Gender Affirmation Surgery of the Face for the Transfeminine Patient.

This article discusses the aspects of facial feminine affirmation surgery including forehead reconstruction, midface feminization, and lower face/neck feminization. We will present a brief history of gender affirmation. We discuss the anatomical differences between born XY males and XX females and discuss the subsequent procedures that aim at feminizing the face. The effects of silicone injections are also discussed as this was a trend in the past to feminize the face. Understandably so we discuss the anatomical differences as being a fluid expression and differences based on ethnic background.

Recurrent malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the parietal scalp.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are a rare and aggressive subtype of sarcomas defined by their neural origin. Head and neck manifestations are particularly uncommon. Challenges exist in diagnosis, management, and recurrence. Achieving local control, particularly in the head and neck region, is difficult. We present a patient with a rapidly enlarging MPNST on the right parietal calvarium shortly after resection of a right vagus nerve MPNST. Recommendation was made for excision and reconstruction with a local advancement flap followed by radiation therapy. Local control with good aesthetic outcome was achieved by applying recommended surgical and oncologic principles.

Haemophilus parasuis VtaA2 is involved in adhesion to extracellular proteins.

Haemophilus parasuis is part of the microbiota of the upper respiratory tract in swine. However, virulent strains can cause a systemic disease known as Glässer's disease. Several virulence factors have been described in H. parasuis including the virulence-associated trimeric autotransporters (VtaAs). VtaA2 is up-regulated during infection and is only found in virulent strains. In order to determine its biological function, the vtaA2 gene was cloned with its native promotor region in pACYC184, and the transformed Escherichia coli was used to perform functional in vitro assays. VtaA2 was found to have a role in attachment to plastic, mucin, BSA, fibronectin and collagen. As other VtaAs from H. parasuis, the passenger domain of VtaA2 contains collagen domains. In order to examine the contribution of the collagen repeats to VtaA2 function, a recombinant vtaA2 without the central collagen domains was obtained and named vtaA2OL. VtaA2OL showed similar capacity than VtaA2 to adhere to plastic, mucin, BSA, fibronectin and plasma but a reduced capacity to adhere to collagen, suggesting that the collagen domains of VtaA2 are involved in collagen attachment. No function in cell adhesion and invasion to epithelial alveolar cell line A549 or unspecific binding to primary alveolar macrophages was found. Likewise VtaA2 had no role in serum or phagocytosis resistance. We propose that VtaA2 mediates adherence to the host by binding to the mucin, found in the upper respiratory tract mucus, and to the extracellular matrix proteins, present in the connective tissue of systemic sites, such as the serosa.

The case of the eyelid silicone granulomas.

Foreign body granulomas can develop even several years after autologous fat or filler injection. In some instances the foreign body granulomas have been found at sites other than the original injection site. We present a case of a 48-year-old male with reported "hyaluronic acid fillers" injected into his upper and lower eyelids several years prior. He subsequently developed periorbital swelling with negative allergic and rheumatologic workup. The patient ultimately underwent a blepharoplasty for improvement of the swelling. Histopathology suggested silicone granulomas of the upper and lower eyelid. This case illustrates the importance of keeping foreign body granulomas on the differential for all patients with a history of facial dermal filler injections. Although hyaluronic acid is the most common dermal filler, providers should suspect the use of other dermal fillers including those not FDA approved particularly when common conservative treatment methods are not sufficient.

Ectopic Thyroid Tissue With Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

OBJECTIVE: Ectopic thyroid gland is a rare occurrence with a prevalence of 1 per 100,000 to 300,000 people. Hashimoto's thyroiditis involving ectopic thyroid tissue is particularly unusual. We describe the presentation, workup, surgical management, and brief review of the literature. METHODS: Retroactive review of an 83-year-old white female patient record. As a case report, this project was exempt from institutional review board approval. RESULTS: We present a case of ectopic thyroid tissue located in the strap muscles with concurrent Hashimoto's thyroiditis. This tissue initially was believed to represent metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Whenever ectopic thyroid tissue is encountered, the gravest concern is metastatic thyroid cancer. The possibility of benign thyroid tissue should not be excluded even if the thyroid histology initially appears to be malignant in nature.

Preparing for Facial Feminization Surgery.

Preparing for facial feminization surgery (FFS) or gender-affirming facial surgery is a daunting task. Patients do extensive research online to see what FFS means. Oftentimes it is the patients who are educating their physicians when discussing medical clearance or the esteemed "therapy letter." The therapy letter is a letter that details the support for surgery in a stable patient and reaffirms the need to have FFS in a person diagnosed with gender dysphoria. This typically follows the World Professional Association for Transgender Health standards-of-care guidelines. Besides having the therapy letter, patients must be counseled on concurrent mental health illnesses.

Nasal septal angiofibroma, a subclass of extranasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

OBJECTIVE: Extranasopharyngeal angiofibromas (ENA) arising from the nasal septum or nasal septal angiofibromas are extremely rare; only 13 such cases have been reported in the international literature. Our objective is to describe the presentation, workup, and surgical management of these lesions. STUDY DESIGN: Case reports were done. SETTING: The setting was a tertiary care referral center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. PATIENTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND RESULTS: We present 2 cases of extranasopharyngeal angiofibroma occurring on the nasal septum. CONCLUSIONS: In this report, we discuss the occurrence, the histopathologic findings, and the treatment of nasal septal angiofibroma.

A case of a dermoid cyst compressing the airway.

INTRODUCTION: In this report we discuss the etiology, common locations, diagnostic approach, and treatment of a dermoid cyst. CASE PRESENTATION: A 22-year-old man arrived at the emergency department complaining of submental fullness, an increase in snoring, choking, gagging, and difficulty breathing. The patient was taken to the operating room for a complete resection of a large dermoid cyst that was compressing his airway. DISCUSSION: Dermoid cysts are uncommon head and neck tumors mainly presenting in patients aged 15 to 35. The origin of dermoid cysts is thought to be congenital in most cases, but they can also develop from acquired factors such as trauma or surgical implantation that forces epithelial cells into deep tissues. CONCLUSION: Although benign and often asymptomatic, dermoid cysts may cause other associated symptoms due to compression of structures in the head and neck.

Cell cycle control pathways act as conditioning factors for TK/GCV sensitivity in pancreatic cancer cells.

The suicide system TK/GCV is an enzyme/prodrug therapy that involves the transfer of the cDNA for the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene (TK) into tumor cells which then sensitizes the cells to the non-toxic antiviral drug ganciclovir. Although extensively characterized, the suicide system TK/GCV conceals the details of its mechanism of action. In order to shed some light on this issue, we conducted experiments designed to identify key features of sensitive cells, as compared to cells that displayed reduced sensitivity to TK/GCV. Cell lines displaying different degrees of sensitivity underwent apoptotic cell death upon treatment with TK/GCV. S-phase delay, however, was almost exclusively restricted to sensitive cells and was impaired in a model of treatment-induced resistance. In this model genes with differential expression associated to induced resistance were identified. Noteworthy, two cell cycle-related genes (CCNE1 and GADD45) were functionally validated as conditioners of cellular sensitivity to TK/GCV. The relevance of cell cycle control was further demonstrated by experiments showing the association of Chk1 activation with greater TK/GCV cytotoxicity. Combination treatment with Chk1 inhibitor UCN-01 induced, in sensitive cells, an antagonistic effect on TK/GCV cytotoxicity highlighting the relevance of Chk1's activity on TK/GCV mechanism of action. These results reveal the relevance of cell cycle control pathways in the cytotoxicity induced by the TK/GCV system identifying candidate genes as conditioners of TK/GCV sensitivity. Moreover it points out, for the first time at Chk1 activation as a key factor to mediate TK/GCV cytotoxicity.

Predictors of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in obese children.

As the prevalence of childhood obesity increases, the incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) also escalates. This study's purpose was to identify the clinical criteria to aid in determining when a liver biopsy is indicated for this growing population because currently no guidelines exist. We performed a retrospective chart review on all patients who were seen in the Nutrition Exercise and Weight Loss Kids™ Program at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin from July 2003 through December 2004. We analyzed only individuals who underwent liver biopsy with the following criteria: (1) no evidence of other liver disease and (2) aspartate transaminase or alanine aminotransferase greater than 200 IU/L or any elevation of or for more than 6 months. Of the 284 patients reviewed, only eight patients (3%) met the criteria for analysis. Biopsy results demonstrated that 100% had histological evidence of NASH with steatosis, and seven of the eight (87.5%) had NASH with fibrosis, cirrhosis, or both. Obese children with an aspartate transaminase or alanine aminotransferase greater than 200 IU/L or any elevation of aspartate transaminase or alanine aminotransferase for more than 6 months, have a strong likelihood of having NASH with or without fibrosis, cirrhosis, or both.

Scalp advancement for transgender women: Closing the gap.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Hairline advancement is a powerful procedure to shorten the forehead and eliminate areas of hair loss, especially along the temporal recesses. This study was undertaken to report the typical hairline advancement possible with the senior author's method for scalp advancement at the time of forehead feminization. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. METHODS: A review was conducted of 29 consecutive cases that met inclusion criteria from January to March 2018 at an academic medical center. Sex, gender, age, whether galeatomy was performed, and additional variables were recorded. The distance of hairline advancement was measured in the midline and at the left and right midpupillary line. Galeatomies and rapid intraoperative tissue expansion were performed as per standard surgical protocol. RESULTS: For the group of 29 individuals who underwent the specified method for scalp advancement, the average differences for the glabella to the trichion, the right midpupillary line, and the left midpupillary line were 1.90 cm, 2.07 cm, and 2.07 cm, respectively. These differences between the pre- and post-observations were statistically significant at the 0.1% level (P < .001). The overall average difference in scalp advancement was 2.01 cm (also significantly different pre- and post-measurements at the 0.1% level; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our technique of hairline advancement provides a significant improvement in the hairline in patients seeking out advancement due to an elongated forehead while undergoing facial feminization. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 130:1431-1435, 2020.

Instrumentos para la medición de sobrecarga del cuidador en pacientes con enfermedad crónica: revisión psicométrica / Instruments for the measurement of informal caregiver burden in patients with chronic disease: Psychometric review

Introducción: Los cuidadores de pacientes con enfermedad crónica experimentan sobrecarga en actividades de cuidado. Existen diferentes instrumentos que miden la sobrecarga, en Latinoamérica se han validado diferentes instrumentos. Objetivo: Evaluar la calidad metodológica de las propiedades psicométricas de los instrumentos que miden la sobrecarga del cuidador en el contexto latinoamericano. Metodología: Revisión sistemática psicométrica. La búsqueda incluyó la combinación de 3 aspectos: estudios de validación; idioma: español, portugués o inglés, lugar de validación: Latinoamérica. Resultados: Un total de 24 artículos se identificaron e incluían 10 instrumentos. El idioma de los artículos con mayor representación fue el español (n = 15). El país con mayor número de estudios de validación fue Brasil (n = 15). El instrumento con mayor número de validaciones fue la Encuesta de Zarit (n = 11). Conclusión: Los instrumentos identificados cuentan con buena calidad metodológica, sin embargo, se requieren futuros estudios que evalúen las propiedades psicométricas faltantes, en especial la validez de contenido.

Introduction: Caregivers of patients with chronic disease experience overload when carrying out continuous care tasks. In the world there are different instruments that measure this overload, in the Latin American context different instruments have been validated. Objetive: To evaluate the methodological quality of the psychometric properties of the instruments that measure caregiver burden in the Latin American. Methodology: Systematic psychometric review. The search included the combination of 3 aspects: validation studies; language: Spanish, Portuguese or English, and place of validation: Latin American. Results: A total of 24 articles were identified and included 10 instruments. The language of the articles with the highest representation was Spanish (n = 15). The country with the highest number of validation studies was Brazil (n = 15). The instrument with the highest number of validations was the Zarit Survey (n = 11). Conclusion: The identified instruments have methodological quality; however, future research is necessary to evaluate the missing psychometric properties, especially content validity

Lecciones aprendidas en Apropiación Social del Conocimiento en cuidadores familiares de personas con enfermedad crónica / Lessons learned in Social Knowledge Appropriation in family caregivers of people with chronic diseases

INTRODUCCIÓN: Los cuidadores familiares de personas con enfermedad crónica se ven enfrentados a cambios de orden individual, familiar y social, lo que afecta su calidad de vida y son expuestos a prácticas saludables y no saludables. OBJETIVO: Transferir el conocimiento generado en la línea de adopción de rol del cuidador de la persona con enfermedad crónica. METODOLOGÍA: Estrategia de Apropiación Social del Conocimiento (ASC) con enfoque de investigación participativa basada en la comunidad. Se contemplaron las siguientes fases: revisión y actualización de literatura científica, identificación de actores, diagnóstico situacional; planeación y desarrollo de la estrategia, y seguimiento. En Bogotá y Cajicá (Colombia), con cuidadores familiares de personas con condiciones crónicas. RESULTADOS: Se confirma la necesidad de dinamizar las redes a través de estrategias de ASC. Se realizaron grupos focales en donde se priorizaron 21 temáticas que fueron abordadas conjuntamente entre los cuidadores y los Jóvenes Talento. Aplicación del pre y postest del instrumento Rol en donde se evidenció un aumento en la adopción del rol. CONCLUSIONES: Se evidenció una constante retroalimentación bidireccional entre los Jóvenes Talento y los cuidadores participantes; contribuyendo a la generación de conocimiento teniendo como fundamentos la evidencia científica.

INTRODUCTION: Family caregivers of people with chronic diseases are faced with individual, family, and social changes that affect their quality of life and are exposed to healthy and unhealthy practices. OBJECTIVE. Transfer the knowledge gained in the process of adopting the role of the chronic illness patient's caregiver. METHODS: Social Knowledge Appropriation (SKA) strategy incorporating a community-based participatory research methodology. Consideration was given to the following phases: review and update of scientific literature, identification of actors, situational analysis, planning and development of the strategy, and follow-up. In Bogotá and Cajicá, with family caregivers of chronically ill patients. RESULTS confirm the need to energize networks with SKA strategies. Twenty-one topics were prioritized and discussed by caregivers and young talent in focus groups. Application of the pre- and post-test of the role instrument, which revealed an increase in role adoption. CONCLUSIONS: A constant bidirectional feedback was observed between the young talents and the participating caregivers, which contributed to the generation of scientifically based knowledge.

The History of Sleep Surgery.

Snoring and the subsequent diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was a life-threatening medical condition with no available treatment until the late 20th century. An early description of OSA was provided by Charles Dickens in his 1836 novel Pickwick Papers with the description of a "fat boy" who was thought to be lazy and always falling asleep but likely displayed hypersomnolence from OSA. It was not until 1976 that Ikematsu first described uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) as an alternative surgical treatment of "snoring," with a reported cure rate of 81%. The only other surgical procedure for OSA was permanent tracheostomy, but patients suffered from social stigma from the visible stoma with skin flaps and complications such as tracheal granulomas and tracheitis. UPPP was introduced in the USA as an alternative to permanent tracheostomy by Fujita in 1981. Since then, multiple surgical approaches and combinations of approaches have surfaced, with variable success rates.

EKG Electrode as a Tactile Locator of Stoma after Decannulation: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the use of an electrocardiogram (EKG) electrode over decannulation dressings covering the stoma to improve speech intelligibility and volume and reduce air escape by facilitating identification of the "sweet spot" of the dressing. No objective data exist for patient outcomes with use of the EKG electrode dressing. METHODS: This prospective study included head and neck oncology patients at a tertiary hospital who received a tracheostomy. A standard tracheostomy decannulation dressing was placed followed by an EKG electrode. A speech pathologist evaluated speech volume via sound-level meter and captured speech intelligibility for random sentence-level speech. A blinded reviewer scored speech samples for intelligibility. Patients completed a 4-question satisfaction survey. RESULTS: Four patients completed the study. Based on the survey, the patients favored the button, with the lowest scores being 8.5 out of 10. Speech understanding was 48.5% without the button and 83% with the button. Normal speech volume was 73.75 dB without the button and 77.75 dB with the button. Loud speech volume was 80.75 dB without the button and 87 dB with the button. DISCUSSION: This pilot study shows objective benefits of the EKG button as well as improved patient satisfaction. Inexpensive and low maintenance, the EKG electrode provides better occlusion of stoma dressing with easier localization. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Dissemination of our results will aim to improve quality and patient outcomes following decannulation.

A study of otolaryngology resident quality of life and sleepiness.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine otolaryngology residents' quality of life and sleepiness. METHODS: An electronic survey was distributed to otolaryngology residents in the United States in October 2014 and May 2015. The survey included questions from the Physician Well-Being Index (PWBI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Data were analyzed using standard descriptive and frequency analyses, Spearman correlations, and Student's t-test. RESULTS: The 196 respondents (13% response rate) had a mean age of 29.9 years and worked an average of 70.88 hours/week. Higher PWBI score (lower quality of life) correlated with higher ESS (more sleepiness) for all respondents regardless of rotation (Spearman coefficient of .45; p = .001). PWBI scores were higher for head/neck oncology. Both PWBI and ESS scores were highest for postgraduate year two. PWBI showed a significant positive correlation with hours worked (correlation coefficient .35; p = .001) as well as a significant negative correlation with exercise time (correlation coefficient -.18; p = .010). There was a positive correlation between hours worked and ESS (correlation coefficient .48; p = .001). CONCLUSION: For the otolaryngology survey respondents, sleepiness and overall well-being were better during the first year with a dramatic worsening during junior years followed by an improvement in the senior years. More work hours and poor quality of life was associated with less physically active residents. Focused interventions during these rotations may reduce distress, improve quality of life, and enhance learning. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA.

Estrategias de apropiación social del conocimiento en salud: revisión sistemática / A Systematic Review of Strategies for the Social Appropriation of Health Knowledge / Estratégias para a apropriação social do conhecimento em saúde: uma revisão sistemática

Las enfermedades no transmisibles son un problema de salud pública que afecta los siste-mas de salud y carga las economías y la sociedad. Existen estrategias para la prevención de estas enfer-medades, como la apropiación social del conocimiento, por medio del empoderamiento de las comu-nidades y la mejora de sus indicadores en salud. El objetivo del artículo es describir las metodologías empleadas en el diseño de estrategias de apropiación social del conocimiento en salud en la prevención de enfermedades no transmisibles en adultos en el mundo. Materiales y métodos: revisión sistemática de artículos de estrategia de apropiación social del conocimiento en salud, buscados en las bases de datos Google Scholar, ovid, Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, Medline, ebsco y SciELO. Los criterios de inclusión fue-ron publicaciones en revistas indexadas entre 2016 y 2021, en idioma inglés, portugués y español, con temáticas de intervenciones en salud. Resultados: se revisaron 39 artículos, 36 con diseño cualitativo, dos mixtos y uno transversal. El enfoque metodológico utilizado para el diseño de las estrategias fue la metodología de investigación participativa basada en la comunidad o community-based participatory research. Se establecieron cuatro fases comunes, tituladas diagnóstico comunitario, diseño de la inter-vención, implementación y evaluación. Conclusiones: la metodología indicada ha sido la más utilizada en población de alto riesgo social, económico y de salud. La tendencia investigativa permitió identificar la importancia del diagnóstico comunitario como puerta de entrada en el diseño, implementación y evaluación de las estrategias creadas conjuntamente.

Noncommunicable diseases are a public health issue that burdens health systems, econo-mies, and society. These diseases can be prevented by using several methods, such as the social appro-priation of knowledge, empowerment of communities, and improvement of their health indicators. This review seeks to describe the methodologies used in designing strategies for the social appropriation of health knowledge in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases in adults worldwide. Materials and methods: A systematic review of articles containing social appropriation of health knowledge strategy was made searching the following databases Google Scholar, ovid, Virtual Health Library, Medline, ebsco, and SciELO. With the following criteria: publications in journals indexed between 2016 and 2021; writ-ten in English, Portuguese, and Spanish; and addressing health intervention topics. Results: A total of 39 articles were reviewed, of which 36 were qualitative, 2 mixed, and 1 cross-sectional. The methodological approach used to develop the strategies was community-based participatory research (cbpr). Based on the characteristics shared by the various phases of the studies, four common characteristics were identi-fied: community diagnosis, intervention design, implementation, and evaluation. Conclusions: cbpr is the most widely used method for the social appropriation of health knowledge for the adult population, par-ticularly in populations at high social, economic, and health risks. The research trend made it possible to recognize the significance of community diagnosis as a stepping stone to the design, implementation, and evaluation of jointly developed strategies.

as doenças não transmissíveis são um problema de saúde pública que afeta os sistemas de saúde e sobrecarrega as economias e a sociedade. Existem estratégias para a prevenção dessas doenças como a apropriação social do conhecimento, por meio do empoderamento das comunidades e melhoria de seus indicadores de saúde. O objetivo é descrever as metodologias utilizadas no desenho de estraté-gias de apropriação social do conhecimento em saúde na prevenção de doenças não transmissíveis em adultos em todo o mundo. Materiais e métodos: revisão sistemática de artigos sobre a estratégia de apro-priação social do conhecimento em saúde. A busca foi realizada nas bases de dados Google acadêmico, ovid, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, Medline, ebsco e SciELO. Os critérios de inclusão foram os seguintes: publicações em periódicos indexados entre 2016 e 2021, idioma inglês, português e espanhol e temas de intervenções em saúde. Resultados: foram revisados 39 artigos, 36 com delineamento qualitativo, 2 mistos e 1 transversal. A abordagem metodológica utilizada para desenhar as estratégias foi a metodo-logia de pesquisa participativa de base comunitária ou community-based participatory research (cbpr). Foram estabelecidas quatro fases comuns, intituladas diagnóstico comunitário, desenho de intervenção, implementação e avaliação. Conclusões: a metodologia cbpr tem sido a mais utilizada em uma população de alto risco social, econômico e de saúde. A tendência investigativa permitiu identificar a importância do diagnóstico comunitário como porta de entrada para o desenho, implementação e avaliação de estra-tégias criadas em conjunto.