Exclusive or combined endoscopic approach to tumours of the lower lacrimal pathway: review of the literature.

A literature review was conducted to assess the role of minimally-invasive endoscopic treatments for lacrimal pathway neoplasms. The study involved the analysis of 316 patients with benign or malignant tumours affecting the lacrimal drainage system. Histologically, the analysis revealed a prevalence of squamous cell carcinoma, followed by lymphatic neoplasms and melanomas. In terms of treatment, minimally-invasive endoscopic approaches, such as endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, play a predominant role in managing early-stage tumours, rather than merely obtaining samples for histological analysis. For more extensive tumours, which constitute the majority of cases, more aggressive external approaches are required, along with the use of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The lack of universally shared staging systems poses a limitation in standardisation and comparison of results. Treatment of these tumours remains complex due to their rarity and histological heterogeneity. A multidisciplinary approach is mandatory to optimise outcomes.

Endovascular coils extrusion after internal carotid artery occlusion: From management to follow-up.

KEY POINTS: ICA coil extrusion (ICA-CE) occurs most frequently in the nasopharyngeal/sinonasal site. Evaluating the ICA coils stability, through an angiography, is of primary importance. ICA-CE management needs to be decided based on the patient's symptoms and general status.

Surgical management of advanced sinonasal cancer: a 10-year mono-institutional experience.

Objective: Endoscopic endonasal surgery is effective in the treatment of sinonasal cancers. However, in cases of well-differentiated locally advanced neoplasms as well as recurrences, the most appropriate treatment is debated. The purpose of this study is to report a mono-institutional experience on craniofacial surgery performed in a tertiary-care referral centre. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 90 patients treated with transcranial and/or transfacial resection for sinonasal cancer between 2010 and 2020. Outcome measures included overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), disease-free survival (DFS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results: The 5-year OS, DSS and DFS were 48.2%, 60.6% and 28.7%, respectively. Factors correlated with prognosis were pT-classification (p = 0.002), histotype (p = 0.012) and dural involvement (p = 0.004). Independent prognostic factors were orbital apex infiltration (p = 0.03), age (p = 0.002) and adjuvant therapy (p = 0.03). Conclusions: When endoscopic endonasal surgery is contraindicated and chemoradiotherapy is not appropriate, craniofacial and transfacial approaches still represent an option to consider, despite the non-negligible morbidity.

A systematic review of randomised controlled trials on topical nasal steroids.

Introduction: Intranasal corticosteroids (INCs) are the first line of therapy for chronic sinonasal conditions such as rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. Among these, one of the most frequently used is beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP). Over the years many studies have evaluated the efficacy of BDP as part of therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and allergic rhinitis (AR) along with nasal washes, which seems to be very well tolerated. Objective: To analyse the data in the literature regarding the various therapeutic regimens of BDP in different sinonasal disease and their efficacy and tolerability. Materials and methods: Using different search engines, the posology, efficacy, and tolerability of BDP were reviewed and a total of 64 full-length articles were examined for eligibility. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 4 articles were reviewed. Results: BDP is among the group of INCs with significant improvement of nasal symptoms and has good efficacy and safety. Conclusions: BDP nasal spray is one of the most frequently prescribed INC for rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. Treatment with BDP resulted in significant and clinically meaningful improvements in nasal symptoms associated with AR and CRS. BDP is well tolerated, and the safety profile is similar to that of placebo in most patients. These results, in conjunction with the significant benefit reported in subjects with CRS and AR, provide convincing evidence of the overall effectiveness of BDP for the treatment of the full spectrum of sinonasal disease.

Isolated laryngeal tuberculosis complex infection: expect the unexpected.

Laryngeal tuberculosis (LT), a rare but possible manifestation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TBC) and the most frequent granulomatous disease of the larynx, is slowly resurfacing due to the worldwide recrudescence of TBC. We present the case of a 59 y-o Caucasian woman, non-smoker, with no history of recent travels in endemic areas, affected by pulmonary sarcoidosis, that presented with a symptomatic vegetating lesion involving the left free margin of the epiglottic and a small, ulcerated lesion over the right arytenoid mucosa. While the patient's profile would not lead to a primary suspect of laryngeal TBC, the diagnostic workup and histological examination confirmed the unusual finding, and the patient was started on standard antitubercular therapy, with a complete laryngeal response. Although isolated laryngeal tuberculosis is still a rare finding, it should be kept into consideration also in non-endemic areas, especially in patients with chronic disease requiring immunosuppressive drugs.

Salvage endoscopic nasopharyngectomy for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a non-endemic area.

PURPOSE: To analyze oncological outcomes of endoscopic surgical treatment of locally recurrent EBV-related undifferentiated non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (uNK-NPC) in a non-endemic area. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients affected by recurrent uNK-NPC treated with nasopharyngeal endoscopic resection (NER) in a tertiary-care referral center from 2003 to 2022, by evaluating survival rates, prognostic factors, and follow-up strategies. RESULTS: The oncological outcomes of 41 patients were analyzed, over a mean follow-up period of 57 months. The 5-year overall, disease-specific, and disease-free survival of the cohort were 60.7% ± 8.9%, 69% ± 9%, and 39.7% ± 9.2%, respectively. The local (rT) and regional (rN) extension of recurrent disease, stage of disease, and status of resection margins appeared to significantly influence survivals. After a mean follow-up period of 21 months, a further recurrence after NER was observed in 36.6% of cases. Skull base osteonecrosis induced by previous irradiation and post-surgical bone remodeling represent the major challenges for early detection of further local relapses during postoperative follow-up. CONCLUSION: NER appeared as a safe and effective treatment for recurrent uNK-NPC. The adequate selection of patients eligible for NER is essential, to maximize the chances to cure and minimize the risk of local complications.

Nasoseptal flap with extended pedicle dissection based on the maxillary artery: Clinical series of 55 cases.

KEY POINTS: Nasoseptal flap with extended pedicle dissection is a low morbidity and high success rate flap. It is a flap that can be applied to reconstruct a wide range of ipsilateral skull base defects.

Diagnostic therapeutic assistance pathway (PDTA) of type 2 chronic rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder whose etiopathogenetic picture is not yet completely known and is classically divided into CRS with (CRSwNP) and without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). But today the distinction is made with type 2 and nontype 2 variants. A rational and defined pathway for the diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis is an indispensable means to be able to arrive at a correct identification of the patient. This typing is essential to be able to arrive at the correct course of treatment, which turns out to be different for different types of patients. For this reason, the realization of a diagnostic therapeutic pathway represents a fundamental way for the otolaryngologist specialist but not only, since today diagnostics has a multidisciplinary framework. In the present work, precise indications have been developed to arrive at a correct diagnosis. The various diagnostic pathways and processes to arrive at a correct therapeutic framing have been highlighted. Therapy ranging from medical therapy to surgical therapy without neglecting the new biological therapies. It does not represent a guideline but a diagnostic method that can be adapted to all the various territorial realities.

The role of the osteoplastic flap in the endoscopic era: a retrospective multicentre experience on revision surgery.

Objective: To retrospectively review the experience of five tertiary-care university hospitals on frontal sinus revision surgery with osteoplastic flap (OPF). Methods: Descriptive analysis of patients who underwent frontal sinus surgery with OPF after one or more endoscopic procedures for benign and inflammatory pathologies from 2000 to 2022. Clinical charts were reviewed for demographics, indications, clinical presentation, previous frontal procedures, OPF technique and outcomes. Results: Of the 124 patients who underwent an OPF procedure, 33 met inclusion criteria. With a mean of 2.1 previous endoscopic surgeries, Draf III was the most common former procedure. In 30 (91%) cases OPF was part of a combined procedure. The most common indications were inverted papilloma (61%), mucocele (9%) and chronic rhinosinusitis (6%). Frontal outflow stenosis (36%) and mucocele (9%) were the most frequent complications observed. Improvement of overall symptoms and patient satisfaction after the OPF procedure were recorded. Conclusions: Even in the endoscopic era, OPF still represents a paramount procedure that should be included in the rhino-surgeon's armamentarium, in particular in patients with challenging pathologies and anatomy when previous endoscopic endonasal attempts have failed.

Treatment of loco-regional recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a non-endemic area: oncologic outcomes, morbidity, and proposal of a prognostic nomogram.

Introduction: The study assessed outcomes and toxicities of different treatment modalities for local and/or regional recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in a non-endemic area. Methods: Patients treated with curative intent for recurrent NPC with salvage surgery, photon-based radiotherapy, proton therapy (PT), with or without chemotherapy, at different Italian referral centers between 1998 and 2020 were included. Adverse events and complications were classified according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Characteristics of the patients, tumors, treatments, and complications are presented along with uni- and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors. A survival predictive nomogram is also provided. Results: A total of 140 patients treated from 1998 to 2020 were retrospectively assessed. Cases with lower age, comorbidity rate, stage, and shorter disease-free interval (DFI) preferentially underwent endoscopic surgery. More advanced cases underwent re-irradiation, fairly distributed between photon-based radiotherapy and PT. Age and DFI were independent factors influencing overall survival. No independent prognostic effect of treatment modality was observed. No significant difference in the morbidity profile of treatments was observed, with 40% of patients experiencing at least one adverse event classified as G3 or higher. Conclusion: Recurrent NPC in a non-endemic area has dissimilar aspects compared to its endemic counterpart, suggesting the need for further studies that can guide the choice of the best treatment modality.

Case of IV Stage Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma Presurgically Treated with a Single ECA Stop-Flow Embolization Technique Using Onyx 18.

Background: Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a rare tumor that mainly affects young boys. Its intervention may be complex due to its high vascularity, location, and extension. Preoperative embolization is used to prevent intrasurgical and postsurgical bleeding. Two main kinds of embolization are described in literature: intratumoral and transarterial, and numerous embolic materials are used. Case Presentation. We want to present a case of presurgical embolization of a stage IV JNA, performed using a single stop-flow balloon assisted technique with the balloon cuffed exclusively in the external carotid artery and using Onyx 18 as an embolic agent. Conclusions: The embolization with an exclusive external carotid artery single stop-flow technique using Onyx 18 is a safe, effective, and a definitive approach.

Sinonasal Malignancies Involving the Frontal Sinus: A Mono-Institutional Experience of 84 Cases and Systematic Literature Review.

Frontal sinus involvement by malignant tumors is a rare finding. Therefore, a systematic literature review along with a personal case series may contribute to defining more accurately the epidemiology, treatment options, and outcomes of these neoplasms. This is a retrospective review of patients affected by frontal sinus malignancies surgically treated in a tertiary-care referral center over a period of 20 years. Moreover, a systematic literature review of studies describing frontal sinus cancers from 2000 to date was performed according to PRISMA guidelines in order to analyze current evidence about the treatment and outcomes of such a rare disease. Our retrospective review was basedon 84 cases, treated with an exclusive endoscopic approach in 43 cases (51.2%), endoscopic approach with frontal osteoplastic flap in 6 cases (7.1%), and transfacial or transcranial approaches in 35 cases (41.7%). The five-year overall, disease-specific, disease-free, and recurrence-free survivals were 54.6%, 62.6%, 33.1%, and 59.1%, respectively. Age, dural involvement, type of surgical resection, and surgical margin status were significantly associated with the survival endpoints. In conclusion, the involvement of the frontal sinus is associated with a poor prognosis. Multidisciplinary management, including specific histology-driven treatments, represents the gold standard for improving outcomes and minimizing morbidity.

Comprehensive access strategies to the frontal sinus.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Despite the impressive evolutions in endoscopic endonasal approaches and instrumentations, the frontal sinus remains a challenging area. Different surgical options have been described over the years, but the main criticism lies in choosing the most suitable approach for a given case, based on the anatomy of each patient and the disease to treat. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of surgical access strategies currently available to address the frontal sinus, including both endonasal and traditional external procedures, analysing indications, contraindications, complications and outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: Frontal sinus surgery includes minimally invasive endonasal approaches (balloon dilatation, Draf type I); extended endonasal approaches (Draf type IIA-IIB-IIC, Draf type III and their modifications via orbital transposition and contralateral pyriform aperture resection); external procedures (superior eyelid incision, frontal osteoplastic flap, Riedel procedure, Riedel-Mosher operation); and combined approaches. SUMMARY: Recent advances in endoscopic endonasal techniques have deeply reshaped the surgical options to manage frontal sinus diseases, in an attempt to minimize the invasiveness of the procedures and maximize their outcomes. Traditional external procedures should be used in selected cases nonamenable for endonasal surgery. The appropriate selection of cases appears to be of paramount importance to obtain successful outcomes.

Risky anatomical variations of sphenoid sinus and surrounding structures in endoscopic sinus surgery.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the relationship between the sphenoid sinus (SS) and surrounding vital structures such as the internal carotid artery (ICA) and optic nerve canal (ONC) as well as the types of attachment of the sphenoidal septa onto these structures. METHODS: In total, 230 computed tomography (CT) scans were reviewed to study the type of sphenoid sinus pneumatization (SSP), the protrusion and dehiscence of the ICA and ONC, the relationship between the sphenoidal septa and surrounding vital structures as well as pterygoid recess pneumatization (PRP). RESULTS: The most common SSP was sellar type (58.7%). The rates of protrusion and dehiscence of the ICA were 26.3 and 0.4%, and for the ONC, they were 13 and 1.5%, respectively. The ICA and ONC were most protruded and dehiscent in more extensive SSP. In 21.6% of patients, the intersphenoidal septa (IS) were attached to the wall of the ICA and in 8.6% they were attached to the wall of the ONC. The attachment of IS to the ICA correlated statistically significantly (p < 0.0001) with protrusion of the ICA. Accessory septa were detected in 30.4% of cases with various sites of attachment. CONCLUSION: To reduce the risk of injury and complications during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), surgeons should consider using CT to identify possible bulging and dehiscence of the ICA/ONC and their relationship to the extent of SSP and also to establish the presence of deviation of the sphenoid septum, and the presence of accessory septa.

Patterns of recurrences in sinonasal cancers undergoing an endoscopic surgery-based treatment: Results of the MUSES* on 940 patients: *MUlti-institutional collaborative Study on Endoscopically treated Sinonasal cancers.

OBJECTIVES: The improvements in survival with expansion of the survivors' population, along with evolution of endoscopically-based treatment modalities, have contributed to emphasize the clinical relevance of recurrences in sinonasal cancers. However, at present, literature is scant regarding the pattern of recurrences and the therapeutic strategies available to manage long survivors who experienced single or multiple failures. The aim of the present study was to analyze sinonasal cancers recurrences to provide data regarding rates and patterns of relapse, predictors of failure and prognostic impact of the recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients receiving multimodal treatments including endoscopic surgery between 1995 and 2021 in three European referral centers were included. Statistical analysis of survival was performed through univariable, multivariable and unidirectional multistate models. Survival after recurrence analysis was implemented for patients experiencing at least one recurrence. RESULTS: The 5- and 10-year recurrence free survival rates were 34.1% and 38.4% for the whole population. With a mean follow-up time of 60 months, a global recurrence rate of 32.9% was observed. The 5- and 10-year survival after recurrence rates were 27.2% and 21.7%, respectively. Incidence and rates of recurrences were significantly associated with histology subtypes. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable oncologic outcomes regarding a large homogenous cohort of patients affected by sinonasal malignances treated within a multimodal framework, emphasizing the strong correlation of histologic type with prognosis, as well as with pattern of recurrences.

Solitary fibrous tumor: A rare lesion with an unusual paravertebral presentation.

BACKGROUND: Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare spindle-cell neoplasm [1]. Although typically originating from pleura, head and neck presentation accounts for about 6-18 % and very few cases have been described in paravertebral and posterior neck spaces [2]. Both computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) help in differential diagnosis of such lesion [3]. However, only histological and immunohistochemical studies give a conclusive diagnosis: CD34, BCL-2, and in particular STAT6 stainings are strongly orientative [4]. Radical surgery with free margin excision is the first treatment option, rarely requiring adjuvant therapy [2]. Prognosis is typically good and strictly related to histological risk assessment [5]. Rare cases of local recurrence and distant metastasis have been described in literature [2]. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this video is to describe the operative technique of a transcervical removal of a rare case of right paravertebral SFT. We present the diagnostic flowchart, management strategies, surgical technique and we provide anatomical dissection parallelism, which might be of interest to the readers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 59-years-old man with a one-year right cervical asymptomatic swelling was referred to our department. A contrasted MRI documented an expansive 6.5 cm capsulated lesion in the deep posterior neck spaces with diffuse contrast enhancement and inhomogeneous appearance. A core needle biopsy was performed, and the results from the initial immunohistochemical panel were not univocal showing positivity for cytokeratins AE1/AE3, PAX8, and no reactivity for CD34. A second immunohistochemical panel was then performed, displaying diffuse nuclear positivity for STAT6, which is a surrogate marker for the NAB2-STAT6 gene fusion, a specific driver mutation of SFT. Therefore, a radical excision was performed via transcervical approach (Video 1). No post-operative complications neither cranio-cervical neurological deficit occurred. RESULTS: In comparison to pre-operative histopathologic study, the definitive histological examination of the whole mass revealed a more classical morphology of SFT. It was classified as an intermediate risk SFT [5]. A complete free margin excision was confirmed. After a multidisciplinary discussion, no adjuvant therapies were suggested. A six- and twelve-months radiological follow-up with MRI showed no evidence of disease. CONCLUSION: SFT may represent a misdiagnosed entity in head and neck spaces and a correct diagnosis through immunohistochemistry is mandatory. Radical excision with free surgical margins should be pursued as adequate goal. Since SFTs show variable risk of metastatic disease, adjuvant radiotherapy should be contemplated in high-risk diseases and a clinico-radiological follow-up with MRI is required.

The MUSES∗: a prognostic study on 1360 patients with sinonasal cancer undergoing endoscopic surgery-based treatment: ∗MUlti-institutional collaborative Study on Endoscopically treated Sinonasal cancers.

BACKGROUND: Over the last 2 decades, transnasal endoscopic surgery (TES) has become the most frequently employed surgical technique to treat sinonasal malignancies. The rarity and heterogeneity of sinonasal cancers have hampered large non-population-based analyses. METHODOLOGY: All patients receiving TES-including treatment between 1995 and 2021 in 5 referral hospitals were included. A prognostic study was performed, and multivariable models were transformed into nomograms. Training and validation sets were based on results from 3 European and 2 non-European centres, respectively. RESULTS: The training and validation set included 940 and 420 patients, respectively. The mean age at surgery, primary-versus-recurrent presentation, histology distribution, type of surgery, T category and type of adjuvant treatment were differently distributed in the training and validation set. In the training set, 5-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival with a 95%-confidence interval were 72.7% (69.5-76.0%) and 66.4% (63.1-69.8%), respectively, significantly varying with histology. At multivariable analyses, age, gender, previous treatment, the extent of resection on the cranial, lateral and posterolateral axes, grade/subtype, T category, nodal status, margin status and adjuvant treatment were all associated with different prognostic outcomes, displaying a heterogeneous significance and effect size according to histology. The internal and external validation of nomograms was satisfactory (optimism-corrected C-index >0.7 and cumulative area under curve >0.7) for all histologies but mucosal melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes of TES-based treatment of sinonasal cancers vary substantially with histology. This large, non-population-based study provides benchmark data on the prognosis of sinonasal cancers that are deemed suitable for treatment including TES.

Multiparametric Analysis of Factors Associated With Eosinophilic Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have reported a diverse range of threshold values for blood eosinophilia. In addition, a single predictive biomarker for eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps (ECRSwNP) has not yet been identified. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to compare the clinical characteristics of ECRSwNP and non-ECRSwNP to evaluate the preoperative risk of tissue eosinophilia of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) through a multiparametric statistical analysis. METHODS: One hundred ten patients with evidence of chronic polypoid rhinosinusitis were included in this study and clinical records were retrospectively reviewed. Eosinophilic CRSwNP was diagnosed based on the presence of at least 10 eosinophils per high-power field. The demographic and clinical features of ECRSwNP and non-ECRSwNP are described. The values of blood eosinophilia as predictors of tissue eosinophilia have been identified using receiver operating characteristic curves. As the predictive value of the identified cutoff through regression analysis was low, we evaluated whether other risk factors could be statistically associated with ECRSwNP, and from this, a new predictive model was proposed for the identification of eosinophilic nasal polyps before surgery. RESULTS: We found that the best method for predicting ECRSwNP is based on a model having asthma, blood eosinophil percentage, posterior ethmoid value in Lund-Mackay score, and modified Lund-Kennedy score as explanatory variables. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new data for a better understanding of the polypoid CRS endotypes, and the proposed model allows the endotype to be identified preoperatively.

Juvenile Angiofibroma: What Is on Stage?

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of the present study is to validate and compare four of the most widely used staging systems for juvenile angiofibroma on a homogeneous cohort of patients. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients treated with endoscopic or endoscopic-assisted surgical resection between 1999 and 2020 was carried out. Each case was classified according to the following staging systems: Andrews-Fisch (1989), Radkowski (1996), University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (2010), and Janakiram (2017). Spearman's rank correlation test and areas under the curve of receiver operator curves were used to assess the correlation between outcomes of interests (blood loss, surgical time, need for transfusion, and persistence of disease) and stage of disease. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients were included, with a median follow-up time of 25 months (range 12-127 months). Median surgical time was 217 minutes (range 52-625). Median blood loss was 500 mL (range 40-5200) and 27 patients (34.2%) required blood transfusions. Seven patients (8.9%) showed persistence of disease. All classification systems showed a similar association with blood loss, surgical time, persistence of disease, and need for transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Involvement of the infratemporal fossa and intracranial extension was identified as red flags for surgical planning and preoperative counseling, as associated with increased risk for transfusion and persistent/recurrent disease, respectively. No classification system was found to be better than the others in predicting the most important outcomes. Therefore, the simplest and most easily applicable system would be the preferred one to be used in clinical practice. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 132:1160-1165, 2022.