A Prospective Survey of the Incidence of Cranial and Cervical Nerve Injuries After Carotid Surgery.

BACKGROUND: To prospectively evaluate the involvement of the cranial nerves and cervical plexus branches during carotid surgery and to look for risk factors. METHODS: All patients (n = 50) undergoing carotid endarterectomy between June 1st and October 31st, 2016 in our center were evaluated prospectively. A complete neurological examination was done before the intervention then daily until hospital discharge, and then at 2 months, 6 months and 1 year. A nasal endoscopy was systematically performed postoperatively before discharge by an ear, nose, and throat specialist. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients (52%) had at least one damaged nerve immediately after surgery. There were 15 cases involving the VII nerve (30%), 12 the C2-C3 branches (24%), 7 the XII nerve (14%), and 2 the X nerve (4%). At 2 months, 6 months, and 1 year, 22%, 16%, and 8% of lesions remained, respectively. We found no independent factor for nerve damage at 6 months or 1 year. In the case of dysphonia and/or dysphagia without recurrent nerve paralysis, 6 hematomas and 7 laryngeal edemas were identified under nasal endoscopy and all healed without sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study showed cranial and cervical nerve injury to be much more frequent than expected in the short-term, when assessed by independent ear, nose, and throat and nasal endoscopy exam. Though mainly transient, these lesions can cause post-operative functional discomfort and must be disclosed preoperatively to the patient, in view of the judicialization of health care.

Cranial nerve injuries in patients with moderate to severe head trauma - Analysis of 91,196 patients from the TraumaRegister DGU® between 2008 and 2017.

OBJECTIVE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) constitutes a major cause of trauma-related disability and mortality. The epidemiology and implications of associated cranial nerve injuries　(CNI)　in moderate to severe TBI are largely unknown. We aimed to determine the incidence of CNI in a large European cohort of TBI patients as well as clinical differences between TBI cases with and without concomitant CNI (CNI vs. control group) by means of a multinational trauma registry. METHODS: The TraumaRegister DGU® was evaluated for trauma patients with head injuries ≥ 2 Abbreviated Injury Scale, who had to be treated on intensive care units after emergency admission to European hospitals between 2008 and 2017. CNI and control cases were compared with respect to demographic, clinical, and outcome variables. RESULTS: 1.0% (946 of 91,196) of TBI patients presented with additional CNI. On average, CNI patients were younger than control cases (44.3 ± 20.6 vs. 51.8 ± 23.0 years) but did not differ regarding sex distribution (CNI 69.4% males vs. control 69.1%). Traffic accidents were encountered more frequently in CNI cases (52.3% vs. 46.7%; p < 0.001; chi-squared test) and falls more commonly in the control group (45.2% vs. 37.1%; p < 0.001). CNI patients suffered more frequently from concomitant face injuries (28.2% vs. 17.5%; p < 0.001) and skull base fractures (51.0% vs. 23.5%; p < 0.001). Despite similar mean Injury Severity Score (CNI 21.8 ± 11.3; control 21.1 ± 11.7) and Glasgow Coma Scale score (CNI 10.9 ± 4.2, control 11.1 ± 4.4), there was a considerably higher proportion of anisocoria in CNI patients (20.1% vs. 11.2%; p < 0.001). Following primary treatment, 50.8% of CNI and 35.5% of control cases showed moderate to severe disability (Glasgow Outcome Scale score 3-4; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: CNI rarely occur in the context of TBI. When present, they indicate a higher likelihood of functional impairment following primary care and complicating skull base fractures should be suspected.

Editor's Choice - Early and Late Outcomes after Transcarotid Revascularisation for Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Transcarotid/transcervical revascularisation (TCAR) is an alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and transfemoral carotid stenting (tfCAS). This review aimed to evaluate pooled data on patients undergoing TCAR. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were used. REVIEW METHODS: This systematic review was conducted under Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Eligible studies (published online up to September 2020) reported 30 day mortality and stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA) rates in patients undergoing TCAR. Data were pooled in a random effects model and weight of effect for each study was also reported. Quality of studies was evaluated according to Newcastle - Ottawa scale. RESULTS: Eighteen studies (three low, seven medium, and eight high quality) included 4 852 patients (4 867 TCAR procedures). The pooled 30 day mortality rate was 0.7% (n = 32) (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.5 - 1.0), 30 day stroke rate 1.4% (n = 62) (95% CI 1.0 - 1.7), and 30 day stroke/TIA rate 2.0% (n = 92) (95% CI 1.4 - 2.7). Pooled technical success was 97.6% (95% CI 95.9 - 98.8). The cranial nerve injury rate was 1.2% (95% CI 0.7 - 1.9) (n = 14; data from 10 studies) while the early myocardial infarction (MI) rate was 0.4% (95% CI 0.2 - 0.6) (n = 16; data from 17 studies). The haematoma/bleeding rate was 3.4% (95% CI 1.7 - 5.8) (n = 135; data from 10 studies), with one third of these cases needing drainage or intervention. Within a follow up of 3 - 40 months the restenosis rate was 4% (95% CI 0.1 - 13.1) (data from nine studies; n = 64/530 patients) and death/stroke rate 4.5% (95% CI 1.8 - 8.4) (data from five studies; n = 184/3 742 patients). Symptomatic patients had a higher risk of early stroke/TIA than asymptomatic patients (2.5% vs. 1.2%; odds ratio 1.99; 95% CI 1.01 - 3.92); p = .046; data from eight studies). CONCLUSION: TCAR is associated with promising early and late outcomes, with symptomatic patients having a higher risk of early cerebrovascular events. More prospective comparative studies are needed in order to verify TCAR as an established alternative treatment technique.

Surgical Management of Carotid Body Tumor and Risk Factors of Postoperative Cranial Nerve Injury.

BACKGROUND: To identify risk factors of postoperative cranial nerve injury (CNI) following surgical treatment of a carotid body tumor (CBT) by retrospective analysis of the data during the past decade in our center. METHODS: From May 2008 to September 2018, patients who underwent CBT resections at the Department of Vascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, were included in the study. Demographic, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data of patients were collected and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors of CNI. RESULTS: A total of 203 CBTs were excised in 196 patients; 17.7% was classified as Shamblin I, 59.1% as Shamblin II, and 23.2% as Shamblin III. CNI after surgery occurred in 57 (28.1%) patients. Postoperative CNI, external carotid artery (ECA) ligation, internal carotid artery (ICA) reconstruction, tumor volume, and established blood loss (EBL) were significantly correlated with Shamblin classification. On univariate analysis, there were statistically significant differences in Shamblin classification (p = 0.002), tumor volume (p = 0.014), number of lymph nodes removed (NOLNR) (p < 0.001), and EBL (p = 0.019) between two groups (with and without CNI after surgery). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between CNI and Shamblin III (AOR, 4.744; 95% CI, 1.21-18.56; p = 0.025) and NOLNR (AOR, 0.25; 95% CI, 1.23-1.46 for each three-interval increase, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Shamblin III and NOLNR are independent risk factors of CNI for patients who undergo CBT resections.

Clinical outcomes of radiation-induced carotid stenosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical outcomes of radiation-induced carotid stenosis are still unclear. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis is needed to evaluate the short- and long-term outcomes after interventions to treat radiation-induced carotid stenosis. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched from 1 January 2000 for relevant RCTs and observational studies which reported outcomes after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) for carotid stenosis induced by radiation. Risk of bias were assessed through different scales according to study design. I2 statistic were used to evaluate the heterogeneity, and meta-regression were performed to investigate the source of heterogeneity. Visual inspection of funnel plots was used to judge publication bias. RESULTS: A total of 26 studies with 1002 patients were included. CEA was performed in 364 patients and CAS in 638 patients. The overall estimated rate of short-term stroke was 0.19% (95% CI: 0-0.90%), and the rate of long-term stroke was 2.68 % (95% CI: 1.19-4.57%). The rate of cranial nerve injury in CEA group was significantly higher than that in CAS group [risk ratio (RR): 6.03, 95% CI: 1.63-22.22, P = .007]. The univariate regression analysis showed that the risk of stroke in CAS group were significantly higher than CEA group in both short- and long-term [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 3.62, 95% CI: 1.21-10.85, P = 0.22; IRR: 2.95, 95% CI: 1.02-8.59, P = .046, respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review provided the worldwide profile of outcome of treatment for radiation-induced carotid stenosis, and also found that CEA can yield better results for these patients than CAS. Nonetheless, as large-scale studies have not yet been conducted, and there is a definite need for further studies in the future.

Comparison of translabyrinthine and retrosigmoid approach for treating vestibular schwannoma: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To date, the literature directly comparing the translabyrinthine approach and retrosigmoid approach in the operation of patients with vestibular schwannoma was limited. We aimed to evaluate postoperative complications between translabyrinthine approach and retrosigmoid approach for treating vestibular schwannoma patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Potential publications were selected from PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. Gray relevant studies were manually searched. We set the searching time spanning from the creation date of electronic engines to February 2020. STATA version 12.0 was exerted to process the pooled data. RESULTS: A total of 9 literature included in the study, involving 2429 patients, hails from the Germany, USA, Canada, Italy, and France. Of these 2429 patients with vestibular schwannoma, there were 1628 cases from the translabyrinthine approach group versus 801 cases from the retrosigmoid approach group. The results demonstrated that the translabyrinthine approach group was associated with a lower rate of tinnitus (OR = 2.687; 95 %CI, 1.167-6.191; P = 0.02) and cranial nerve deficit (OR = 2.946; 95 %CI, 1.562-5.557; P = 0.001). And the translabyrinthine approach group was associated with a higher total resection rate (OR = 0.246; 95 %CI (0.071-0.848); P = 0.026). However, no statistic differences were found in the incidence of the near total (OR = 0.751; P = 0.351), subtotal resection (OR = 3.664; P = 0.109), postoperative facial nerve dysfunctions (OR, 0.763; P = 0.626), postoperative meningitis (OR = 2.7; P = 0.279), cerebrospinal fluid leak (OR = 1.225; P = 0.777), postoperative headache (OR = 1.412; P = 0.339), ophthalmic complications (OR = 0.87; P = 0.59), and vascular complications (OR = 2.501; P = 0.139). CONCLUSION: Based on current evidence, the translabyrinthine approach was associated with a higher rate of total resection and a lower rate of the tinnitus and cranial nerve deficit. But the risk of cranial nerve deficit was clearly affected by the preoperative status. And a translabyrintine approach could imply a complete sensorineural hearing loss, which contribute to the lower rate of postoperative tinnitus. Consequently, more evidence-based researches are needed to supplement this opinion.

Petroclival meningiomas: the risk of post-operative cranial nerve deficits among different surgical approaches-a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The surgical resection of petroclival meningiomas (PCMs) remains a challenge. Both the relationship with neurovascular structures and the deep location of the tumor can affect the extent of resection and the rate of post-operative morbidity. METHODS: The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature examining the rate of new cranial nerve (CN) deficits after resection of PCM. A systematic search of two databases was performed for studies published between 1990 and 2018. Random-effect meta-analysis was used to pool the rate of post-operative CN deficits, mortality rate, and rate of radical resection. RESULTS: We included twelve studies and 334 patients harboring PCM. The overall rate of complete resection was 68% (95% CI 57.9-78.2%; p < 0.01; I2 = 83%). The rate of early and late post-operative CN deficits was the following: 3.8 and 2.7% (III CN), 6.6 and 3% (IV), 7.3 and 5.5% (V CN), 8 and 3.6% (VI CN), 8.9 and 8.9%% (VIII), and 4 and 2.7% (IX-XI CNs) (I2 = 0%, and p < 0.01 for all analyses). The risk of post-operative deficit of the IV CN was higher among the petrosal group (7.6%; I2 = 0% vs 2.1%; I2 = 0%), whereas the impairment of VII CN function was higher among retrosigmoid group (16.6%; I2 = 64.6% vs 11.4%; I2 = 52.8%), but it was transient in the majority of cases. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis provides a detailed overview of post-operative CN deficits ensuing surgical resection of PCMs. These findings should be acknowledged when counseling patients with PCMs regarding the more appropriate approach for their tumor.

Cranial nerve outcomes in regionally recurrent head & neck melanoma after sentinel lymph node biopsy.

OBJECTIVE: Characterize long-term cranial nerve (CN) outcomes following sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) based management for head and neck cutaneous melanoma (HNCM). METHODS: Longitudinal review of HNCM patients undergoing SLNB from 1997-2007. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-six patients were identified, with mean age 53.5 ± 19.0 years, mean Breslow depth 2.52 ± 1.87 mm, and 4.9 years median follow-up. One hundred five (29.4%) patients had SLNB mapping to the parotid basin. Eighteen patients had positive parotid SLNs and underwent immediate parotidectomy / immediate completion lymph node dissection (iCLND), with six possessing positive parotid non-sentinel lymph nodes (NSLNs). Fifty-two of 356 (14.6%) patients developed delayed regional recurrences, including 20 total intraparotid recurrences: five following false negative (FN) parotid SLNB, three following prior immediate superficial parotidectomy, two following iCLND without parotidectomy, and the remaining 12 parotid recurrences had negative extraparotid SLNBs. Parotid recurrences were multiple (4.9 mean recurrent nodes) and advanced (n = 4 extracapsular extension), and all required salvage dissection including parotidectomy. Immediate parotidectomy/iCLND led to no permanent CN injuries. Delayed regional HNCM macrometastasis precipitated 16 total permanent CN injuries in 13 patients: 10 CN VII, five CN XI, and one CN XII deficits. Fifty percent (n = 10) of parotid recurrences caused ≥1 permanent CN deficits. CONCLUSIONS: Regional HNCM macrometastases and salvage dissection confer marked CN injury risk, whereas early surgical intervention via SLNB ± iCLND ± immediate parotidectomy yielded no CN injuries. Further, superficial parotidectomy performed in parotid-mapping HNCM does not obviate delayed intraparotid recurrences, which increase risk of CN VII injury. Despite lack of a published disease-specific survival advantage in melanoma, early disease control in cervical and parotid basins is paramount to minimize CN complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 (retrospective case series) Laryngoscope, 130:1707-1714, 2020.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Presentation and Surgical Management of Patients With Carotid Body Tumours.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to determine the mode of presentation and 30 day procedural risks in 4418 patients with 4743 carotid body tumours (CBTs) undergoing surgical excision. METHODS: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of 104 observational studies. RESULTS: Overall, 4418 patients with 4743 CBTs were identified. The mean age was 47 years, with the majority being female (65%). The commonest presentation was a neck mass (75%), of which 85% were painless. Dysphagia, cranial nerve injury (CNI), and headache were present in 3%, while virtually no one presented with a transient ischaemic attack (0.26%) or stroke (0.09%). The majority (97%) underwent excision, but only 21% underwent pre-operative embolisation. Overall, 27% were Shamblin I CBTs; 44% were Shamblin II; and 29% were Shamblin III. The mean 30 day mortality was 2.29% (95% CI 1.79-2.93). The mean 30 day stroke rate was 3.53% (95% CI 2.91-4.29), while the mean 30 day CNI rate was 25.4% (95% CI 24.5-31.22). The prevalence of persisting CNI at 30 days was 11.15% (95% CI 8.42-14.64). Twelve series (544 patients) correlated 30 day stroke with Shamblin status. Shamblin I CBTs were associated with a 1.89% stroke rate (95% CI 0.92-3.82), increasing to 2.71% (95% CI 1.43-5.07) for Shamblin II CBTs and 3.99% (95% CI 2.34-6.74) for Shamblin III tumours. Twenty-six series (1075 patients) correlated CNI rates with Shamblin status: 3.76% (95% CI 2.62-5.35) for Shamblin I CBTs, 14.14% (95% CI 11.94-16.68) for Shamblin II, and 17.10% (95% CI 14.82-19.65) for Shamblin III tumours. The prevalence of neck haematoma requiring re-exploration was 5.24% (95% CI 3.45-7.91). The proportion of patients with a neck haematoma requiring re-exploration was not reduced by pre-operative embolisation (5.92%; 95% CI 2.56-13.08) vs. no embolisation (5.82%; 95% CI 2.76-11.88). Pre-operative embolisation did not reduce drainage losses (639 mL vs. 653 mL). CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest meta-analysis of outcomes after CBT excision. Procedural risks associated with tumour excision were considerable, especially with Shamblin III tumours where 4% suffered a peri-operative stroke and 17% suffered a CNI.

Carotid Revascularization in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Results from studies comparing carotid artery endarterectomy (CEA) with carotid artery stenting (CAS) in the elderly population are variable in the literature. The objective of this study was to investigate whether CEA or CAS is associated with a better safety profile in older adults (>80 years of age) for treatment of symptomatic and asymptomatic stenosis. METHODS: A random-effects meta-analysis was performed, and the I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Subgroup analyses were performed as needed. RESULTS: Nine studies comprising 5955 patients were included in this meta-analysis. No differences were identified in terms of 30-day stroke (CEA: 5.8% [n = 257/4415]; CAS: 10.5% [n = 81/767]; odds ratio [OR], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30-1.08; I2 = 26.1%), myocardial infarction (MI) (CEA: 1.1% [n = 4/357]; CAS: 0.5% [n = 2/355]; OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 0.37-7.46; I2 = 0%), transient ischemic attack (TIA) (CEA: 0% [n = 0/98]; CAS: 4.2% [n = 7/166]; OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.03-2.52; I2 = 0%), death (CEA: 1.5% [n = 8/523]; CAS: 0.9% [n = 4/431]; OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 0.43-4.58; I2 = 0%), and cranial nerve injury (CEA: 5.8% [n = 3/51]; CAS: 0% [n = 0/51]; OR, 4.74; 95% CI, 0.5-44.98; I2 =0%). A subgroup comparing CEA with transfemoral protected CAS showed that patients in the CEA group had a statistically significant lower risk of 30-day stroke (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.17-0.57; I2 = 30.8%). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that CEA is associated with a statistically significant lower risk of 30-day stroke in the elderly population compared with transfemoral CAS with distal or proximal protection. No differences were noted in the rates of periprocedural TIA, MI, death, and cranial nerve injury between CEA and CAS in the original pooled analysis.

Iatrogenic neurological injury in children with trisomy 21.

PURPOSE: Children with trisomy 21 are at a greater risk for craniocervical junction instability than the general population. These children frequently require administration of anesthesia due to surgical (including otolaryngological) interventions and are at risk for neurological injury. We reviewed the current literature describing iatrogenic neurological injury in children with trisomy 21 undergoing anesthesia in order to facilitate the development of safety recommendations. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed using Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar, following the PRISMA statement. All cases of perioperative neurological injury in children with trisomy 21, aged 18 and under were identified. Clinical and radiographic data were extracted for each report. The data were synthesized to develop recommendations regarding perioperative management. RESULTS: Of 348 articles screened, 16 cases of iatrogenic neurological injury (in children ages 0.7-18 years) were identified. Three injuries occurred during otolaryngological surgeries, nine during sedation for intubation for non-otolaryngological surgery, one during sedation for neuroimaging, one while restraining a child, and two were due to intraoperative head and neck positioning while anesthetized. Preoperative screening was reported in four cases. A diagnosis of atlantoaxial instability (AAI) or atlantooccipital instability (AOI) was made immediately following symptom presentation in three cases but was often delayed by a median (IQR) of 30(11.5-912.5) days. No cases resolved spontaneously, with 2 patients progressing to brain death and 12 requiring surgical stabilization. Of the latter, seven showed improvement, whereas one died 5 months later. No intraoperative precautions during the index procedure were reported in any of the 16 cases. CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic neurological injury in children with trisomy 21 are rare but severe and likely under reported. Although the role of preoperative screening remains controversial, all children with trisomy 21 undergoing surgery should be considered at risk for neurological injury due to confirmed or undiagnosed AAI or AOI and should be transferred and positioned with appropriate caution. Children with instability should be referred for neurosurgical attention for preoperative stabilization to mitigate perioperative risk. It is imperative to consider the possibility of neurological injury secondary to medical procedures, as it is clear that neck manipulation of any sort places these children at risk.

The surgical treatment of tumors of the fourth ventricle: a single-institution experience.

OBJECTIVE Fourth ventricle tumors are rare, and surgical series are typically small, comprising a single pathology, or focused exclusively on pediatric populations. This study investigated surgical outcome and complications following fourth ventricle tumor resection in a diverse patient population. This is the largest cohort of fourth ventricle tumors described in the literature to date. METHODS This is an 18-year (1993-2010) retrospective review of 55 cases involving patients undergoing surgery for tumors of the fourth ventricle. Data included patient demographic characteristics, pathological and radiographic tumor characteristics, and surgical factors (approach, surgical adjuncts, extent of resection, etc.). The neurological and medical complications following resection were collected and outcomes at 30 days, 90 days, 6 months, and 1 year were reviewed to determine patient recovery. Patient, tumor, and surgical factors were analyzed to determine factors associated with the frequently encountered postoperative neurological complications. RESULTS There were no postoperative deaths. Gross-total resection was achieved in 75% of cases. Forty-five percent of patients experienced at least 1 major neurological complication, while 31% had minor complications only. New or worsening gait/focal motor disturbance (56%), speech/swallowing deficits (38%), and cranial nerve deficits (31%) were the most common neurological deficits in the immediate postoperative period. Of these, cranial nerve deficits were the least likely to resolve at follow-up. Multivariate analysis showed that patients undergoing a transvermian approach had a higher incidence of postoperative cranial nerve deficits, gait disturbance, and speech/swallowing deficits than those treated with a telovelar approach. The use of surgical adjuncts (intraoperative navigation, neurophysiological monitoring) did not significantly affect neurological outcome. Twenty-two percent of patients required postoperative CSF diversion following tumor resection. Patients who required intraoperative ventriculostomy, those undergoing a transvermian approach, and pediatric patients (< 18 years old) were all more likely to require postoperative CSF diversion. Twenty percent of patients suffered at least 1 medical complication following tumor resection. Most complications were respiratory, with the most common being postoperative respiratory failure (14%), followed by pneumonia (13%). CONCLUSIONS The occurrence of complications after fourth ventricle tumor surgery is not rare. Postoperative neurological sequelae were frequent, but a substantial number of patients had neurological improvement at long-term followup. Of the neurological complications analyzed, postoperative cranial nerve deficits were the least likely to completely resolve at follow-up. Of all the patient, tumor, and surgical variables included in the analysis, surgical approach had the most significant impact on neurological morbidity, with the telovelar approach being associated with less morbidity.

Cranial Nerve Injury After Carotid Endarterectomy: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Time Trends.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: To review the incidence of post-carotid endarterectomy (CEA) cranial nerve injury (CNI), and to evaluate the risk factors associated with increased CNI risk. METHODS: The study was a meta-analysis. Pooled rates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for CNIs after primary CEA. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for potential risk factors. A fixed-effects model or a random effects model (Mantel-Haenszel method) was used for non-heterogeneous and heterogeneous data, respectively. Meta-regression analysis was performed to examine the influence of publication year upon CNI rate. RESULTS: Twenty-six articles, published between 1970 and 2015, were included in the meta-analysis, corresponding to 20,860 CEAs. Meta-analysis revealed that the vagus nerve was the most frequently injured cranial nerve (pooled injury rate 3.99%, 95% CI 2.56-5.70), followed by the hypoglossal nerve (3.79%, 95% CI 2.73-4.99). Fewer than one seventh of these injuries are permanent (vagus nerve: 0.57% [95% CI 0.19-1.10]; hypoglossal nerve: 0.15% [95% CI 0.01-0.39]). A statistically significant influence of publication year on the vagus and hypoglossal nerve injury rate was found, with the injury rate having decreased from about 8% to 2% and 1%, respectively, over the last 35 years. Urgent procedures (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.21-2.10; p = .001), as well as return to the operating room for a neurological event or bleeding (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.35-3.61; p = .002) were associated with an increased risk of CNI, whereas no statistically significant association was found between CNIs and the type of anaesthesia, the use of a patch, redo operation, and the use of a shunt. CONCLUSION: The vagus nerve appears to be the most frequently injured cranial nerve after CEA, followed by the hypoglossal nerve, with only a small proportion of these injuries being permanent. The CNI rate has significantly decreased over the past 35 years to a point indicating that CNIs should not be considered a major influencing factor in the decision making process between CEA and stenting.

Sistema olfatorio y nariz en el nuevo baremo médico / Olfactory system and nose in the new medical scale

Los traumatismos nasales son los más frecuentes en los accidentes de tráfico con afectación facial. En el baremo, recogido en la Ley 35/2015 de Reforma del Sistema para la Valoración de los Daños y Perjuicios causados a las personas en accidentes de circulación, la clasificación y la valoración de las secuelas debido a estos traumatismos presentan ligeras modificaciones con relación al baremo anterior, así como la puntuación otorgada a cada una de ellas. Dentro de las secuelas, la desviación del tabique nasal es la más frecuente. La sinusitis debida a alteración en el drenaje de los senos paranasales y las alteraciones en el sentido del olfato por traumatismos de la lámina cribosa del etmoides y lesiones neurológicas tienen menor incidencia, siendo bastante infrecuente la pérdida parcial o total de la nariz (AU)

Nasal traumas are the most frequent in road traffic accidents with facial involvement. In the scale, contained in Law 35/2015 for the modification of the system for the assessment of damages caused to people involved in traffic accidents, the classification and sequels assessment due to these traumas presents slight differences in relation to the preceding scale as well as the score given to each of them. Among the sequels, the nasal septum deviation is the most frequent. Sinusitis due to the alteration in the paranasal sinus drainage and smell disorders owing to trauma of the cribiform plate of the ethmoid bone and neurological injuries have lower incidence, partial or complete nose loss is quite rare (AU)

[Mandibular advancement: bilateral sagittal split versus -distraction osteogenesis]. / Verlenging van de onderkaak: bilaterale sagittale splijtingsosteotomie versus distractieosteogenese.

In the 1990s intra-oral distraction osteogenesis (DO) became available as an alternative for bilateral sagittal splitosteotomy (BSSO) for advancement of the mandible. It was thought that DO would lead to more stability in the results and fewer neurosensory disturbances of the inferior alveolar nerve. However, there was no scientific evidence for this assumption. This article describes a number of recently published, prospective studies that demonstrate that BSSO is not inferior to DO with respect to stability and neurosensory disturbances of the inferior alveolar nerve. They also demonstrate that BSSO leads to less pain in patients and to lower total costs. It can be concluded that BSSO should be considered the standard therapy for mandibular advancement up to 10 mm in non-syndromal patients.

Carotid Body Tumor: Clinical Features.

Although carotid body tumor (CBT) is a rare neoplasm, it should always be considered in differential diagnosis of lateral neck masses. We shared the 10 years of CBT experience in our clinic and started a discussion on CBT with literature support. A total of 21 patients with CBT diagnosis in Firat University Hospital, Otorhinolaryngology Clinic, participated in the study. Patients were evaluated based on demographical data and particularities of the tumor. Participant patients were 19 women and 2 men, and their ages were between 21 and 79 (mean age 54.06 ± 12.48). The most frequent reason for the patients to apply to the hospital was painless swelling in the neck (76.2%). Tumor was located in the right side of the neck in 10 patients (47.6%), and in the left side of the neck in 11 (52.4%). Twenty patients (95.2%) had undergone computerized tomography angiography. Surgical treatment was applied to 19 patients (90.5%) and the tumor was totally excised. According to Shamblin classification, 15 of the tumors of these patients were class II (78.9%) and 4 were class III (21.1%). In 1 patient (5.3%), postoperative contusion infection that recovered after medical treatment was observed; in 2 patients (10.5%), n. vagus injury was observed because of tumor's pervasion of n. vagus; and in 1 of these patients vocal cord paralysis was developed and this patient was later taken into thyroplasty surgery. Two patients (10.5%) suffered n. hypoglossus injury, 1 of these recovered within 3 months postoperative and the other developed n. hypoglossus palsy. The size and extension of the tumor should be determined by preoperative imaging for the correct planning of surgical procedure. It should be taken into consideration that despite advanced surgical techniques, the rate of postoperative cranial nerve damage is still high.

Hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for benign intracranial tumours of the cavernous sinus.

We present our experience with hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HSRT) using 15 fractions to treat benign conditions of the cavernous sinus (CS) and emphasise the outcome in terms of cranial nerve (CN) function and toxicity for long term safety and efficacy. We performed a retrospective review of prospectively collected data on 112 patients with benign tumours of the CS treated with HSRT between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2009. While all tumours involved the CS, a separate analysis was undertaken for meningiomas and pituitary adenomas. The median follow-up was 77 months (range: 2.3-177). Fifty-seven patients (51%) had a diagnosis of meningioma and 55 (49%) had pituitary adenomas. Prior to HSRT, 82 patients (73%) underwent microsurgery. The median tumour volume was 6.6 cm(3) for meningiomas and 3.4 cm(3) for pituitary adenomas (interquartile range: 2.8-7.9), and the mean prescribed dose was 38 Gy (range: 37.5-40.0) to the tumour margin, delivered in 15 fractions. After HSRT, 57% of all preexisting cranial neuropathies either resolved or improved and 38% remained stable, whereas 5% deteriorated. The diagnosis of meningioma was the only variable associated with recovery of cranial neuropathy (p<0.001). Permanent CN complications occurred in three patients (3%). The 5 and 10 year actuarial freedom from progression for patients with meningiomas was 98% and 93%, respectively, and for patients with pituitary adenomas this was 96% and 96%, respectively. We demonstrate low rates of CN morbidity after HSRT and the possibility of resolution or improvement in CN function for common histologies involving the CS.

Risk factors for cranial nerve injury after carotid endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Although numerous studies have described the incidence of postoperative cranial nerve injury (CNI) after carotid endarterectomy (CEA), there have been few attempts to identify risk factors for this complication. METHODS: The 2012 CEA-targeted American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to determine the incidence of CNI after CEA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of CNI after CEA, using a comprehensive array of patient-, carotid disease-, and procedure-related factors as potential predictor variables. RESULTS: Of the 3762 CEA patients who were included in our analysis, 84 (2.2%) were noted to have sustained CNI in the first 30 days after their operation. Independent predictors of this complication included age ≥80 years (reference group, <70 years; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] for CNI, 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-3.03; P = .05), presence of a preoperative bleeding disorder (including patients in whom preoperative nonaspirin anticoagulation therapy was not stopped before CEA; AOR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.03-2.68; P = .04), duration of operation (AOR, 1.15 for each 30-minute interval beyond an operative time of 90 minutes; 95% CI, 1.06-1.25; P = .001), and need for reoperation (AOR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.03-6.80; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates clinically evident CNI to be a relatively uncommon event after CEA at institutions that participate in the CEA-targeted American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and identifies four separate factors that are independently associated with an increased risk of CNI.