Endoscopic transnasal approach to remove an intraorbital bullet: systematic review and case report.

Introduction: Intraorbital foreign bodies (IOFBs) represent a clinical challenge: surgical management can be controversial and different strategies have been proposed. When removal is recommended, depending on the location and nature of the IOFB both external and endoscopic approaches have been proposed, with significantly different surgical corridors to the orbit and different morbidities. Methods: We performed a literature review of cases of IOFBs that received exclusive endoscopic transnasal surgical treatment to evaluate the role of this surgery in these occurrences. We also present a case of an intraorbital intraconal bullet that was successfully removed using an endoscopic transnasal approach with good outcomes in terms of ocular motility and visual acuity. Results: A limited number of cases of IOFBs have been treated with an exclusive endoscopic transnasal approach. When in the medial compartment, this approach appears to be safe and effective. In our case, two months after surgery the patient showed complete recovery with no significant long-term sequelae. Conclusions: When feasible, an endoscopic transnasal approach for intraorbital foreign bodies represents a valid surgical technique with optimal outcomes and satisfactory recovery.

Diagnostic therapeutic assistance pathway (PDTA) of type 2 chronic rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder whose etiopathogenetic picture is not yet completely known and is classically divided into CRS with (CRSwNP) and without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). But today the distinction is made with type 2 and nontype 2 variants. A rational and defined pathway for the diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis is an indispensable means to be able to arrive at a correct identification of the patient. This typing is essential to be able to arrive at the correct course of treatment, which turns out to be different for different types of patients. For this reason, the realization of a diagnostic therapeutic pathway represents a fundamental way for the otolaryngologist specialist but not only, since today diagnostics has a multidisciplinary framework. In the present work, precise indications have been developed to arrive at a correct diagnosis. The various diagnostic pathways and processes to arrive at a correct therapeutic framing have been highlighted. Therapy ranging from medical therapy to surgical therapy without neglecting the new biological therapies. It does not represent a guideline but a diagnostic method that can be adapted to all the various territorial realities.

Sense of smell in chronic rhinosinusitis: A multicentric study on 811 patients.

Introduction: The impairment of the sense of smell is often related to chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with or without nasal polyps (CRSwNP, CRSsNP). CRSwNP is a frequent condition that drastically worsens the quality of life of those affected; it has a higher prevalence than CRSsNP. CRSwNP patients experience severe loss of smell with earlier presentation and are more likely to experience recurrence of their symptoms, often requiring revision surgery. Methods: The present study performed a multicentric data collection, enrolling 811 patients with CRS divided according to the inflammatory endotype (Type 2 and non-Type 2). All patients were referred for nasal endoscopy for the assessment of nasal polyposis using nasal polyp score (NPS); Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test were performed to measure olfactory function, and SNOT-22 (22-item sinonasal outcome test) questionnaire was used to assess patients' quality of life; allergic status was evaluated with skin prick test and nasal cytology completed the evaluation when available. Results: Data showed that Type 2 inflammation is more common than non-type 2 (656 patients versus 155) and patients suffer from worse quality of life and nasal polyp score. Moreover, 86.1% of patients with Type 2 CRSwNP were affected by a dysfunction of the sense of smell while it involved a lesser percentage of non-Type 2 patients. Indeed, these data give us new information about type-2 inflammation patients' characteristics. Discussion: The present study confirms that olfactory function weights on patients' QoL and it represents an important therapeutic goal that can also improve patients' compliance when achieved. In a future - and present - perspective of rhinological precision medicine, an impairment of the sense of smell could help the clinician to characterize patients better and to choose the best treatment available.