Patients with Lemierre syndrome have a high risk of new thromboembolic complications, clinical sequelae and death: an analysis of 712 cases.

BACKGROUND: Lemierre syndrome is characterized by head/neck vein thrombosis and septic embolism usually complicating an acute oropharyngeal bacterial infection in adolescents and young adults. We described the course of Lemierre syndrome in the contemporary era. METHODS: In our individual-level analysis of 712 patients (2000-2017), we included cases described as Lemierre syndrome if these criteria were met: (i) primary site of bacterial infection in the head/neck; (ii) objectively confirmed local thrombotic complications or septic embolism. The study outcomes were new or recurrent venous thromboembolism or peripheral septic lesions, major bleeding, all-cause death and clinical sequelae. RESULTS: The median age was 21 (Q1-Q3: 17-33) years, and 295 (41%) were female. At diagnosis, acute thrombosis of head/neck veins was detected in 597 (84%) patients, septic embolism in 582 (82%) and both in 468 (80%). After diagnosis and during in-hospital follow-up, new venous thromboembolism occurred in 34 (5.2%, 95% CI 3.8-7.2%) patients, new peripheral septic lesions became evident in 76 (11.7%; 9.4-14.3%). The rate of either was lower in patients who received anticoagulation (OR: 0.59; 0.36-0.94), higher in those with initial intracranial involvement (OR: 2.35; 1.45-3.80). Major bleeding occurred in 19 patients (2.9%; 1.9-4.5%), and 26 died (4.0%; 2.7-5.8%). Clinical sequelae were reported in 65 (10.4%, 8.2-13.0%) individuals, often consisting of cranial nerve palsy (n = 24) and orthopaedic limitations (n = 19). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Lemierre syndrome were characterized by a substantial risk of new thromboembolic complications and death. This risk was higher in the presence of initial intracranial involvement. One-tenth of survivors suffered major clinical sequelae.

Is there an association between prior anti-inflammatory drug exposure and occurrence of peritonsillar abscess (PTA)? A national multicenter prospective observational case-control study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether recent systemic anti-inflammatory agents (AIAs) exposure in patients with sore throat managed with or without antibiotic therapy influenced the risk of peritonsillar abscess (PTA). We conducted a multicenter case-control study in 13 French university hospitals in 2009-2012 comparing patients admitted with PTA to matched controls: patients with sore throat but without PTA who were followed up for 10 days after visiting their primary-care physician. In the multivariate stepwise logistic regression model comparing 120 cases with PTA to 143 controls, factors significantly associated with PTA were male gender (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; p = 0.03), smoking (OR, 2.0; p = 0.03), and prior self-medication with systemic AIAs (OR, 3.5; p = 0.01). Topical treatment was associated with significant protection against PTA (OR, 0.3; p < 0.001). In conclusion, self-medication with systemic AIAs appears to be an independent factor associated with the occurrence of PTA. This is an important message as non-steroidal AIAs access is favored by their over-counter availability in pharmacies. This finding must be interpreted with caution due to the study design and a prospective, randomized study is needed to substantiate these possible causal risk factors.

Diffusion MRI: literature review in salivary gland tumors.

Surgical resection is currently the best treatment for salivary gland tumors. A reliable magnetic resonance imaging mapping, encompassing tumor grade, location, and extension may assist safe and effective tumor resection and provide better information for patients regarding potential risks and morbidity after surgical intervention. However, direct examination of the tumor grade and extension using conventional morphological MRI remains difficult, often requiring contrast media injection and complex algorithms on perfusion imaging to estimate the degree of malignancy. In addition, contrast-enhanced MRI technique may be problematic due to the recently demonstrated gadolinium accumulation in the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum. Significant developments in magnetic resonance diffusion imaging, involving voxel-based quantitative analysis through the measurement of the apparent diffusion coefficient, have enhanced our knowledge on the different histopathological salivary tumor grades. Other diffusion imaging-derived techniques, including high-order tractography models, have recently demonstrated their usefulness in assessing the facial nerve location in parotid tumor context. All of these imaging techniques do not require contrast media injection. Our review starts by outlining the physical basis of diffusion imaging, before discussing findings from diagnostic studies testing its usefulness in assessing salivary glands tumors with diffusion MRI.

Peritonsillar abscess (PTA): clinical characteristics, microbiology, drug exposures and outcomes of a large multicenter cohort survey of 412 patients hospitalized in 13 French university hospitals.

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of hospitalized patients with peritonsillar abscess (PTA). We conducted a multicenter survey in 13 French university hospitals in 2009-2012 describing 412 patients. Median age was 29 year (range, 2-84) and current smoking habit was reported by 177 (43 %) patients. Most of the patients (92 %) had consulted a physician for sore throat within 10 days before admission for PTA diagnosis. Additional symptoms such as visible tonsil abnormalities (83 %), tender cervical adenopathy (57 %) and fever ≥ 38.5 °C (53 %) were also reported. A total of 65 % patients (269/412) reported recent systemic anti-inflammatory agents (AIAs) exposure by medical prescription (70 %), self-medication (22 %), or both (8 %); 61 % and 27 % reported recent exposure to antibiotic and topical treatments for sore throat, respectively. Non-steroidal AIAs were used most often (45 %), particularly arylpropionic derivatives. A rapid diagnosis antigen test (RDT) for Streptococcus pyogenes was performed in 70 (17 %) patients and was positive in 17 (24 %), of whom 9 (53 %) were exposed to AIAs and 14 (82 %) to antibiotics. To treat PTA, antibiotic therapy was given to 392 (95 %) patients. Of 333 antibiotic prescriptions, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and metronidazole were the most prescribed antibiotics (42 and 17 %, respectively). Surgical drainage of the abscess was performed in 119 (29 %) cases and tonsillectomy in 75 (18 %) cases. The clinical outcome was favorable during the hospital stay in 404 (98 %) patients. In conclusion, patients with sore throat are often exposed to AIAs before PTA diagnosis, and antibiotic prescription was not often based on the RDT positivity.

Writing in the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Diseases. Dos and Don'ts!

Too many articles are still rejected by scientific medical journals due to lack of preparation of the manuscript and of knowledge of the modern editorial rules that govern scientific medical writing. Therefore, the editorial board of the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Heads & Neck Diseases summarized studies published by its members since 2020 in the columns of the scientific journal of the French Society of Otorhinolaryngology and the International Francophone Society of Otorhinolaryngology and data from the PubMed indexed literature dedicated to scientific medical writing in otolaryngology in the 21st century. The authors hope that this review, in the form of a list of "Dos and Don'ts", will provide authors with a practical guide facilitating publication of rigorous, reproducible and transparent scientific studies, in accordance with the movement toward better science that society as a whole has been fighting for since the beginning of this century.

[Treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of an unknown primary (HNCCUP): oncologic analysis of 35 cases]. / Traitement des adénopathies cervicales malignes en apparence primitive (AMAP): résultats carcinologiques à propos de 35 cas.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to perform an oncologic analysis of patients treated for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of an unknown primary (HNCCUP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 35 cases were included in our monocentric restrospective study (1999-2010). All patients had a complete clinical exam as well as head, neck and chest CT scans. The primary tumour remained undetected after panendoscopy 25 patients underwent a routine tonsillar biopsy ipsilateral to the lymphadenopathy. In 9 cases (36%), an invasive squamous cell carcinoma was detected on pathological examination. These patients were excluded from further study. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analysis were also performed using Cox's regression model. RESULTS: The therapeutic management of patients' majority (73%) consisted of lymphadenectomy with frozen section examination which confirmed the presence of an invasive squamous carcinoma in the resected lymph node(s). This was followed by ipsilateral neck dissection and radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy. Patients with unresectable lymph node(s) underwent exclusive radiochemotherapy. Specific survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were respectively 77%, 52% and 47%. The median survival time was 3 years. The comparison of univariate and multivariate survival curves confirmed that the lymph node status is an important factor for survival (HR 8.3 [2.03-33.96]). CONCLUSION: Our results are consistent with those found in the medical literature. HNCCUP has a poor prognosis which correlates with the lymph node status.

Friedrich Trendelenburg's tracheal tampon-cannula.

The aim of this historical vignette is to analyze the role of Friedrich Trendelenburg's tracheal balloon cannula in the development of laryngeal surgery in the early 1870s. The purpose of this cannula was to prevent bleeding into the airway in cases of extensive laryngeal surgery requiring a tracheostomy.

Keys for successful publication in Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis: A STROBE analysis of peer reviews of articles submitted in 2020-2021.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate reviewing and editorial decision for articles submitted to the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made of reviewers' comments on 1,133 scientific articles (700 original articles, 96 literature reviews, and 337 case reports), originating from 69 countries, consecutively submitted on-line between January 1st, 2020 and December 31st, 2021. The main objective was to document the acceptance rate and decision time. Accessory objectives were to synthesize the main comments and to screen for correlations between acceptance and the main characteristics of first authors, articles and reviewers' comments. RESULTS: In total, 4.1% of submitted articles were accepted. Median decision time differed significantly (P<0.0001), at 1 month in case of refusal and 4 months in case of acceptance. Reviewers mentioned failure to adhere to the journal's authors' guide, to use the appropriate EQUATOR guidelines and to adopt the recommended P<0.005 significance threshold in 94.8%, 54.2%, and 39.9% of cases, respectively. On multivariate analysis, 3 variables significantly impacted acceptance, which increased from 1.3% to 44.6% (P<0.0001) when an appropriate EQUATOR guideline was used and from 0.3% to 57.4% (P<0.0001) when the significance threshold was set at P<0.005, and decreased from 10.5% to 1.1% (P=0.0001) when the article did not originate from a French-speaking country (member of the Francophonie organization). CONCLUSION: Adhesion to modern scientific medical writing rules increased acceptance rates for articles in the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Diseases. Teaching modern scientific medical writing needs to be enhanced in otorhinolaryngology.

Management of the neck in the setting of definitive chemoradiation: is there a consensus? A GETTEC study.

BACKGROUND: The management of the neck remains controversial in the definitive chemoradiation setting of advanced N2-3 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Most published data favor omission of neck dissection (ND) after complete response for N2-3 or selective ND for residual disease METHODS: We studied the patterns of care in the French-Belgian Groupe d'Etude des Tumeurs de la Tête Et du Cou (GETTEC) through a questionnaire-based survey. RESULTS: Eighteen percent of institutions never performed up-front ND, 20% rarely, 40% sometimes, 14% often, and 8% systematically. Induction chemotherapy was indicated in 30% of the cases, and most ND were performed either between induction and radiation or after chemoradiation for residual disease. Response to chemoradiation was assessed by computed tomographic scan and positron emission tomography in 72% of cases. Selective ND was more common than radical ND. CONCLUSIONS: Omission of ND based on computed tomographic scan and positron emission tomography-based complete response to chemoradiation is the most common strategy for advanced nodal disease among centers. However, neck management strategies vary among institutions, and some institutions continue advocating systematic ND before irradiation. The new treatment options and the changing epidemiology, namely docetaxel-based induction chemotherapy and human papilloma virus-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma having better response profiles and prognosis, are adding to the nonconsensual approach. The best therapeutic index in terms of neck management remains to be defined in this evolving context.

[Fronto-ethmoidal fibrous dysplasia: a case-report]. / Dysplasie fibreuse fronto-ethmoïdale: a propos d'un cas.

OBJECTIVES: Fibrous dysplasia is a congenital bone disease, where normal bone is replaced by a fibrous-like tissue with immature osteogenesis. The cephalic extremity is affected in one out of three cases. The aim of this study was to describe a case of fibrous dysplasia and review workup and management of this pathology. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed relevant publications using the Medline database and presented a case of isolated paranasal sinus fibrous dysplasia to illustrate this disease. RESULTS: The clinical onset was headache and left palpebral oedema in a twelve-year old. Imaging showed a left fronto-ethmoidal bone lesion with epidural empyema. No other radiological anomaly or phosphor-calcic disorder was present. The clinical course was positive using intravenous antibiotics, with a two-year follow-up. DISCUSSION: Fibrous dysplasia is diagnosed using CT-scan, without the need for histologic confirmation in most cases. Initial workup includes axial skeleton X-rays and hormonal dosages. The efficiency of biphosphonates drugs has significally reduced the number of surgical procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Fibrous dysplasia is often a multifocal disease and should be treated medically first. Management requires a multi-disciplinary team.

Subacute tuberculous otitis media complicated by petrositis and meningitis.

AIMS: The aim of our case study is to illustrate diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties as well as gravity related to tuberculous otitis media with intracranial complications. CASE PRESENTATION: A diabetic male patient of 65 years old was treated for subacute otitis media with mixed hearing loss. Early bacteriologic samples from ear exudates revealed opportunistic pathogens. Clinical evolution after four months was marked by the appearance of mastoiditis with facial paralysis. The patient presented petrositis and bilateral laryngeal paralysis with lymphocytic meningitis after six and eight months respectively. Tuberculosis was suspected after a positive ELlspot tests with appearance of biologic markers of hepatic dysfunction like cholestasis and hepatic cytolysis. Although antituberculous treatment was instaured even without isolation of acid fast bacilli, the patient died after ten months. CONCLUSION: Subacute otitis media complicated by labyrinthitis, early onset of facial paralysis or any other oranial nerve palsy should raise suspicion of tuberculosis. The prognosis depends on early diagnosis which remains difficult despite morphological and metabolic imaging. The diagnostic workup should include histological and bacteriologic samples, liver markers of intacellular damage as well as ELlspot test. The prognosis remains poor especially in immunocompromised patients despite appropriate treatment.

Hypopharyngeal reconstruction with gastro-omental free flap.

Three types of reconstruction are possible following total laryngopharyngectomy (TLP) for advanced hypopharyngeal cancer: locoregional tubularized island flaps, gastric pull-up and free flaps. Gastro-omental free flap (GOFF) is rarely used in this setting. However, because of its composite nature, this flap has the advantage of being able to restore digestive continuity and reconstruct part of the skin of the neck when it needs to be sacrificed because of tumour invasion or poor trophicity. The GOFF is a reliable and robust flap particularly indicated in hostile environments: repeated neck surgery, atrophic and devascularized skin after radiotherapy, sepsis in the context of fistula and/or pharyngostomy. It requires the collaboration of two or even three surgical teams. In this article, we describe the flap harvesting technique and the complications and functional outcome.

Guidelines of the French Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (SFORL), part I: Primary treatment of pleomorphic adenoma.

INTRODUCTION: The authors present the guidelines of the French Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (SFORL) for the diagnosis and treatment of pleomorphic adenoma (PA) of the salivary glands. METHOD: A review of the literature was performed by a multidisciplinary task force. Guidelines were drafted based on the articles retrieved and the workgroup members' individual experience. Guidelines were graded A, B, C or expert opinion by decreasing level of evidence. RESULTS: In clinically suspected salivary gland PA, MRI should be performed, including head and neck lymph node levels. Fine needle aspiration cytology is particularly recommended for tumours difficult to characterise by MRI. Frozen section biopsy should be performed to confirm diagnosis and adapt the surgical procedure in case of intraoperative findings of malignancy. Complete resection of the parotid PA should be performed en bloc, including margins, when feasible according to tumour location, while respecting the facial nerve. Enucleation (resection only in contact with the tumour) is not recommended. For the accessory salivary and submandibular glands, complete en bloc resection should be performed.

Guidelines of the French Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (SFORL), part II: Management of recurrent pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland.

INTRODUCTION: The authors present the guidelines of the French Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (SFORL) for the management of recurrent pleomorphic adenoma (RPA) of the parotid gland. METHOD: A review of the literature was performed by a multidisciplinary task force. Guidelines were drafted, based on the articles retrieved and the work group members' individual experience. There were then read and re-edited by an independent reading group. The proposed recommendations were graded A, B or C on decreasing levels of evidence. RESULTS: Complete resection under neuromonitoring is recommended in case of RPA. The risks of progression and malignant transformation, which are higher the younger the patient, have to be taken into consideration. The risk of functional sequelae must be explained to the patient. MRI is recommended ahead of any surgery for parotid RPA, to determine extension and detect subclinical lesions. Radiotherapy should be considered in case of multi-recurrent pleomorphic adenoma after macroscopically complete revision surgery at high risk of new recurrence (microscopic residual disease), in case of RPA after incomplete resection, and in non-operable RPA.

Statistics in scientific articles published in the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Diseases.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate biostatistics in scientific articles published in the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 76 scientific articles published in 2018 and 2019. The main goal was to describe the percentage of articles using biostatistics and to explore for potential associations with the article's main characteristics. Secondary goals were, within the group of articles using statistical tests, to describe the type of statistics used, the assessment of normality in case of comparison of mean values, the p-value threshold for significance, the use of confidence intervals, and power analysis. RESULTS: Statistics were used in 73.7% of articles, without any significant association with main characteristics. Within the group of articles using statistics, the tests used were parametric, non-parametric and not specified in 77.7%, 51.4% and 1.8% of cases, respectively. Normality was checked in 14.2% of article using parametric tests to evaluate mean values. The p-value significance threshold was set at .05, .01, .005 levels and not defined in 60.7%, 1.8%, 1.8% and 35.7% of articles, respectively, while confidence intervals and power analyses were documented in 10.7% and 5.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This article underlines the need for better use of statistics in the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Diseases, to improve the quality of scientific articles published in the organ of written expression of the French and International French-speaking Societies of Otorhinolaryngology, and to support the ongoing move toward better medical science.

Optimal treatment of cervical necrotizing fasciitis associated with descending necrotizing mediastinitis.

BACKGROUND: Cervical necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) associated with descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is a rapidly evolving and life-threatening condition. The aim of this retrospective study was to describe a treatment strategy for CNF with DNM and present a management algorithm for mediastinal extensions of CNF. METHODS: Patients diagnosed and treated for CNF with DNM over 14 years in a tertiary referral centre were included. RESULTS: Seventeen adult patients were included. The origin of infection was mainly oropharyngeal. The diagnosis of CNF/DNM was based on clinical and computed tomography findings. All patients underwent cervicotomy for CNF. In ten patients, DNM was located above the carina and could be accessed by a cervical approach. In seven patients, DNM was below the carina, and necessitated sternotomy for anteroinferior mediastinal involvement and posterolateral thoracotomy for posteroinferior mediastinal involvement. All patients received broad-spectrum antibiotics. One patient died 3 days after surgery. The median hospital stay was 30 days. There was no recurrence during long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: Prompt diagnosis and early surgical treatment are essential for reducing mortality in CNF/DNM. All patients should undergo extensive cervicotomy. The surgical approach to the mediastinum depends on the supracarinal or infracarinal location of the disease.

Intraoperative near-infrared image-guided surgery for peritoneal carcinomatosis in a preclinical experimental model.

BACKGROUND: This study compared the quality of surgery performed under conventional light with near-infrared (NIR) image-guided surgery using a tumour-targeting probe and a portable clinical grade imaging device in a mouse model of peritoneal carcinomatosis. METHODS: Peritoneal carcinomatosis was induced by injection of luciferase-positive tumour cells, leading to the formation of small nodules in the peritoneal cavity. One day after intravenous injection of RAFT-c(RGDfK)4-Alexa Fluor 700, a fluorescent tumour-targeting probe, the surgeon operated using the Fluobeam, a portable device that illuminated the mouse with NIR light and allowed NIR vision. The quality of the surgery was evaluated using bioluminescence, a highly sensitive method that detected the remaining tumour cells, and operating time was measured. RESULTS: Under normal light, the surgeon detected and removed a mean(s.d.) of only 50.6(2.3) per cent of the nodules that were visible under NIR light. The duration of surgery was reduced from 19.5(3.3) min under normal light to 14.0(2.6) min when NIR light was used (P = 0.025). The sensitivity of the NIR system allowed the detection of nodules containing as few as 227 tumour cells. CONCLUSION: NIR image-guided surgery improved the quality of surgery for peritoneal carcinomatosis by doubling the number of nodules detected and significantly reducing the duration of surgery.

Imaging of tumors of the trachea and central bronchi.

Tumors of the trachea and central bronchi can be benign or malignant. Clinical presentation may be confusing, particularly in benign tumors that can be misdiagnosed as asthma or chronic bronchitis. Chest radiography has many limitations and is often considered unremarkable in patients with tumors of the central airways; therefore, multidetector CT (MDCT) has become the most useful noninvasive method for diagnosing and assessing the central airways. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of imaging of the tumors of the trachea and central bronchi. We emphasize the crucial role of MDCT and postprocessing techniques in assessing neoplasms of the central airways.

Imaging of tumors of the trachea and central bronchi.

Tumors of the trachea and central bronchi can be benign or malignant. Clinical presentation may be confusing, particularly in benign tumors that can be misdiagnosed as asthma or chronic bronchitis. Chest radiography has many limitations and is often considered unremarkable in patients with tumors of the central airways; therefore, multidetector CT (MDCT) has become the most useful noninvasive method for diagnosing and assessing the central airways. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of imaging of the tumors of the trachea and central bronchi. We emphasize the crucial role of MDCT and postprocessing techniques in assessing neoplasms of the central airways.

[Complications after insertion of a totally implantable venous access port in patients treated with chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma]. / Complications d'un dispositif intraveineux implantable pour chimiothérapie dans les cancers des voies aérodigestives supérieures.

OBJECTIVES: To review the occurrence of early and delayed complications after insertion of a totally implantable venous access port (Tivap) in patients treated with chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Monocentric prospective study (2005-2008) undertaken in a tertiary referral center. In all cases, the inserted Tivap was a Celsite ST301 (Braun) model. The insertion procedure was performed in operating room conditions under local anesthesia using a surgical cut-down method. No antibiotic prophylaxis or long-term anticoagulant medications were administered. Two groups were made between experienced and in-training surgeons. All complications occurring from the date of Tivap insertion to the date of its removal or until the closure of the study were included. RESULTS: The study comprised of 122 patients including 103 males and 19 females; the patients' mean age was 58.5 years (range, 36-80). Twelve (9.8%) had a tracheotomy or tracheostomy and 41 (33.6%) underwent cervical radiotherapy before Tivap insertion. In 63 cases (51.6%), the procedure was performed by a senior surgeon. The inserted vessel was the cephalic vein (84.4%), the external jugular vein (11.5%) or the internal jugular vein (2.5%). Overall, the total number of days of Tivap implantation was 51,403. Altogether, 11 complications (9%) were listed: two (1.6%) early complications and nine (7.4%) delayed complications. We did not uncover a significant statistical relation between complication onset and experience of the operating surgeon, sex, implanted side, tracheotomy, previous radiotherapy, or number of days of Tivap port. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that: (1) complications are rare provided careful implantation and manipulation methods are followed by health personnel; (2) surgical cephalic cut-down is a very reliable method; and 3) antibiotic prophylaxis or long-term anticoagulant medications are not mandatory.