Characterizing the Online Discourse on Facial Paralysis: What Patients Are Asking and Where They Find Answers.

Background: With the rising popularity of online search tools, patients seeking information on facial palsy are increasingly turning to the Internet for medical knowledge. Objective: To categorize the most common online questions about Bell's palsy or facial paralysis and the sources that provide answers to those queries. Methods: Query volumes for terms pertaining to facial palsy were obtained using Google Search trends. The top 40 keywords associated with the terms "Bell's palsy" and "facial paralysis" were extracted. People Also Ask (PAA) Questions-a Google search engine response page feature-were used to identify the top questions associated with each keyword. Results: A total of 151 PAA Questions pertaining to the top 40 keywords associated with "Bell's palsy" and "facial paralysis" were identified. Etiology questions were most frequent (n = 50, 33.1%), meanwhile those pertaining to treatment were most accessible (119.5 average search engine response pages/question, 35.5%). Most sources were academic (n = 81, 53.6%). Medical practice group sites were most accessible (211.9 average search engine response pages/website, 44.8%). Conclusion: Most PAA questions pertained to etiology and were sourced by academic sites. Questions regarding treatment and medical practice sites appeared on more search engine response pages when compared with all other categories.

Reanimation of the Lower Lip with the Anterior Belly of Digastric Transfer: A Systematic Review.

Background: Dynamic reanimation of the lower lip is a challenging issue for patients, with depressor asymmetry commonly addressed with chemodenervation, selective neurectomy, or myectomy. Objective: To determine whether the anterior belly of digastric transfer is an effective method of lower-lip reanimation for patients with either isolated marginal mandibular branch weakness or inadequate depressor function after hemifacial reanimation, as measured by patient satisfaction and objective symmetry evaluation. Method: Systematic review of the literature was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Abstracts and full texts were reviewed. A Risk of Bias assessment was performed. Results: Nine studies with 164 patients were included. Anterior belly of digastric transfer was successfully performed in 162 patients. Most patients (52%) underwent one-staged reanimation innervated by the native nerve to the mylohyoid. A two-staged approach after placement of a cross face nerve graft was performed in 46%. Patient satisfaction was excellent (90.6%), with minimal complications including revision (4/162), infection (4/162), and lipofilling (8/162). Conclusion: In patients seeking a permanent outcome, use of an anterior belly of digastric transfer in either a one-stage or two-stage approach appears to be a safe and effective method to restore symmetry and dynamic function.

Facial Reanimation After Intratemporal Facial Nerve Schwannoma Resection: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To systematically analyze the outcomes of reanimation techniques that have been described for patients undergoing non-fascicle sparing resection of intratemporal facial schwannomas. Methods: A systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines of the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. Results: Eight hundred forty studies were screened with 22 meeting inclusion criteria comprising 266 patients. Most facial nerve reanimations (81.2%) were performed using an interposition nerve graft. The remaining patients underwent hypoglossal-facial nerve transposition (13.9%), primary anastomosis (3.4%), and free muscle transfer (0.1%). Of the reported interposition grafts, the two most utilized were the great auricular (113/199) and sural (86/199) nerves. Interposition nerve grafts resulted in significantly better outcomes in facial nerve function postoperatively than hypoglossal-facial transposition (3.48 vs. 3.92; p < 0.01). There was no difference between interposition grafts. Conclusion: This study systematically reports that interposition nerve grafts, after resection of intratemporal facial schwannoma, result in superior outcomes than hypoglossal-facial nerve transposition in these patients.

Deformity, etiology, solution, sequence (DESS): Facial analysis in rhinoplasty.

PURPOSE: Rhinoplasty is amongst the most challenging surgeries to perfect and can take decades. This process begins during residency; however, residents often have limited exposure to rhinoplasty during their training and lack a standardized method for systematically analyzing and formulating a surgical plan. The DESS (Deformity, Etiology, Solution, Sequence) is a novel educational format for residents that serves to increase their pre-operative comfort with the surgical evaluation and intraoperative planning for a rhinoplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative study performed at a tertiary academic institution with an otolaryngology residency program evaluating three consecutive residency classes comprised of four residents per class. A 9-item questionnaire was distributed to measure change in resident comfort after utilizing the DESS during their facial plastics rotation. Questionnaire responses highlighted resident comfort with facial nasal analysis, identifying deformities, suggesting surgical maneuvers, and synthesizing a comprehensive surgical plan. RESULTS: Ten of the twelve residents surveyed responded. Of those that responded, comfort in facial nasal analysis, identification of common nasal deformities, surgical planning, and development of an overall surgical plan were significantly improved after completion of the facial plastic rotation. These residents largely attributed their success to the systematic educational format, with an average score of 4.8/5.0 (SD 0.42). CONCLUSION: While rhinoplasty is a challenging artform to master, systematic approaches to analysis and operative planning are vital for teaching and guiding residents. Through this novel methodology, residents display significant improvement in their comfort with facial nasal analysis and overall surgical preparation.

Episodic Facial Paresis-An Isolated Presenting Symptom of Multiple Sclerosis.

This case report describes a case of a man in his 30s who presented with episodic right lower facial paresis for 10 days and was diagnosede with an episodic, transient pattern of unilateral facial palsy associated with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

Enlargement of Dorello's Canal as a Novel Radiographic Marker of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.

Objectives The objective of this study is to compare the visibility and size of Dorello's canal (DC) on magnetic resonance imaging between patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and control patients, for its evaluation as a potential novel marker for chronic increased intracranial pressure (ICP). Design Retrospective blinded case-control study. Setting Tertiary care academic center. Participants Fourteen patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea and diagnosed IIH, as well as an equal number of age and gender-matched controls. Main Outcome Measures Radiographic presence or absence of visible CSF sleeve within DC as well as CSF sleeve width when present. Results Following review of 28 IIH canals and 28 control canals, IIH patients were significantly more likely to have a visible CSF sleeve within DC and to have a wider measured medial entrance to DC ( p < 0.001). Conclusion Identification of CSF evagination into DC may serve as a reliable marker for increased ICP in the IIH population. This finding should be considered in the future as paradigms for diagnosis of IIH continue to evolve.

Prognostic indicators of survival in sinonasal extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

OBJECTIVES: Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is a highly aggressive tumor of the sinonasal tract associated with poor overall survival (OS). This study expands upon epidemiologic, prognostic, and treatment factors for OS and disease-specific survival (DSS), incorporating newly accessible chemotherapy data. METHODS: Retrospective population-based cohort study performed on cases of sinonasal ENKTL identified through the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis and subsequent multivariate Cox-regression analysis were performed to evaluate prognostic and treatment variables for OS and DSS. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty cases of sinonasal ENKTL were identified. Five-year OS and DSS were 46% and 56%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, higher Ann Arbor stage was associated with worse OS (P < 0.001) and DSS (P < 0.001), whereas administration of radiotherapy was associated with improved OS (P < 0.001) and DSS (P = 0.001). Additionally, a higher age at diagnosis was associated with reduced OS (P = 0.024). Chemotherapy was associated with improved OS (P < .01) and DSS (P = .04) for Ann Arbor stage I disease. Surgery was not associated with improved survival. CONCLUSION: This represents the first study to investigate the use of chemotherapy for the treatment of sinonasal ENKTL using population-based analysis. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy significantly improve survival in all Ann Arbor stage patients and early-stage patients, respectively. Early-stage disease is significantly associated with improved survival. With no established treatment regimen for sinonasal ENKTL, these findings suggest combination chemoradiation is an effective therapy for prolonged survival, especially in early stages of disease. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 129:2675-2680, 2019.

Utilization of emergency department computed tomography and otolaryngology consultation in the diagnosis of pediatric peritonsillar abscess.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether obtaining a computed tomography (CT) scan in the emergency department (ED) is predictive of peritonsillar abscess (PTA) in the pediatric population, and to evaluate for clinical characteristics that may suggest whether a CT is beneficial in the diagnosis of pediatric PTA. METHODS: Single-institution retrospective chart review at Rush University Hospitals. Study included pediatric patients, aged 17 or younger, who presented to the ED with suspected PTA over a 6-year period. Patients received a neck CT and/or an official otolaryngology consultation. Relevant demographic and study parameters were collected and statistically analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: A total of 36 pediatric patients with suspected PTA. Of these, 47.2% (17/36) received a diagnosis of PTA while 52.8% (19/36) received an alternative diagnosis. Patients with PTA were more likely to have trismus (41.2% vs 5.3%; p < .01), uvular deviation (94.1% vs 15.8%; p < .01), and palatal edema (52.9% vs 10.5%; p < .01), compared to patients without PTA. Fewer CT scans were ordered when comparing PTA positive versus negative cohorts (35% vs 63.2%; p = .10), however this was not statistically significant. An otolaryngology consult prior to imaging did significantly reduce the frequency of ordered CT scans (12.5% vs 63.6%; p < .01). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to investigate the benefit of CT imaging in the diagnosis of pediatric PTA and impact of an otolaryngology consult on the frequency of CT scans. Pediatric patients at high risk for PTA based on clinical findings may not require CT imaging for diagnosis. Patients at lower risk may benefit from imaging based on the availability of an otolaryngology consult or expertise of the examiner.

Epidemiologic, prognostic, and treatment factors in sinonasal diffuse large B -cell lymphoma.

OBJECTIVES: To further characterize the epidemiology, prognostic disease-specific factors, and treatment outcomes-including newly available chemotherapy data-for patients with sinonasal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry was queried from 1973 to 2015 for patients with DLBCL of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Demographic and disease parameters were collected. Prognostic disease-specific survival and overall survival factors were evaluated with univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis. Significant variables were analyzed with multivariate Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1,273 cases of DLBCL of the sinonasal tract were identified. Significant differences in age of diagnosis between men (65.3) and women (71.1) existed (P < .01). Most common primary sites of DLBCL were maxillary sinus (36.1%) and nasal cavity (34.5%), with nasal cavity more common among Asian/Pacific Islands (43.4%) and maxillary sinus more common for Caucasians (36.3%) and African Americans (42.1%). Overall survival was 70% at 2 years, 54% at 5 years, and 38% at 10 years. Disease-specific survival was 81%, 73%, and 67%, respectively. Chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.551; P < .001) and radiation therapy (HR: 0.818; P = .012) were associated with improved prognosis, whereas higher Ann Arbor stage worsened prognosis (HR: 1.21; P < .001). Surgical intervention did not significantly impact survival. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to include chemoradiation therapy in population-based analysis of sinonasal DLBCL. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy use significantly improve survival in these patients, whereas Ann Arbor staging is significantly associated with poorer outcomes. The mainstay of treatment for DLBCL should remain combination chemoradiation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 129:1259-1264, 2019.

Medial Collateral Ligament Reconstruction in Patients With Medial Knee Instability: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is the most frequently injured ligament of the knee, but it infrequently requires surgical treatment. Current literature on MCL reconstructions is sparse and offers mixed outcome measures. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of isolated MCL reconstruction and multiligamentous MCL reconstruction. Our hypothesis was that in selective patients, MCL reconstruction would significantly improve objective and subjective patient knee performance measures, those being baseline valgus laxity, range of motion, objective and subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores, Tegner score, and Lysholm knee activity scores. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and utilizing 3 computer-based databases. Studies reporting clinical outcomes of patients undergoing MCL reconstruction due to chronic instability or injury with mean follow-up of at least 2 years and levels of evidence 1 to 4 were eligible for inclusion. All relevant subject demographics and study data were statistically analyzed using 2-sample and 2-proportion z tests. RESULTS: Ten studies involving 275 patients met our inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 46 underwent isolated MCL reconstruction while another 229 underwent reconstruction of the MCL in addition to a variety of concomitant reconstructions. Overall outcomes for all patients were significant for (1) reducing the medial opening of the knee (8.1 ± 1.3 vs 1.4 ± 1.0 mm; P < .001), (2) improving the patient's objective IKDC score (1.2% vs 88.4%; P < .001), (3) improving the patient's subjective IKDC score (49.8 ± 6.9 vs 82.4 ± 9.6; P < .001), and (4) improving the Lysholm knee activity score (69.3 ± 5.9 vs 90.5 ± 6.6; P < .001). No differences existed between concomitant reconstruction groupings except that postoperative Lysholm scores were better for MCL/anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction than MCL/posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (94.3 ± 4.5 vs 84.0 ± 11.7; P < .001). Normal or nearly normal range of motion was obtained by 88% of all patients. CONCLUSION: The systematic review of 10 studies and 275 knees found that the reported patient outcomes after MCL reconstruction were significantly improved across all measures studied, with no significant difference in outcomes between concomitant reconstructions.