Audiological characteristics and effect of endoscopic surgery for simple congenital malformation of ossicular chain.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the audiological characteristics and surgical results in patients undergoing surgery for simple congenital ossicular chain malformation, and the effect of endoscopic surgery. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on 86 patients who underwent surgery for the congenital malformation of the ossicular chain. Clinical characteristics and audiometric data were analyzed. Fifty-eight patients had detailed postoperative data, and the preoperative and postoperative audiometric results were compared. The subjects were further divided into endoscopic and microscopic groups, and their surgical effects were examined. RESULTS: The preoperative audiometry results in the low-frequency group were worse than those in the high-frequency group (P < 0.05). A postoperative air-bone gap closure to 20 dB or less was achieved in 73.33% of the 60 ears of patients postoperatively. The postoperative air conduction and air-bone gap were significantly better than the preoperative ones (P < 0.05), and the improvement effect was the best in class III patients (P < 0.05). Postoperative hearing had no significant differences between the endoscopic and microscopic groups. However, endoscopic surgery also was more advantageous in terms of operating time (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative pure tone audiometric results showed moderate or moderate-severe hearing loss, especially in the low-frequency area. The reconstruction of the auditory ossicle chain can achieve satisfactory results, especially in class III patients. Endoscopic and microscopic surgery in the treatment of simple congenital ossicular chain malformations can effectively improve postoperative hearing.

Outcomes of Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Treated With Salvage Surgery: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of treatment outcomes of salvage surgery for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC). METHODS: We conducted a detailed search of the literatures in biomedical databases published from January 1990 to December 2020. The main research features and results of interest were retrieved from the articles that met the selection criteria for meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 21 articles with 778 patients were included, 17 of which met the meta-analysis inclusion criteria. The pooled 2-year overall survival (OS), 5-year OS, and 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) were 71%, 50% and 61%, respectively. Subgroup analysis was conducted with postoperative adjuvant therapy. The pooled 2-year OS, 5-year OS and 2-year DFS of the postoperative adjuvant therapy group compared with the surgery alone group were 69% vs 72%, 44% vs 56%, and 77% vs 54%, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on 178 patients with detailed individual postoperative survival data in 10 articles. On multivariate analysis, recurrent T (RT) stage and adjuvant therapy were independent predictors of outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis indicated that recurrent NPC patients can obtain survival benefits from salvage surgery. Accurately assessing the RT stage of the tumor and choosing the appropriate surgical method are important to the success of the surgery. Although the prognostic factors influencing outcome have been studied, conclusive data on the survival benefits are still lacking. Random controlled trials (RCTs) to compare surgery alone and postoperative adjuvant therapy are needed in patients with positive margin status after salvage surgery.

The usefulness of preoperative computed tomography and intraoperative neuromonitoring identification of the nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve.

The objective of this study was to avoid the nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve (NRLN) injury during surgery, we performed preoperative CT examinations to determine the variation in abnormal course of the right subclavian artery as an indictor of the presence of the NRLN and used intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) to identify nerve. Preoperative thyroid CT examinations were performed in 783 thyroid surgery patients. The imaging characteristics that suggested the presence of the NRLN were the following: (1) the arteria lusoria arising from the dorsal side of the aortic arch and passing through the trachea and esophagus posteriorly, and the CT image showing the characteristic "hook-like" morphology; (2) that the arteria lusoria imaging could be observed posteriorly to the trachea and esophagus; and (3) that the arteria lusoria traveled transversely from the rear of the right common carotid artery to the right subaxillary region. IONM has been applied to localize and identify NRLN. The brachiocephalic trunk was shown in 779 cases and not in the remaining four cases (0.5 %, 4/783), and these four were assumed to have the arteria lusoria. The separation point and path of the NRLNs were localized and identified precisely with IONM. The NRLN was observed during all surgeries. These four cases did not exhibit hoarseness after surgery. In conclusion, understanding of the course variations of the right subclavian artery using a preoperative CT examination provides an indicator of the presence of a NRLN. Combining these evaluation methods with IONM can avoid NRLN injury.

[Clinical significance of intact canal wall mastoidectomy combined with facial recess opening in the treatment of secretory otitis media of children].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of intact canal wall mastoidectomy combined with facial recess opening in the treatment of secretory otitis media of children. METHODS: The clinical data of 17 children (19 ears) with recurrent secretory otitis media yet failed tube insertion more than 3 times, and treated with intact canal wall mastoidectomy combined with facial recess opening, in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of SUN Yat-sen University, were reviewed. And because of the eustachian tube dysfunction, 7 ears simultaneously accepted tube insertion, which were removed after 1 to 3 months. RESULTS: Pathological examination of the lesions in middle ear and mastoid of the 19 ears, revealed cholesterol granuloma in 9 ears and inflammatory granulation in 10 ears. All 19 ears recovered with normal tympanic membranes. There were 16 ears with type A tympanogram and 3 ears with type C tympanogram (negative pressure less than 150 mm H2O). The air-bone gaps were less than 15 dB in 3 months after surgery. There was no recurrence in all cases after 2 - 3 years follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In case of recurrent otitis media in children, especially when tube insertion is ineffective, intact canal wall mastoidectomy combined with facial recess opening can be adopted to clear the lesions thoroughly, and to establish long-time and effective ventilation of eustachian tube, tympanic cavity, tympanic antrum, and mastoid.