Non-opioid analgesics and post-operative pain following transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations between multimodal analgesia and post-operative pain among patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: Records of patients who underwent surgery from 5 September 2012 to 30 November 2016 were abstracted. Associations were assessed using multivariable analysis. RESULTS: A total of 216 patients (mean age of 59.1 years, 89.4 per cent male) underwent transoral robotic surgery (92.6 per cent were human papilloma virus positive, 87.5 per cent had stage T1-T2 tumours, and 82.9 per cent had stage N0-N1 nodes). Gabapentin (n = 86) was not associated with a reduction in severe pain. Ibuprofen (n = 72) was administered less often in patients with severe pain. Gabapentin was not associated with increased post-operative sedation (p = 0.624) and ibuprofen was not associated with increased bleeding (p = 0.221). Post-operative opioid usage was not associated with surgical duration, pharyngotomy, bilateral neck dissections, tumour stage, tumour size, subsite or gabapentin. CONCLUSION: Scheduled low-dose gabapentin was not associated with improved pain control or increased respiratory depression. Ibuprofen was not associated with an increased risk of bleeding and may be under-utilised.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha/cachectin and interleukin 1 beta initiate meningeal inflammation.

Although previous studies using human cytokines in rabbits and rats have provided evidence of the participation of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) in the meningeal inflammatory cascade, the results obtained by several groups of investigators have been discordant or, at times, contradictory. In the present study, homologous cytokines were applied to the rabbit meningitis model. Intracisternal administration of 10(2)-10(5) IU of purified rabbit TNF-alpha (RaTNF-alpha) produced significant cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammation. A similar response was observed after intracisternal inoculation of 5-200 ng of rabbit recombinant IL-1 beta (rrIL-1 beta). Preincubation of these two mediators with their specific antibodies resulted in an almost complete suppression of the CSF inflammatory response. In animals with Haemophilus influenzae type b lipooligosaccharide-induced meningitis, intracisternal administration of anti-rrIL-1 beta, anti-RaTNF-alpha, or both resulted in a significant modulation of meningeal inflammation. Simultaneous administration of 10(3) IU of RaTNF-alpha and 5 ng of rrIL-1 beta resulted in a synergistic inflammatory response manifested by a more rapid and significantly increased influx of white blood cells into the CSF compared with results after each cytokine given alone. These data provide evidence for a seminal role of TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta in the initial events of meningeal inflammation.

Tumor necrosis factor in mediating experimental Haemophilus influenzae type B meningitis.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) could possibly be instrumental in mediating injury to the CNS during bacterial meningitis. In CSF of rabbits with meningitis induced with Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) lipooligosaccharide (LOS), TNF activity was first detected 45 min after intracisternal (IC) injection of 20 ng Hib LOS and white blood cells (WBC) first appeared 75 min later. The peak TNF activity (45 ng/ml) was observed at 120 min after IC and persisted for 5 h. When 1-2 X 10(7) CFU of Hib was used to induce meningitis, peak CSF TNF activity was comparable with that after 20 ng Hib LOS, but the activity persisted for 14 h. Dexamethasone (DXM) (1 mg/kg per i.v.) given 1 h before or simultaneously with IC Hib LOS reduced significantly TNF activity and meningeal inflammation. Goat anti-human TNF alpha antibodies given IC with 20 ng Hib LOS or 2 X 10(6) CFU of Hib resulted in a significant reduction in CSF TNF concentrations, which was also associated with reduced meningeal inflammation in Hib LOS-inoculated animals. We conclude that TNF participates in mediating meningeal inflammation associated with Hib experimental meningitis, and that DXM, when given before or with Hib LOS, inhibits CSF TNF production and modulates the meningeal inflammatory response.

Enhanced attenuation of meningeal inflammation and brain edema by concomitant administration of anti-CD18 monoclonal antibodies and dexamethasone in experimental Haemophilus meningitis.

Antiinflammatory therapy has been shown to reduce the adverse pathophysiological consequences that occur in bacterial meningitis and to improve outcome from disease. In the present study, modulation of two principal steps of the meningeal inflammatory cascade was accomplished by concomitant administration of dexamethasone to diminish overproduction of cytokines in response to a bacterial stimulus and of a monoclonal antibody directed against adhesion-promoting receptors on leukocytes to inhibit recruitment of white blood cells into the subarachnoid space. Dexamethasone and antibody therapy produced a marked attenuation of all indices of meningeal inflammation and reduction of brain water accumulation after H. influenzae-induced meningitis in rabbits compared with results of each agent given alone and of untreated animals. In addition, the enhanced host's meningeal inflammatory reaction that follows antibiotic-induced bacterial lysis was profoundly ameliorated when dual therapy was administered without affecting clearance rates of bacteria from cerebrospinal fluid and vascular compartments. The combination of both therapeutic approaches may offer a promising mode of treatment to improve further the outcome from bacterial meningitis.

Role of two insect growth regulators in integrated pest management of citrus scales.

Portions of two commercial citrus orchards were treated for two consecutive years with buprofezin or three consecutive years with pyriproxyfen in a replicated plot design to determine the long-term impact of these insect growth regulators (IGRs) on the San Joaquin Valley California integrated pest management program. Pyriproxyfen reduced the target pest, California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii Maskell, to nondetectable levels on leaf samples approximately 4 mo after treatment. Pyriproxyfen treatments reduced the California red scale parasitoid Aphytis melinus DeBach to a greater extent than the parasitoid Comperiella bifasciata Howard collected on sticky cards. Treatments of lemons Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. infested with scale parasitized by A. melinus showed only 33% direct mortality of the parasitoid, suggesting the population reduction observed on sticky cards was due to low host density. Three years of pyriproxyfen treatments did not maintain citricola scale, Coccus pseudomagnoliarum (Kuwana), below the treatment threshold and cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi Maskell, was slowly but incompletely controlled. Buprofezin reduced California red scale to very low but detectable levels approximately 5 mo after treatment. Buprofezin treatments resulted in similar levels of reduction of the two parasitoids A. melinus and C. bifasciata collected on sticky cards. Treatments of lemons infested with scale parasitized by A. melinus showed only 7% mortality of the parasitoids, suggesting the population reduction observed on sticky cards was due to low host density. Citricola scale was not present in this orchard, and cottony cushion scale was slowly and incompletely controlled by buprofezin. These field plots demonstrated that IGRs can act as organophosphate insecticide replacements for California red scale control; however, their narrower spectrum of activity and disruption of coccinellid beetles can allow other scale species to attain primary pest status.

Esthesioneuroblastoma: the role of adjuvant radiation therapy.

PURPOSE: We describe our experience with adjuvant radiation therapy in patients who underwent operation for esthesioneuroblastoma. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between January 1951 and December 1990, 49 patients with esthesioneuroblastoma received their initial treatment at the Mayo Clinic. There were 27 male and 22 female patients; their ages ranged from 3 to 79 years (median, 54 years). The tumors were Kadish Stage A in 4 patients, Stage B in 13, Stage C in 29, and modified Kadish Stage D in three (cervical nodal or distant metastasis). The tumors were graded according to Hyams' classification. Treatment included gross total resection alone in 22 patients and gross total resection and postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy in 16. The patients treated with adjuvant radiation had a greater proportion of advanced-stage and high-grade tumors. RESULTS: The 5-year actuarial overall survival, disease-free survival, and local control rates were 69.1% + 7.0%, 54.8% + 7.6%, and 65.3% + 7.4%, respectively. The only significant predictor for overall survival, disease-free survival, and local control was Hyams' grade. Local control was improved in patients who received postoperative adjuvant radiation even though this group of patients had more advanced and higher-grade tumors (5-year rate of local control was 85.9% + 9.3%, compared with 72.7% + 9.5% for those who had operation alone, p = 0.26). CONCLUSION: Adjuvant radiation therapy for esthesioneuroblastoma improves local tumor control, particularly for high-grade and high-stage tumors. We recommend additional treatment with radiation (55.5 Gy) after complete resection of esthesioneuroblastoma.

Cervical nodal metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of unknown origin: indications for withholding radiation therapy.

The records of patients with pathologically confirmed metastatic squamous cell carcinoma involving cervical lymph nodes who were treated at the Mayo Clinic between January 1965 and December 1987 were reviewed. In 117 patients a primary tumor could not be discovered. Of these, 24 patients underwent curative resection of all gross disease by neck dissection or excisional biopsy. All 24 patients presented with unilateral adenopathy. Their median age was 63 years. Eighteen patients were men. Fourteen patients were in clinical stage N1; six, N2a; three, N2b; and one, N3. Six patients had grade 1 or 2 nodal metastases; 14, grade 3; and 4, grade 4. Gross or microscopic evidence of extracapsular tumor extension was noted in eight patients. All patients were followed until death or for a median of 8.5 years (range, 3.3-20.4 years). A squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract subsequently developed in only one patient (4%) within 5 years of operation. In six patients (25%), a recurrence developed in the dissected neck a median of 3 months (2.4 months-6.6 years) after operation. Five of these patients had extracapsular extension, and four had pathologic Stage N2a or higher neck disease. Both patients with pathologic Stage N1 disease who had recurrences in the dissected neck had extracapsular extension. Delayed, contralateral neck metastases in an undissected neck developed in two patients. The 5-year overall and cause-specific survivals for all 24 patients were 66% and 74%, respectively. Extracapsular extension was a predictor of neck recurrence, control of disease above the clavicles, cause-specific survival, and overall survival. Patients with pathologic Stage N1 neck disease with no extracapsular extension can be managed by surgery alone. Patients with pathologic Stage N2 or higher neck disease or extracapsular extension should be considered for postoperative, adjuvant radiation therapy.

Combined neck dissection and postoperative radiation therapy in the management of the high-risk neck: a matched-pair analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy with regard to reducing the rate of recurrence in the neck, cancer-related death, and death from any cause in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region metastatic to neck nodes. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of patients with pathologically confirmed nodal metastases who underwent neck dissection and postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region. Time to recurrence in the dissected area of the neck, any recurrence in the neck, cancer-related death, and death from any cause were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. A matched-pair analysis was performed utilizing a cohort of patients who underwent neck dissection without postoperative radiation therapy. The patients from the two cohorts were matched according to previously reported high-risk features for cancer recurrence and death. Cox hazards models for the matched pairs were used to evaluate the relative risk of subsequent recurrence in the dissected side of the neck, any neck recurrence, cancer-related death, and overall survival. MATERIALS: The medical records and pathologic slides of 95 consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed nodal metastases from squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region who underwent neck dissection and postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy between January 1974 and December 1990 were reviewed. Previously published data from 284 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region treated with neck dissection alone between January 1970 and December 1980 were used for a matched-pair analysis. RESULTS: The relative risks for recurrence in the dissected side of the neck, any neck recurrence (dissected neck or delayed undissected neck metastasis), cancer-related death, and death from any cause for patients treated with operation alone relative to those treated with operation and postoperative radiation were 5.82, 4.72, 2.21, and 1.67, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy for the high-risk neck can reduce the rate of recurrence within a dissected neck, delayed metastasis within an undissected neck, cancer-related death, and death from any cause.

Mucous membrane plasmacytosis of the upper aerodigestive tract. A clinicopathologic study.

We report 9 patients with an unusual plasma cell proliferative disorder of the upper aerodigestive tract. Six patients were men and three, women. The age at presentation ranged from 40 to 67 years with a mean of 54 years. Symptoms at presentation included dysphonia, dysphagia, difficulty breathing, and oral pain. These plasma cell lesions typically produced a cobblestone or warty appearance of the upper aerodigestive tract mucosa including the larynx, pharynx, palate, lips, mouth, tongue, and trachea in varying combination of multiple sites in each patient. Histologically, all lesions were characterized by psoriasiform epithelial hyperplasia with dyskeratosis and dense subepithelial plasmacytosis. Plasma cells were mature but so expansive and diffuse in infiltration as to suggest extramedullary plasmacytoma. Immunohistochemistry for kappa and lambda light chain showed polyclonal immunoglobulin content in all cases examined. Microbial cultures and Warthin-Starry stains were negative for organisms. A variety of treatments including antibiotic therapy, corticosteroid administration, and surgical resection were unsuccessful. In two patients, the process required tracheostomy. This disorder has not been previously described with the exception of a single reported case, which is included in this series. The etiology, pathogenesis, and successful management of mucous membrane plasmacytosis remain unknown.

Nasal septal trauma in children.

If the septal component of a nasal injury is adequately managed, usually the entire nasal injury will be well managed. Major or minor nasal trauma can cause cartilage fracture, deviation, dislocation, hematoma, or abscess formation, and the various associated sequelae, some of them life-threatening. A negative x-ray report should never be used as a substitute for a complete intranasal examination in any child with nasal trauma. Any nasal abnormality should be referred for immediate evaluation and treatment.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

Currently, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is the most common surgical procedure used for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Patients with clinically significant obstructive sleep apnea in whom medical treatment has failed or who are unwilling to comply with medical therapy are considered candidates for UPPP. The initial surgical results obtained in nonselected patients with obstructive sleep apnea were highly variable, approximately half of the patients experiencing more than a 50% reduction in the frequency of disordered breathing events postoperatively. Although differences in surgical technique likely account for some of the variability, preoperative differences in the site (or sites) of upper airway collapse are also thought to influence the surgical results. Because UPPP involves resection of the uvula, distal margin of the soft palate, palatine tonsils, and any excessive lateral pharyngeal tissue, patients with anatomic narrowing and collapse confined to the velopharyngeal or retropalatal region of the upper airway are considered optimal surgical candidates. Fiberoptic pharyngoscopy, cephalometric roentgenography, computed tomography, and somnofluoroscopy are procedures that can be used preoperatively to help select optimal candidates for UPPP. The results suggest that the success rate of UPPP can approach 66% with careful preoperative selection of patients.

Nasal influences on snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

Although the relationship between nasal obstruction and sleep disturbance is variable, either partial or total obstruction of the nasal passages can cause snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, and the sequelae of alveolar hypoventilation. In addition, nasal obstruction can cause sleep fragmentation, sleep deprivation, and the known sequelae of disturbed sleep architecture, including associated daytime tiredness and alterations in normal behavior patterns. Nasal obstruction may produce greater physiologic effects during sleep than during the awake state. A complete examination of the upper respiratory tract should be done in all patients with obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. The degree of nasal obstruction is not directly correlated with the severity of symptoms and findings.

Upper airway obstruction and disordered nocturnal breathing in children.

Fourteen children with disordered breathing during sleep (obstructive apnea, obstructive hypopnea, or snoring) and anatomic obstruction of the upper airway were studied. Twelve children had hypertrophied tonsils and adenoids, and two had a deviated nasal septum. No child had sequelae of severe sleep apnea--that is, cor pulmonale, pulmonary hypertension, or alveolar hypoventilation. Results of polysomnographic studies were abnormal in all and revealed that obstructive hypopnea (increased respiratory effort with decreased airflow) was more common than obstructive apnea (increased respiratory effort without airflow). Surgical removal or correction of the upper airway obstructive lesion in 12 children resulted in normal nocturnal respiration. Surgical intervention was declined in two patients, and their symptoms persist. We conclude that surgical removal of upper airway obstructive lesions in children with disturbed nocturnal sleep should not be reserved only for those with serious sequelae of obstructive sleep apnea; considerable benefit is gained in selected patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea or hypopnea.

Prolonged QT syndrome: perioperative management.

Intraoperative cardiac arrhythmias related to prolonged QT syndrome are uncommon. We describe a 26-year-old woman in whom ventricular fibrillation occurred during the final minutes of a partial glossectomy and right supraomohyoid selective neck dissection and discuss the role that this specific operation may have had in the development of the intraoperative event. In addition, we review the perioperative management of patients with prolonged QT syndrome.

Lymphocytic lymphoma involving the middle ear.

A patient with lymphocytic lymphoma involving the middle ear had otalgia and facial palsy as his initial symptoms, and the definitive diagnosis was made by means of biopsy of the tumor in the middle ear. Review of the literature revealed only one other case with clinical involvement of the middle ear space.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in patients with class II malocclusion.

This study was designed to analyze the effect of class II malocclusion as a factor in the development of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Although mandibular retrusion has been reported coincidentally with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome many times, no causal relationship has been established. No previous study has analyzed the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in patients with class II malocclusion without sleep complaints. In this study, we selected 12 patients with class II malocclusion who required surgical mandibular-lengthening or repositioning procedures. These patients were surveyed for sleep habits or sleep complaints and then studied with overnight polysomnography for sleeping or breathing abnormalities. None of these patients had obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. From this sample population, an incidence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome of no more than 26.5% in the surgical population of patients with class II malocclusion can be extrapolated.

Tumor-ablative surgery, microvascular free tissue transfer reconstruction, and postoperative radiation therapy for advanced head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to determine whether the combination of complex tumor-ablative surgery and microvascular free tissue transfer reconstruction delays the onset of postoperative radiation therapy, whether free tissue transfers are lost after a course of radiation therapy, and what patterns of tumor recurrence and survival rates are present in patients who undergo this type of multidisciplinary treatment. DESIGN: A retrospective review was conducted in 37 patients who underwent tumor-ablative surgery and reconstruction between November 1987 and August 1991. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Of the 30 men and 7 women who underwent tumor-ablative surgery, microvascular free tissue transfer reconstruction, and postoperative radiation therapy, recurrent or T4 primary tumors were treated in 84%. Sixty-two percent of the patients had nodal metastatic disease. The median dose of postoperative irradiation was 60 Gy (range, 32.4 to 76.8). Follow-up in all patients was until death (21 patients) or for a median of 17.5 months (range, 4.1 to 43.2). RESULTS: The median duration of overall survival and the 2-year overall survival rate were 17 months and 46%, respectively. For cause-specific survival, the median duration and 2-year rate were 17 months and 50%, respectively. Local recurrence developed in 8 patients, neck recurrence in 10, and distant metastatic disease in 11. No microvascular free tissue transfers failed. CONCLUSION: Radiation therapy can begin in most patients within 8 weeks postoperatively, microvascular free tissue transfers seem to tolerate postoperative radiation therapy well at the doses administered, and the rates of local and neck control are reasonable relative to the advanced stage of the cancers treated.

Long-term clinical experience with transtracheal oxygen catheters.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and discuss the use of transtracheal oxygen catheters for the treatment of chronic hypoxemia and to discuss the complications associated with the placement and care of these devices. DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective study at a tertiary medical center and reviewed the pertinent literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The medical records of 56 patients who received a transtracheal oxygen catheter between January 1987 and June 1992 at our institution were reviewed for demographic data, diagnosis leading to catheter placement, complications related to catheter use, reason for catheter removal, and duration of use. Follow-up results were established by documentation in the medical records or telephone interview. RESULTS: During the study period, 39 men and 17 women received a transtracheal catheter. More than half the patients (52%) had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The duration of use of the catheter ranged from 2 days to more than 6 years, and the most frequent cause for removal of the catheter was death. Of the 56 patients, 42 died with the catheter in place, 24 within the first year after placement. Complications ranged from mucous plugging (38 % of patients) to pneumothorax (4%), and no patient died of a catheter-related complication. Overall, 55% of patients had their catheter for less than 1 year after placement. CONCLUSION: In patients with transtracheal oxygen catheters, problems related to mucous plugging are common, but severe complications such as pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum are uncommon. Although selection factors that would identify ideal candidates for transtracheal oxygen therapy have not been established, such a catheter is best placed in highly motivated patients who can physically manage the daily care of this device.

Postoperative irradiation for tonsillar carcinoma.

From January 1975 through July 1987 at the Mayo Clinic, 16 patients received postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil (pathologic stage I in 4 patients, stage III in 3, and stage IV in 9). Follow-up was continued for a minimum of 2 years or until death. At 5 years, overall survival was 74% and disease-free survival was 68% for the entire group of patients. The local-regional control rate at 5 years was 83% for 12 patients with pathologic stage III or IV disease; the 5-year disease-free survival rate was 74%. The results with use of postoperative irradiation for stage III or IV tonsillar cancer seem superior to those for a similar historical group of patients who underwent surgical treatment only. Because the number of patients was small and the analysis was retrospective, our study may have included some undetected bias.