Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is rare mesenchymal tumor usually arising from pleura. SFT can be found at all anatomic site in our body but incidence of SFT is much lower in head and neck region especially at lower neck area.
We found a case of SFT that presented as a lower neck mass in a 41-year old woman. Ultrasonography showed a 3×1cm sized hypoechoic mass in the intermuscular fat plane of left lower neck, and computed tomography showed a well circumscribed, low-density mass with contrast enhancement. Fine needle aspiration showed no malignant cells with abundant red blood cells, but it was not possible to completely rule out malignant tumors or nodules clinically. Surgery was performed to make a definitive diagnosis and histopathology showed tightly packed, round to fusiform cells with staghorn shaped vessels at microscopic examination. The tumor cell were positive for CD34 but negative for CD31 and S-100 protein.

Background and Objectives: Fungal biofilm is commonly found in non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis. Previous endodontic maxillary teeth treatments have increased fungus ball development in the maxillary sinus. We sought to evaluate the effects of zinc oxide (ZnO), the main component of endodontic sealers, on developing the Aspergillus fumigatus biofilms on primary human nasal epithelial cells.Subjects and Method Primary human nasal epithelial cells were cultured with A. fumigatus spores with (1 and 3 µg/mL) or without ZnO for 72 h. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 levels in cultural supernatant were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. ZnO’s effects on the formation of A. fumigatus biofilm were determined using crystal violet, safranin, concanavalin A staining, and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Results: IL-6, IL-8, and TGF-β1 protein levels in primary human nasal epithelial cells increased significantly by A. fumigatus exposure. During coculturing with ZnO and A. fumigatus, biofilm dry weight, crystal violet, safranin, and concanavalin A staining intensity increased with time. On the other hand, ZnO did not enhance A. fumigatus biofilm formation. Conclusion A. fumigatus biofilm formation increased in the presence of primary human nasal epithelial cells. However, in vitro study, ZnO alone did not influence or aggravate biofilm formation in sinonasal mucosa.

Parathyroid carcinoma is very rare malignant neoplasm, accounting for less than 0.005% of all cancers. Most parathyroid carcinoma is a functioning tumor that causes hyperparathyroidism, leading to hypercalcemia. We report a parathyroid carcinoma case that was suspicious for spontaneous infarction of cancer, leading to resolution of hypercalcemia. A 29-year-old male visited our hospital presenting with right neck swelling and pain. He has been experiencing frequent urolithiasis for four years but laboratory tests showed normal serum calcium level. Right vocal cord paresis was identified with laryngoscopy. Ultrasonography revealed a 3.7 × 3.5 cm mass in the right thyroid containing a focal cystic portion. Computed tomography confirmed the presence of a low-density right thyroid mass. Right thyroid lobectomy was performed and pathological evaluation revealed parathyroid carcinoma with central necrosis. We report this very rare case with a literature review.

Background and Objectives: Several studies have shown that three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TAS2R38 gene demonstrate a strong association with the ability to sense the bitter taste of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) in. We have previously reported about TAS2R38 genotypes in normal volunteers. The aim of this study was to investigate the role TAS2R38 gene plays in taste disorder by examining SNPs in the TAS2R38 gene in taste disorder patients.Subjects and Method Ninety-four patients with taste dysfunction from multiple etiologies were enrolled. The genotypes were defined by identifying SNPs on the TAS2R38 gene. The proportion of different TAS2R38 genotypes in the group was compared with that in the normal volunteers of our previous study. The whole mouth taste threshold tests were performed and the thresholds were compared among the three different genotypic groups. Results: The proportion of each diplotype in taste disorder patients were as follows: PAV/ PAV 36.2% (34/94), PAV/AVI 34.0% (32/94), and AVI/AVI 29.8% (28/94). The proportion of AVI/AVI type was higher in the group than in the normal volunteers (p=0.031). The detection and recognition thresholds of all four basic tastes were increased in the order of PAV/PAV, PAV/AVI, and AVI/AVI genotypes. Conclusion The proportion of AVI/AVI homozygous was significantly higher in taste disorder patients than in the normal volunteers. Our findings suggest that the genotypes of TAS2R38 may represent one of the risk factors responsible for the development of taste disorders.