Massimo Mesolella

University of Naples Federico II | UNINA · Department of Neuroscience and Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences

Background: The incidence of patients showing neck metastasis and no obvious primary tumor at the initial diagnostic evaluation or neck cancer of unknown primary (NCUP) is rising. It is estimated that a relevant part of these tumors arises in the tonsillar crypts or base of the tongue and are p16+-related. However, today, the detection rate of the...

Peripheral nerve sheath tumors encompass a spectrum of well-defined clinicopathologic entities, ranging from benign tumors, such as neurofibromas, to high grade malignant neoplasms termed malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Morphologic variability of these tumors is wide, and they engender some of the most controversial, difficult differentia...

Background The growing understanding of cancer biology and the establishment of new treatment modalities has not yielded the expected results in terms of survival for Laryngeal Squamous Cell Cancer (LSCC). Early diagnosis, as well as prompt identification of patients with high risk of relapse would ensure greater chance of therapeutic success. Howe...

Background: Enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) syndrome can mimic otosclerosis in adults, presenting with an air–bone gap (ABG) and even absent stapedial reflexes. The ABG in inner-ear disorders is currently the object of several authors’ studies and seems to be related to a third mobile window (TMW) phenomenon. This can lead to misdiagnosis and in...

Objectives: We aim to verify velopharyngeal sphincter function in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome patients (22q11.2DS) to establish correlations between aerodynamic and perceptual measures of nasality, and to identify aerodynamic measures differentiating typical from atypical velopharyngeal behavior. Methods: Eleven subjects with 22q11.2DS and twenty sim...

Background: Permanent tracheostomy because of total laryngectomy surgery entails significant consequences for patients regarding respiratory physiopathology, such as the loss of the filtering, humidifying, and heating of air by the nose. The use of special stomal filters can provide adequate protection of the tracheal–bronchopulmonary system with a...

Background: Permanent tracheostomy because of total laryngectomy surgery entails great conse-quences for the patient regarding respiratory physiopathology such as the filtering, humidifying, and heating function of the air by the nose is lost. The use of special stomal filters can determine adequate protection of the trachea-broncho-pulmonary syste...

Background: Given that the temporal bone is one of the most complex regions of the human body, cadaveric dissection of this anatomical area represents the first necessary step for the learning and training of the young oto-surgeon in order to perform middle ear surgery, which includes the management of inflammatory pathology, hearing rehabilitation...

Simple Summary The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of procalcitonin (PCT) as a positive predictive factor for the early identification of post-surgical wound complications, such as cutaneous pharyngeal fistulas, in patients undergoing total laryngectomy. We took into consideration 36 patients who underwent total laryngectomy,...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in post-transcriptional gene expression regulation and in mechanisms of cancer growth and metastases. In this light, miRNAs could be promising therapeutic targets and biomarkers in clinical practice. Therefore, we investigated if specific miRNAs and their target genes contribute to laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (...

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare systemic disease that is characterized by recurrent episodic inflammation of the cartila-ginous structures of the body, resulting in their progressive destruction and subsequent replacement with fibrotic scar. We present a case of RP that initially manifested with subglottic involvement and we propose an inno...

Introduction: Correct breathing is a fundamental condition for adequate vocal production. Respiratory dynamics are able to modify the growth of facial mass and lingual posture, i.e., of the skull, the mandibular one. For this reason, infant mouth breathing can cause hoarseness. Materials and methods: We evaluated the actual changes in the charac...

Forestier’s disease is a systemic, degenerative metabolic condition, which is still insufficiently investigated and understood, characterized by the progressive ossification of the ligaments and entheses. This case describes a 63-year-old man admitted to our department after several years of failed attempts to obtain a definitive diagnosis presenti...

Background: Total laryngectomy is an operation that involves numerous problems for the patient, especially in daily life: loss of the fact, loss of voice, evident scars and persistence of the tracheostoma. Much is known about rehabilitation programs involving the voice, swallowing, shoulder girdle rehabilitation; less explored is the field of spor...

Objective: The objective of our study was to compare our experience of intracapsular tonsillotomy performed with the help of a microdebrider usually used for adenoidectomy with results obtained from extracapsular surgery through dissection and from adenoidectomy in cases of people affected with OSAS, linked to adeno-tonsil hypertrophy, observed an...

Purpose: A retrospective study is presented to correlate the inter-judge consistency for the different psycho-perceptual parameters of the recently proposed Impression Noise Fluency Voicing (INFVo) perceptual rating scale for substitution voices, and the vocal function as perceived by the patient. Methods: The scale Voice-Related Quality of Life...

Neuroendocrine tumors are a spectrum of rare and highly heterogeneous neoplasms with distinct functional and biological behavior in relation to location, tumor size, and histological differentiation. Neuroendocrine tumors arise from the neuroendocrine cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system located in almost every organ. Neuroendocrine tumors in...

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of stoma recurrence and the therapeutic strategy outcomes in relation to survival that have been adopted over the past few decades using a monoclonal antibody, specifically nivolumab. Methods: This study included a total of 487 patients diagnosed with laryngeal carcinoma undergoin...

Introduction: The hemangioma is the most common vascular tumor, involving the head and neck in 60% of cases. It is rare in the larynx. In children, hemangiomas are more frequent on the subglottis, whereas in adults the most common site is the supraglottis. Laryngeal hemangioma with cavernous features isolated to the free edge of the vocal fold is...

Aim: In our work we have considered the problems related to the post-operative hospitalization in patients admitted to our ENT's department in the last 4 years. Material of study: Our observations refer to a sample of 155 patients suffering from head and neck tumors. Results: Regarding therapy, some drugs have been less effective to prevent po...

Candidiasis is a rare entity reported as an isolated and primary laryngeal disease. In this condition, inhaled steroids were the single most common predisposing factor. Also mycotic infections of larynx are frequently seen in patients with immune insufficiency, although they have also been reported in individual with normal immune status. We report...

Introduction In the present study, we have reviewed the outcomes of patients with supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCPL) in our institution. Our results show that SCPL is a well-tolerated procedure with generally good functional outcomes for patients with advanced laryngeal cancer. Objective We analyzed the oncological and functional results of a...

Obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) is a disease characterised by upper airway obstruction during sleep, quite frequent in the general population, even if underesti-mated. Snoring, sleep apnoea and diurnal hypersomnia are common in these patients. Central obesity plays a key role: it reduces the size and changes the conformation of...

This current report describes a rare clinical case of neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the larynx with associated Lambert-Eaton myasthenic paraneoplastic syndrome (LEMS). A 68-year-old male patient presented with severe dysphonia and dysphagia. He underwent a total laryngectomy and the excised lesion was extremely large. A pathological examination...

The timing of tracheotomy is a complex decision that requires understanding of the relative risks and benefits as compared with prolonging intubation. The role of tracheotomy during the COVID-19 pandemic remains to be determined. There is no evidence that early tracheostomy improves patient’s clinical course and it is not impact on the natural hist...

Obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) is a disease characterised by upper airway obstruction during sleep, quite frequent in the general population, even if underesti- mated. Snoring, sleep apnoea and diurnal hypersomnia are common in these patients. Central obesity plays a key role: it reduces the size and changes the conformation of...

Purpose: The aim of the study is to compare the accuracy of unstructured preoperative Computed Tomography (CT) reports from non-tertiary diagnostic centers with intraoperative findings in a large cohort of patients with Chronic Otitis Media (COM) undergone surgery. Methods: From 2012 to 2019, a total number of 301 patients were considered for our p...

Spindle cell larynx carcinoma (SpCC) represents around 3% of laryngeal cancers. It is originated by a single cancer stem cell undergoing epithelial to mesenchymal transition. This explains the aggressiveness, the peculiar resistance to conventional therapy and the frequent relapses. We focused on this particular cancer subset characteristics in pat...

Amyloidosis is a group of idiopathic clinical syndromes caused by the deposition of insoluble fibrillar proteins (amyloid) in the extracellular matrix of organs and tissues. These deposits disrupt the function of the target organ. Amyloidosis can manifest as a systemic disease or a single-organ involvement (local form). Its etiology still remains u...

Laryngeal cancer (LCa), a neoplasm of the head and neck region, is a leading cause of death worldwide. Surgical intervention remains the mainstay of LCa treatment, but a crucial point is represented by the possible nodal involvement. Therefore, it is urgently needed to develop biomarkers and therapeutic tools able to drive treatment approaches for...

Aim: In the last twenty years, the statement of the CO2 laser in laryngeal microsurgery has proved particularly useful in the surgical treatment of laryngotracheal stenosis. The Authors report their surgical experiences and discuss them considering the location, size and pathologic features of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the...

BACKGROUND: Down Syndrome (DS) is one of the most frequent genetic abnormalities and the related otolaryngologic disorders may affect a full potential development and the quality of life of these patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate which treatment, medical or surgical, may improve otolaryngologic symptoms. METHODS: We conducted a...

The purpose of the study was to assess by simultaneous positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) the response to chemotherapy (CHT) and/or radiotherapy (RT) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Five patients with HNSCC underwent simultaneous PET/MRI examination before and after CHT and/or RT. Stand...

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a relatively rare tumor that accounts for <1% of all head and neck malignancies. Laryngeal localization of ACC, which is most commonly hypoglottic, is relatively rare, occurring in 0.07-0.25% of all laryngeal tumors. ACC is characterized as a slow-growing tumor with a high recurrence rate, which often causes dyspne...

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare, aggressive and distinct variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the upper respiratory and digestive tract. We have evaluated disease specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) through Kaplan-Meier method and mortality risk through univariate statistical analysis of Cox in 42 cases of BSC...

Folate deficiency may be directly associated with carcinogenesis. Folate supplementation may reduce the risk of progression in a mucosa that is already genetically altered. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of folic acid in the treatment of mild and moderate laryngeal dysplasia recurring after surgery. The data obtained by lary...

Granular cell tumor (GCT), a relatively rare neuroectodermal tumor occurring most often in the head and neck region, is not uncommonly associated with pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia of the overlying surface epithelium, which may be at times nonreadily distinguishable from well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). To the best of our know...

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between metabolic 18Fluoro-Deoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography (18FDG/PET) and morpho-functional parameters derived by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in patients with histologically proven laryngeal cancer. To assess the clinical impact of PET/MRI examination on patient's staging and treatment plann...

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is defined as an acute hearing reduction of 30 dB or more, in at least three consecutive frequencies, occurring within 3 days of symptom onset. There is no consensus on the best treatment option. The aims of this paper were to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment protocol based on medical therapy combined with...

This study analysed the immunohistochemical expression of the CAF-1/p60 protein in laryngeal cancers. CAF-1/p60 assumes an independent discriminative and prognostic value in laryngeal neoplasms; the presence of this protein in carcinoma in situ compared with laryngeal precancerous and larynx infiltrating tumours. We assessed the immunohistochemical...

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) and Chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) are both life threatening hemotologic diseases. They are rarely seen to occur simultaneously in one individual patient. Here we demonstrate a case of HS associated with CML in this study. The patient is a young female, diagnosed with HS in 2005, and was given partial embolization o...

Blunt trauma to the neck or to the chest are increasingly observed in the emergency clinical practice. They usually follow motor vehicle accidents or may be work or sports related. A wide pattern of clinical presentation can be potentially encountered. We report the uncommon case of a patient who was referred to our observation presenting with hoar...

The diffusion of laryngeal cancer cells in the perineural space is a parameter associated with a negative prognosis, high loco-regional recurrence and low disease-free survival rates. The spread of tumor cells on the perineural sheath highlights the histopathological and clinically aggressive behavior of this type of tumor, which may extend proxima...

Hemangiomas are benign tumors originating in the vascular tissues of skin, mucosa, muscles, glands, and bones. Although these tumors are common lesions of the head and neck, they rarely occur in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Cavernous haemangioma of the lateral wall of the nasopharynx has not previously been reported. We examined the clin...

To evaluate the role of simultaneous hybrid PET/MR imaging and to correlate metabolic PET data with morpho-functional parameters derived by MRI in patients with head-neck cancer. Forty-four patients, with histologically confirmed head and neck malignancy (22 primary tumors and 22 follow-up) were studied. Patients initially received a clinical exam...

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignant, locally-invasive tumour of the salivary glands, and accounts for approximately 35% of all malignancies of the major and minor salivary gland. Minor salivary glands are scattered in different areas of the oral cavity such as palate, retromolar area, floor of the mouth, buccal mucosa, lips...

Keratin 5 (K5) is present in the basal layer of a stratified squamous keratinized and non-keratinized epithelium. K5 and K14 have been demonstrated in the mucosa and tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx, and in the mitotic active basal cells of a stratified squamous epithelium. The aim of the present study was to assess K5...

Solitary intraparotid facial nerve plexiform neurofibromas are extremely rare. These tumors arise from Schwann cells. The plexiform variant is recognized by tortuous and multinodular gross and microscopic lesions. It has a high risk of malignant transformation. We report a case of a solitary plexiform neurofibroma in a 5-year-old Italian male, who...

Lymph node tuberculosis (TB) represents the most common form of extrapulmonary TB that affects most often laterocervical lymph nodes. The disease, favored by states of immunosuppression, manifests itself by usually unilateral swelling, which may be associated with skin changes (hyperaemia, infiltration or fistula) and poor systemic symptoms. Our st...

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) or 'cylindroma' is a malignant tumor that often occurs in the areas of the head and neck, affecting the secretory glands and the major and minor salivary glands. The present study describes a case of a patient who presented with a posterior tongue lesion. The case is of a 71-year-old female with an asymptomatic volume...

A frequent complication of thyroid surgery is laryngeal nerve palsy with transitory or permanent deficiency of cordal motility. Peripheral mono-or bilateral palsy in these cases may either occur, in adduction or abduction, and be complete or not complete. Bilateral vocal cords paralysis cause a persistent dyspnoic symptomatology with worsening duri...

Ectopic thyroid tissue remains a rare developmental abnormality involving defective or aberrant embryogenesis of the thyroid gland during its passage from the floor of the primitive foregut to its usual final position in pre-tracheal region of the neck. Its specific prevalence accounts about 1 case per 100.000-300.000 persons and one in 4.000- 8.00...

It is presented a case with a sublingual giant dermoid cyst, rapidly enlarged during pregnancy, which showed itself with deglutition and mild respiratory problems. Dermoid cysts (DCs) are benign lesions arising from entrapment of epithelial rests during embryogenesis. They are most frequently located in the ovaries and testes. Up to 6.9% are found...

Ectopic thyroid tissue remains a rare developmental abnormality involving defective or aberrant embryogenesis of the thyroid gland during its passage from the floor of the primitive foregut to its usual final position in pre-tracheal region of the neck. Its specific prevalence accounts about 1 case per 100.000–300.000 persons and one in 4.000–8.000...

A frequent complication of thyroid surgery is laryngeal nerve palsy with transitory or permanent deficiency of cordal motility. Peripheral mono-or bilateral palsy in these cases may either occur, in adduction or abduction, and be complete or not complete. Bilateral vocal cords paralysis cause a persistent dyspnoic symptomatology with worsening duri...