Endoscopic management of intralingual thyroglossal duct cysts: Case series and systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss our institutional experience with endoscopic management of intralingual thyroglossal duct cyst (TGDC) and review cases in the published literature in a systematic review. METHODS: Pediatric patients with intralingual TGDC treated with endoscopic surgery at our institution from 2009-2019 were identified. Metrics from our case series were then compared to those in the literature in a systematic review to assess pooled outcomes of endoscopic or transoral management. Patient demographics, age of presentation, presenting symptomatology, size of cyst on imaging, type of surgery, and post-operative outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: We identified 5 institutional cases of intralingual TGDC and 48 cases of intralingual TGDC described in the literature. The average age of presentation was 20.36 months. 69.8% (N=37) of patients presented with at least one respiratory symptom, 22.6% (N=12) presented with dysphagia, 9.4% (N=5) presented with an identified mass in the oropharynx, and 15.1% (N=8) had the cyst discovered as an incidental finding. Three patients required revision surgeries due to prior incomplete TGDC excisions and one patient experienced a recurrence >6 months after primary excision requiring a second procedure. Our data pooled with published case series in systematic review confirms that endoscopic or transoral management are excellent options for definitive management of intralingual TGDC. CONCLUSIONS: Intralingual TDGC is a potentially life-threatening variant of TGDC. Our results pooled with published series in a systematic review suggest that endoscopic or transoral management of intralingual TGDC are excellent minimally invasive treatments with a low risk of recurrence. Postoperative surveillance up to one year is recommended.

Sex Differences in Faculty Positions Among Top-Ranked US Otolaryngology Departments.

Objective: This study aims to characterize the top-ranked departments in otolaryngology to provide an indicator of the state of diversity within otolaryngology and to draw a comparison with other medical and surgical fields. Study Design: This cross-sectional study examined the 20 highest-ranked otolaryngology programs according to the US News & World Report ranking of best hospitals for ear, nose and throat. Setting: Academic otolaryngology departments in the United States. Methods: Faculty demographic and biographical data were collected from departmental websites. The Web of Science h-index was used as a surrogate for academic productivity. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were used to characterize the cohort and compare otolaryngology with other fields. Results: Of 562 otolaryngologists on faculty at the 20 highest-ranked programs, 413 (73.5%) were men and 149 (26.5%) were women. Among the faculty in the cohort, 174 (31.0%) were professors, 145 (25.8%) were associate professors, and 183 (32.6%) were assistant professors. Across faculty appointments, the proportion of women grew smaller as academic rank increased. When compared with all faculty across US medical schools, the departments in this study had significantly lower proportions of female professors (P = .0047), associate professors (P = .0009), and assistant professors (P = .0005). Male faculty members had higher h-indices than their female counterparts among professors (P = .004), associate professors (P = .008), assistant professors (P = .0002), and clinical assistant professors (P = .0009). Conclusion: Women are underrepresented across all academic ranks in top-ranked otolaryngology programs. The current state of diversity in otolaryngology yields many opportunities to advance representation for women in the field.

Tympanostomy tubes in the age of quarantine.

OBJECTIVES: After state-mandated COVID-19 quarantine measures were lifted in 2020, pediatric otolaryngologists noticed that many children who were previously scheduled for tympanostomy tube (TT) placement for indications of acute otitis media (AOM) or chronic middle ear effusions (OME) no longer required surgery. This study aims to describe the effect of home-quarantine on pediatric patients with recurrent AOM and OME to increase our understanding of these conditions. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of pediatric patients that were originally scheduled for TT for recurrent AOM and/or OME, but had their procedure cancelled due to COVID-19. The chi-square test was used to compare the proportion of patients who no longer met indications for surgery stratified by original indication. Data was also collected for TT volume in the months before and after the start of the pandemic. RESULTS: Of 59 patients originally scheduled for TT, 31.0% of the 42 patients who returned for follow-up still met indications for a procedure after a period of home-quarantine. Of these, 76.9% had persistent OME, 61.5% had recurrent AOM, and 69.2% had persistent conductive hearing loss. After elective surgery resumed, there was a substantial decrease in the number of TT procedures performed compared to pre-pandemic data. CONCLUSION: After a period of quarantine, many patients previously scheduled for TT experienced resolution of their AOM or OME. Despite a nationwide recovery in outpatient surgical volume across otolaryngology practices, TT volumes remain low one year after the start of the pandemic, suggesting that continued COVID-19 precautionary measures are contributing to this lingering effect.

Adverse Event Reporting in Otolaryngology.

OBJECTIVES: Adverse events are common occurrences in hospitals that detract from quality of care. There are few data on errors in otolaryngology (ENT) and even fewer data comparing ENT to other services. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed adverse event data collected across a regional hospital network from July 2014 to August 2017. We examined categories of adverse events that occurred most commonly in ENT and compared the number of adverse events reported in ENT to those reported across all other departments. Descriptive analysis and the paired t test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Two hundred ninety-one adverse events were reported in ENT departments during the period studied compared to 58,219 events reported across all other specialties. In ENT, the most commonly reported adverse events occurred in the perioperative setting, followed by issues regarding equipment and medical devices and, lastly, airway management. Across all other departments, the most common categories included medication and fluid errors, falls, and safety and security events. ENT departments had significantly higher proportions of perioperative and airway management errors and significantly lower proportions of events related to diagnosis and treatment (P = .004), falls (P < .001), lab results and specimens (P = .001), medication and fluids (P < .001), and safety and security (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Perioperative and airway management errors occur with a statistically higher frequency in ENT compared to other in-patient and out-patient departments across hospitals. It is important to analyze adverse event reporting in surgical specialties to ensure the development of appropriate quality initiatives. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:509-512, 2021.

The adverse health effects of punitive immigrant policies in the United States: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Immigrants in the United States (US) today are facing a dynamic policy landscape. The Trump administration has threatened or curtailed access to basic services for 10.5 million undocumented immigrants currently in the US. We sought to examine the historical effects that punitive laws have had on health outcomes in US immigrant communities. METHODS: In this systematic review, we searched the following databases from inception-May 2020 for original research articles with no language restrictions: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Cochrane Library (Wiley), Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate), CINAHL (EBSCO), and Social Work Abstracts (Ovid). This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42019138817. Articles with cohort sizes >10 that directly evaluated the health-related effects of a punitive immigrant law or policy within the US were included. FINDINGS: 6,357 studies were screened for eligibility. Of these, 32 studies were selected for inclusion and qualitatively synthesized based upon four themes that appeared throughout our analysis: (1) impact on healthcare utilization, (2) impact on women's and children's health, (3) impact on mental health services, and (4) impact on public health. The impact of each law, policy, mandate, and directive since 1990 is briefly discussed, as are the limitations and risk of bias of each study. INTERPRETATION: Many punitive immigrant policies have decreased immigrant access to and utilization of basic healthcare services, while instilling fear, confusion, and anxiety in these communities. The federal government should preserve and expand access for undocumented individuals without threat of deportation to improve health outcomes for US citizens and noncitizens.

Trends in outpatient intervention for pediatric ankyloglossia.

OBJECTIVES: Anecdotally, there has been an increase in ankyloglossia referrals and frenotomy procedures performed in recent years. Many studies have characterized frenotomy indications and outcomes, but none have quantified how the frequency of referrals and interventions have changed over time in the outpatient setting. This study analyzes temporal trends in the diagnosis and intervention of ankyloglossia in a pediatric otolaryngology practice to further clarify how patterns of management of this condition have changed over time. METHODS: This study was a retrospective chart review of patients evaluated for ankyloglossia in an outpatient pediatric otolaryngology clinic between 2008 and 2018. The chi-square test for trend was used to assess yearly changes in the referral numbers, surgical interventions, and procedure indication prevalence proportions of interest. RESULTS: Referral numbers and frenotomy procedures increased as a percentage of total office visits from 2008 to 2018 (P = 0.0026, P < 0.0001). The trend in frenotomies was especially pronounced in the 0 to 2-month age group (P < 0.0001) but was not observed in the 2 months to 1-year (P = 0.30) or 1- to 4-year (P = 0.40) age groups. Frenotomy performed for concerns of feeding (P < 0.0001) increased over the study period, but there was no significant increase in procedures performed for speech concerns (P = 0.13). CONCLUSION: Significant increases in referrals for frenotomy and number of frenotomy procedures performed are demonstrated, especially in young infants for feeding concerns. It is unlikely representative of a true increase in the incidence of ankyloglossia, but rather the result of cultural and clinical factors driving referrals and intervention.

Economic evaluation of a multi-disciplinary community-based intervention programme for New Zealand children and adolescents with obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Whanau Pakari, a home-based, 12-month multi-disciplinary child obesity intervention programme was cost-effective when compared with the prior conventional hospital-based model of care. METHODS: Whanau Pakari trial participants were recruited January 2012-August 2014, and randomised to either a high-intensity intervention (weekly sessions for 12 months with home-based assessments and advice, n=100) or low-intensity control (home-based assessments and advice only, n=99). Trial participants were aged 5-16 years, resided in Taranaki, Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ), with a body mass index (BMI) ≥98th centile or BMI >91st centile with weight-related comorbidities. Conventional group participants (receiving paediatrician assessment with dietitian input and physical activity/nutrition support, n=44) were aged 4-15 years, and resided in the same or another NZ centre. The change in BMI standard deviation score (SDS) at 12 months from baseline and programme intervention costs, both at the participant level, were used for the economic evaluation. A limited health funder perspective with costs in 2016 NZ$ was taken. RESULTS: The per child 12-month Whanau Pakari programme costs were significantly lower than in the conventional group. In the low-intensity group, costs were NZ$939 (95% CI: 872, 1007) (US$648) lower than the conventional group. In the high-intensity intervention group, costs were NZ$155 (95% CI: 89, 219) (US$107) lower than in the conventional group. BMI SDS reductions were similar in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: A home-based, multi-disciplinary child obesity intervention had lower programme costs per child, greater reach, with similar BMI SDS outcomes at 12 months when compared with the previous hospital-based conventional model.