[ESTABLISHING A NEW TEAM FOR ENDOSCOPIC ENDONASAL SKULL BASE SURGERY: THE LEARNING CURVE FROM BASIC TO ADVANCED COMPLEXITY LEVEL].

INTRODUCTION: Establishing a new team for endoscopic endonasal skull base surgeries (EES) requires a period of adjustment. Our team was established 4 years ago and consists of surgeons with previous experience. Our objective was to examine the learning curve associated with the establishment of such a team. METHODS: All patients who underwent EES between January 2017 and October 2020 were reviewed. The first 40 patients were defined as the 'early group' and the last 40 as the 'late group'. Data was retrieved from electronic medical records and surgical videos. Study groups were compared in terms of the level of surgical complexity, (II to V according to EES complexity level scale; level I cases were excluded), surgical outcome and complication rate. RESULTS: 'Early group' cases and 'late group' cases were operated on in 25 and 11 months, respectively. Complexity level II surgeries, which mainly included pituitary adenomas, were the most common in both groups (77.5% and 60%, respectively); of these, functional adenomas and reoperations were more common in the 'late group'. The rate of advanced complexity surgeries (III - V) was higher in the 'late group' (40% vs. 22.5%); level V surgeries were performed only in the 'late group'. No significant differences were observed in terms of surgical outcomes or complications; postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks were less common in the 'late group' (2.5% vs. 7.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that the establishment of a new EES team, even if it includes experienced skull base surgeons, is associated with a learning curve, which requires about 40 cases.

Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease among Patients with Selective IgA Deficiency.

OBJECTIVES: Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is a distinct clinical entity from sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of AIED in patients with selective IgA deficiency (sIgAD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study was based on data from the Leumit Healthcare Services database in Israel. We searched all subjects aged ≥12 years who had undergone serum total IgA measurements during 2004-2014 for any reason. The sIgAD patients included all subjects with serum IgA of ≤7 mg/dL (0.07 g/L). A control group was randomly sampled from the full study population (n ≈ 730,000) with a case-control ratio of 10 controls for each case (1:10). RESULTS: Among 347 subjects with sIgAD, we identified 9 patients with concomitant AIED (sIgAD + AIED group). This group was characterized by a higher prevalence of allergic diseases (8 patients; 88.9%) than sIgAD patients without AEID (sIgAD + AIED group; 153 patients; 45.2%; p = 0.014). Both systemic diseases (3 patients; 33.3%) and organ-specific autoimmune diseases (7 patients; 77.8%) were more prevalent in the sIgAD + AIED group (sIgAD + AIED group: 19 patients 5.5%, p = 0.015; sIgAD - AEID group: 76 patients, 21.9%, p < 0.001), with an OR of 8.39 (1.94-36.19; p = 0.004). sIgAD patients with and without AIED were characterized by a higher prevalence of documented episodes of acute otitis media, allergic diseases, and autoimmune diseases than the control group. CONCLUSION: The study exposes a significant association between AIED and sIgAD. We believe that sIgAD has to be excluded in AIED patients.

Endoscopic Resection of Sinonasal Tract Schwannoma: Presentation, Treatment, and Outcome in 10 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Sinonasal schwannoma (SNS) is a rare sinonasal tract tumor whose presentation is similar to that of other benign nasal tumors. Very few case series appear in the literature. This study aims to describe the presentation, treatment, and outcome of 10 SNS cases from 3 referral centers. METHODS: All SNS cases were analyzed retrospectively. Patient demographics, tumor data, surgical procedures, and outcome were recorded. RESULTS: Five males and 5 females (mean age, 49.1 ± 21.4 years) were included in the study. The tumor was on the left side in 9 patients and on the right side in 1. It originated in the middle turbinate in 4 cases, the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses in 2 cases, and the nasal septum and infratemporal fossa in 1 case each. Tumor resection was done endoscopically in all cases, and there was no need for an external procedure, and 5 patients did not require a sinusotomy. All 10 patients remained disease-free after a mean follow-up of 65.3 months (range, 2-120 months). CONCLUSION: Safe and effective endoscopic resection of SNS is feasible. If the tumor is contained within the nasal cavity, simple tumor excision without sinusotomy can be enough to resect the tumor. In more extensive disease, a wider endoscopic approach may be needed, but an external approach was not necessary in this series.

Posisep Versus PureRegen Gel for Post ESS Nasal Packing - A Randomized Blinded Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is the procedure of choice for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Adhesions are the most common postoperative complications, causing recurrent disease and revision surgery. Postoperative care is thus essential for the healing of the operated cavity. A wide variety of packing materials are used to prevent bleeding and adhesions postoperatively. Two main absorbable packing materials are used: Foam-based packs (e.g., Posisep and Nasopore) and gel-based packs (PureRegen Gel - PRG). The current study is a randomized, blinded, prospective analysis of cavity healing using Posisep and PRG in ESS, aiming to compare the pros and cons of the two. METHODS: Patients with bilateral symmetric CRS were recruited for the study. At the end of surgery, one side was randomly packed with Posisep, whereas the other was packed with PRG. The postoperative cavity cleaning was video recorded and a blinded physician evaluated the mucosal healing. RESULTS: The side packed with Posisep had significantly less middle turbinate (MT) lateralization and adhesions yet dissolved significantly slower than the PRG, causing more mucosal edema. Severe MT scarring requiring recurrent medialization and adhesiolysis was exclusively observed in the PRG group. All differences were observed in the early postoperative period (up to 12 weeks after surgery). By that time, only the MT position was significantly different between groups, despite recurrent adhesiolysis and medialization. CONCLUSION: The authors recommend using Posisep for MT support only when it is unstable or lateralized. Packing the surgical cavity in other cases with PRG is more beneficial. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Laryngoscope, 133:1834-1838, 2023.

Unilateral ophthalmoplegia secondary to anterior clinoid process mucocele.

A 50-year-old Chinese man presented with rapidly progressive unilateral ophthalmoplegia and then an ipsilateral afferent pupil defect. CT and MRI revealed a mass centered in the anterior clinoid process causing bone destruction and showing high T1 and T2 signal intensity indicative of mucosal protein secretion. These imaging features suggested a mucocele, which may have resulted from sequestration of a clinoidal extension of the sphenoid sinus. The sphenoid sinus was opened via an image-guided endoscopic approach, and the lesion incised. There were no complications. The ophthalmoplegia and afferent pupil defect had completely resolved within 1 week of surgery. This is the eighth reported case of anterior clinoidal mucocele, a rare cause of ophthalmoplegia or optic neuropathy. Advances in endoscopic instrumentation, navigation systems, and intraoperative imaging have reduced the operative risk and made the endoscopic approach a feasible and safer alternative to open surgery for this condition.

Transimplant antral lavage as minimally invasive treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis: Preliminary report of 11 consecutive cases.

OBJECTIVE: The present article reports how a dental implant with an internal port dental implant valve approach (DIVA) can be utilized as oroantral port to treat chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in a minimally invasive manner. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Eleven patients (age mean 68.1 years) with CRS were subjected to the transimplant lavage technique. For three patients the CRS treatment was performed via previously installed dental implants, and for another eight patients the implantation procedure was combined with the CRS treatment. The moment the implant was fully installed, the sinus membrane was punctured via the implant channel. Upon completion of the pus drainage the sinus was irrigated with normal saline, followed by the injection of a steroid solution (100 mg hydrocortisone). RESULTS: Patients began to report symptomatic improvement from the first day after the first-session procedure. Nine patients had complete relief of most of their symptoms (nasal obstruction/discharge, anosmia/hyposmia) at day 30. The follow- up nasal endoscopy demonstrated no evidence of active sinus disease. All the implants used were found to be well-osseointegrated and still in use for prosthetic purposes. Clinical and radiologic results showed stability and no recurrence in the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The dental implant with an internal central port and integral dedicated sealing screw may be used for irrigation, observation, and further treatment of the maxillary sinus in cases of CRS.

CO(2) Laser Fascia to Dura Soldering for Pig Dural Defect Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to demonstrate that laser soldering is safe and effective for tissue bonding in dural reconstruction and to compare this new reconstruction technique to an established one. STUDY DESIGN: A temperature-controlled fiberoptic CO(2) laser system or fibrin glue were used for in vitro dural defect reconstruction in two groups of pigs. The CO(2) laser technique was also used for dural reconstruction in live pigs. RESULTS: The burst pressure of the reconstructed dura by the laser system was significantly higher than that of fibrin glue (mean pressure 258.5 +/- 117.3 cm H(2)O and 76.8 +/- 47.2 cm H(2)O, respectively). There were no postoperative complications and no signs of thermal damage to the dura, fascia, or underlying tissue on histological analysis following the in vivo CO(2) laser experiments. CONCLUSIONS: Temperature-controlled laser soldering is an effective technique for dural repair. It creates a strong tissue bonding with no thermal damage to the tissue. The burst pressure of the reconstructed dura done with laser soldering is significantly higher than that of fibrin glue.

Dural defect repair with fascia by a CO2 laser system in a porcine model.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: We tested the effectiveness of a temperature-controlled CO2 laser soldering system on a porcine model for dural defect reconstruction using a fascial patch. METHODS: A dural patch was excised and then reconstructed with fascia by a CO2 laser system in vitro in 27 animals and in vivo in five animals. RESULTS: After dural reconstruction, the average burst pressure of the soldered patch in vitro, as measured by a custom-made pressure detector, was 258.5 cm H2O. All five pigs in the in vivo group showed no neurological complications or cerebrospinal fluid leak, and the underlying brain tissue showed no thermal injury. CONCLUSION: The CO2 laser system created a watertight bond and did not cause thermal injury to the brain. The procedure is potentially faster than conventional repair, and wound healing may also be more rapid.

Novel laser tissue-soldering technique for dural reconstruction.

OBJECT: The goal of this study was to use a modified version of the CO2 laser-soldering system to develop a simple and reliable technique for the repair of dural defects after excision of brain tumors. METHODS: The authors used a CO2 fiber optic laser system that they had developed for heating, monitoring, and controlling tissue temperature in situ and in real time, thereby reducing damage to the brain parenchyma. They adapted the system for dural closure by using free fascial grafts in a porcine model. Measures for estimation of reconstruction quality included visual assessment under magnification and direct measurements of adhesive strength and cerebrospinal fluid leak (CSF) pressure. Reliable soldering was achieved in 54 of 57 experiments, providing a 95% success rate. The average peak adhesive strength was 82 +/- 3 mN/cm2. The measured leak pressure of the fascia-dura mater bond was 66 +/- 5 mm Hg. Conventional suturing performed using Prolene stitches resulted in immediate CSF leakage from areas between the stitches and from the area of the needle hole itself. CONCLUSIONS: Fascia-dura mater soldering using the CO2 laser is feasible and may support CSF pressure up to six times higher than normal intracranial pressure. Findings of this study may provide a basis for the development of new tools for dural reconstruction.

[Pediatric flexible endoscopy of the upper airway in the outpatient clinic].

Flexible nasopharyngoscopy has become an important examination of the upper airway in children. It is performed in the outpatient clinic in children of all ages under local anesthesia. We reviewed 190 consecutive examinations of children aged 3 days to 17 years, that were referred to the pediatric ENT clinic between 1999 and 2000. The following parameters were analyzed: demographic details, indications, physical findings, patient cooperation, reliability, and recommendations for further evaluation or treatment. The most common indication for endoscopy was nasal obstruction in 56 patients (30.1%). In this group 25 had an obstructing adenoid and were referred for adenoidectomy. Hoarseness was the second most common complaint in 40 patients (21.5%). Thirty-one of those patients had vocal cord nodules. The most common finding was adenoid hypertrophy in 56 patients (30.1%). No pathology was found in 34 examinations (18.3%). Although a significant correlation between patient cooperation and examination reliability was seen, in most cases good reliability was obtained even in the presence of poor cooperation. The procedure was easy to perform and had no complications. This study emphasizes the advantages of awake flexible nasopharyngolaryngoscopy in the diagnosis of upper airway pathologies in children.

Epidural hematoma secondary to sinusitis: a case report and review of the literature.

Epidural hematoma is a potentially life threatening event that demands prompt diagnosis and surgical treatment, usually following head trauma. We present a case of a 9-year-old boy with no history of head trauma, and who was diagnosed with epidural hematoma secondary to frontal sinusitis; and the medical literature was reviewed.

Aspirin challenge in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps correlates with local and systemic inflammatory markers.

BACKGROUND: Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA; aspirin) is a well-known inducer of pseudoallergic response in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps (CRSwPs). The mechanism that leads to this response remains unclear. This study was designed to measure and compare the local and systemic inflammatory response to aspirin challenge in patients with CRSwPs who develop either a nasobronchial response (NBR) or a nasal response (NR), and compare it with nonresponders (non-Rs). METHODS: The three groups underwent nasal wash before ASA challenge, and inflammatory mediators were measured in the nasal wash as well as in serum. RESULTS: A total of 25 CRSwP patients were enrolled. The NBR patients (n = 13) had a significantly longer mean disease duration and a higher mean serum leukotriene E4 (LTE4) level than the NR (n = 6) and non-R (n = 6) patients (39.2 ± 9.7 months, 21 ± 8.8 months, and 22.8 ± 11.2 months, respectively, and 4221 ± 1205 pg/mL, 1430 ± 605 pg/mL, and 857 ± 461 pg/mL, respectively). The NBR and NR patients had a larger mean number of nasal eosinophils than the non-R group (52.8 ± 28.8 cells/µL, 47 ± 21.3 cells/µL, and 19.3 ± 13.4 cells/µL, respectively). The tryptase, albumin, nasal LTE4, and prostaglandin E2 levels were not significantly different between the three groups in any examined combination. CONCLUSION: The nasal eosinophil and serum LTE4 levels correlate with aspirin sensitivity.

Endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks in the lateral sphenoid sinus recess.

OBJECT: Cerebrospinal fluid leaks may occur as a result of trauma or following surgery, and occasionally may also be spontaneous. Leakage of CSF from the lateral sphenoid recess is rare and challenging to treat. The authors present their experience with repairs of 10 CSF leaks that were confined to the lateral sphenoid recess and were treated at the Singapore General Hospital. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted for all patients who underwent operations for lateral sphenoid recess CSF leaks between 2001 and 2008. RESULTS: Ten repairs were performed in 8 patients by using a transpterygoid approach, with a 90% success rate. In 3 cases the transcranial approach had failed prior to endoscopic repair. "Sandwich reconstruction" under direct vision was performed in all cases, and was completed using cartilage or bone as a rigid support. CONCLUSIONS: This series demonstrates that CSF leakage can be managed safely and effectively by using an endoscopic transpterygoid approach in patients in whom both external and endoscopic attempts have failed. The transpterygoid approach used in all of the cases in this series provides wide exposure around the skull base defect, which is crucial for successful repair.

Repair of pig dura in vivo using temperature controlled CO(2) laser soldering.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that laser soldering might be successfully used for closing holes or cuts in the dura layer, which encapsulates the brain. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: A temperature controlled fiberoptic CO(2) laser system and albumin solder were used for spot soldering of fascia patches to holes in the dura of farm pigs, in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: The mean burst pressure of the soldered patches in the in vitro experiments was 190 +/- 88 mm Hg-significantly higher than typical maximum CSF pressure of 15 mm Hg. In the in vivo experiments the pigs showed no postoperative complications. Histopathological studies exhibited an accepted level of inflammatory reaction and showed no thermal damage to the underlying brain tissue. CONCLUSIONS: It has been clearly demonstrated that temperature controlled laser soldering is a very useful technique for the repair of the dura. It provides significant advantages over standard closure techniques: it is easy to apply, the bond is strong and watertight and the procedure is likely to be much faster than suturing. This research work will lead to clinical trials.