Postoperative ethmoid sinus mucoceles: Late complication of endoscopic ethmoidectomy and MWA management in outpatient.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of intranasal endoscopic microwave ablation (MWA) on the management of postoperative ethmoid sinus mucoceles. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The patients with postoperative ethmoid sinus mucoceles were ablated through intranasal endoscopic MWA. Postoperative pain intensity was measured via visual analogue scale (VAS), post-operative complications were recorded. RESULTS: Of the 26 patients with unilateral postoperative ethmoid sinus mucoceles, the mucoceles were diagnosed 3 to 11 years with average time of time of 6.9 ± 2.7 years after endoscopic ethmoidectomy. The ipsilateral middle turbinate was present and intact in 24 patients and partially resected during the original surgery in the remaining 2. There were adhesions in the middle meatus in one case. All 26 patients were successfully treated with the intranasal endoscopic ablation technique in outpatient. The ablation time was 6 to 11 min, with an average duration of 6.84 ± 1.27 min. The mean VAS pain score was 2.41 ± 1.22. There were no perioperative complications reported in this series. No evidence of recurrence was observed in any patients during follow-up periods. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of intranasal endoscopic MWA in the office. The procedure is well tolerated by patients with low complication rates. Thus, it is alternative to conventional endonasal endoscopic marsupialization for treatment of postsurgical ethmoid sinus mucoceles.

The effect of concurrent nasal surgery on the eustachian tube function and myringoplasty outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the Effect of concurrent nasal surgery on the eustachian tube function (ETF) and myringoplasty outcomes for the chronic perforations with coexistent nasal pathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 93 patients with perforations who underwent same-day myringoplasty and nasal-septal surgery. Group A exhibited septal deviations (n = 34) and Group B inflammatory sinus disease (n = 59). Groups were compared with respect to pre- and postoperative air-bone gaps (ABGs), graft success rates and ETF (Eustachian tube score [ETS] and seven-item Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire [ETDQ-7]) at 6 and 24 months. RESULTS: Graft success rates were 100.0% in Group A and 98.3% in Group B at 6 months postoperatively (P = 0.445). Graft success rates were 85.3% in Group A and 96.6% in Group B at 24 months postoperatively (P = 0.046), the re-perforation rate was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (P = 0.015). Although the preoperative ETS was similar between two groups, the postoperative ETS in the Group B was significantly higher compared with Group A regardless of at postoperative 6th and 24th months. In addition, difference was significant for the patients with positive Valsalva maneuver among two groups at postoperative 24th months. Also, the improvement in the ETDQ-7 score in the B group was significantly higher than that in the A group at postoperative 6th and 24th months. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent nasal surgery and myringoplasty is feasible. In addition, ESS improves ETF and thus long-term outcomes of myringoplasty for the chronic perforations with inflammatory sinus disease.

Microwave ablation for the removal of pharyngeal benign lesions: A prospective pilot case series.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated microwave ablation (MWA) for treatment of isolated pharyngeal benign lesions, in terms of technical feasibility, efficacy, and safety. METHODS: The patients with pharyngeal benign lesions were treated with endoscopic MWA with a 2450-MHz single cooled-shaft microwave antenna and sent for histological examination. Postoperative pain intensity was measured via visual analogue scale (VAS) on the 12th hour and the third postoperative days. RESULTS: Of the 137 patients with pharyngeal benign lesions who met the inclusion criteria. The most commonly involved site was the uvula (n = 66, 48.2%), followed by the lateral pharyngeal wall (n = 37, 27.0%), the nasopharyngeal posterior wall (n = 23, 16.8%) and the soft palate (n = 11, 8.0%). All of the procedures were completed using local anesthesia and were well-tolerated by the patients. The ablation time was 5-10 min, with an average duration of 6.3 ± 1.8 min. The most common pathology was papilloma (n = 96, 70.1%), followed by nasopharyngeal cysts (n = 21, 15.3%), polyp (n = 10, 7.3%), epidermoid cysts (n = 8, 5.8%) and Thornwaldt cysts (n = 2, 1.5%). The mean VAS pain score was 2.36 ± 1.08 on postoperative 12th hour and 1.21 ± 0.54 on postoperative third day. At the 6-month follow-up examination, there were no severe complications, such as recurrence, bleeding, or synechiae of the nasal cavity, eustachian tube injury, in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The MWA for the treatment of isolated pharyngeal benign lesion is feasible and alternative to conventional surgical methods, it allows excision of the lesion while providing hemostasis, involves only a short ablation time and has a very low risk of complications. Most of our patients well-tolerate the procedure, which may be performed under local anesthesia in the outpatient setting.