Oral tongue leukoplakia: analysis of clinicopathological characteristics, treatment outcomes, and factors related to recurrence and malignant transformation.

OBJECTIVES: The tongue is identified as a high-risk site for oral leukoplakia and malignant transformation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and treatment outcomes of tongue leukoplakia and assess the factors related to recurrence and malignant transformation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty-four patients who received carbon dioxide laser surgery for tongue leukoplakia from 2002 to 2019 were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The follow-up period was 54.90 ± 54.41 months. Thirty patients showed postoperative recurrence (20.83%), and 12 patients developed malignant transformation (8.33%). The annual transformation rate was 2.28%. Univariate analysis showed that a history of head and neck cancer, size of lesion area, clinical appearance, and pathology were significant factors for both recurrence and malignant transformation. In the multivariate logistic regression, a history of head and neck cancer and size of lesion area were independent prognostic factors for recurrence, and a history of head and neck cancer was the only independent factor for postoperative malignant change. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should adopt more aggressive strategies for tongue leukoplakia patients with a history of head and neck cancer. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These results may help clinicians gain a better understanding of oral tongue leukoplakia.

An anatomical perspective on clinicopathological characteristics and treatment outcomes of dorsal and ventrolateral tongue leukoplakia after carbon dioxide laser surgery.

BACKGROUND: The tongue has been identified as a high-risk site for malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and treatment outcomes of the dorsal and ventrolateral tongue leukoplakia. METHODS: Demographic data and pathological results of patients who underwent carbon dioxide laser surgery for tongue leukoplakia from 2002 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Of the 111 patients enrolled, 80 were males and 31 females, with a mean age of 51.86 ± 11.84 years. The follow-up time was 3.74 ± 4.19 years. Fifteen patients had a postoperative recurrence (13.51%). Four (3.6%) patients developed malignant transformation. Annual transformation rate was 4.03%. There were no differences in the time to develop carcinoma (3.19 ± 1.94 vs. 3.51 ± 2.12 years, P = 0.83), overall cumulative malignant transformation rates (7.41% vs. 2.25%, P = 0.12), and annual transformation rates (2.32% vs. 0.64%, P = 0.099). The prevalence of the ventrolateral tongue leukoplakia was higher than that of the dorsal tongue leukoplakia (P < 0.001). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the degree of pathology was the only independent prognostic factor related to postoperative malignant transformation (P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Dorsal tongue leukoplakia is not as frequently encountered clinically as ventrolateral tongue leukoplakia. The response of the dorsal tongue and ventrolateral tongue leukoplakia to laser therapy of are comparable in postoperative recurrence and postoperative malignant transformation. Clinicians should take a more aggressive attitude toward oral tongue leukoplakia with higher grade of dysplasia.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Lateral Neck Radiography for Esophageal Foreign Bodies in Adults.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to evaluate the accuracy of signs on lateral neck radiography for the assessment of patients with suspected esophageal foreign bodies (FBs). MATERIALS AND METHODS. This retrospective study was conducted of 235 adult patients between January 2012 and December 2017. Group 1 was composed of 95 patients with esophageal FBs, and group 2 was composed of 140 patients without esophageal FBs. Four signs on lateral neck radiography were recorded in both groups: presence of abnormal radiopaque density, presence of abnormal air column lucency, loss of cervical lordosis, and increased prevertebral soft-tissue thickness. The prevertebral thickness was also evaluated in three groups of patients categorized by patient age: 19-29 years old, 30-59 years old, and 60 years old or older. RESULTS. The accuracy of the presence of abnormal radiopaque density, presence of abnormal air column lucency, loss of cervical lordosis, and increased prevertebral soft-tissue thickness was 84.3%, 66.8%, 54.0%, and 60.9%, respectively. Combined two signs of presence of radiopaque density with air column lucency provided the highest accuracy, 90.6%. The prevertebral thickness at C6 of group 1 was 14.28 ± 3.19 mm (mean ± SD), and the prevertebral thickness at C6 of group 2 was 13.34 ± 2.54 mm (p = 0.018). CONCLUSION. Lateral neck radiography is helpful for the initial evaluation of patients with suspected esophageal FBs. The presence of radiopaque density or air column lucency provided the highest practical diagnostic value. Loss of cervical lordosis, as a single diagnostic sign, did not seem to provide a diagnostic advantage. Despite the variations in values for the three age groups, clinicians should be alert regarding increased prevertebral thickness at C6 especially when it is more than 20 mm.

Treatment outcome of vocal cord leukoplakia by transoral laser microsurgery.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the treatment outcome and analyze the associated factors of postoperative recurrence in patients who received transoral laser microsurgery for vocal cord leukoplakia. The demographic, histopathological data were retrospectively reviewed and the factors associated with recurrence of vocal leukoplakia after surgery were analyzed statistically. A total of 44 patients, including 36 males and 8 females, with a mean age of 50.4 ± 13.4 years, were enrolled. All the patients received excision of the vocal leukoplakia by carbon dioxide laser (2-4 Watt, ultrapulse mode) under general anesthesia. No patients had malignant transformation after surgery. Postoperative recurrence occurred in 10 patients (22.7 %). Univariate analysis showed that patients who had the habit of cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease tended to recur. Among these risk factors, presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (odds ratio 8.43) was the independent prognostic factor for recurrence using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Carbon dioxide laser excision is effective for treating vocal leukoplakia that is still confined to dysplasia of any degree, with acceptable morbidity. This study suggests that the presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease is the prognostic indicator for postoperative recurrence of vocal leukoplakia. Aggressive treatment of reflux disease for those who have received surgical excision for vocal leukoplakia is indicated.

Clinical characteristics of narrow-band imaging of oral erythroplakia and its correlation with pathology.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the clinical application of endoscope with narrow-band imaging (NBI) system in detecting high-grade dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and carcinoma in oral erythroplakia. METHODS: The demographic, histopathological data, and NBI vasculature architectures of patients receiving surgical intervention for oral erythroplakia were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed statistically. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients, including 66 males and 6 females, with mean age of 54.6 ± 11.2 years, were enrolled. The odds ratio of detecting high-grade dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and carcinoma by twisted elongated morphology and destructive pattern of intraepithelial microvasculature was 15.46 (confidence interval 95%: 3.81-72.84), and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 80.95%, 78.43%, 60.71%, 90.91%, and 79.17%, respectively, which were significantly better than other two established NBI criteria (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Twisted, elongated, and destructive patterns of intraepithelial papillary capillary loop of NBI images are indicators for high-grade dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and invasive carcinoma in oral erythroplakia.

The effects of heated humidifier in continuous positive airway pressure titration.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that routine heated humidifier (HH) do not provide any benefit during continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration if there are no significant naso-pharyngeal symptoms. In clinical practice, nasal diseases and upper airway symptoms are very common. This study investigates the effects of HH during CPAP titration in subjects with or without naso-pharyngeal symptoms. METHODS: Fifty-two patients who received polysomnography with CPAP titration were randomly assigned to HH and non-HH groups. Their nasal cavity, pharynx, and naso-pharynx were evaluated before CPAP titration, and a questionnaire on subjective sensation, including naso-pharyngeal symptoms, willingness to further use CPAP, and sleep improvement, was used. Objective (e.g., leak, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) reduction, and optimal CPAP pressure level) and subjective data were analyzed between the two groups. RESULTS: In subjective sensation, the HH group did not have any benefit in further willingness to use CPAP and in sleep improvement, but had improved naso-pharyngeal symptoms (p = 0.043). There were no significant differences in leak, AHI reduction, and optimal CPAP pressure, even in patients with significant naso-pharyngeal symptoms. CONCLUSION: Routine use of HH is not necessary during CPAP titration regardless of naso-pharyngeal symptoms.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of modified facelift incision versus modified Blair incision in parotidectomy.

Surgical removal is the treatment of choice for many neoplasms of the parotid gland. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the differences between parotidectomy using a modified facelift incision (MFI) and parotidectomy using a modified Blair incision (MBI). A systematic search of the available literature in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library was performed. Studies of adult patients who underwent open parotidectomy with presumed benign parotid neoplasms based on preoperative examinations were reviewed. The surgical outcomes of the MFI and MBI groups were collected. Intraoperative and postoperative parameters, including operative time, tumor size, cosmetic satisfaction, and incidences of facial palsy, Frey's syndrome and salivary complications, were compared. Dichotomous data and continuous data were analyzed by calculating the risk difference (RD) and the mean difference (MD) with the 95% confidence interval (CI), respectively. Seven studies were included in the final analysis. The pooled analysis demonstrated that the cosmetic satisfaction score was significantly higher in the MFI group (MD = 1.66; 95% CI 0.87-2.46). The operative duration in the MFI group was significantly longer than that in the MBI group (MD = 0.07; 95% CI 0.00-0.14). The MFI group exhibited a smaller tumor size (MD = - 2.27; 95% CI - 4.25 to - 0.30) and a lower incidence of Frey's syndrome (RD = - 0.18; 95% CI - 0.27 to - 0.10). The incidence of postoperative temporary facial palsy (RD = - 0.05; 95% CI - 0.12 to 0.03), permanent facial palsy (RD = - 0.01; 95% CI - 0.06 to 0.03) and salivary complications (RD = - 0.00; 95% CI - 0.05 to 0.05) was comparable between the two groups. Based on these results, MFI may be a feasible technique for improving the cosmetic results of patients who need parotidectomy when oncological safety can be ensured.

Aberrant internal carotid artery in the mouth mimicking peritonsillar abscess.

The calculated incidence of aberrant internal carotid artery in the oropharynx is approximately 5% in the general population. An experienced otolaryngologist is not always available in general hospital; therefore, some invasive procedures in the oropharynx, such as aspiration, incision/drainage, and biopsy, which were performed for general infectious diseases or tissue diagnosis, may have resulted in fatal complication in these patients with misdiagnosis. We report a case to reveal that the awareness of such an anatomical variation before performing oropharyngeal procedures remains crucial.

Adolescents and Adults Undergoing Temperature-Controlled Surgical Instruments vs Electrocautery in Tonsillectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Importance: Several temperature-controlled surgical instruments (TCSIs) have been used in tonsillectomy. However, to our knowledge, a meta-analysis of the differences between modern TCSIs and electrocautery (EC) has not been conducted. Objective: To compare TCSIs with EC with regard to the intraoperative and postoperative parameters of tonsillectomy. Data Sources: PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched independently by 2 authors for relevant articles. Study Selection: A literature search identified randomized clinical trials comparing the outcomes of TCSIs vs EC. The search keywords were harmonic scalpel, ultracision, PlasmaBlade, coblation, radiofrequency ablation, and tonsillectomy. Studies of adult and adolescent patients were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Data from each study were extracted. A random-effects model was used in the pooled analysis. Main Outcomes and Measures: Four outcomes were analyzed: postoperative pain level on days 1, 2, 7, and 14 after surgery; postoperative bleeding; operative time; and intraoperative blood loss. Results: This meta-analysis included 11 studies with a total of 629 unique patients. (Mean ages ranged from 16 to 55 years.) The studies were further categorized by the methods of comparison. Five articles used between-participant comparisons, and 6 used within-participant comparisons (of the left vs right sides of the participant's body). The pooled results of the studies with between-participant measures showed that postoperative pain scores were lower in the TCSI group on the first day (standardized mean differences [SMD], -0.41 [95% CI, -0.77 to -0.06]) and seventh day (SMD, -0.76 [95% CI, -1.47 to -0.04]). The pooled results of the studies with within-participant measures showed that the postoperative pain scores were lower in the TCSI group on the first day (SMD, -0.37 [95% CI, -0.63 to -0.12]) and second day (SMD, -0.60 [95% CI, -1.10 to -0.10]). The pooled analysis of overall bleeding, major bleeding, minor bleeding, primary bleeding, and secondary bleeding in both the types of studies with between-participant measures and those with within-participant measures showed no significant differences between the TCSI and EC groups. Intraoperative blood loss and operative time were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions and Relevance: Compared with EC, TCSIs were associated with significantly reduced pain on the first day after tonsillectomy, per this meta-analysis. The rates of overall bleeding, primary bleeding, secondary bleeding, major bleeding, and minor bleeding between TCSIs and EC were comparable. Intraoperative blood loss and operative time also showed no significant intergroup differences. Surgeons may consider using these modern instruments according to personal experiences, preferences, and cost-effectiveness criteria.

Human voice quality measurement in noisy environments.

BACKGROUND: Computerized acoustic voice measurement is essential for the diagnosis of vocal pathologies. Previous studies showed that ambient noises have significant influences on the accuracy of voice quality assessment. OBJECTIVE: This paper presents a voice quality assessment system that can accurately measure qualities of voice signals, even though the input voice data are contaminated by low-frequency noises. METHODS: The ambient noises in our living rooms and laboratories are collected and the frequencies of these noises are analyzed. Based on the analysis, a filter is designed to reduce noise level of the input voice signal. Then, improved numerical algorithms are employed to extract voice parameters from the voice signal to reveal the health of the voice signal. RESULTS: Compared with MDVP and Praat, the proposed method outperforms these two widely used programs in measuring fundamental frequency and harmonic-to-noise ratio, and its performance is comparable to these two famous programs in computing jitter and shimmer. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed voice quality assessment method is resistant to low-frequency noises and it can measure human voice quality in environments filled with noises from air-conditioners, ceiling fans and cooling fans of computers.

Use of endoscopy with narrow-band imaging system in evaluating oral leukoplakia.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between clinical features of oral leukoplakia using endoscopy with broadband white light, narrow-band imaging (NBI) illumination, and histopathology, and to discuss the clinical relevance of the NBI system. METHODS: Clinicopathologic data of patients receiving biopsy or excision after endoscopic examination for leukoplakia from April 2009 to December 2010 were reviewed and analyzed statistically. RESULTS: A total 154 patients, 130 men and 24 women (average age, 52.60 ± 10.86 years) were enrolled. The correlation between intraepithelium papillary capillary loop (IPCL) classification and stepwise increased severity of pathology (Pearson's r = .88, R(2) = 0.78) was significantly better than that of broadband white light images (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Flexible endoscopy can enhance detailed inspection of oral cavity mucosa and can be a powerful tool for examining oral leukoplakia. The IPCL patterns shown by NBI system can be helpful in detecting oral leukoplakia with higher grade dysplasia or invasive carcinoma.

Transoral laser microsurgery elevates fundamental frequency in early glottic cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term voice characteristics and quality of life of early glottic cancer patients after definitive treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Case series with chart review in a tertiary care medical center in Taiwan. METHODS: Forty-two consecutive patients who received radiation therapy (RT) or transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) for early glottic cancer over 12 months were evaluated for voice laboratory data and quality-of-life measurements. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients received RT, and 18 underwent TLM. There was no difference between the two groups on acoustic and aerodynamic voice measures except for modal fundamental frequency in males. In the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck survey, the TLM group had better communication than the RT group, but there were no differences in voice quality and strength. There was also no significant difference in the Voice Handicap Index 10 evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Male patients who received TLM have higher modal fundamental frequency than male patients who received RT and norms. Voice-related life quality is similar in patients regardless of RT or TLM treatment for early glottic cancer, but those who receive TLM have better communication abilities than those who receive RT.

Treatment of wide-based epiglottic cyst by microdebrider.

Epiglottic cyst is not an unusual disease in the larynx. Although it is usually a benign lesion, airway problems may occur due to a large cyst. Surgical excision is usually the treatment of choice, with low recurrence. Because of the limited view and mobility of laryngoscopes, there is sometimes difficulty in the procedure of excision or marsupialization, especially in wide-based epiglottic cysts. The microdebrider has been widely used in treatment of otolaryngological diseases, and specialized blades were designed for laryngeal lesions. We report the use of a microdebrider for treatment of wide-based epiglottic cysts in six patients. The follow-up period ranged from five months to 62 months without recurrence. One hand-powered instrument provided a clear surgical field for precise removal of the cyst and synchronized suction, and increased mobility of the laryngoscope held in the other hand. In comparison to traditional microinstrumentation and carbon dioxide laser, the microdebrider offered a rapid and effective alternative in treatment of wide-based epiglottic cyst.

Extrathyroid carcinoma showing thymus-like differentiation (CASTLE) tumor--a new case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: We report a case of extrathyroid carcinoma showing thymus-like differentiation (CASTLE) tumor. METHODS: A 47-year-old man had a left neck mass that gradually enlarged over approximately 3 months. Sonography and CT scans showed a soft tissue mass located at the left parapharyngeal space with displacement of left carotid artery and submandibular gland. RESULTS: After total excision, the pathologic diagnosis was CASTLE tumor. The patient then received radiotherapy with a total dosage of 6600 cGy. After 21 months of postoperative follow up, there was no evidence of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Generally, the treatment of choice is surgical excision with or without radiotherapy. Because CASTLE tumors have been reported to be radiosensitive, however, and because local recurrence is common, surgical excision with postoperative radiotherapy is suggested.