard deviation in the nonembolized group. However, when data were analyzed by tumor stage, a significant difference was noted between the embolized and the nonembolized patients with high-grade tumors but not between those with lowgrade tumors. Conclusion:Preoperative embolization of the branches of the external carotid appears to facilitate removal of high grade tumors. The benefit of embolization in those with low-grade tumors is less clear cut, probably because there is less vascularity in low-grade tumors and so removal is easier.

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Empty nose syndrome (ENS) is a clinical entity without consensual definition; it is a rare complication of nose or sinus surgery, and of inferior turbinectomy in particular. Physiopathology remains unclear, but probably involves disorder caused by excessive nasal permeability affecting neurosensitive receptors and inhaled air humidification and conditioning functions. Neuropsychological involvement is suspected. Symptomatology is variable and changeable, the most common sign being paradoxical nasal obstruction. Diagnosis is founded on: (1) a range of symptoms that need to be precisely collated; (2) broad post-surgical nasal permeability. Management is problematic, deploying the full range of simple nasal cavity hygiene and humidification techniques, with surgery reserved for the most severe cases; whatever the technique, surgery aims at partial filling of the nasal airway. Prevention is the most important strategy, and seeks (1) to check, before any surgery is envisaged, the reality of nasal dyspermeability resistant to medical treatment; and (2) to prefer the most conservative surgical techniques.

International audienceIntroduction The role of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the management of parotid tumours is still the subject of controversy. The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of FNAC in our institution in order to define its place in the diagnostic strategy.Patients and methods :This retrospective study was based on 249 patients who had undergone preoperative FNAC before being operated in our institution between 2001 and 2008. All examinations were performed and interpreted by the same experienced pathologist.Results, Among the 249 patients included in this study, 187 (75%) had a benign tumour and 62 (25%) had a malignant tumour. No complications of FNAC were observed. Cytological findings were non-contributory in 47 patients (18%). The sensitivity of FNAC for the diagnosis of malignancy was 80% with a specificity of 89.5%. Among the 11 false-negative results, lymphomas and low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinomas were the most common histological types. Among the 16 false-positive results, Warthin's tumours, pleomorphic adenomas and lymphoepithelial lesions were the most common histological types. Accurate histological classification of the tumour was reported in 79.5% of cases (86% for benign tumours and 44% for malignant tumours).Conclusion FNAC is a reliable examination providing important information to the surgeon in the preoperative diagnostic assessment

The present results show that margins considered positive after laser resection do not significantly impact carcinologic course, while still requiring close surveillance. The most generally recommended attitude is control endoscopy with biopsy at 10 weeks.