Preoperative Embolization Techniques in the Treatment of Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: Preoperative embolization has proven beneficial in the surgical treatment of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNA). However, the consensus for the best embolization practices remains unclear. This systematic review seeks to characterize the reporting of embolization protocols throughout the literature and to compare differences in surgical outcomes. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. REVIEW METHODS: Studies investigating embolization in the treatment of JNA from 2002 to 2021 were selected from defined inclusion criteria. All studies underwent a 2-stage blinded screening, extraction, and appraisal process. Embolization material, time to surgery, and embolization route were compared. Embolization complications, surgical complications, and rate of recurrence were pooled. RESULTS: Of 854 studies, 14 retrospective studies with 415 patients met the criteria for inclusion. A total of 354 patients underwent preoperative embolization. A total of 330 patients (93.2%) underwent transarterial embolization (TAE) and 24 patients had a combination of direct puncture embolization and TAE. Polyvinyl alcohol particles were the most used embolization material (n = 264, 80.0%). The most common reported time to surgery was 24 to 48 hours (n = 8, 57.1%). Pooled results showed an embolization complication proportion of 3.16% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.96-6.60) (n = 354), a surgical complication proportion of 4.96% (95% CI: 1.90-9.37) (n = 415), and a recurrence proportion of 6.30% (95% CI: 3.01-10.69) (n = 415). CONCLUSION: The current data on JNA embolization parameters and their effect on surgical outcomes remains too heterogenous to provide expert recommendations. Future studies should use uniform reporting to allow for more robust comparisons of embolization parameters, which, in turn, may lead to optimized patient outcomes.

Endoscopic Endonasal Treatment of a Sinonasal Vascular Neoplasm in the Postnatal Period: Case Report and Review of Literature.

OBJECTIVES: Congenital vascular lesions commonly present in the head and neck, and most are managed conservatively. Location and rapid growth, however, may necessitate surgical intervention. Endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) in the pediatric population has emerged as a viable option in treating sinonasal and skull base lesions. Utilizing these techniques in newborns carries unique challenges. The objective of this report is to describe the successful use of direct intralesional embolization followed by endoscopic endonasal resection of a venous malformation in a postnatal patient. METHODS: We reviewed the case reported and reviewed the pertinent literature. RESULTS: A 6-week-old infant was found to have a large right-sided sinonasal lesion confirmed as a venous malformation. Rapid growth, impending orbital compromise, and potential long-term craniofacial abnormalities demanded the need for urgent surgical intervention. Risk of bleeding was mitigated with direct intralesional embolization. Immediately afterward, the patient underwent endoscopic endonasal resection of the lesion. EES in the very young presents multiple challenges both anatomically and behaviorally. A multidisciplinary approach lead to a successful outcome. CONCLUSION: We report a case of a 6-week-old infant, the youngest reported patient to the authors' knowledge, who successfully underwent direct intralesional embolization followed by endoscopic endonasal resection of a sinonasal vascular malformation. This report highlights the challenges of this technique in the very young and demonstrates it as a viable treatment strategy for sinonasal vascular anomalies in this population.

Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children With Sickle Cell Disease: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sickle cell disease (SCD) represent two complex disease processes. Current guidelines recommend that children with SCD receive polysomnography (PSG) after presenting with signs or symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Recent studies suggest a disproportionately elevated prevalence of SDB in the population of children with SCD, and traditional risk factors may not be evident within these patients. Further objective testing might be needed to screen all pediatric patients with SCD, even in the absence of overt signs or symptoms of OSA to prevent complications of both conditions. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained. An eight-question OSA risk assessment screening questionnaire was presented prospectively to 100 consecutive patients with SCD in the pediatric hematology clinic regardless of complaints of SDB. RESULTS: Out of 100 patients, 51 were female. The average age, body mass index (BMI), BMI percentile, and I'M SLEEPY score of the entire cohort were 3.97 years, 15.97%, 55.4%, and 1.63%, respectively. Nineteen patients had a positive sleep apnea screening score and were referred for PSG. The average age BMI, BMI percentile, and I'M SLEEPY score for those 19 patients were 3.77%, 16.67%, 65%, and 3.95%, respectively. Ten patients completed PSG, with seven diagnosed with OSA. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrates a higher incidence of SDB and OSA in children with SCD relative to the general pediatric population. Although more PSG reports and further testing is needed to determine whether the results hold, preliminary data indicate that children with SCD should at least undergo OSA screening in the office regardless of overt symptoms. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:E1022-E1028, 2021.

Perioperative Analgesia in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Otolaryngologic Surgery.

This article reviews the evidence regarding current perioperative pain management strategies in pediatric patients undergoing otolaryngologic surgery. Pediatric otolaryngology is a broad field with a wide variety of surgical procedures that each requires careful consideration for optimal perioperative pain management. Adequate pain control is vital to ensuring patient safety and achieving successful postoperative care, but many young children are limited in their capacity to communicate their pain experience. Current literature holds a disproportionate amount of focus on pain management for certain procedures, whereas there is a paucity of evidence-based literature informing most other procedures within the field.

The Impact of Playing a Musical Instrument on Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic review of the medical literature evaluating the effects of playing a musical instrument on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). DATA SOURCES: Scopus, CINAHL, PubMed, and OVID. REVIEW METHODS: Searches were performed through October 22, 2019. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement was followed. RESULTS: After thorough investigation amidst specific exclusion criteria, four studies were included in the systematic review: one randomized controlled trial and three cross-sectional studies. Polysomnography was used to assess apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) related to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the randomized controlled trial, while the Berlin questionnaire was used to assess high- and low risk OSA in the cross-sectional studies. Various instrument types were mentioned in these studies, largely focusing on wind instruments and subgroups within the wind instrument family. CONCLUSION: Current literature, although sparse, suggests that playing certain types of wind instruments are associated with either improving patients' AHI or reducing the risk of developing OSA. Future studies with larger sample sizes utilizing validated diagnostic tools to measure the presence and severity of OSA are necessary to determine the true impact of such interventions. Although more research is needed, sustainable and minimally invasive interventions such as playing a specific type of musical instrument could serve as an accessible, inexpensive, and effective adjunctive treatment for OSA.

Trimodal embolization of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma with intracranial extension.

OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE: 1. Understand three different techniques for embolization of juvenile nasal angiofibroma (JNA) and assess their combined efficacy. 2. Perform successful endoscopic intralesional embolization of highly vascular sinonasal neoplasms. METHODS: In this study, we present the case of a 10-year-old male patient diagnosed with juvenile nasal angiofibroma (JNA) who successfully underwent trimodal embolization and resection at a tertiary academic medical center after failed coil embolization in his home country. We examine the clinical details of the case and a review of pertinent literature. RESULTS: Preoperative embolization is common in the treatment of JNA, but there is little consensus as to the proper timeframe and techniques utilized. In our case, preoperative imaging revealed a vascular tumor with intracranial extension consistent with UPMC Stage V JNA. Diagnostic angiogram revealed significant arborization from the internal and external carotid systems. A trimodal embolization technique, utilizing transarterial, percutaneous, and direct endoscopic intralesional injection of n-Butyl Cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) was performed. A two-staged endoscopic and open resection was subsequently performed one week later with minimal blood loss. In our case, combining intralesional embolization with traditional transarterial techniques resulted in an improved operative field and a successful clinical result. CONCLUSION: Embolization of highly vascular sinonasal tumors with n-BCA is not limited to endovascular techniques, but can be safely combined with percutaneous and endoscopic intralesional embolization up to one week prior to surgical resection.