A prospective evaluation of postoperative swallowing function and dysphagia following endoscopic laryngopharyngeal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic laryngopharyngeal surgery (ELPS) is a minimally invasive transoral surgery for superficial pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer, but dysphagia occasionally occurs post-treatment. We investigated dysphagia following ELPS and its risk factors. METHODS: Of the 145 patients who underwent ELPS, 92 were evaluated in this study using the Hyodo score, Functional Outcome Swallowing Scale, Eating Assessment Tool-10 along with the total scores for the three items of the method of intake, time, and food preoperatively and on postoperative 1, 3, and 6 months. We examined the 6-month trends of these values. Furthermore, the fasting period post-surgery, the need for swallowing rehabilitation by a speech therapist, and postoperative pneumonia episodes were set as outcomes reflecting the short-term swallowing function. We determined the associations between these outcomes and patient background factors. RESULTS: Postoperatively, the Hyodo score worsened at 1 month but recovered at 3 months. The Hyodo scores of all patients who underwent postcricoid ELPS did not worsen. The diameter of the resected specimen (DRS) was significantly associated with the need for swallowing rehabilitation and postoperative fasting time. A DRS ≥ 35 mm was considered the threshold for the need of swallowing rehabilitation, postoperative pneumonia, and prolonged postoperative fasting time. CONCLUSION: ELPS exerts a temporal and limited impact on the swallowing function, which recovers within 3 months in every swallowing evaluation. This necessitates additional care during the treatment of patients with mucosal defects ≥ 35 mm, owing to the significant association between the DRS and short-term swallowing function.

Combined laryngeal framework surgery and cricopharyngeal muscle-origin transection: a novel effective surgery for dysphagia with pharyngolaryngeal palsy and cricopharyngeal dysfunction under local anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Cricopharyngeal myotomy and laryngeal framework surgery can improve swallowing function in patients with severe dysphagia. We developed a novel surgical technique for severe dysphagia associated with pharyngolaryngeal paralysis and cricopharyngeal dysfunction, performed under local anesthesia, and investigated its effectiveness. METHODS: We included nine patients who underwent cricopharyngeal muscle-origin transection with laryngeal framework surgery through a horizontal skin incision under local anesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: All patients demonstrated significant improvement in the Food Intake LEVEL Scale without complications. Thus, this surgical technique may serve as a useful and less invasive treatment option for patients with severe dysphagia.

Outcomes of Aspiration Prevention Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using a Japanese Claims Database.

Aspiration prevention surgeries, such as laryngotracheal separation and total laryngectomy are performed to prevent aspiration pneumonia. We aimed to investigate the outcomes of surgery for intractable aspiration and relevant factors. This retrospective cohort study used a nationwide insurance claims database that included company employees and their family members aged < 75 years in Japan. We extracted the data of patients who underwent aspiration prevention surgeries between January 2005 and March 2019. We identified 127 patients (males, 55.9%), of whom 59.8% were aged < 18 years at the surgery. The most common comorbidity was neurological disease (99.2%). The frequency of pneumonia episodes decreased by 1.5 per year after surgery compared with before surgery (p < 0.001). Among patients who received parenteral and enteral nutrition before surgery (n = 92), the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for oral intake without parenteral and enteral nutrition was lower in the longer preoperative duration (≥ 14.7 months) for the parenteral and enteral nutrition. However, the difference was not statistically significant (aHR 0.55; 95% confidence interval: 0.15-2.08, p = 0.38). The aHR for oral intake was higher in the ≥ 30 years group than in the < 30 years group (aHR 13.76; 95% confidence intervals: 4.18-42.24; p < 0.001). This study demonstrated that postoperative oral intake was achieved more frequently in patients aged ≤ 30 years than in those aged > 30 years, and supported the effectiveness of aspiration prevention surgery for reducing aspiration pneumonia. Further research is necessary to investigate factors related to postoperative oral intake.

[A Case of Infantile Cervical Ectopic Thymus].

We report herein on a case of ectopic cervical thymus in a 5-year-old boy and the literature is reviewed. Swelling of the right neck was seen in the patient in his newborn period and it was diagnosed as cystic disease of the neck in a previous hospital at 4 months of age. Ultrasonography (US) and MRI revealed a cervical tumor consisting of a solid component in our hospital, and histopathologic examination showed no evidence of malignancy. The lesion revealed almost no change in size but showed a mosaic pattern on US, whereon the parents agreed to the removal of the tumor. Intraoperatively, the tumor could be easily dissected from the surrounding tissue and resected. The pathological diagnosis was normal thymic tissue. The postoperative course was uneventful and no complication or immunological disorders were seen. A cervical ectopic thymus is a congenital lesion that results from abnormal thymic migration during embryogenesis. Most patients are asymptomatic and the condition is found incidentally. Preoperative diagnosis of cervical ectopic thymus in children is rarely made, so surgical treatment is the definitive means of pathological diagnosis. This disease should be listed in the differential diagnosis for neck masses in children, and should be suspected when the mosaic pattern is detected in the lesion on US.

[A review of the complications and candida colonization associated with voice rehabilitation using a voice prosthesis].

Between December 2004 and December 2011, we have used the indwelling voice prosthesis for voice rehabilitation in 28 patients after total laryngectomy in our department. To clarify both the complications and safety of voice reconstruction using a voice prosthesis, and the occurrence of candida colonization, we conducted a retrospective study with a review of the Japanese literature. Twenty-six patients who were observed over a period of more than six months at our hospital were enrolled in this study. We examined the interval of prosthesis replacement, types and frequency of complications, candida colonization, and clinical outcomes. The median follow-up time postoperatively was 28.8 months (range 8.1-95.7). The average interval of prosthesis replacement was 147 days (4.9 months). Complications occurred in 14 patients (54%), and 6 patients (23%) of whom were hospitalized. The main complications were periprosthetic leakage, increased granulation around the tracheoesophageal shunt and stenosis of the trachea stoma. There were no significant differences in the frequency of complications in the background factor of the patients as far as age (p = 0.495), radiation therapy (p = 0.686) or reconstruction time (p = 0.257) were concerned. Candida species was detected in 81% of the specimens which we submitted to a culture test and confirmed the pseudohyphae which comfirmed the pathogenicity from the histopathological examination. Moreover, radiation therapy was significantly associated with the detection of candida (p = 0.004). Permanent closure of the tracheoesophageal shunt for periprosthetic leakage was required in one patient, but we were able to deal with the other complications. No patient experienced any life-threatening complications and all are safely using the prostheses. It has been reported that complications will occur over the long-term, thus careful follow-up is necessary.

Phonosurgery training using Japanese deer larynx.

OBJECTIVE: To develop phonosurgery skills, surgical training of the actual larynx is essential. In our institution, the Japanese deer (Cervus Nippon aplodontids) larynx is used in phonosurgery training. This study aimed to examine the similarities and differences between the Japanese deer and human larynx and to demonstrate their utility in vocal surgery practice. METHODS: A comparative study was conducted using 30 Japanese deer larynges and 51 human donor larynges, evaluating the overall framework, dimensions, and angle of the thyroid cartilage, vocal cord length, and location of the arytenoid cartilage muscular process. The changes and movements of the vocal folds during contraction and relaxation of each internal laryngeal muscle were also visually analyzed. RESULTS: The larynx size of Japanese deer is intermediate between that of human males and females. The adduction and abduction of the vocal folds induced by contraction of the posterior and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles, as well as the extension of the vocal folds induced by contraction of the cricothyroid muscle, behaved in the same manner as in the human larynx. CONCLUSION: The morphology of the Japanese deer larynx is similar to that of the human larynx, making it suitable for use in dissection and surgical practice. Owing to the recent animal damage problem and the popularity of gibier cuisine, large quantities of Japanese deer larynx are available at low prices. We believe that the Japanese deer larynx is the most appropriate animal for phonosurgery training so far.

Modified method for tracheoesophageal fistula closure in intractable cases.

OBJECTIVE: Tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) is one of the most established methods for voice reacquisition following total laryngectomy. The most difficult complication following TEP is the management of saliva leakage or secretion into the trachea due to TE fistula enlargement. In this study, we devised a new strategy to close TE fistulas and confirmed its safety and effectiveness. METHODS: Skin incision: If the tracheal mucosa around the voice prosthesis appears intact and normal, an arcuate incision, from 10 to 2 o'clock, is made on the skin 5 mm superior to the edge of the stoma. However, if the surrounding tracheal mucosa is fragile because of leaking, the incision is made on the superior edge of the stoma, with later reconstruction of the posterior tracheal wall. Separation of the trachea and esophagus: If the esophagotracheal spatium appears normal and is easy to dissect, the connective pipes can be found easily. After cutting the pipe, a ligature alone is sufficient for the tracheal side; however, the esophageal wall is closed with Gambee sutures. If the esophagotracheal spatium is compromised and the posterior tracheal wall is fragile (due to saliva leakage), we remove the posterior wall and reconstruct the area using the superior skin flap. We performed our novel method on four patients with intractable conditions; postradiotherapy for laryngeal cancer, total pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy (TPLE) with jejunum reconstruction, TPLE with gastric lifting reconstruction, and in a patient who underwent cervicothoracic incisional drainage for descending necrotizing mediastinitis. RESULTS: None of the cases showed postoperative leakage from the fistula, and oral intake was resumed without difficulty. CONCLUSION: This study showed that this strategy based on TE fistula conditions is effective even in difficult-to-treat cases.

Swallowing function improvement using costal cartilage for severe dysphagia after supracricoid hemilaryngopharyngectomy.

Supracricoid hemilaryngopharyngectomy (SCHLP) is a laryngeal preservation surgery for hypopharyngeal carcinoma confined to the pyriform sinus or laryngeal carcinoma with arytenoid infiltration. Postoperative dysphagia is inevitable, but both voice and swallowing functions can be preserved. Here, we present a case of severe dysphagia secondary to unexpected postoperative tissue loss and scarring. A 67-year-old man underwent left SCHLP for hypopharyngeal cancer, and on the third postoperative day, he developed necrotizing fasciitis of the left neck. He was unable to swallow and was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital 90 days after the surgery. Six months after surgery, the patient had significant glottic insufficiency due to laryngeal deformity, constant massive salivary aspiration, and difficulty releasing the cuffed cannula. Severe dysphagia due to glottic insufficiency and laryngeal elevation insufficiency due to scar formation were considered, and laryngoplasty and laryngeal suspension surgery using costal cartilage were performed on the 221st postoperative day. After the reoperation, he was able to wear a speech valve and could speak and spit out, although his glottis was still closed. On the 70th day after the reoperation, he was able to consume three meals of an oral dysphagia diet and was discharged home.

Clinical features of nasal and sinonasal inverted papilloma associated with malignancy.

OBJECTIVE: Nasal and sinonasal inverted papilloma (IP) are rare benign tumors and have the potential to exhibit malignancy in approximately 10% of cases. This study aimed to analyze the clinical features of IP associated with malignancy. Furthermore, we reviewed our therapeutic strategy and the clinical course of malignant IP. METHODS: Overall, 70 patients with IP at our institution were retrospectively analyzed from April 2006 to December 2015; of these, six (9%) had associated malignancy. Data was collected on sex, age, presenting symptoms (nasal bleeding, rhinorrhea, facial or cheek pain, and nasal obstruction), bone destruction, and extent of disease on CT and MRI. Categorical data of patients with and without malignancy were compared using the chi-square test. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Our therapeutic strategy for IP with malignancy, particularly the surgical procedure, i.e., the external incision or the endoscopic nasal approach, varied based on when the carcinoma was detected. In addition, we considered postoperative radiation therapy depending on histological examination. RESULTS: Nasal bleeding (p<0.001), pain (p=0.040), bone destruction (p<0.001), and extent of disease (p=0.026) on CT and MRI findings were significantly associated with malignancy. Carcinoma was diagnosed preoperatively in two (33%) and postoperatively in four patients (67%). We operated five patients (one case was not treated because of end-stage pancreatic cancer). Two patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) alone, two ESS plus Denker's method, and one ESS plus anterior craniotomy. Three patients underwent surgery only, and two patients received postoperative radiotherapy. The median follow-up period was 69.3 months. One patient died of the disease and the remaining patients are alive without recurrence. CONCLUSION: For IP patients exhibiting these clinical findings preoperatively, we should suspect complication with malignancy and plan a treatment. Even if postoperative histology does not confirm malignancy, we should ensure careful observation because of metachronous malignant transformation or the possibility to overlook small malignant lesions. Our result suggests that our strategy for malignant IP could be a reasonable option.

Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging for reactive and malignant/metastatic cervical lymph nodes.

The aim of this study was to compare lymph node stiffness using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging in patients with cervical lymph node swelling. Forty-two cervical lymph nodes (reactive, n = 22; metastatic, n = 20) from 19 patients (13 men, 6 women; mean age, 63.68 ± 14.9 y; range, 23-85 y) were examined between September 2011 and March 2012. The shear wave velocity (SWV, m/s) of each lymph node was evaluated by ARFI imaging. SWV of reactive lymph nodes was 1.52 ± 0.48 m/s, and that of metastatic/malignant lymph nodes was 2.46 ± 0.75 m/s. A SWV > 1.9 m/s was very useful metastatic lymph node classification, with 95.0% specificity, 81.8% sensitivity and 88.0% overall accuracy. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.923 (95% confidence interval, 0.842-1.000). ARFI imaging can be useful in the differentiation of reactive and malignant/metastatic cervical lymph nodes.