Medicare volume and reimbursement trends in lingual and hyoid procedures for obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyze utilization and reimbursement trends in lingual and hyoid surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: Annual retrospective data on lingual and hyoid OSA surgeries was obtained from the 2000-2021 Medicare Part B National Summary Datafiles. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes utilized included 21,685 (hyoid myotomy and suspension [HMS]), 41,512 (tongue base suspension [TBS]), 41,530 (radiofrequency ablation of the tongue [RFT]) and 42,870 (lingual tonsillectomy [LT]). RESULTS: The number of lingual and hyoid OSA surgeries rose 2777 % from 121 in 2000 to 3481 in 2015, before falling 82.9 % to 594 in 2021. Accordingly, Medicare payments rose 17,899 % from an inflation-adjusted $46,958 in 2000 to $8.45 million in 2015, before falling drastically to $341,011 in 2021. As the number of HMSs (2000: 91; 2015: 84; 2021: 165), TBS (2009: 48; 2015: 31; 2021: 16), and LTs (2000: 121; 2015: 261; 2021: 234) only experienced modest changes in utilization, this change was largely driven by RFT (2009: 340; 2015: 3105; 2021: 179). Average Medicare payments for RFT rose from $1110 in 2009 to $2994 in 2015, before falling drastically to $737 in 2021. CONCLUSION: Lingual and hyoid surgery for OSA has overall fallen in utilization among the Medicare population from 2000 to 2021. However, there was a brief spike in usage, peaking in 2015, driven by the adoption (and then quick dismissal) of RFT. The rise and fall in RFT use coincide with the rise and fall in reimbursement.

Taste dysfunction after endoscopic endonasal resection of olfactory groove meningioma: Case series and review of the literature.

PURPOSE: The incidence of ageusia and dysgeusia after endoscopic endonasal (EEA) resection of olfactory groove meningioma (OGM) is not well established despite recognized impairment in olfactory function. METHODS: We retrospectively administered a validated taste and smell survey to patients undergoing EEA for resection of OGM at two institutions. Demographics and clinical characteristics were collected and survey responses were analyzed. RESULTS: Twelve patients completed the survey. The median time from surgery was 24 months. The average total complaint score was 5.5 out of 16 [0-13]. All patients reported a change in sense of smell while only 42 % reported a change in sense of taste. Taste changes did not consistently associate with laterality or size of the neoplasm. Significant heterogeneity existed when rating severity of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge this is the first case series examining taste changes after EEA resection of OGM. Despite universal olfactory dysfunction, only a minority of patients reported a change in their sense of taste. Our findings may improve patient counseling and expectations after surgery.

Image guided dilation of sinus ostium in revision sinus surgery.

PURPOSE: Assess if a rigid, image-guided balloon could be used effectively and safely in revision sinus surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, non-randomized, single-arm, multicenter study to assess the safety and device performance of the NuVent™ EM Balloon Sinus Dilation System. Adults with CRS in need of revision sinus surgery were enrolled for balloon sinus dilation of a frontal, sphenoid, or maxillary sinus. The primary device performance endpoint was the ability of the device to (1) navigate to; and (2) dilate tissue in subjects with scarred, granulated, or previously surgically-altered tissue (revision). Safety outcomes included the assessment of any operative adverse events (AEs) directly attributable to the device or for which direct cause could not be determined. A follow-up endoscopy was conducted at 14 days post-treatment for assessment of any AEs. Performance outcomes included the surgeon's ability to reach the target sinus (es) and dilate the ostia. Endoscopic photos were captured for each treated sinus pre- and post-dilation. RESULTS: At 6 US clinical sites, 51 subjects were enrolled; 1 subject withdrew before treatment due to a cardiac complication from anesthesia. 121 sinuses were treated in 50 subjects. The device performed as expected in 100 % of the 121 treated sinuses, with investigators able to navigate to the treatment area and dilate the sinus ostium without difficulty. Ten AEs were seen in 9 subjects, with 0 related to the device. CONCLUSION: The targeted frontal, maxillary or sphenoid sinus ostium were safely dilated in every revision subject treated, with no AEs directly attributed to the device.

Five-item odorant test as an indicator of COVID-19 infection in a general population.

PURPOSE: To analyze the utility of a 5-item odorant test (U-Smell-It™) in determining COVID-19 status in COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive and -negative participants. METHODS: Symptoms, COVID-19 status, and 5-item odorant test results were collected from general population COVID-19 testing in Louisiana (n = 1042), and routine COVID-19 screening of healthcare workers in a nursing home in Florida (n = 278) (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04431908). RESULTS: In the general population COVID-19 testing site, a cutoff point of ≤2 (0, 1, or 2 correct answers out of 5) achieved sensitivity of 40.0% (95% CI: 26.4%-54.8%) and specificity of 89.2% (95% CI: 87.1%-91.1%) in detecting COVID-19 infection. Within this population, analysis of individuals with no self-reported loss of smell/taste and runny/stuffy nose resulted in sensitivity of 38.1% (95% CI: 18.1%-61.6%) and specificity of 92.3% (95% CI: 89.1%-93.4%), while analysis of individuals with self-reported loss of smell/taste and/or runny/stuffy nose resulted in sensitivity of 41.4% (95% CI: 23.5%-61.1%) and specificity of 82.4% (95% CI: 77.7%-86.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The quick turnaround time, low cost, reduced resource requirement, and ease of administering odorant tests provide many advantages as an indicator sign to help flag a molecular diagnostic COVID-19 test with relatively high specificity. Our results suggest that this odorant testing for olfactory dysfunction may be a viable option in pre-screening COVID-19 infection. This tool has the potential to allow for continued monitoring and surveillance, while helping mitigate surges of COVID-19 variants. Further investigation is warranted to observe the extent to which odorant testing might be applied in a serial testing scenario.

Characterizing the providers of and reimbursement for chronic migraine chemodenervation among the Medicare population.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize reimbursement trends and providers for chronic migraine (CM) chemodenervation treatment within the Medicare population since the introduction of the migraine-specific CPT code in 2013. METHODS: We describe trends in procedure volume and total allowed charge on cross-sectional data obtained from 2013 to 2018 Medicare Part B National Summary files. We also utilized the 2017 Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data to analyze higher volume providers (>10 procedures) of this treatment modality. RESULTS: The total number of CM chemodenervation treatments rose from 37,863 in 2013 to 135,023 in 2018 in a near-linear pattern (r = 0.999) and total allowed charges rose from ~$5,217,712 to $19,166,160 (r = 0.999). The majority of high-volume providers were neurologists (78.4%; 1060 of 1352), but a substantial proportion were advanced practice providers (APPs) (10.2%; 138 of 1352). Of the physicians, neurologists performed a higher mean number of procedures per physician compared to non-neurologists (59.6 [95% CI: 56.6-62.6] vs. 45.4 [95% CI: 41.0-50.0], p < 0.001). When comparing physicians and APPs, APPs were paid significantly less ($146.5 [95% CI: $145.6-$147.5] vs. $119.7 [95% CI: $117.6-$121.8], p < 0.001). As a percent of the number of total beneficiaries in each state, the percent of Medicare patients receiving ≥1 CM chemodenervation treatment from a high-volume provider in 2017 ranged from 0.024% (24 patients of 98,033 beneficiaries) in Wyoming to 0.135% (997 of 736,521) in Arizona, with six states falling outside of this range. CONCLUSION: Chemodenervation is an increasingly popular treatment for CM among neurologists and other providers, but the reason for this increase is unclear. There is substantial geographic variation in its use.

High-Volume Billing and Reimbursement Trends for Endoscopic Swallowing Studies in the Medicare Population.

The aim of this study is to delineate the reimbursement trends in fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing with sensory testing (FEESST) and without sensory testing (FEES) in relation to that of speech-language pathology's (SLP) portion of modified barium swallow studies (MBS), as well as to document the types of providers billing for these procedures. We performed descriptive analyses of the volume of FEES/FEESST and MBS, and total reimbursements data obtained from 2013-2018 Medicare Part B National Summary files. We also utilized the 2017 Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data to analyze the higher volume providers (> 10 procedures annually) of either FEES and/or FEESST. From 2003 to 2018, there has been an average, annual increase of approximately 318 FEES/FEESST performed within the Medicare fee-for-service population (R = 0.9505 [95% CI 0.860-0.983]; p < 0.001) covered under Part B (which is largely outpatient coverage). Similarly, there was an increase in Medicare-specific FEES/FEESST reimbursement from $302,840 in 2003 to $1.2 million in 2018 (R = 0.9721 [95% CI 0.920-0.990; p < 0.001]). Prior to 2010, FEESST was performed more frequently than FEES (maximum annual difference of 1174), though from 2010 onward, relatively more annual FEES was performed. From 2003-2018, the reimbursement per procedure increased by $16.79 and $35.36 for FEESST and FEES, respectively, and by $32.84 for the SLP portion of the MBS. Among high-volume FEES/FEESST billers, 65.4% were otolaryngologists and 32.3% were independently billing SLPs. From 2003 to 2018, there has been a significant rise in the number of performed and reimbursed FEES/FEESST. From 2014 onward, compared to SLP-involved MBS, there has been a relative increase in performance of FEES/FEESST.

Billing patterns for in-office computerized tomography scans of the face/sinus by otolaryngologists.

PURPOSE: To evaluate billing trends, Medicare reimbursement, and practice setting for Medicare-billing otolaryngologists (ORLs) performing in-office face computerized tomography (CT) scans. METHODS: This retrospective study included data on Medicare-billing ORLs from Medicare Part B: Provider Utilization and Payment Datafiles (2012-2018). Number of Medicare-billing ORLs performing in-office CT scans, and total sums and medians for Medicare reimbursements, services performed, and number of patients were gathered along with geographic and practice-type distributions. RESULTS: In 2018, roughly 1 in 7 Medicare-billing ORLs was performing in-office CT scans, an increase from 1 in 10 in 2012 (48.2% growth). From 2012 to 2018, there has been near-linear growth in number of in-office CT scans performed (58.2% growth), and number of Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) patients receiving an in-office CT scan (64.8% growth). However, at the median, the number of in-office CT scans performed and number of Medicare FFS patients receiving an in-office CT, per physician, has remained constant, despite a decline of 42.3% (2012: $227.67; 2018: $131.26) in median Medicare reimbursements. CONCLUSION: Though sharp declines have been seen in Medicare reimbursement, a greater proportion of Medicare-billing ORLs have been performing in-office face CT scans, while median number of in-office CT scans per ORL has remained constant. Although further investigation is certainly warranted, this analysis suggests that ORLs, at least in the case of the Medicare FFS population, are utilizing in-office CT imaging for preoperative planning, pathologic diagnosis, and patient convenience, rather than increased revenue streams. Future studies should focus on observing these billing trends among private insurers.

Sinonasal Glomangiopericytoma: Review of Imaging Appearance and Clinical Management Update for a Rare Sinonasal Neoplasm.

Introduction: Glomangiopericytoma (GPC) is a rare tumor in the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses with low malignant potential. Initially deemed a hemangiopericytoma, in 2005 it was classified as a distinct entity by the World Health Organization (WHO). Case Presentation: A male patient in his early 60s presented with new-onset right arm and leg weakness/numbness, who was incidentally found to have a left ethmoid sinus mass with extension in the olfactory fossa. On CT and MRI, the mass enhanced with well-defined borders and eroded the bone, but without dural enhancement. The mass was surgically excised, and pathology confirmed the diagnosis of glomangiopericytoma by microscopic appearance and staining. Discussion: Glomangiopericytoma has less than 0.5% incidence of all neoplasms of the sinonasal cavity, making it rare. Most diagnosed patients are in their 6th or 7th decade of age, with a slight female predominance. Treatment is complete surgical excision, with excellent prognosis, although there is up to 17% local recurrence. Despite the non-specific appearance on CT and MRI, imaging can help provide differential diagnosis, tumor extent, size, and reassuring non-aggressive characteristics of the tumor prior to surgery. GPC tumors are relatively resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. Conclusion: It is important to recognize glomangiopericytoma in the differential of masses of the nasal cavities or paranasal sinuses, as they rarely warrant aggressive treatment beyond local excision. Each reported case of glomangiopericytoma helps to build guidance for imaging and treatment since GPC is rare and not well-represented in the medical literature.

Electromagnetic image-guided orbital decompression: technique, principles, and preliminary experience with 6 consecutive cases.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility of routine use of electromagnetic image guidance systems in orbital decompression. METHODS: Six consecutive patients underwent stereotactic-guided three wall orbital decompression using the novel Fusion ENT Navigation System (Medtronic), a portable and expandable electromagnetic guidance system with multi-instrument tracking capabilities. The system consists of the Medtronic LandmarX System software-enabled computer station, signal generator, field-generating magnet, head-mounted marker coil, and surgical tracking instruments. In preparation for use of the LandmarX/Fusion protocol, all patients underwent preoperative non-contrast CT scan from the superior aspect of the frontal sinuses to the inferior aspect of the maxillary sinuses that includes the nasal tip. RESULTS: The Fusion ENT Navigation System (Medtronic™) was used in 6 patients undergoing maximal 3-wall orbital decompression for Graves' orbitopthy after a minimum of six months of disease inactivity. Preoperative Hertel exophthalmometry measured more than 27 mm in all patients. The navigation system proved to be no more difficult technically than the traditional orbital decompression approach. CONCLUSION: Electromagnetic image guidance is a stereotactic surgical navigation system that provides additional intraoperative flexibility in orbital surgery. Electromagnetic image-guidance offers the ability to perform more aggressive orbital decompressions with reduced risk.

Restarting Antithrombotic Therapies After Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: Antithrombotic therapies, comprised of both anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents, are routinely paused prior to endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) to reduce the risk of perioperative hemorrhage. At present, no clear guidelines exist to guide otolaryngologists on when to resume these agents after ESS. Our goal was to systematically review the existing literature related to this topic. METHODS: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we systematically queried the PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Web of Science, Cochrane, and CINAHL databases to identify publications reporting on antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapy in the context of ESS. The primary outcomes we sought were recommendations on the timing of antithrombotic therapy resumption after ESS. RESULTS: Of the 104 unique articles identified, all were screened for relevance by 2 independent reviewers based on title and abstract, 20 underwent full-text review, and 6 met inclusion criteria for analysis. Of these, 3 were literature reviews, 2 were case-control studies, and 1 was a cohort study. All publications discussed when to pause antithrombotic therapy prior to surgery while only 3 articles discussed resumption of these agents. Recommendations were mixed. CONCLUSION: A paucity of literature exists on the resumption of antithrombotic therapies after ESS. As a major determining factor in patient morbidity, guideline-based resumption of these therapies is needed.

Treatment, Management, and Otolaryngology Consultation for Epistaxis in the Emergency Room: An Institutional Experience.

BACKGROUND: Epistaxis is a common reason for emergency department (ED) visits, accounting for approximately 1 of every 200 ED visits in the United States annually and up to one-third of all otolaryngology (ENT)-related ED encounters. OBJECTIVES: To detail reasons for ENT consultation for epistaxis in the ED, understand how consultation impacts patient care, assess follow-up patterns after emergency care, and study patient care after transfer or referral into the ED. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 592 adult patients with epistaxis managed in a tertiary care ED setting between 2017 and 2018. Patients with known follow-up, ENT consult in the ED, or admission were included, while patients with trauma, recent head and neck surgery, or abnormal anatomy were excluded. RESULTS: The most common reasons for ENT consultation for epistaxis were for advanced management, referral to the ED from an outside facility or provider, and recent head and neck surgery. In total, 48.2% of patients treated for epistaxis in the ED received an ENT consultation. ENT consultation was associated with a higher likelihood of receiving absorbable or nonabsorbable packing (92.4% vs 36.1%). In total, 40.4% of patients referred into the ED from an outside facility or provider had no change in their management after receiving an ENT consult. Patients referred to the ED and White patients were significantly more likely to receive an ENT consult. Secondary analyses revealed that more White patients had an established outpatient ENT provider than patients of other races. On multivariate analysis, patients who received an ENT consult spent 75.2 min longer in the ED. CONCLUSION: The high percentage of patients referred or transferred to the ED for epistaxis management with no change in interventions after ENT consultation indicates a continued need to develop more precise clinical care pathways. Additionally, there may be gaps between White and non-White patients in access to ENT care.

ChatGPT for Automated Cross-Checking of Authors' Conflicts of Interest Against Industry Payments.

OBJECTIVE: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services "OpenPayments" database tracks industry payments to US physicians to improve research conflicts of interest (COIs) transparency, but manual cross-checking of articles' authors against this database is labor-intensive. This study aims to assess the potential of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT to automate COI data analysis in medical publications. STUDY DESIGN: An observational study analyzing the accuracy of ChatGPT in automating the cross-checking of COI disclosures in medical research articles against the OpenPayments database. SETTING: Publications regarding Food and Drug Administration-approved biologics for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis: omalizumab, mepolizumab, and dupilumab. METHODS: First, ChatGPT evaluated author affiliations from PubMed to identify those based in the United States. Second, for author names matching 1 or multiple payment recipients in OpenPayments, ChatGPT undertook a comparative analysis between author affiliation and OpenPayments recipient metadata. Third, ChatGPT scrutinized full article COI statements, producing an intricate matrix of disclosures for each author against each relevant company (Sanofi, Regeneron, Genentech, Novartis, and GlaxoSmithKline). A random subset of responses was manually checked for accuracy. RESULTS: In total, 78 relevant articles and 294 unique US authors were included, leading to 980 LLM queries. Manual verification showed accuracies of 100% (200/200; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 98.1%-100%) for country analysis, 97.4% (113/116; 95% CI: 92.7%-99.1%) for matching author affiliations with OpenPayments metadata, and 99.2% (1091/1100; 95% CI: 98.5%-99.6%) for COI statement data extraction. CONCLUSION: LLMs have robust potential to automate author-company-specific COI cross-checking against the OpenPayments database. Our findings pave the way for streamlined, efficient, and accurate COI assessment that could be widely employed across medical research.

A Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Analysis of Reimbursement Trends in Laryngology from 2000 to 2021.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to characterize Medicare reimbursement trends for laryngology procedures over the last two decades. METHODS: This analysis used CMS' Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Look-Up Tool to determine the reimbursement rate of 48 common laryngology procedures, which were divided into four groups based on their practice setting and clinical use: office-based, airway, voice disorders, and dysphagia. The PFS reports the physician service reimbursement for "facilities" and global reimbursement for "non-facilities". The annual reimbursement rate for each procedure was averaged across all localities and adjusted for inflation. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of each procedure's reimbursement was determined, and a weighted average of the CAGR for each group of procedures was calculated using each procedure's 2020 Medicare Part B utilization. RESULTS: Reimbursement for laryngology procedure (CPT) codes has declined over the last two decades. In facilities, the weighted average CAGR for office-based procedures was -2.0%, for airway procedures was -2.2%, for voice disorders procedures was -1.4%, and for dysphagia procedures was -1.7%. In non-facilities, the weighted average CAGR for office-based procedures was -0.9%. The procedures in the other procedure groups did not have a corresponding non-facility reimbursement rate. CONCLUSION: Like other otolaryngology subspecialties, inflation-adjusted reimbursements for common laryngology procedures have decreased substantially over the past two decades. Because of the large number of physician participants and patient enrollees in the Medicare programs, increased awareness and further research into the implications of these trends on patient care is necessary to ensure quality in the delivery of laryngology care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 134:247-256, 2024.

Incidence and Reimbursement Trends for Facial Fracture Repair in the Elderly: A Medicare Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to describe incidence and reimbursement trends of surgical repair of facial fractures among the Medicare population. METHODS: The annual procedure data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service National Part B Data File from 2000 to 2019 were queried. RESULTS: The total number of surgically corrected facial fractures increased from 10,148 in 2000 to 19,631 in 2019 in a linear pattern (r = 0.924). Specifically, nasal bone/septum fracture repairs increased the most by 200.6% (n = 4682 to n = 14,075), whereas operations for TMJ dislocations, malar/zygoma fractures, and alveolar ridge/mandibular fractures decreased by 27.9%, 12.3%, and 3.2%, respectively, between 2000 and 2019. Correspondingly, the total Medicare reimbursement rose from $2,574,317 in 2000 to $4,129,448 in 2019 (r = 0.895). However, the mean reimbursement for all procedures decreased from $376.63 to $210.35 (44.1% fall) over the same time after adjusting for inflation, with this trend holding for individual fracture types as well. CONCLUSIONS: Given the population's increasing age, there has been a significant increase in the number of surgical repairs of facial fractures in Medicare patients between 2000 and 2019. However, this is largely driven by an increase in nasal bone/septum closed reductions, with stagnant and, in some cases, declining incidence among other fracture repairs. The reason is unclear and may be related to an increase in nonoperative management or poor outcomes. Nevertheless, like other subfields within otolaryngology and medicine at large, payments have lagged far behind, which may play some role. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 134:659-665, 2024.

Medicaid Acceptance Varies by Physician Seniority and Specialty in California.

Given varied insurance acceptances and differing pay between insurances, our objective was to examine the number of California physicians enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Cal), stratified by specialty and graduation year. Medi-Cal and Medicare providers were extracted from publicly available databases (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and California Health and Human Services) and were subsequently merged into one dataset using National Provider Identifier. From there, we stratified physicians by specialty and graduation year. We found that emergency medicine, radiology, pathology, anesthesiology, general surgery, and internal medicine had the highest percent of Medi-Cal-accepting physicians, whereas dermatology, psychiatry, physical medicine & rehabilitation, and plastic & reconstructive surgery physicians had the lowest. There also appears to be an inverse relationship between acceptance of Medi-Cal and earlier year of graduation (P < 0.05). This study demonstrated striking variability in Medi-Cal acceptance based upon physician years in practice and specialty. Older, experienced physicians, as well as physicians of certain specialties, are less likely to accept Medi-Cal.

Medicare Utilization and Reimbursement Variation Between Rural and Urban Otolaryngologists.

OBJECTIVE: To compare billing practices, reimbursement rates, and patient populations of otolaryngology (ORL) physicians practicing in rural and urban settings. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Supplier Data. METHODS: Medicare-allowed payments, number of services, and number of patients were gathered along with patient population comorbidity statistics, including average hierarchical condition category risk scores. RESULTS: In 2019, 92% of the overall total 8959 ORL physicians practiced in an urban setting. These 8243 urban ORL physicians, on average, billed for 51 (interquartile range [IQR], 31-67) unique Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes, cared for 393 (IQR, 172-535) Medicare patients, performed 1761 (IQR, 502-2070) services, and collected $139,957 (IQR, $55,527-$178,479) per provider. In contrast, the 704 rural ORL physicians, on average, billed for a greater number of unique HCPCS codes (59; IQR, 37-77; P < .001), treated more Medicare patients (445; IQR, 242-614; P < .001), and performed more services (2330; IQR, 694-2748; P < .001) but collected about the same per provider ($141,035; IQR, $56,555-$172,864; P = .426). Older age was associated with rural practice (P = .027). Among both urban and rural ORL physicians, the variety and complexity of procedures and patient comorbidity profiles were comparable. CONCLUSION: Most ORL physicians practice in large urban settings, a finding potentially related to financial sustainability and career opportunity. With an already small workforce, the aging rural ORL physician population is an identifiable weak point in the otolaryngology specialty that must be addressed with geo-specific recruitment campaigns, rural work incentivization, and the development of career advancement opportunities in rural areas.

Trends in clinical trials for olfactory dysfunction in the COVID-19 era.

KEY POINTS: Nearly half of all olfactory dysfunction (OD) clinical trials since 2010 are COVID-19-related. COVID-19-related OD trials are published significantly faster than COVID-19-unrelated trials. High-quality clinical trials and publications are crucial to discovering effective treatments.

3D printing for virtual surgical planning of nasoseptal flap skull-base reconstruction: A proof-of-concept study.

KEY POINTS: 3D printing for virtual surgical planning of nasoseptal flap skull base reconstruction is a viable approach. Results indicate improved mucosal preservation but further research is needed to define impact on quality of life.

Subdural empyema secondary to pansinusitis after coronavirus disease 2019 infection in an immunocompetent patient: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Superimposed intracranial infection is an uncommon but clinically significant complication in patients with active coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), particularly in those with predisposing immunocompromising conditions. OBSERVATIONS: The authors describe a case of subdural empyema, secondary to extension from pansinusitis, in a 20-year-old otherwise healthy immunocompetent male who was recently diagnosed with COVID-19. Despite his critical condition at time of presentation, he made a full clinical recovery with aggressive multidisciplinary surgical management between neurosurgery and otolaryngology, despite negative cultures to guide directed antimicrobial therapy. Ultimately, use of molecular-based polymerase chain reaction testing diagnosed Aspergillus fumigatus as the offending pathogen after the patient had already recovered and was discharged from the hospital. LESSONS: This case demonstrates the potential for significant superimposed intracranial infection even in young, healthy individuals, infected by COVID-19 and suggests an aggressive surgical approach to achieve source control, particularly in the absence of positive cultures to guide antimicrobial therapies, may lead to rapid clinical improvement.