Odontogenic rhinosinusitis and sinonasal complications of dental disease or treatment: prospective validation of a classification and treatment protocol.

PURPOSE: Odontogenic sinusitis and sinonasal complications of dental disease or treatment (SCDDT) represent a heterogeneous group of conditions that often require multidisciplinary care. The present study aims to prospectively validate a classification and treatment protocol for SCDDT patients. METHODS: One hundred twenty-eight consecutive patients (73 females and 45 males, mean age 52.4 years) affected by SCDDT not responding to dental and medical therapy were classified and surgically treated according to the proposed protocol. The protocol classified patients into three aetiology-based groups (preimplantologic, implantologic, and related to traditional dental diseases and procedures, respectively). The groups were further divided into classes according to the presence of oro-antral communications and/or dislocated dental hardware. Each condition was treated according to the class-related, protocol-defined treatment, by either a transnasal or combined transnasal/transoral approach. All patients were successfully classified according to our protocol. None of the proposed classes were redundant, and no condition fell outside the definitions. RESULTS: The surgical treatment protocol proved to be adequate and effective, in that 125 of the 128 patients completely recovered after surgical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The term SCDDT and the consequent classification proposed by the authors appear, therefore, to be nosologically correct. Furthermore, the protocol-related proposed treatment appears to be clinically sound, with a success rate nearing 98%.

Transverse Cervical Artery Perforator Flap: Standardized Surgical Technique and Multiple Reconstructive Opportunity in Head and Neck Surgery.

The main purpose of head and neck reconstructive surgery is to provide anatomic restoration of the demolited region and to provide preservation and recovery of function. The anatomical investigations conducted over the years has enabled a detailed knowledge of human body vascularization, giving the opportunity to design and harvest more and more versatile and refined flaps, with increasingly satisfactory results. Even if in the last 2 decades free flaps have been considered a reconstructive criterion standard, they still determine a great physical impact for the patient and require a certain surgical experience. In particular, perforator flaps (based on vessels that, emerging from the main deep axis, supply superficial myofascial cutaneous tissues) represent the new reconstructive frontier, of which a wide variety of types has been described. Our purpose is to illustrate the preparation and harvesting of the transverse cervical artery perforator flap and the variety of its utilization in head and neck reconstruction. From February 2005 to May 2015, 41 reconstructions were performed, and not only for oncologic reasons. Thanks to its anatomical features, reduced donor site morbidity and rapid preparation, this flap is a safe and feasible alternative to most famous free and locoregional flaps. Because our outcomes in functional and aesthetic terms were mostly satisfying, we can assert that the transverse cervical artery perforator flap has an important role in an appropriate reconstructive strategy for head, neck, and oropharyngolaryngeal region.