The psychosocial needs of head and neck cancer patients: a multicenter study.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer is among the most frequent pathologies and a major cause of death and disability. Scientific research and surgeons focus mainly on aspects relating to etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment, but often neglect the psychological needs of patients and related social factors. The aim of this study is to investigate the psychological and social needs of patients affected by head and neck cancer to improve patient management and achieve more empathetic care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Need Evaluation Questionnaire (NEQ) was administered to adult patients who had to undergo surgery in 4 Italian tertiary head and neck cancer centers the day before the operation. RESULTS: 188 patients affected by stage I-IV head and neck tumors were enrolled. The main needs expressed by patients fall under the categories of either "information and dialogue", (64.3% more information about future conditions, 50% more information about treatments, 45% more information about the diagnosis, 44% more reassurance) or "spiritual support" (50% need to talk to someone who had the same experience as them). CONCLUSIONS: Common methods of explaining diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis have proven unsatisfactory to patients and most also require more psychosocial support. This highlights the need to implement interventions and activities that are increasingly geared toward supporting the psychological and relational aspects of the care journey.

Fresh Frozen Homologous Rib Cartilage: A Narrative Review of a New Trend in Rhinoplasty.

Background: Revision rhinoplasty is a technically demanding surgical procedure that can put every surgeon in trouble. The main issue of these cases is often an altered osteocartilaginous framework following over-resection during the first intervention. Moreover, the available septal or auricular cartilage for grafting is usually not enough. This review aims to examine contemporary advances in applications of fresh frozen cartilage in rhinoplasty. Methods: A structured review of the current literature (up to December 2023) was performed on four bibliographic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane and Medline. The search terms were combinations of "Rhinoplasty" and "Cartilage Graft", "Allograft" or "Fresh Frozen Cartilage". The citations of selected studies and review articles were also evaluated if present. Results: The research resulted in 152 articles, and only ten met the inclusion criteria: nine clinical articles and one in vitro study. One of the ten eligible articles was excluded. Conclusions: Fresh frozen rib cartilage proved to be a viable alternative to autologous rib grafts and irradiated homologous rib graft. Despite the higher costs, FFRG can provide a sufficient amount of tissue for grafting avoiding donor site complications and reducing the operative time and proved to have more chondrocytes and to be less prone to resorption compared to irradiated rib.

Epidemiological analysis of patients with isolated blowout fractures of orbital floor: Correlation between demographic characteristics and fracture area.

Isolated orbital floor fractures are more frequent due to low bone thickness (2 mm). The aim of this study was to conduct a retrospective epidemiological analysis on these fractures, investigating demographic variables and fractures' features and their statistical correlation. A total of 120 patients with isolated orbital floor fracture, admitted at the Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of University of Naples Federico II, from 2010 to 2022 were enrolled in the study. Patients were evaluated for age, sex, smoke, comorbidities, post-traumatic clinical manifestation,s and defect side and size. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Pearson regression coefficient (r). The fractures were more frequent in men (male:female 2.2:1) because of road accidents (30% of cases). The average age was 48 years. Enophthalmos, diplopia and ocular motility anomalies were observed in 31%, 23% and 21% of cases, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that age was related to fracture area; in particular, older patients showed larger fractures (p < 0.001). Interpersonal violence and traffic accidents were related to younger age (p < 0.001). Data analysis revealed that isolated orbital floor fractures are more frequent in young men (<40 years) because of road accidents or interpersonal violence. There is a statistical correlation between fracture area and patient age; in particular, older age corresponds to larger defects.

Submental intubation in complex maxillofacial trauma: Pilot balloon protection.

AIMS: This study aims to describe our refined technique of submental intubation to avoid the recorded intraoperative complications related to tube passage and pilot balloon rupture. CASE SERIES: This is a retrospective case series of 21 patients with complex maxillofacial trauma who underwent submental intubation from January 2019 to January 2023. All the patients underwent to the same procedure with a new technique of pilot balloon protection: the pilot balloon was not deflated because, once the connector was removed, only the tube was curved and passed through the incision extraorally while the cuff remained inflated. The wire of the pilot balloon was passed behind the last tooth so as not to interfere with the maxillary-mandibular fixation, remaining extraorally under the anesthetist's view. DISCUSSION: Only 2 patients (9.5%) reported complications related to submental intubation: in particular a patient (4.8%) reported oral floor infection, and in another patient (4.8%) an unesthetic skin scar was observed. No patients reported intraoperative complications related to the procedure. CONCLUSION: The technique of pilot balloon protection that we have proposed seems to be effective in reducing the intraoperative complications related to the passage of the pilot balloon, such as rupture, damage or early extubation.

Is There a Correlation between Endoscopic Sinus Surgery and Improvement in Erectile Dysfunction?

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the focus on respiratory disorders has increased, notably on chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), an inflammatory condition of the upper airway that can significantly impact one's quality of life. Interestingly, CRS has emerged as a potential comorbidity in erectile dysfunction (ED). This study aims to assess the impact of endoscopic sinus surgery for CRS on sexual function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors conducted a prospective study of patients who visited their clinics for chronic rhinosinusitis between June 2018 and June 2022. The study involved 53 patients aged between 40 and 70 years who were treated for CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). Preoperative and postoperative assessments were performed using the Nasal Obstruction Symptoms Evaluation Score (NOSE score) and the 5th International Index of Erectile Function Score (IIEF-5 score) to evaluate potential improvements in sexual function following endoscopic sinus surgery. RESULTS: Before surgery, the average NOSE score was 72.6, which decreased to 24.9 postoperatively. The average preoperative IIEF-5 score was 16.35, while the postoperative average increased to 19.52. Statistical analysis revealed a significant improvement in erectile function for penetration (p-value = 0.024) and overall satisfaction after intercourse (p-value < 0.001) regarding the degree of nasal obstruction. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the potential benefits of treating chronic obstructive upper airway diseases such as sinusitis in improving the sexual outcomes of patients clinically diagnosed with erectile dysfunction.

The Role of Temporomandibular Joint Arthroscopy for Diagnosis and Surgical Management of Synovial Chondromatosis.

OBJECTIVE: We report the experience of our maxillo-facial surgery unit into the diagnostic and the therapeutic role of arthroscopy of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) synovial chondromatosis (SC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A series of sixteen patients with an imaging, arthroscopical, and histological diagnosis of SC treated with arthroscopy was selected. The surgeries were conducted in the Department of Maxillo-facial surgery, Academic hospital of Udine, from January 2016 to December 2022. Medical history, clinical examination, imaging, arthroscopical, and histological characteristics were recorded and then reviewed and discussed. RESULTS: Clinical improvement, both in pain and in maximum incisal opening (MIO), were noticed in whole patients. Histologically, according to Milgram's classification, the sample was fairly homogeneous. Arthroscopic treatment was successful in 87.5% of the patients. Only two cases of SC relapse were registered and were then submitted to open surgery to perform a total sinovectomy. The data collected were used to develop an SC classification proposal based on clinical, radiological (magnetic resonance imaging), arthroscopical, and histopathological characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: TMJ arthroscopy must be considered the first line of treatment for SC, leaving open surgery to relapses cases and those cases with extraarticular extension. A univocal classification is essential to best stage and prognostically characterise this pathology.

Full Digital Workflow for Mandibular Ameloblastoma Management: Showcase for Technical Description.

This is a showcase for technical description of a full digital workflow aimed to reconstruct and prosthetically rehabilitate the mandible after surgical resection. The surgery was performed following a computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) guided workflow, using 3D reconstruction of the mandible and the fibula. After 2 years, when the ossification of the flap was reached and verified by a computed tomography (CT) scan, surgery was performed using a two-step implant rehabilitation, with successful outcomes.

Diagnostic performance of inflammatory biomarkers and cytological analysis in salivary gland tumors.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of serum inflammatory biomarkers in salivary gland tumors with dubious results following cytological analysis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 239 cases following surgery between January 2011 and June 2022 was performed. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were drawn and areas under the curves were computed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the inflammatory biomarkers (SII, SIRI, PLR, and NLR). Optimal cut-offs for each marker were determined by maximizing the Youden index. RESULTS: Analysis showed that among the major biomarkers examined, SIRI performed an AUC of 0.77. The best SIRI cut-off was 0.94 with an accuracy of 79.9%. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of cytological analysis were 77.8%, 59.6%, and 90.7% respectively. By combining SIRI with cytological analysis we demonstrated an increase in sensitivity to 82.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory biomarkers could be evaluated to support the diagnosis and treatment of salivary gland tumors in difficult cases.

Locoregional Flaps for the Reconstruction of Midface Skin Defects: A Collection of Key Surgical Techniques.

BACKGROUND: The reconstruction of midface skin defects represents a challenge for the head and neck surgeon due to the midface's significant role in defining important facial traits. Due to the high complexity of the midface region, there is no possibility to use one definitive flap for all purposes. For moderate defects, the most common reconstructive techniques are represented by regional flaps. These flaps can be defined as donor tissue with a pedunculated axial blood supply not necessarily adjacent to the defect. The aim of this study is to highlight the more common surgical techniques adopted for midface reconstruction, providing a focus on each technique with its description and indications. METHODS: A literature review was conducted using PubMed, an international database. The target of the research was to collect at least 10 different surgical techniques. RESULTS: Twelve different techniques were selected and cataloged. The flaps included were the bilobed flap, rhomboid flap, facial-artery-based flaps (nasolabial flap, island composite nasal flap, retroangular flap), cervicofacial flap, paramedian forehead flap, frontal hairline island flap, keystone flap, Karapandzic flap, Abbè flap, and Mustardè flap. CONCLUSIONS: The study of the facial subunits, the location and size of the defect, the choice of the appropriate flap, and respect for the vascular pedicles are the key elements for optimal outcomes.

"Nocturia and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A systematic review".

Lower urinary tract symptoms represent a significant public health problem worldwide, impairing patients' quality of life, especially in elderly people. Among LUTS, nocturia is assessed as the most experienced entity related to several disorders such as sleep disorders and/or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Among OSAS patients, nocturia stands as a bothersome symptom that increases alongside with the OSAS severity. However, despite the nocturia and OSAS shared a long-acknowledged link, the causes, and the pathophysiology for development of nocturia in OSAS have remained largely unexamined. Generally, the patients with OSAS experienced nocturia due to easy waking or increased bladder filling. However, nor the effect of treatment on management of nocturia in OSAS patients are well-established.

Extracranial Nasosinusal Meningioma: A Case Report of a Rare Entity.

Meningiomas are the most common neoformations of the central nervous system, and represent the 33% of all intracranial neoplasms. The nasosinusal tract is involved in 24% of cases of extracranial localization. The aim of our paper is to present the case of a patient with an ethmoidal sinus meningioma.

Evaluation of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in patients affected by oral squamous cell carcinoma: A retrospective single-center study.

This retrospective single-center study aimed to evaluate the relevance of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity as negative prognostic factors in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The study was performed on patients who underwent oral squamous cell carcinoma resection surgery. Patients' demographic and clinical variables were collected at diagnosis (sex, age, height, weight, comorbidities, smoke and alcohol consumption, HPV positivity, TNM-stage) and corrected for known prognostic factors (age, body mass index, TNM-stage). The Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) and the Cross-Sectional Area (CSA) on pre-treatment CT scans and Body Mass Index (BMI) were measured to assess sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity correlated to overall survival (OS). Chi-square statistics were used to analyze the differences between the frequencies of each categorical variable with the presence or absence of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity. The cumulative overall survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the differences between curves were evaluated by the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analysis of the overall survival. Within the limitations of the study, in this sample, sarcopenia did not seem to cause a statistically significant reduction in the overall survival in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (Log Rank χ2 = 3.67, p = 0.055; HR 0.996, 95% CI 0.732-1.354, p = 0.979), however, sarcopenic obesity showed a meaningful negative prognostic impact on it (Log Rank χ2 = 5.71, p = 0.017; HR 0.985, 95% CI 0.424-2.286, p = 0.972). Within the limitations of the study it seems that sarcopenic obesity, age, BMI, and TNM-stage are more relevant negative prognostic factors, influencing overall survival in surgically treated OSCC, than sarcopenia.

Facial Soft Tissue Ptosis: A Quantitative Analysis using 3d Facial Scan App For iPhone.

Although the modifications of the aging face have been widely described, to our knowledge, there are no studies that quantitatively analyze the degree of soft tissues facial ptosis. Using a specific iPhone application, the faces of a heterogeneous group of volunteers were scanned and studied with the aim to virtually measure the entity of facial ptosis.Two facial scans, upright and supine, were performed by using the Bellus3D Face app for iPhone in a sample of 60 volunteers. We virtually superimposed the two scans, and then, we calculated the discrepancy between them through the Geomagic Design X 3D software. A multivariate regression statistical model was used to analyze the correlation between the mean discrepancy values compared to three main variables: age, BMI and gender. Mean ptosis increases with age (coeff. = 0.02; 95% CI = 0.01-0.02, p < 0.001), BMI (coeff. = 0.03; 95% CI = 0.01-0.05; p < 0.001) and has been found higher in females (female versus male: coeff. = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.13-0.31; p < 0.001). The method we used allowed us to measure the degree of ptosis, and to make a complete morphological study of the effect of gravity on the facial surface in a very accurate, low cost and easily reproducible way.

Soft Air Bullet in the Pterygopalatine Fossa: A Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Approach for Safe Extraction.

Ballistic traumas among civilians are usually from low velocity, low calibre weapons such as soft air guns. The facial skeleton is an area of high aesthetic/functional value, and therefore, this is a showcase for technical description of a minimally invasive endoscopic approach for the removal of a bullet from the pterygopalatine fossae.

The Combination of Inflammatory Biomarkers as Prognostic Indicator in Salivary Gland Malignancy.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate how the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), taken individually and combined, are associated with overall survival (OS) in patients surgically treated for malignant salivary gland tumors (MSGTs). Methods: A retrospective analysis of 74 cases following surgery at our department between January 2011 and June 2018 was performed. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate the optimal cutoff values for SII, SIRI, PLR, and NLR. Survival curves of different groups at 1−3−5 years were estimated using the Kaplan−Meier method. Results: The optimal thresholds with the highest sensitivity and specificity were 3.95 for NLR, 187.6 for PLR, 917.585 for SII, and 2.045 for SIRI. The ROC curves revealed that the best combination with AUC = 0.884 was SII + SIRI. The estimated 5-year OS probability in patients with SII+ SIRI scores of 0, 1, and 2 was 96%, 87.5% and 12.5%, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusion: SII+ SIRI can independently predict the OS of patients after MSGT surgery. The prognostic score system based on SII+ SIRI may be good clinical practice as a reference for clinical decision-making.

A Comparative Study of Different Administrations of Nebulized Hyaluronic Acid After Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery for Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) plays many roles in wound healing in general, through different mechanisms. Several authors reported the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid in promoting mucosal healing and reducing discomfort for patients after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Different methods for HA nasal administration have been reported. The aim of our study has been to evaluate the efficacy of the administration of nebulized HA through a nasal douche compared with its administration through a nasal spray with patients undergoing ESS for chronic rhinosinusitis. From January 2013 to January 2019 a prospective clinical trial was carried out in our hospital with 163 patients who had undergone ESS for chronic rhinosinusitis. The sample was divided into three groups according to the method of administration of HA. Our study confirm the efficacy of the administration of nebulized HA through nasal douche in post-operative care (6.5% vs 4.5%). The most relevant data regards the nasal dryness sign: the data revealed an unexpected percentage of worsening of that sign at time T3 (p = 0.049) particularly evident in the patients treated with HA through nasal douche compared to whom the nasal spray device was prescribed (4% vs 1%). Further studies are needed to identify the best means of administration of HA, which would satisfy the requirements for efficacy in terms of the results and, at the same time, patient compliance.

Combined Endonasal Endoscopic and Sub-brow Orbitotomy Access to Manage a Lateral Extending Frontal Sinus Inverting Papilloma with Endo-orbital Invasion: A Case Report.

Sinonasal inverting papilloma is a rare benign, locally aggressive tumour, arising from sinus and/or nasal fossa mucosa, with high recurrence rate, and risk of malignant transformation. This is a case of orbital invasive, lateral extending inverting papilloma approached via combined external and endoscopic surgery.

The Use of Matriderm® for Scalp Full-Thickness Defects Reconstruction: A Case Series.

BACKGROUND: The scalp region represent a common area affected by benignant and malignant skin tumor, and it represents a surgical challenge when it is needed to be reconstructed. The aim of this study is to present our experience with full-thickness scalp skin defects, reconstructed using Matriderm® dermal substitute and split-thickness skin graft (STSG). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients treated for scalp region reconstruction was conducted with 16 patients. All patients underwent the same procedure: scalp full-thickness tumor excision with simultaneous reconstruction with Matriderm® and the application of a split-thickness skin graft in the same surgical time. During follow-ups, the surgical outcome was evaluated by accurate clinical examination of the wound, adopting the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS). RESULTS: The outcomes obtained were satisfying: wound healing at the end of the procedures was optimal, grafted skin resulted similar to surrounding tissue, and pigmentation and vascularity showed a decrease in the period between 6 months and 1 follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The use of Matriderm® and split-thickness skin grafting for scalp full-thickness defects reconstruction resulted in an optimal, stable, and safe procedure, suitable for elderly patients.

Nasal Septal Deviation After Surgically Assisted Rapid Maxillary Expansion.

Background and Aim: Surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME) is a surgical technique widely used to correct deficiency of the transverse maxillary dimension. Although some studies investigated the effect of SARME on nasal and facial alterations, there is no evidence that correlates nasal septal deviation (NSD) to SARME as a possible postoperative sequel. The aim of this study is to address and quantify possible variations in the position of the nasal bony septum after SARME and identify any NSD as a postoperative outcome of this surgical technique. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study, conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University Hospital of Araraquara (Unesp, faculty of dentistry), SP, Brazil. Twenty-nine patients who underwent SARME were studied; every patient was evaluated by cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) before (T0) and six months after surgery (T1), and we collected the variation of nasal septal position by measuring the distance between the bony septum and the nasal lateral wall. Our measurements were carried out at the level of the head, midpoint and tail of the inferior turbinate. Results: A mean NSD ranging from 0.4 to 1.2 mm was measured, and it is more pronounced at the anterior part of the bony septum. Twenty-seven patients (93.1%) presented minor changes in bony septum position; in 2 cases (6.8%), a significant NSD was found (p < 0.05). Conclusion: A variation of bony nasal septum position can be expected in any direction after SARME, and it is more pronounced at anterior portion.

Three Different Types of Fat Grafting for Facial Systemic Sclerosis: A Case Series.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous, chronic connective tissue disease, characterized by skin fibrosis as well as vascular and visceral lesions. It can involve the lungs, heart, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and bones. The orofacial manifestations of SSc can cause functional, aesthetic, and social distress, resulting in significant psychological implications for the patients. In recent decades, fat grafting improved the aesthetic outcomes in terms of volume deficiency, contour asymmetry, and skin elasticity of the face thanks to the regenerative action of the stem cells contained within it. We describe five cases of a patient with SSc treated with fat grafting used to correct volume loss and facial elasticity of the lips and perioral region on the middle and lower third of the face. All the patients received regular postoperative checks at weeks 1 and 2. A multiple choice questionnaire was administered to assess the degree of tolerability of the procedure. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated by calculating the Cronbach alpha using the MedCalc Statistical Software version 20.113. The aim of our study is to describe three different types of fat grafting used to correct volume loss and restore facial elasticity of the lips and perioral region on the middle and lower third of the face.