Vaginal Delivery in a Tracheostomised Woman: A Rare Case Scenario.

Spontaneous vaginal delivery in a tracheostomised woman is rare and literature concerning the same is also very limited, hence this might help in considering vaginal delivery at term as an option in such patients when there are no medical or obstetrical contraindications for the same. We present a case of a 24 years female patient hailing from Tamil Nadu in South India, who was tracheostomised secondary to subglottic stenosis, presented to Otorhinolaryngology department at thirty-eight weeks of gestation to know the possibility of a vaginal delivery at term. Since the patient had an uneventful obstetrical history and no medical or obstetrical contraindications for a vaginal delivery, patient was advised breathing exercises including Valsalva manoeuvre and kept under close follow up. Patient went to labor at term at thirty-nine weeks and five days of gestation, and with the help of a panel of senior doctors underwent spontaneous vaginal delivery with no complications. Vaginal delivery can be attempted in tracheostomised women, in the absence of any medical or obstetrical contra indications, if the patient is motivated and we have a panel of expert doctors from all concerned departments.

Awareness About Noise Induced Hearing Loss and the Use of Unsafe Listening Practices Among Medical Students.

To assess the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Noise Induced Hearing Loss(NIHL) caused by using Personal Listening Devices (PLD). To assess the usage pattern of PLD among undergraduate medical students studying at a tertiary health center in South India. A descriptive study was conducted by the Department of ENT over a three-month duration on undergraduate medical students who volunteered to fill in an electronic questionnaire form that they received via WhatsApp. A convenient sampling technique was used. NIHL questionnaire consisted of three sets of electronic questionnaires: Q1, Q2, and Q3. In Q1 total score of more than 75% was taken as good knowledge, 50-75% as fair knowledge, and less than 50% as poor knowledge. Q2 score of more than 50% was taken as a good attitude and less than 50% as a need to improve upon attitude. A total of 224(94.5%) participants had consented, out of the 224 students, 132(58.9%) were males and 92(41.1%) were females. 195(87.1%) of the 224 participants are regular users of PLD and the most common PLD used was earbuds (76.8%). The mean total knowledge on NIHL is less than 75%. Medical students have fair knowledge (54.5%). The weaker areas of knowledge were about the nature of the disease believing that NIHL is a reversible condition. Their overall attitude score is good (61.8%). Students more than 18 years of age had a positive attitude score (3.42 +/- 0.856) as compared with students less than 18 years of age (2.69 +/- 0.800). Most participants preferred a volume level of 6.26 +/- 1.517 on a scale of 1 to 10 for PLD, indicating that students prefer to set the volume at higher level. The participants showed fair knowledge and a good attitude concerning NIHL. The present study highlights a concerning lack of practice about NIHL and the prevalence of unsafe PLD among medical students. This underscores the importance of educational interventions to increase awareness among this population.

Field Cancerization in Action; A Case of Synchronous Triple Primary Malignancies in the Head and Neck.

Field cancerization is the phenomenon that classically describes the occurrence of multiple primary malignancies in the head and neck subsites, either synchronous or metachronous. It's unusual to come across synchronous primaries, that too three at a time. Here is a patient who presented to us with triple primary squamous cell carcinomas involving the floor of the mouth, base of the tongue, and glottis at the same time…….

Criteria for Determining Hearing Disability: A Narrative Review of Global Perspective.

Hearing loss is a highly prevalent condition worldwide, affecting over 5% of the global population. Determining disability and eligibility for rehabilitation services due to hearing loss is complex, as countries employ differing audiometric criteria and methods. This report reviews current literature on audiometric thresholds used globally to determine hearing disability, highlighting challenging cases worldwide. Databases PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for articles on hearing disability criteria published from 2010-present in English. Overall, developed countries employ a pure-tone average (PTA) of ≥ 40 dB as disability criteria, while developing countries use ≥ 41 dB PTA. The World Health Organization uses ≥ 41 dB disabling hearing loss in better ear. Studies show widespread use of a single frequency threshold in some countries can exclude milder losses. Individualized approaches accounting for communication function, rather than fixed PTA cut-offs alone, enable more accurate disability determination. Further research on optimal, equitable criteria accounting for resource availability is needed. Standardized guidelines balancing sensitivity and specificity in disability determination worldwide would enable improved rehabilitation access and outcomes.

Use of Mini-CEX as Formative Assessment Tool in the Training of Undergraduate Medical Students in ENT Situation Analysis and the Way Forward.

Background: Mini-CEX assesses clinical competency and is mainly used as a formative assessment tool. Its use in postgraduate training is well documented. However, Mini-CEX would play a significant role in training undergraduate medical students, especially with the commencement of competency-based medical education in India. This work reports the situational analysis of the Mini-CEX implementation in the department of ENT. Methods and Material: The Department of ENT is using Mini-CEX for formative assessment of students' clinical competence since 2017. Each student had to complete a minimum of five Mini-CEX encounters before the summative assessment. We reviewed the Mini-CEX assessment records of 149 undergraduate medical students who appeared for the summative exam in 2018. Results: We analysed the records of 874 Mini-CEX encounters. Each Mini-CEX encounter took 11 min on average. Each student completed five such assessments, which accounted for 55 min of one-to-one teacher-student interaction focused on clinical skills learning. The feedback time varied from 1 to 30 min. Feedback was focused on the cognitive (46%) and psychomotor (42%) domains. However, the majority of students reflected that they learned psychomotor skills during the Mini-CEX. Students selected only a few skills for the Mini-CEX, ignoring many must-know skills. Conclusions: Mini-CEX is feasible as a formative assessment tool for medical undergraduates' ENT training. It improves the assessor-student interaction, provides effective feedback, and develops the practice of reflection among students. However, regular review and training of the assessors and students are needed as a quality assurance measure.

Decision Making in Complicated Chronic Otitis Media- Squamous Active Disease on Surgical Approach: How it Influenced the Outcome?

Chronic Otitis Media (COM) with complications is a common clinical entity in Otorhinolaryngology, but advances in antibiotics and surgical techniques have reduced complication rates and mortality. Management warrants surgical disease clearance, the choice of surgical approach of which may vary. Endaural approach is a less commonly performed approach in view of its complexity and surgical expertise. This case report presents a 13-year-old female with COM-squamous active type with cerebellar abscess, managed with Lempert's endaural mastoidectomy. The patient presented with long-standing left sided purulent ear discharge, ear pain, headache, and vomiting. Diagnosis included bilateral COM-squamous active type with left cerebellar abscess, status post suboccipital craniotomy. Endaural mastoidectomy was performed to circumvent the pseudomeningocoele and achieve disease clearance. Postoperative follow-up showed well-healed scars and no evidence of disease recurrence. Chronic Otitis Media with complications requires surgical management to prevent disease progression and related complications. Surgical approaches for disease clearance include post aural and endaural techniques. Lempert's endaural approach provided a superior view of the middle ear and mastoid, facilitating disease clearance and simplifying postoperative care with enhanced cosmesis. Although endaural approach demands surgical expertise, it can be a viable option for complicated cases. In this case, Lempert's endaural canal wall down mastoidectomy effectively managed COM-squamous active type with cerebellar abscess, offering a clear view of the disease epicenter with limited bone removal. The endaural approach, in the hands of an experienced surgeon, can be a feasible alternative for surgical clearance in complicated COM cases, providing favorable outcomes with superior visibility and cosmesis.

Radiological Parameters Predicting the Round Window Niche Visibility through Facial Recess Approach in Cochlear Implantation.

Aim: The aim was to study the radiological parameters using High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) temporal bone to predict the Round Window Niche (RWN) visibility through the facial recess approach and to study radiological types of the round window niche. Materials and Methods: Prospective study was done in the patients underwent CI surgery from 2019 to 2021. HRCT radiological parameters of the patients and their intraoperative visualisation from video recordings were compared to predict the most feasible parameters to predict good visualisation of RWN. Results: Among 51 patients (34 males, 17 females) in 48 children round window membrane insertion was done and in three children cochleostomy was done and in two children partial canal wall drilling was done due to poor visualisation of RWN area. Multiple parameters to assess the visibility of the RWN were used. Facial recess width (4.2 mm), location of the mastoid segment of facial nerve (2 mm), external auditory canal to basal turn of cochlea angle (< 13.50) and the radiological types (tunnel shape and semi-circular shape) of the RWN by HRCT were found to be significant parameters in predicting a good visualisation of the RWN. Conclusion: HRCT parameters prepare the surgeon to face the possibility of a difficult surgery and plan to deal with difficult situations. This would eventually lead to better preparedness of surgeons for management of complications.

Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx - An Elusive Clinical Rarity.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma originating from neuroendocrine cells is typically linked to unfavourable survival rates. We are introducing an exceptional case of neuroendocrine carcinoma occurring in the hypopharynx. To date, only a handful of instances involving primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the hypopharynx have been documented. Advanced age, being male, a history of chronic alcoholism, smoking, and previous radiation are all risk factors associated with this condition. The majority of patients present with distant metastases and are not amenable to a complete cure. As there are no guidelines for the treatment of this rare tumour, various treatment modalities have been tried. Here, we are reporting one such case which was diagnosed as small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the hypopharynx on the basis of histopathological cues and received concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Digital Health Literacy: Evaluating the Readability and Reliability of Cochlear Implant Patient Information on the Web.

Hearing aids and implants are used to treat hearing loss, with cochlear implants being the most successful option for severe sensorineural hearing loss. Patients frequently use the internet as a trusted source of clinical information before committing to any therapeutic procedure, including receiving a cochlear implant. A health resource's readability and dependability influence its value to patients. Readability refers to how easily language can be understood, whereas reliability refers to the correctness and consistency of the information presented. JAMA standards and the DISCERN tool were used to assess the reliability of the websites listed. For readability analysis, the FRE, FKG and GFI were chosen. The acceptable readability level was set to < 7 for the FKG, GF score over 17 as the equivalent of college-level education and ≥ 80.0 for the FRE. The readability scores vary across the sources, suggesting a range of comprehension levels required for understanding the cochlear implant patient information found on Google. There was a statistical difference detected in Discern score between the groups (p = 0.008). The mean discern score was significantly higher in hospital generated sources when compared to industry (3.13 ± 0.69 vs. 2.11 ± 0.78, p = 0.03).

Assessing the Efficacy of Steroids as a Single Modality Treatment for Kimura Disease: A Retrospective Analysis.

Kimura disease is an idiopathic chronic inflammatory disorder, that usually affects the head and neck sites. The use of steroid for its management has been long reviewed in literature alongside immune suppression, but there are only few studies that compare the efficacy of steroid as a single modality treatment for the same. A middle-aged patient, hailing from southern state of India, presented to our outpatient clinic with right sided facial swelling for 2 years. Patient was diagnosed as a case of kimura disease of head and neck with cytological analysis and other investigations. Patient was managed medically with low dose oral corticosteroids and followed up for 6 months. This is a retrospective analysis of the efficacy of this single modality treatment. Patients with Kimura disease with no renal involvement, low dose oral corticosteroids can be tried as a single modality treatment, provided there are no contra indications for the same. Although long term follow up is essential to look for recurrence rates and associated long term benefits for the same.

Beyond the Norm: Tracheostomy's Vital Role in Unconventional Foreign Body Removal.

BACKGROUND: Foreign Body Aspiration (FBA) is one of the paediatric emergencies which require timely diagnosis and management. The inherent tendency of children to explore small objects with their mouths often prove to be fatal as they are difficult to remove once aspirated. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 5-year-old boy who presented with dyspnea and vomiting following the aspiration of a pen cap. Chest radiograph and Rigid Bronchoscopy helped to identify the foreign body but it couldn't be removed by Rigid Bronchoscopy alone due it's wedge-shaped nature. Hence, an unconventional method of foreign body removal was performed by making a tracheostoma, pushing the foreign body to the level of tracheostoma and thereby taking it out from the tracheostoma under strict monitoring of anesthesia team. CONCLUSION: Alternative approaches like this are required for prompt intervention in a difficult case as it helps to reduce complications produced by repeated failed attempts.

An Uncommon Salivary Gland Swelling- Parotid Duct Cyst and Its Management.

Cysts in the parotid region are more common in the gland than in the duct. Isolated cyst of parotid duct is a rare presentation. The treatment for most of the cystic lesions of the parotid or the parotid duct is the excision of the cyst with superficial parotidectomy. However, these lesions can be approached intra-orally for marsupialization achieving the same surgical results with less morbidity. This paper presents a rare case of parotid duct cyst which was managed by intraoral drainage and marsupialization. A 53-year-old female presented with swelling in the right cheek, associated with frequent fluid drainage inside the oral cavity for four months. Radiology and Fine needle aspiration revealed a benign parotid duct cyst with normal parotid gland. It was managed by a simple surgical technique of marsupialization. The patient was followed up for 1 year with no evidence of recurrence. Marsupialization obviates the need for parotidectomy in the simple cystic lesion of the parotid duct, unlike the cystic lesion in the gland per se and also reduces risk of recurrence. The simplicity and lack of major complications make it an effective treatment for salivary duct cysts.

Correlation of Preoperative Radiological Factors with Histological Involvement of Thyroid Gland in Laryngeal Carcinomas.

Total laryngectomy is the primary treatment for locally advanced laryngeal carcinomas. However, routine thyroid removal (total or hemithyroidectomy) during this procedure is controversial, as the incidence of thyroid gland involvement varies and may lead to lifelong thyroid supplementation, increasing postoperative morbidity. The lack of a consensus on managing the thyroid gland in laryngeal carcinoma cases necessitates improved evaluation techniques, with radiology playing a crucial role in this aspect. Understanding the correlation between radiological factors and histopathological involvement of the thyroid gland can aid in formulating appropriate management strategies during total laryngectomy. To study the correlation of preoperative radiological factors with histopathological involvement of thyroid gland in laryngeal carcinomas. This was a retrospective study which included 57 patients who underwent total laryngectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of larynx. The pre-operative CT findings such as involvement of thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage, paraglottic space, anterior commissure, subglottis and thyroid gland along with transglottic extension of tumor were correlated with post-operative histopathological thyroid gland involvement. Cricoid cartilage erosion and thyroid gland involvement in CT scans individually exhibited positive likelihood ratios of 2.58 and 3.23, respectively, demonstrating a reasonable agreement with histopathological findings. The specificity of cricoid cartilage and thyroid gland involvement was also higher with values of 76.4% and 81%, respectively. Moreover, combining thyroid and cricoid cartilage erosion in CT scans as a predictive parameter for thyroid gland involvement resulted in a better likelihood ratio of 8.23 and a fair agreement with histopathological findings. We conclude that cricoid cartilage erosion and thyroid gland involvement in pre-operative CECT can be taken as a preoperative indicator for intraoperative decision on thyroidectomy.

Site of Tracheostomy and Its Influence on The Surgical Outcome and Quality of Life After Tracheal Resection and Anastomosis in Patients with Tracheal Stenosis.

Introduction With the advances in critical care, the incidence of post intubation tracheal stenosis is increasing. Tracheal resection and anastomosis have been the gold standard for the management of grades III and IV stenosis. Scientific evidence from the literature on the determining factors and outcomes of surgery is not well described. Objective This study was aimed at determining the influence of tracheostoma site on the surgical outcomes and postoperative quality of life of patients undergoing tracheal resection anastomosis. Methods Thirteen patients who underwent tracheal resection and anastomosis during a period of 3 years were followed up prospectively for 3 months to determine the degree of improvement in their quality of life postsurgery by comparing the pre and postoperative validated Tamil/vernacular version of RAND SF-36 scores and Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea score. Results As per preoperative computed tomography (CT), the mean length of stenosis was found to be 1.5 cm while the mean length of trachea resected was 4.75 cm. We achieved a decannulation rate of 61.53%. There was an estimated loss of 3.20 +/- 1.90 cm of normal trachea from the lower border of the stenosis until the lower border of the stoma that was lost during resection. Analysis of SF-36 and MRC dyspnea scores revealed significant improvement in the domains of physical function postoperatively in comparison with the preoperative scores ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Diligent placement of tracheostomy in an emergency setting with respect to the stenotic segment plays a pivotal role in minimizing the length of the resected segment of normal trachea.

Site of Tracheostomy and Its Influence on The Surgical Outcome and Quality of Life After Tracheal Resection and Anastomosis in Patients with Tracheal Stenosis

Abstract Introduction With the advances in critical care, the incidence of post intubation tracheal stenosis is increasing. Tracheal resection and anastomosis have been the gold standard for the management of grades III and IV stenosis. Scientific evidence from the literature on the determining factors and outcomes of surgery is not well described. Objective This study was aimed at determining the influence of tracheostoma site on the surgical outcomes and postoperative quality of life of patients undergoing tracheal resection anastomosis. Methods Thirteen patients who underwent tracheal resection and anastomosis during a period of 3 years were followed up prospectively for 3 months to determine the degree of improvement in their quality of life postsurgery by comparing the pre and postoperative validated Tamil/vernacular version of RAND SF-36 scores and Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea score. Results As per preoperative computed tomography (CT), the mean length of stenosis was found to be 1.5 cm while the mean length of trachea resected was 4.75 cm. We achieved a decannulation rate of 61.53%. There was an estimated loss of 3.20 +/- 1.90 cm of normal trachea from the lower border of the stenosis until the lower border of the stoma that was lost during resection. Analysis of SF-36 and MRC dyspnea scores revealed significant improvement in the domains of physical function postoperatively in comparison with the preoperative scores (p < 0.05). Conclusion Diligent placement of tracheostomy in an emergency setting with respect to the stenotic segment plays a pivotal role in minimizing the length of the resected segment of normal trachea.

Unveiling the Enigmatic Nature of Disseminated Rhinosporidiosis: Insights and Challenges of the recurrent menace.

Rhinosporidiosis is an endemic condition in India that is difficult to treat when it is disseminated. This condition commonly affects the nasal cavity and nasopharynx mucosa, accounting for 75% of the clinical cases. Although rare, rhinosporidiosis can present with only cutaneous involvement without mucosal disease. Symptoms of this condition include complaints of nasal obstruction and episodic nasal bleeding. Diagnosis is achieved through histopathological examination of tissue and demonstration of the sporangium. Rhinosporidiosis tends to recur as it spreads through autoinoculation. Therefore, during endonasal endoscopic excision of the mass, it is essential not to injure the surrounding mucosa. A trial of medical therapy with dapsone is advised, but it is mostly ineffective in cases of disseminated disease. Here, we present a case report of a patient who underwent seven surgeries for the same condition over 12 years but was unable to get rid of the recurrent menace.

Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis of the Nose and Maxilla: A Rare Presentation.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a disease characterized by localized and generalized proliferation of the histiocytes. It is a locally aggressive condition. The clinical presentation is highly variable and can range from isolated, self-healing skin or bone lesions to life-threatening multisystem disease. It can present as a unifocal or multifocal disease. The majority are present in the head and neck region, but the involvement of Paranasal sinuses is rare. Here we describe a 64-years-old female who presented with a slow-growing left nasal mass for 1 year. Evaluation of the patient was suggestive of malignancy, but the biopsy report turned out to be Langerhans cell histiocytosis; subsequently left, total maxillectomy was done. We hereby present a unique case of LCH with isolated nose and paranasal sinus involvement.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Septoplasty with Nonsurgical Management in Improving Nasal Obstruction in Patients with Deviated Nasal Septum - A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract Introduction In the current era, the major indication for septoplasty is nasal obstruction due to deviated nasal septum (DNS). Even though septoplasty is a commonly performed surgery, its effectiveness in relieving nasal obstruction in DNS has not been proven. Objective The present study involved the measurement of both objective (nasal patency) and subjective (quality of life measures) outcome measures for the evaluation of the efficacy of septoplasty as compared with medical management. Methods Patients with DNS presenting with nasal obstruction were included and randomized into a septoplasty group or into a nonsurgical management group, with 70 patients in each group. The improvement in nasal obstruction was assessed subjectively by the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the sino-nasal outcome test-22 (SNOT-22) and the nasal obstruction symptom evaluation (NOSE) questionnaires and was measured objectively by assessment of nasal patency by peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) at 0, 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment in both groups. Results The average VAS, SNOT-22 and NOSE scores for the septoplasty versus the nonsurgical group before treatment were 6.28 versus 6.0, 19.5 versus 15, and 14 versus 12, respectively, and at 6 months post-treatment, the scores were 2.9 versus 5.26, 10 versus 12, and 8 versus 10 (p= 0.001), respectively. The average PNIF scores at 0 and 6 months were 60/50 l/min and 70/60 l/min, respectively, in the septoplasty group (p= 0.001); the scores at 0 and 6 months in the nonsurgical management group were 60/60 l/min and 70/70 l/min, respectively (p= 0.001). Conclusion Surgical correction of DNS by septoplasty improves nasal obstruction better than nonsurgical management at 6 months postsurgery.