Fungal Rhinosinusitis Caused by a Curvularia sp. Infection in a Female Sumatran Orangutan: A Case Report.

Mycotic nasal cavity and paranasal sinus infections in non-human primates (NHPs) are relatively uncommon diseases of the upper respiratory tract. This case study describes the clinical and pathological features as well as the diagnostic techniques and interventions applied to treat the associated disease. A 23-year-old primiparous female Sumatran orangutan residing at Perth Zoo in Western Australia developed intermittent episodes of right-sided epistaxis. An ulcerative nasal mass was identified from a diagnostic endoscopy. The mass was initially biopsied and showed the morphological characteristics of a dematiaceous fungal organism upon a histological examination. There were prominent mucosal and submucosal granulomatous infiltrates containing histocytes, giant cells, and lymphocytes admixed with fewer numbers of neutrophils and eosinophils surrounding the fungal organism. The organism was identified as Curvularia sp. by the fungal characteristics associated with the histopathology, culture growth, and PCR analysis. The mass was subsequently removed with endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and the orangutan was medically treated with itraconazole for several months. The recovery was uneventful and the orangutan returned to full health.

A novel approach in managing challenging tracheoesophageal fistulae.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the outcomes of an open anterior cervical approach and tospecifically describe a novel extended tracheotomy incision ("Key-hole technique") torepair H-type and other challenging tracheoesophageal fistulae (TOF) at a singletertiary pediatric center. METHOD: A retrospective chart analysis of pediatric patients (0-18 years old) who had undergone repair of TOF's between January 2006 and March 2020 were reviewed. A case series of patients who had undergone open cervical utilizing three different techniques were included. Patient demographics, surgical management and post-operative surgical outcomes including complications were evaluated. RESULTS: During the study period, 117 pediatric patients were diagnosed and anaged with TOFs with or without oesophageal atresia. Within this group, 12 patients (10%) had anterior open cervical repair of congenital or persisting TOFs (6 males and 6 females). Eight cases (7%) had congenital Type E (known as H-type), two had type D, one type B and one type C TOF. Median gestational age was 37 weeks (range 28-41 weeks), age of presentation ranged from 1 day old to 3 years old with 67% being diagnosed within the first month of life. At the time of definitive surgery all patients had a bronchoscopy and oesophagoscopy to confirm the diagnosis, identify the level of the fistula and place a catheter through the fistula. This cases series of open anterior cervical repair of TOFs comprised of seven (58%) patients who had primary extraluminal tracheal approach, four (33%) with extended tracheotomy incision ('Key-hole' technique) and one (9%) patient with slide tracheoplasty for recurrent type C TOF in the presence of subglottic stenosis. Eleven of the twelve patients had successful open anterior cervical repair of TOF. One patient who had primary open anterior cervical repair with the 'Key-hole' technique had recurrence managed successfully with slide tracheoplasty. There were no cases of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. CONCLUSION: This series demonstrates that open anterior cervical approach to correct TOFs is an effective and safe method in the majority of cases of congenital and acquired fistulae where there is no oesophageal atresia or the atresia is corrected (in the case of recurrent or second fistulae). We also present the outcomes of a novel surgical "Keyhole" technique to manage TOF fistulas via an extended-tracheotomy incision. We also found that slide tracheoplasty is an effective salvage operation in the case of complex recurrent fistulae.

Competency-Based Assessment Tool for Pediatric Tracheotomy: International Modified Delphi Consensus.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Create a competency-based assessment tool for pediatric tracheotomy. STUDY DESIGN: Blinded, modified, Delphi consensus process. METHODS: Using the REDCap database, a list of 31 potential items was circulated to 65 expert surgeons who perform pediatric tracheotomy. In the first round, items were rated as "keep" or "remove," and comments were incorporated. In the second round, experts were asked to rate the importance of each item on a seven-point Likert scale. Consensus criteria were determined a priori with a goal of 7 to 25 final items. RESULTS: The first round achieved a response rate of 39/65 (60.0%), and returned questionnaires were 99.5% complete. All items were rated as "keep," and 137 comments were incorporated. In the second round, 30 task-specific and seven previously validated global rating items were distributed, and the response rate was 44/65 (67.7%), with returned questionnaires being 99.3% complete. Of the Task-Specific Items, 13 reached consensus, 10 were near consensus, and 7 did not achieve consensus. For the 7 previously validated global rating items, 5 reached consensus and two were near consensus. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to reach consensus on the important steps involved in pediatric tracheotomy using a modified Delphi consensus process. These items can now be considered to create a competency-based assessment tool for pediatric tracheotomy. Such a tool will hopefully allow trainees to focus on the important aspects of this procedure and help teaching programs standardize how they evaluate trainees during this procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5 Laryngoscope, 130:2700-2707, 2020.

Hearing loss progression and contralateral involvement in children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

OBJECTIVES: We undertook this study to determine the rate of hearing loss progression in the affected ear of children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and without an enlarged vestibular aqueduct, and the rate of new-onset hearing loss in the contralateral ear. METHODS: We searched the database at our pediatric tertiary care center to identify patients who met the inclusion criteria, examining demographic variables, audiometric data, and presumptive causes. RESULTS: We identified 198 patients. At presentation, they showed slight left-sided and male predominances. Of 142 patients who had sufficient audiometric follow-up for us to evaluate progression, 21% showed ipsilateral progression and 10.6% developed new-onset hearing loss in the contralateral ear. Isolated high-frequency loss was identified in 11 patients (5.6%), 8 of whom had sufficient follow-up for us to identify progression. Two showed progression; 4 others with progression in the ipsilateral ear developed new-onset high-frequency loss in the contralateral ear. Temporal bone anomalies were identified in 26 children (13%), and these children were more likely to have profound hearing loss than were those without temporal bone anomalies (46% versus 23%). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that unilateral sensorineural hearing loss may not always be a unilateral process, but that it may be the initial manifestation of bilateral auditory dysfunction.

Brachial Artery Catheterization in Swine.

The video describes in detail the catheterization of the distal brachial artery in swine. This technique enables researchers to measure arterial blood pressure continuously and collect arterial blood samples to assess arterial blood gas measurements. Arterial blood pressures and arterial blood gases are important physiological parameters to monitor during experimental procedures. In swine, four common methods of arterial catheterization have been described, including catheterization of the carotid, femoral, auricular, and medial saphenous arteries. Each of these techniques have advantages, such as ease of access for the auricular artery, and disadvantages that include deep tissue dissection for carotid artery catheterization. The described alternative method of arterial catheterization in swine, the catheterization of the distal aspect of the brachial artery, is a rapid procedure that requires relatively minimal tissue dissection and provides information that is in line with data collected from other arterial catheterization sites. The procedure uses a medial approach along an oblique plane of the lower brachium, positioned between the olecranon and the flexor aspect of the elbow joint, and this approach allows researchers the major advantage of unimpeded freedom for procedures that involve the caudoventral, caudodorsal back, or hind limbs of the pig. Due to the location of the upper forelimb of the catheterized vessel and potential challenges of effective homeostasis following catheter removal from the artery, this technique may be limited to non-recovery procedures.

Butyrate Supplementation at High Concentrations Alters Enteric Bacterial Communities and Reduces Intestinal Inflammation in Mice Infected with Citrobacter rodentium.

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid by-product of the microbial fermentation of dietary fermentable materials in the large intestine; it is the main energy source for enterocyte regeneration, modulates the enteric microbial community, and contributes to increasing host health via mechanisms that are relatively poorly defined. Limited research has examined the therapeutic potential of butyrate using models of enteric inflammation incited by pathogenic organisms. We used Citrobacter rodentium to incite acute Th1/Th17 inflammation to ascertain the impact of butyrate on the host-microbiota relationship. Rectal administration of 140 mM butyrate to mice increased fecal concentrations of butyrate and increased food consumption and weight gain in mice infected with C. rodentium. Histological scores of colonic inflammation were lower in infected mice administered 140 mM butyrate. Expression of Il10, Tgfß, and Muc2 was elevated in noninfected mice administered butyrate in comparison to mice not administered butyrate. Infected mice administered butyrate displayed elevated expression of genes necessary for pathogen clearance (i.e., Il17A and Il1ß) and of genes involved in epithelial barrier repair and restoration (i.e., Relmß, Tff3, and Myd88). Butyrate supplemented to inflamed colons increased the abundances of Proteobacteria and Lachnospiraceae and reduced the abundance of Clostridiaceae species. Mice with enteritis that were administered butyrate also exhibited an increased abundance of mucus-associated bacteria. In summary, rectal administration of butyrate increased feed consumption and weight gain, ameliorated C. rodentium-induced cell injury through enhanced expression of immune regulation and tissue repair mechanisms, and increased the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria in mice with enteritis. IMPORTANCE The study findings provide evidence that administration of butyrate in a dose-dependent manner can increase weight gain in infected mice, enhance clearance of the infection, reduce inflammation through altered cytokine expression, and enhance tissue repair and mucus secretion. Moreover, butyrate treatment also affected the abundance of bacterial populations in both noninflamed and inflamed intestines. Notably, this investigation provides foundational information that can be used to determine the effects of prebiotics and other functional foods on the production of butyrate by enteric bacteria and their impact on intestinal health and host well-being.

Impacts of resistant starch and wheat bran consumption on enteric inflammation in relation to colonic bacterial community structures and short-chain fatty acid concentrations in mice.

BACKGROUND: Identifying the connection among diet, the intestinal microbiome, and host health is currently an area of intensive research, but the potential of dietary fiber (DF) consumption to ameliorate intestinal inflammation has not been extensively studied. We examined the impacts of the DFs, wheat bran (WB) and resistant starch (RS) on host enteric health. A murine model of acute Th1/Th17 colitis (i.e. incited by Citrobacter rodentium) was used. RESULTS: Diets enriched with RS increased weight gain in mice inoculated with C. rodentium compared to mice consuming a conventional control (CN) diet. Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) quantities in the cecum and distal colon were higher in mice consuming DFs, and these mice exhibited higher butyrate concentrations in the distal colon during inflammation. Histopathologic scores of inflammation in the proximal colon on day 14 post-inoculation (p.i.) (peak infection) and 21 p.i. (late infection) were lower in mice consuming DF-enriched diets compared to the CN diet. Consumption of WB reduced the expression of Th1/Th17 cytokines. As well, the expression of bacterial recognition and response genes such as Relmß, RegIIIγ, and Tlr4 increased in mice consuming the RS-enriched diets. Furthermore, each diet generated a region-specific bacterial community, suggesting a link between selection for specific bacterial communities, SCFA concentrations, and inflammation in the murine colon. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, data indicated that the consumption of DF-rich diets ameliorates the effects of C. rodentium-induced enteritis by modifying the host microbiota to increase SCFA production, and bacterial recognition and response mechanisms to promote host health.

Long-Term Catheterization of the Intestinal Lymph Trunk and Collection of Lymph in Neonatal Pigs.

Catheterization of the intestinal lymph trunk in neonatal pigs is a technique allowing for the long-term collection of large quantities of intestinal (central) efferent lymph. Importantly, the collection of central lymph from the intestine enables researchers to study both the mechanisms and lipid constitutes associated with lipid metabolism, intestinal inflammation and cancer metastasis, as well as cells involved in immune function and immunosurveillance. A ventral mid-line surgical approach permits excellent surgical exposure to the cranial abdomen and relatively easy access to the intestinal lymph trunk vessel that lies near the pancreas and the right ventral segment of the portal vein underneath the visceral aspect of the right liver lobe. The vessel is meticulously dissected and released from the surrounding fascia and then dilated with sutures allowing for insertion and subsequent securing of the catheter into the vessel. The catheter is exteriorized and approximately 1 L/24 hr of lymph is collected over a 7 day period. While this technique enables the collection of large quantities of central lymph over an extended period of time, the success depends on careful surgical dissection, tissue handling and close attention to proper surgical technique. This is particularly important with surgeries in young animals as the lymph vessels can easily tear, potentially leading to surgical and experimental failure. The video demonstrates an excellent surgical technique for the collection of intestinal lymph.

Animal models to study acute and chronic intestinal inflammation in mammals.

Acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the intestine impart a significant and negative impact on the health and well-being of human and non-human mammalian animals. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of inflammatory disease is mandatory to develop effective treatment and prevention strategies. As inflammatory disease etiologies are multifactorial, the use of appropriate animal models and associated metrics of disease are essential. In this regard, animal models used alone or in combination to study acute and chronic inflammatory disease of the mammalian intestine paired with commonly used inflammation-inducing agents are reviewed. This includes both chemical and biological incitants of inflammation, and both non-mammalian (i.e. nematodes, insects, and fish) and mammalian (i.e. rodents, rabbits, pigs, ruminants, dogs, and non-human primates) models of intestinal inflammation including germ-free, gnotobiotic, as well as surgical, and genetically modified animals. Importantly, chemical and biological incitants induce inflammation via a multitude of mechanisms, and intestinal inflammation and injury can vary greatly according to the incitant and animal model used, allowing studies to ascertain both long-term and short-term effects of inflammation. Thus, researchers and clinicians should be aware of the relative strengths and limitations of the various animal models used to study acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the mammalian intestine, and the scope and relevance of outcomes achievable based on this knowledge. The ability to induce inflammation to mimic common human diseases is an important factor of a successful animal model, however other mechanisms of disease such as the amount of infective agent to induce disease, invasion mechanisms, and the effect various physiologic changes can have on inducing damage are also important features. In many cases, the use of multiple animal models in combination with both chemical and biological incitants is necessary to answer the specific question being addressed regarding intestinal disease. Some incitants can induce acute responses in certain animal models while others can be used to induce chronic responses; this review aims to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses in each animal model and to guide the choice of an appropriate acute or chronic incitant to facilitate intestinal disease.

Tisseel and its effects on wound drainage post-thyroidectomy: prospective, randomized, blinded, controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: This randomized, blinded, controlled study examines the effects of fibrin sealant (Tisseel, Laboratoire de production Baxter AG, Vienna, Austria) on wound drainage following thyroidectomy. METHODS: Fifty-six consecutive patients were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomized into Tisseel and non-Tisseel treatment groups. Wound drain output was tallied in 8-hour increments by observers blinded to the treatment groups. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients completed the study. Significant decreases in wound drainage were found in the first 8 hours in the Tisseel group. Eight hours postoperatively, wound output in the Tisseel group was reduced by 44% compared with the non-Tisseel group. A significant decrease in the total drainage over the 64-hour time period of 43% was noted between the treatment and control groups. Post-thyroidectomy wound drainage was reduced and trended to earlier drain removal. No significant changes in the length of hospital stay were noted, nor were postoperative complications encountered in either treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Fibrin sealants offer a unique opportunity to safely decrease post-thyroidectomy wound drainage. This investigation furthers the evidence that fibrin sealants could safely enable the implementation of drain-free thyroidectomies.