Contemporary Review of Submandibular Gland Sialolithiasis and Surgical Management Options.

One of the most common disorders of the salivary glands is obstructive sialolithiasis. Salivary gland obstruction is important to address, as it can significantly impact patient quality of life and can progress to extensive cellulitis and abscess formation if left untreated. For small and accessible stones, conservative therapies often produce satisfactory outcomes. Operative management should be considered when stones are inaccessible or larger in size, and options include sialendoscopy, laser lithotripsy, extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, transoral surgery, and submandibular gland adenectomy. Robotic approaches are also becoming increasingly used for submandibular stone management. The purpose of this review is to summarize the modern-day management of submandibular gland obstructive sialolithiasis with an emphasis on operative treatment modalities. A total of 77 articles were reviewed from PubMed and Embase databases, specifically looking at the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of submandibular sialolithiasis.

The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Facial Plastic Surgery.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become increasingly popular among facial plastic surgery patients. Over the last few decades, there has been a surge in the use of CAM. Despite the increasing prevalence of CAM, patients may feel uncomfortable discussing these therapies with their physicians, and physicians feel under-equipped to engage in meaningful discussions regarding these nontraditional therapies. This article reviews recent literature on the use of CAM for skin treatment in an attempt to provide additional resource. To date, the evidence to support statistically significant symptom improvement with use of non-traditional therapies remains limited. While preliminary data supports essential oil therapy in some cases, the results of the studies investigating other CAM therapies (traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and homeopathy) have been mixed and inconclusive.

Endovascular Embolization for Control of Post-Tonsillectomy Hemorrhage.

Post-operative hemorrhage is a potentially life-threatening complication of tonsillectomy. While standard surgical maneuvers including the use of electrocautery, application of topical hemostatic agents, direct pressure, and suturing of the tonsillar pillars have traditionally been used for the treatment of severe bleeding, endovascular approaches are an important adjunct when other techniques are unsuccessful. Here, we describe the case of a 10-year-old female who presented with severe bleeding four days after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for chronic tonsillitis. She was taken emergently to the operating room where pulsatile bleeding was noted from the right inferior tonsillar pole. Hemostasis could not be achieved using electrocautery despite multiple attempts. The patient was taken for emergent angiography, which demonstrated an irregularity of the right tonsillar artery consistent with arterial vasospasm, and which corresponded to the intraoral site of bleeding localized by the surgeon. Coil embolization of the tonsillar artery was successfully performed, and the patient experienced no further bleeding. We conclude that endovascular embolization of branches of the external carotid artery is an effective treatment for severe post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage in children and should be considered when attempts at surgical control are ineffective. This procedure requires exceptional collaboration between the surgical, radiology, and anesthesia teams.

Innovations in otorhinolaryngology in the age of COVID-19: a systematic literature review.

OBJECTIVE: Otolaryngologists are at increased occupational risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection due to exposure from respiratory droplets and aerosols generated during otologic, nasal, and oropharyngeal examinations and procedures. There have been a variety of guidelines and precautions developed to help mitigate this risk. While many reviews have focused on the personal protective equipment (PPE) and preparation guidelines for surgery in the COVID-19 era, none have focused on the more creative and unusual solutions designed to limit viral transmission. This review aims to fill that need. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Ovid/Medline, and Scopus. METHODS: A comprehensive review of literature was performed on September 28, 2020 using PubMed, Ovid/Medline, and Scopus databases. All English-language studies were included if they proposed or assessed novel interventions developed for Otolaryngology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. RESULTS: A total of 41 papers met inclusion criteria and were organized into 5 categories ('General Recommendations for Otolaryngologic Surgery', 'Equipment Shortage Solutions', 'Airway Procedures', 'Nasal Endoscopy and Skull Base Procedures', and 'Otologic Procedures'). Articles were summarized, highlighting the innovations created and evaluated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Creative solutions such as application of topical viricidal agents, make-shift mask filters, three-dimensional (3-D) printable adapters for headlights, aerosol containing separation boxes, and a variety of new draping techniques have been developed to limit the risk of COVID-19 transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent risk of COVID-19 exposure remains high. Thus, there is an increased need for solutions that mitigate the risk of viral transmission during office procedures and surgeries, especially given that most COVID-19 positive patients present asymptomatically. This review examines and organizes creative solutions that have been proposed and utilized in the otolaryngology. These solutions have a potential to minimize the risk of viral transmission in the current clinical environment and to create safer outpatient and operating room conditions for patients and healthcare staff.

Virtual Dysphagia Evaluation: Practical Guidelines for Dysphagia Management in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

With encouraging signs of pandemic containment nationwide, the promise of return to a full range of clinical practice is on the horizon. Clinicians are starting to prepare for a transition from limited evaluation of emergent and urgent complaints to resumption of elective surgical procedures and routine office visits within the next few weeks to months. Otolaryngology as a specialty faces unique challenges when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic due to the fact that a comprehensive head and neck examination requires aerosol-generating endoscopic procedures. Since the COVID-19 pandemic is far from being over and the future may hold other highly communicable infectious threats that may require similar precautions, standard approaches to the clinical evaluation of common otolaryngology complaints will have to be modified. In this communication, we present practical recommendations for dysphagia evaluation with modifications to allow a safe and comprehensive assessment.

Salivary gland disease in the era of COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced significant changes in current approach to outpatient evaluation of common otolaryngology complaints as hospitals around the world are trying to limit the spread of the virus and to preserve health care resources. These changes raise a lot of questions regarding patient triage and treatment decisions in clinical situations when it is unclear if the workup and management can be postponed. In this communication, we present our approach to evaluation and triage of new patients with complaints concerning for salivary gland disease.

Airway Surgery Communication Protocol: A Quality Initiative for Safe Performance of Jet Ventilation.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether manual jet ventilation can safely be performed with variable anesthesia and operating room (OR) staff experience levels and communication skills. METHODS: Jet ventilation procedures for airway stenosis at a single institution over 35 months were retrospectively reviewed. OR and anesthesia staff were assigned scores based on experience level and communication skills. Data were analyzed for any association between the experience or communication skills of the staff and the successful use of jet ventilation, complication rate, or ultimate patient outcome, controlling for intraoperative variables and patient and airway complexity. A detailed preoperative surgeon-led communication protocol was followed in all cases. RESULTS: Seventy procedures in 46 patients were performed. Jet ventilation was successful in 69 of 70 cases. No relationship was found between staff experience or communication scores and the successful use of jet ventilation, complication rate, or ultimate patient outcome. The percentage of cases performed with a fully experienced team was low, at 7.1%. The experience level of the certified registered nurse anesthetist was significantly associated with likelihood of using an adequate paralytic dose upfront (P = 0.017), which in turn correlated with shorter anesthesia time by 19.7 minutes (P = 0.0131); however, neither affected complication rate nor ultimate patient outcome. The statements above remained true in cases of medically complex patients, difficult airways with high degrees of stenosis, and multiple shift changes. CONCLUSIONS: Manual jet ventilation can be performed safely even in settings of lower staff experience level or communication skills given a surgeon experienced in the technique and a strict communication protocol. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 130:S1-S13, 2020.

Lateral Neck Radiography in Preoperative Evaluation of Adenoid Hypertrophy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of lateral neck radiographs in quantifying adenoid hypertrophy to help guide treatment decisions in patients with symptoms of nasal obstruction. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. METHODS: Quantitative radiologic grading of adenoids was correlated with the intraoperative grading to select cases in agreement between the two methods. The percent airway obstruction was calculated as a ratio of adenoid size to the size of the nasopharyngeal airway near the level of the choanae on the lateral neck radiographs for adenoidectomy cases in which radiographic and intraoperative grading of adenoid size were in agreement. RESULTS: A total of 426 adenoidectomy cases with preoperative lateral neck radiographs were reviewed (M:F = 254:172 for age range 9 months to 16 years), and only cases in agreement between radiographic and intraoperative adenoid grading were included in radiographic analysis (N = 234). The percent airway obstruction values were significantly different between "severely obstructive" (N = 137, mean = 94.71, SD = 6.55, range [72.00; 100.00]) and "moderately obstructive" adenoid categories (N = 97, mean = 78.53, SD = 6.91, range [63.67; 98.08]), not only within clinically relevant age groups (1-3 years, 4-7 years, 8-15 years), but also for the entire data set (95% CI [14.41; 17.95], P < .0001). "Mildly obstructive" category was omitted due to small sample size (N = 4). CONCLUSION: Lateral neck radiographs can provide useful supplemental information on the degree of nasopharyngeal airway obstruction when other clinical findings do not clearly point toward adenoid hypertrophy as a primary cause of nasal obstruction. In our data set, a 65% nasopharyngeal airway obstruction represents a value two standard deviations below the mean for "moderately" obstructive adenoid category, and can be viewed as a simplified cut-off to indicate that the degree of adenoid enlargement is clinically relevant. This cut-off value can assist in evaluation of patients with symptoms of nasal obstruction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Long-Term Voice and Swallowing Outcomes for Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer Following Primary or Adjuvant Chemoradiation.

OBJECTIVE: Chemoradiation (CRT) for nonlaryngeal head and neck cancer (HNC) can lead to voice and swallowing dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to examine voice and swallowing from the patient's perspective at least 5 years after treatment. DESIGN: Patient survey. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients treated with primary or adjuvant CRT at least 5 years ago (mean = 10.7 years, SD = 5.5, range, 5-28) completed a survey created based on previously validated questionnaires (the Patient Perception of Swallowing Function Questionnaire, PPSFQ; the Eating Assessment Tool, EAT-10; the Voice Handicap Index, VHI-10; the Voice Related Quality of Life, V-RQOL). RESULTS: Patients reported some voice and swallowing dysfunction (39% of V-RQOL scores in categories of fair, poor, or worst possible and 32% of VHI-10 scores ≥20 or greater than 50% of the maximum; 39% of PPSFQ scores greater than 50% of the maximum and 32% of EAT-10 scores ≥20 or 50% of the maximum). There was a correlation between V-RQOL and VHI-10 scores (Pearson product moment correlation coefficient r = .96, calculated probability value p = 0), PPSFQ and EAT-10 scores (r = 0.87, p = 0.8 × 10-8), as well as between V-RQOL and PPSFQ/EAT-10 scores (r = .94, p = 0), VHI-10 and PPSFQ/EAT-10 scores (r = .97, p = 0). CONCLUSIONS: Perceived voice and swallowing dysfunction following CRT for nonlaryngeal HNC can persist or worsen beyond 5 years.

Post-tonsillectomy taste dysfunction: Myth or reality?

Lingual branches of the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN Ⅸ) are at risk of injury during tonsillectomy due to their proximity to the muscle layer of the palatine tonsillar bed. However, it is unclear how often this common surgery leads to taste disturbances. We conducted a literature search using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, PsychInfo, and Ovid Medline to evaluate the available literature on post-tonsillectomy taste disorders. Studies denoting self-reported dysfunction, as well as those employing quantitative testing, i.e., chemogustometry and electrogustometry, were identified. Case reports were excluded. Of the 8 original articles that met our inclusion criteria, only 5 employed quantitative taste tests. The highest prevalence of self-reported taste disturbances occurred two weeks after surgery (32%). Two studies reported post-operative chemical gustometry scores consistent with hypogeusia. However, in the two studies that compared pre- and post-tonsillectomy test scores, one found no difference and the other found a significant difference only for the left rear of the tongue 14 days post-op. In the two studies that employed electrogustometry, elevated post-operative thresholds were noted, although only one compared pre- and post-operative thresholds. This study found no significant differences. No study employed a normal control group to assess the influences of repeated testing on the sensory measures. Overall, this review indicates that studies on post-tonsillectomy taste disorders are limited and ambiguous. Future research employing appropriate control groups and taste testing procedures are needed to define the prevalence, duration, and nature of post-tonsillectomy taste disorders.

Role of Leukocyte-Platelet-Rich Fibrin in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery Defect Reconstruction.

Objective Advancements in endoscopic endonasal approaches have increased the extent and complexity of skull base resections, in turn demanding the development of novel techniques for skull base defect reconstruction. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of leukocyte-platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) on the postoperative healing after endoscopic skull base surgery. Methods Between January and May of 2015, 47 patients underwent endoscopic endonasal resection of sellar, parasellar, and suprasellar lesions with the application of L-PRF membranes during the skull base reconstruction at two surgical centers. Early postoperative records were retrospectively reviewed. Results We found that 21 days following the surgery, 17/41 patients (42%) demonstrated improvement in the crusting score as compared with their 7 day postoperative examination. Ten of these patients (23%) showed no crusting. Fourteen (34%) patients had no change in the crusting score. Six patient records were incomplete. A total of 4/47 cases (8.5%) had postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak requiring surgical repair. Conclusion This study demonstrates the potential utility of L-PRF membranes for skull base defect reconstruction. Future studies will be conducted to better assess the role of L-PRF in endoscopic skull base surgery.

Rate of new findings in diagnostic office bronchoscopy.

OBJECTIVES: Awake Flexible Tracheobronchoscopy (FTB) is an alternative to rigid bronchoscopy or sedated flexible bronchoscopy and allows an awake examination of the tracheobronchial tree. We hypothesized that the ability to perform office bronchoscopy as the need arises during a clinic visit would lead to a high rate of previously undiagnosed and clinically relevant findings. This study reports the rate and nature of such findings for this procedure at our institution. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. METHODS: The records of 127 adult patients evaluated at the voice and swallowing disorders clinic between June of 2012 and January of 2015 were reviewed. New findings were defined as new pathology visualized during FTB exam that was not previously diagnosed by means of other diagnostic modalities. RESULTS: A total of 233 scope procedures (84 transnasal bronchoscopies and 149 tracheoscopies) were reviewed, 232 of which were completed and one of which was incomplete due to severe subglottic stenosis. New, clinically relevant findings were seen in 57% of transnasal bronchoscopies (48 of 84) and 21% of tracheoscopies (32 of 149). All of these findings provided additional information directing workup or resulted in a change in patient management. CONCLUSION: Office-based evaluation of the tracheobronchial tree yields a high rate of new findings. In our study, office bronchoscopy had a 57% rate of new findings and was performed without complications. The utility of tracheoscopy was also apparent in its ability to quickly and safely examine the trachea, with a 21% rate of new findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 127:1376-1380, 2017.

Role of 18 F-FDG PET/CT differentiating olfactory neuroblastoma from sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the potential contribution of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) to help differentiate olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) from sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC). METHODS: Following approval by the institutional review board at the Wexner Medical Center at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, a pilot study with retrospective review of patients with biopsy-proven diagnosis of ONB s and SNUC s was conducted. Staging PET/CT scans were reviewed to document the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). A statistical comparison of SUVmax was performed. RESULTS: We identified 13 patients (7 with ONBs and 6 with SNUCs) with mean age 60.2 years who had undergone staging F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18 F-FDG) PET/CT of the primary tumor at the time of their diagnosis. Mean SUVmax was found to be five-fold higher in SNUC patients (35.63, range 10.8-77.9) than in ONB patients (7.24, range 4.6-10.7) (P ≤ 0.00169). CONCLUSION: Maximum standardized uptake value of 18 F-FDG PET/CT can be used to initially discriminate between ONB and SNUC. This finding may prove helpful to guide diagnostic and treatment planning when the histopathologic diagnosis is inconclusive. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 2016 127:321-324, 2017.

Sinonasal Carcinomas with Neuroendocrine Features: Histopathological Differentiation and Treatment Outcomes.

Objectives Sinonasal cancers with neuroendocrine features share similar clinical, radiological, and histopathological features; however, these tumors often exhibit varying degrees of aggressive behavior presenting significant treatment challenges. The objective of this study was to report our experience with these rare malignancies and to present a review of current literature. Methods Following institutional review board approval, the records of all patients with biopsy-proven sinonasal malignancies over a 5-year period were reviewed. Results The study included 14 patients with olfactory neuroblastomas (ONBs), 7 patients with sinonasal undifferentiated carcinomas (SNUC), and 2 patients with sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinomas (SNEC). Histopathologic markers aided in final diagnosis, but showed variable specificity. In patients with sufficient follow-up, the 2-year disease-free survival rate was 81% (9/11) for ONB and 75% (3/4) for SNUC. Three patients developed a regional or distant recurrence (two with ONBs and one with SNUC). Two patients, one with SNEC and one with ONB, succumbed to brain radionecrosis related to proton radiation therapy. Conclusions Overlapping clinical and histopathological features in poorly differentiated sinonasal cancers with neuroendocrine features continue to present a diagnostic challenge. Individualized assessment and treatment strategies can improve the accuracy of the initial assessment and the treatment outcomes.

Can PFTS Differentiate PVFMD From Subglottic Stenosis?

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the results of routine spirometry and flow volume loops (Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs)) can be used to distinguish Paradoxic Vocal Fold Movement Disorder (PVFMD) from Subglottic Stenosis (SGS). METHODS: PFT records and medical history of 49 patients with diagnosis of PVFMD and 39 patients with SGS were compared. Groups were then subdivided to compare PFTs in patients with and without smoking history or lung disease. RESULTS: Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and Expiratory Disproportion Index (ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) over PEFR (FEV1/PEFR)) were both significantly different between patients with SGS and those with PVFMD (p<0.02). FEV1 was also significantly different, but only in the patients with no smoking history or lung disease (p<0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that spirometry can be a valuable tool in distinguishing SGS from PVFMD. Previous studies have shown the utility of PFTs for distinguishing SGS from pulmonary pathology, but this is the first study to exploit PFTs for distinction of SGS from PVFMD. Given that the flexible laryngoscopic exam used to diagnose PVFMD does not always visualize the subglottis completely, PFTs can be used to increase suspicion of SGS and direct further work-up.