Tuberculosis of the middle ear: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Tuberculous otitis media (TOM) is a rare extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis (TB) and remains challenging to diagnose due to non-specific symptoms. This systematic review identifies clinical characteristics, diagnostic evaluation, and outcomes in cases of TOM. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search utilizing the PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted for relevant articles published between 2000 and 2021. Cases involving adult patients with TOM were included. Non-English studies, animal studies, and reviews were excluded. RESULTS: 41 case reports and 7 case series were included, comprising data from 67 patients. The mean age was 40 years (range, 19-87 years) and the majority were female (n = 46, 68.7 %). The mean symptom duration was 12.8 months (range, 0.25-120 months). Common symptoms included otorrhea (n = 60, 89.6 %), HL (n = 58, 86.6 %), otalgia (n = 19, 28.4 %), and FP (n = 18, 26.9 %). Otoscopy revealed tympanic membrane (TM) perforation in 45 patients (67.2 %). Most patients were diagnosed with tissue biopsy (n = 53, 79.1 %). Surgical interventions were performed in 48 patients (71.6 %) and 63 patients (94.0 %) were prescribed anti-TB chemotherapy. Long-term sequelae (e.g., HL, FP, and TM perforation) were noted in 39 patients (58.2 %) at a mean follow-up of 18.8 months (range, 1-120 months). CONCLUSION: TOM should be included in the differential diagnosis of chronic suppurative otitis media. Histopathological examination is a reliable diagnostic method. Early detection and management are recommended for optimizing outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3b.

Localized laryngeal amyloidosis: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The larynx is the most common site of localized head and neck amyloidosis. Our study aimed to review the clinical features, treatments, and outcomes associated with localized laryngeal amyloidosis (LA). We also compared these features between two different time periods to evaluate the evolution of LA management. METHODS: A literature search using PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane Library identified cases of LA published between 1891 and 2021. Biopsy-proven cases of localized LA were included. Non-English studies, animal studies, and reviews were excluded. RESULTS: 282 patients (1891-1999: 142 patients, 2000-2021: 140 patients) from 129 studies were included. Results are reported as 1891-2000 vs. 2000-2021: Mean age was 48.5 years (range, 8-90 years) vs. 46.0 years (range, 9-84 years). The most common presenting symptoms were dysphonia (n = 30, 95 % vs. n = 127, 96 %) and difficulty breathing (n = 37, 27 % vs. n = 35, 27 %). A total of 62 (44 %) vs. 46 (33 %) lesions were found in the true vocal folds and 35 (25 %) vs. 59 (42 %) were found in the false vocal folds. 133 (94 %) vs. 137 (98 %) patients underwent surgical interventions to investigate and/or treat LA. Recurrent LA was reported in 27 (19 %) vs. 33 (24 %) patients with a mean time to recurrence of 25.4 months (range, 0.3-132 months) vs. 34.5 months (range, 0.8-144 months). Of cases reporting survival rate, 104 (97 %) vs. 107 (99 %) were alive at source study endpoints. CONCLUSION: LA typically exhibits an indolent course; therefore, early intervention may address longstanding symptoms. Recurrent disease poses a clinical challenge in patients with LA.

Endoscopic Techniques for Nasal Septal Perforation Repair: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: Surgical repair of nasal septal perforations (NSPs) is technically challenging. Advantages associated with endoscopic NSP repair (ENSPR) include enhanced visualization and its minimally invasive nature. Purely endoscopic techniques have successful outcomes with low morbidity. This study provides a review of clinical features, surgical techniques, and outcomes in patients who underwent ENSPR. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane library, and Embase databases. Manual bibliography search produced additional articles. Studies reporting purely endoscopic approaches for NSP repair were included. Patient demographics, NSP size, etiology, repair strategy, incidence of closure, and follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 329 cases from 20 studies were included. The mean age was 37.2 years (range, 12.3-51 years) and 55.0% were male. Common etiologies were iatrogenic (n = 180, 60.0%), trauma (n = 66, 22.0%), and idiopathic (n = 36, 12.0%). The mean NSP size was 17.1 mm (range, 4-23). Repair techniques included unilateral random pattern flaps (n = 205, 62.3%), interposition grafts (n = 137, 41.6%), and unilateral axial pedicled local flaps (n = 81, 24.6%). 222 patients (67.5%) underwent a 2-layered repair, while 70 (21.3%) and 37 (11.2%) patients underwent single and 3-layered repairs, respectively. Successful closure was achieved in 296 patients (90.0%). When stratified by layers of repair, 65 single-layered (92.9%), 196 2-layered (88.3%), and 34 3-layered repairs (91.9%) were successful at a mean follow-up of 16.3 months (range, 3-31 months). CONCLUSIONS: ENSPR generally achieves NSP closure with high rates of success among varying types of repairs. Further studies may determine how clinical factors and surgical methods impact the likelihood of obtaining successful closure.

Impact of Prolonged Operative Time on Complications Following Endoscopic Sinonasal Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To determine how prolonged operative time (POT) impacts 30-day outcomes in patients undergoing endoscopic sinonasal surgery (ESNS). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: Data from patients who underwent ESNS (nonsinus, sinus, and extended sinus) between 2005 to 2018 were collected from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement database. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of POT on postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: Among 1,994 ESNS cases, 495 nonsinus procedures, 1,191 sinus procedures, and 308 extended sinus procedures were identified. Median OT was 90 minutes (interquartile range [IQR], 51-165 minutes) for nonsinus procedures, 113 minutes (IQR, 66-189 minutes) for sinus procedures, and 187 minutes (IQR, 137-251 minutes) for extended sinus procedures. Other than older age (P = .008), POT was not significantly associated with baseline demographics and comorbidities for patients undergoing non-sinus procedures. Older age (P < .001), White and Black race (P < .001), ASA physical classifications III or IV (P < .001), and several preoperative comorbidities, including obesity (P = .045), and hypertension (P < .001) were associated with POT for sinus procedures. Older age (P = .030), male sex (P = .010), and lower body mass index (P = .004) were associated with POT for extended sinus procedures. After risk-adjustment, POT was independently associated with prolonged hospital stay (LOS) for all procedure categories, and associated with overall surgical complications and postoperative bleeding for sinus and extended sinus procedures specifically. CONCLUSION: POT is independently associated with several adverse outcomes following ESNS, including prolonged LOS, overall surgical complications, and bleeding. Preoperative planning should include optimizing modifiable patient risk factors for POT and identifying surgeon-specific factors to enhance surgical efficiency. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 133:51-58, 2023.