Giant ethmoidal mucocele leading to proptosis and hypertelorism in a pediatric patient with cystic fibrosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Chronic sinusitis and its complications are common in patients with cystic fibrosis. Mucoceles are one of these complications and can have life-threatening consequences if left untreated. CASE: We present the case of a giant ethmoid mucocele leading to proptosis and hypertelorism in a 5-year-old child with cystic fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Chronic sinusitis and its complications are common in patients with CF. Mucoceles are a rare complication of sinusitis that can be treated surgically. As seen in this case if left untreated mucoceles can lead to orbital pathologies such as proptosis, hypertelorism. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case report of giant ethmoidal mucocele leading to proptosis and hypertelorism in a patient with cystic fibrosis.

Change in Warthin's tumor incidence: a 20-year joinpoint trend analysis.

PURPOSE: The incidence of Warthin's tumor (WT) has increased worldwide. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the incidence of WT in our hospital, which provides health care for an extremely large population. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 573 patients, comprising 345 males and 228 females, who all experienced parotid tumor for the past 20 years. Patients with WT that were operated in the last 20 years were evaluated according to the number of patients per year to determine the annual WT increase trend. RESULTS: In the distribution of WT over the years of surgery, the ratio of WT to all tumors irregularly changed. Furthermore, the total number of parotidectomies per year increased in time. We investigated whether WT had any increasing trend over the years. The annual percentage change (APC) of WT was calculated, and according to the segmented regression analysis, the APC was insignificant (APC = 4.3, 95% CI = - 3.6-12.9, P = 0.300). CONCLUSION: The incidence of WT has increased across the world. However, in our study, no significant APC was observed according to the segmented regression analysis.

Cervical Tracheal Resection and Anastomosis for Postintubation Tracheal Stenosis.

In this study the authors evaluated the outcomes of tracheal resection and anastomosis in postintubation tracheal stenosis. The authors also aimed to identify clinical and radiological factors associated with restenosis. Thirty-four consecutive patients were included in the study. Patients with subglottic stenosis who underwent procedures involving cricoid cartilage and patients with other etiologies were excluded from the study. Univariate analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for restenosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated for the diameter of the narrowest part of the trachea (Dst) and the distance between cricoid cartilage and stenosis (Dcs). Of the 34 patients, 31 (91.1%) patients were successfully decannulated. Nineteen (55.8%) patients had complications. After univariate analysis, Dst (P = 0.001), Dcs (P = 0.001), smoking (P = 0.007) and grade of the stenosis (P = 0.003) were significantly associated with restenosis. The sensitivity and specificity were 90.9% and 77.3%, respectively, when the cutoff value for Dst was 4 mm. Sensitivity and specificity were 72.7% and 100%, respectively, when the cutoff value for Dcs was 10 mm. Tracheal resection and anastomosis is an effective surgical method for treating postintubation tracheal stenosis. In our series, 91.1% of the patients with postintubation tracheal stenosis were successfully decannulated. Restenosis was the most common complication. The diameter of the narrowest part of the trachea (Dst), the distance between cricoid cartilage and stenosis (Dcs), smoking and grade of stenosis were significantly associated with restenosis.

Treatment of Congenital Choanal Atresia via Transnasal Endoscopic Method.

OBJECTIVES: Congenital choanal atresia (CCA) is a very rare abnormality of the nose, but in the case of bilateral presence, it becomes a life-threatening malformation. Various surgical treatment options, such as transpalatal, transseptal, and open rhinoplasty techniques, as well as the transnasal approach, have been defined for the repair of CCA. In this study, the authors intended to evaluate the outcomes of transnasal endoscopic surgery for CCA, and stent implementation's impact on surgical success. METHODS: Patients who were admitted to the Otorhinolaryngology Department of Gaziantep University and patients who had not undergone CCA surgery before were included in the study. Patients who underwent transnasal endoscopic choanal atresia surgery (TECAS) were advised to have regular nasal endoscopic examinations performed at check-ups; after a 6-month follow-up period, surgical results were evaluated concerning whether stenosis had occurred or not. RESULTS: Of the 48 patients who underwent TECAS after a minimum 6-month follow-up period, 34 of patients revealed no stenosis, so the overall surgical success rate was 70.8%. Fourteen (29.2%) patients who underwent TECAS developed stenosis and required revision surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Transnasal endoscopic choanal atresia surgery is the most preferred approach for CCA repair and has many advantages, such as excellent vision, shorter operative time, minimal bleeding, and minimum complication. Despite advances in endovision systems and surgical instruments, stenosis is the most challenging problem after TECAS, so new treatment strategies should be developed to prevent stenosis.

Predictive factors for malignancy in patients with persistent cervical lymphadenopathy.

The aim of this study was to identify clinical factors that can predict malignancy in patients with persistent cervical lymphadenopathy. This retrospective study included 575 patients with persistent cervical lymphadenopathy who underwent surgical excision. The patients were divided into two groups according to their ages: group 1 (≤18 years) and group 2 (>18 years). Multiple logistic regression models and univariate analysis were performed to determine the association between clinical factors and malignancy. Male gender [odds ratio (OR) 4.184, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.823-9.602, p = 0.001], increased age (OR 1.072, 95 % CI 1.001-1.148, p = 0.046), left-sided lesions (OR 3.423, 95 % CI 1.407-8.329, p = 0.007), and larger lymph node size (OR 1.445, 95 % CI 1.021-2.044, p = 0.038) were significantly associated with malignancy in group 1. Male gender (OR 3.761, 95 % CI 2.361-5.992, p = 0.001), increased age (OR 1.015, 95 % CI 1.003-1.027, p = 0.018), duration of the disease (OR 0.770, 95 % CI 0.668-0.888, p = 0.001), and the presence of B symptoms (OR 4.996, 95 % CI 2.862-8.721, p = 0.001) were significantly associated with malignancy in group 2. The sensitivity and specificity of the models were 84 and 61.5 % for group 1 and 77.9 and 67.9 % for group 2, respectively. Increasing age and male gender were found to be associated with malignancy in all age groups. Larger lymph node size and left-sided lymphadenopathy were significant predictors of malignancy in children. Presence of B symptoms was found to be associated with malignancy in adults. Our results indicated that increasing duration of lymphadenopathy and the presence of bilaterality render the lymph node more likely to be benign in adults. No significant association was found between the involved neck site and malignancy for all age groups.

Isolated sphenoid sinus disease: An overlooked cause of headache.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate patients who underwent endoscopic sphenoid sinus surgery for isolated sphenoid sinus disease. We also investigated the impact of sphenoid sinus surgery on headache intensity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-one consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic sphenoidotomy for isolated sphenoid sinus disease were included in the study. Diagnosis of isolated sphenoid sinus pathology was based on history, physical examination, and radiologic evaluation. All patients had headache with various localizations. Pre- and postoperative headache intensity of patients was scored using a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: The most common location of headache was the vertex (24%). The preoperative and postoperative mean VAS scores for headache were 8.24 ± 0.94 and 2.67 ± 1.49, respectively. Statistical comparison revealed a significant improvement in headache intensity (p < 0.01). Polyps (33.3%) were the most common pathology, followed by inflammation (23.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The most common presenting symptom of isolated sphenoid sinus disease is headache. In this study, we demonstrated that headache induced by isolated sphenoid disease can be relieved by endoscopic sphenoidotomy. Sphenoid sinus disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with subacute or chronic headache.

Effectiveness and Safety of Selective Neck Dissection in Lymph Node-Positive Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of selective neck dissection in patients with lymph node-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to determine regional control and survival rates. Eighty patients with lymph node-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who underwent selective dissection were included in the study. Regional control, survival rates, and factors affecting survival were analyzed. Regional control was 90%, disease-specific survival was 93.4%, and the overall survival rate was 87.25%. T stage, N stage, age, and extracapsular spread were included in hazard regression models. None of the factors were statistically significant. Selective neck dissection is an effective and oncologically safe treatment option in selected cases. T stage, N stage, and extracapsular spread had no significant impact on disease-specific survival.

Incidence and predictors of malignancy in children with persistent cervical lymphadenopathy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical and histopathologic aspects of persistent cervical lymphadenopathies in children. METHODS: This retrospective study included 98 children who underwent surgical excision for persistently swollen cervical lymph nodes between 2001 and 2013. Lymph nodes greater than 1.5 cm that persisted for more than 4 weeks and were unresponsive to an initial antibiotic treatment were considered "persistent". The largest lymph node with an abnormal ultrasonographic appearance was selected for surgical biopsy. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the histopathologic outcome: benign or malignant. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the groups regarding the mean size and mean duration of the swollen cervical lymph nodes (p = 0.147 and p = 0.446, respectively). The area under the ROC curve was 0.567 (95% confidence interval = 0.463-0.667, p = 0.259) for lymph node size and 0.507 (95% confidence interval = 0.404-0.609, p = 0.909) for the duration of the cervical lymphadenopathy. There was no significant difference in the presence of B symptoms between the two groups (p = 0.519). No significant difference was found between benign and malignant groups regarding bilaterality (p=0.913). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our study demonstrated that the size and duration of cervical lymphadenopathy, bilateral or unilateral involvement and the presence or absence of B symptoms are not indicators of malignancy. We found a high incidence of malignancy in pediatric cervical lymphadenopathy cases in contrast to other current studies.

Management of upper aerodigestive tract amyloidosis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to discuss the treatment options for upper aerodigestive tract amyloidosis. METHODS: Four patients with histologically confirmed amyloidosis were included in the study. All patients underwent surgical treatment. Three patients had laryngeal amyloidosis, and 1 patient had tonsillar amyloidosis. RESULTS: Two of the cases of laryngeal amyloidosis were successfully treated with a combination of surgery and radiation therapy. One case of laryngeal amyloidosis was treated with surgery alone. The tonsillar amyloidosis was removed by tonsillectomy. None of the cases showed systemic involvement. Long-term follow-up of the patients showed no recurrence or evidence of systemic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical resection is the primary treatment for patients with upper aerodigestive tract amyloidosis. Radiation therapy is especially effective in cases of recurrent amyloidosis with submucosal involvement. Pedunculated polypoid lesions may be treated with surgery alone, and in cases of recurrence, irradiation following the surgical removal should be considered. Tonsillectomy is usually sufficient for treating tonsillar amyloidosis.

Pediatric endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy.

OBJECTIVE: Nasolacrimal duct obstruction is a relatively common problem among children. Although spontaneous resolution is possible and various conservative treatment options are available, dacryocystorhinostomy is recommended for persistent epiphora. The aim of this study was to report our experience of performing 83 procedures of pediatric endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. METHODS: This retrospective study included 71 children who underwent endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy between 2000 and 2011. Thirteen of these children had bilateral procedures. The diagnosis of nasolacrimal duct obstruction was based on the presence of eye discharge, the patient's history obtained from his or her parents and the results of testing the patency of the nasolacrimal canal by irrigating the lacrimal sac. The procedure was considered to be successful if the patient's eye discharge was completely resolved and the dacryocystorhinostomy ostium was patent at end of the postoperative first year. RESULTS: Eighty-three dacrycystorhinostomy procedures were performed in 71 children. There were 35 (49.3%) male and 36 (50.7%) female patients. The age of the patients ranged between 11 months and 14 years, with a mean of 8.9 years. The mean follow-up period was 27.1 months (range of 14-84 months). The overall success rate for primary endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy was 92.7%. No major complications were encountered in any of the surgical procedures. CONCLUSION: Pediatric endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy is a safe and effective procedure to correct nasolacrimal system obstruction in cases that are unresponsive to conservative treatments. It has a high success rate and a low incidence of complications.

Systemic steroid versus combined systemic and intratympanic steroid treatment for sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of oral steroid treatment versus combined oral and intratympanic dexamethasone injection for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. METHODS: This was a retrospective case review in which 30 patients in the oral steroid group and 39 patients in the combined oral and intratympanic steroid injection group were compared. RESULTS: The comparison of the initial pure tone audiometry (PTA) threshold results revealed a significant difference between the systemic steroid (SS) group and the systemic and intratympanic steroid group. The initial PTA was 74.33 ± 22.64 dB (mean ± SD) in the SS group and 87.49 ± 26.22 dB (mean ± SD) in the intratympanic steroid group. The difference in the initial PTA results was statistically significant between the SS group and intratympanic steroid group (P < 0.05, P = 0.032). The pure-tone gain in the SS group was 20.97 ± 27.47 dB (mean ± SD), and that of the group treated with both systemic and intratympanic steroids was 19.36 ± 22.16 dB (mean ± SD) (P = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that, in sudden sensorineural hearing loss, the administration of intratympanic steroids in conjunction with SS therapy appears to have the same effect on the restoration of hearing "as the effect obtained using SS therapy alone."

Complications and treatment of chronic otitis media.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the etiologic factors and treatment types for chronic otitis media (COM) complications. METHODS: In this study, the data from 82 patients who had been diagnosed and treated at the Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery of Gaziantep University between 1999 and 2011 for complications from COM were retrospectively reviewed. The chosen surgical procedure was based on the type of complication and the ear pathology. RESULTS: The study included 55 male and 27 female patients. Ten patients (12.2%) had intracranial complications, and 72 patients (87.80%) had extracranial complications. There were 47 patients with cholesteatoma. Radical mastoidectomy was performed on 46 patients, canal-wall-down mastoidectomy was performed on 30 patients, and canal-wall-up mastoidectomy was performed on 6 patients. Five patients underwent neurosurgical operations because of COM complications. CONCLUSIONS: Although the rate of COM complications has recently declined, it remains important to diagnose COM without delay and to use appropriate treatments for the patients because COM complications are associated with poor outcomes.

Oxidative stress in chronic otitis media.

Chronic otitis media usually presents with a benign tumor-like lesion of the temporal bone known as a cholesteatoma. The role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma has not yet been fully explored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the oxidative stress markers and antioxidant enzymes in patients with cholesteatomatous and noncholesteatomatous chronic otitis media and in healthy subjects. A prospective controlled trial was performed on cholesteatomatous and noncholesteatomatous chronic otitis media patients in a tertiary referral center in a university hospital. A total of 75 subjects, including 25 cholesteatomatous and 25 noncholesteatomatous chronic otitis media patients and 25 healthy subjects participated in this study. Serum total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels were significantly increased in the patient groups with or without cholesteatoma compared with the control group. Serum total antioxidant status (TAS) levels and Paraoxonase and arylesterase activity were significantly lower in the patient groups with or without cholesteatoma compared with the control group. Serum TOS and OSI levels were lower in the noncholesteatomatous group, whereas serum TAS levels were higher compared with the cholesteatomatous group. Serum arylesterase activity was significantly lower in the noncholesteatomatous group compared with the control group. The results of this study reveal that in cholesteatoma cases, the oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme imbalance were more significant than in cases of chronic otitis media without cholesteatoma.

Late metastasis of an intracranial meningioma to the hard palate.

Meningiomas are benign neoplasms that arise from cellular elements of the meninges. Although meningiomas are usually considered as benign tumors, they have a potential to become aggressive and to metastasize to the extracranial structures. Distant metastasis most commonly occurs in lung, liver, and long bones. We present an extremely rare case of a delayed metastasis of a recurrent intracranial meningioma to the hard palate 19 years after the initial diagnosis. The patient underwent surgical excision without any complication and follow-up showed no recurrence.

Paranasal sinus osteomas.

Osteoma is the most common benign tumor of the paranasal sinuses. They remain asymptomatic until the tumor reaches a certain size. Although the etiology of the osteomas is controversial, embryologic, traumatic, and infective theories have been proposed. Osteomas may be discovered at any age but are usually found during the fourth and fifth decades, and there is a male preponderance. In this retrospective study, we analyzed 25 patients with paranasal sinus osteomas who were treated surgically between 2005 and 2011. Age and sex of the patient, size and location of the tumor, clinical presentation, type of surgical approach, duration of follow-up, outcome, and any intraoperative or postoperative complications were obtained from the medical records of the patients. Diagnosis of osteoma was based on computed tomography findings and confirmed histopathologically in all cases. There were 9 men (36%) and 16 women (64%) with a mean age of 38.7 years. Tumor localization was divided as follows: ethmoid sinus in 14 patients (56%), frontal sinus in 9 patients (36%), and maxillary sinus in 2 patients (8%). Mean tumor size was 2.04 cm, ranging from 0.5 to 6.5 cm. External approach was used in 9 cases and endonasal endoscopic surgery was performed in 19 cases. Combination of endoscopic surgery and external surgery was performed in 3 cases. After at least 6 months of follow-up, all patients were symptom-free except 2 patients who underwent revision surgery. These 2 patients were also asymptomatic following revision surgery. Although there is an increasing trend to endoscopic surgery, external approach is recommended in large frontal osteomas and ethmoid osteomas with lateral extension and in case of intracranial or intraorbital involvement.

Intra- and postoperative electrically evoked stapedius reflex thresholds in children with cochlear implants.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a significant correlation between intra- and postoperative electrically evoked stapedius reflex thresholds (eSRTs) in children with cochlear implants. METHODS: Sixty-five pediatric cochlear implant users were included in this study. All patients had congenital prelingual hearing loss. The round window approach was used in all patients. The eSRTs were intraoperatively measured using the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th electrodes of the cochlear implant. The measurements taken during the first fitting of the device were taken again one month after surgery. We used paired-sample t-tests to determine the correlation between intra- and postoperative eSRTs. RESULTS: The eSRT analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the intra- and postoperative thresholds. A correlation analysis did not reveal any correlation between intra- and postoperative eSRTs. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative eSRT measurements were unable to predict early postoperative eSRTs.

Intraoperative electrically evoked stapedius reflex thresholds in children undergone cochlear implantation: round window and cochleostomy approaches.

OBJECTIVES: To study the best electrically stimulation in cochlear implant surgery with round window (RW) and Promontory cochleostomy approaches with electrically evoked stapedius reflex thresholds (ESRT) intraoperatively. METHODS: Thirty-nine children underwent CI surgery were included for this study. The surgical procedures consisted of RW and Promontory cochleostomy. ESRT for each 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th electrodes (E) were determined. Statistical evaluation was done for the comparison of the thresholds and duration times for both groups. RESULTS: The duration times of ESRT for E1, E3, E6 and E12 electrodes was shorter in RW group compared with the Promontory group (p<0.05). The statistical evaluation of ESRT measurements of E1, E3, E6 found p<0.001 and E12 electrode p<0.05 in RW group. ESRT measurements were recorded at lower threshold in the RW group compared with the Promontory group. CONCLUSION: The duration of electrically stimulation thresholds were shorter in RW group. ESRT measurements were recorded at lower threshold in the RW group compared with the Promontory group. RW insertion offers best electrically stimulation relative to electrode insertion via a promontory cochleostomy.

Intraorbital isolated mucocele.

A 55-year-old man was presented with an orbital mass. The magnetic resonance imaging revealed that the dimensions of the mass were 29×19×17 mm. The most probable diagnosis with the magnetic resonance imaging findings was dermoid cyst. The mass was a cyst and marsupialized by functional endonasal endoscopic sinus surgery without any complication. Intraoperative findings of the mass were thought to be a hydatid cyst, but the diagnostic tests were negative, and the pathologic result was consistent with mucocele.

Giant pleomorphic adenoma of the nasal septum.

Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign tumor of the salivary glands, mainly arising from major salivary glands such as parotis and submandibular gland. In rare cases, however, pleomorphic adenoma presents in various unusual sites such as the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, hypopharynx, pharynx, larynx, trachea and lacrimal glands. We present a rare case of 80-year-old woman with pleomorphic adenoma of the nasal cavity.

Electrophysiologic assessment of the subclinical changes in facial functions after parotidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate whether there was a subclinical change in the functions of the facial nerve after parotidectomy. METHODS: Facial nerve functions of 21 patients who had parotidectomy between January 1999 and December 2003 were assessed using electromyography (EMG) at least 5 years after the surgery. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between both sides of the face in the EMG amplitudes (P > 0.05) except for the amplitudes obtained from the site of nasolabial sulcus (P < 0.05). In the patients who underwent total parotidectomy, the EMG amplitudes were significantly different for both sides of the face (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the comparison of other measurements performed by EMG. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor histopathologic type (benign or malignant) and type of parotidectomy (superficial or total) do not cause a subclinical dysfunction of the facial nerve after parotidectomy in the patients who also have clinically normal facial functions. The only exception to this contention is the subclinical dysfunction in nasal branches of the facial nerve in total parotidectomy cases.