Comparative Assessment of Otolaryngology Knowledge Among Large Language Models.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of advanced large language models from OpenAI (GPT-3.5 and GPT-4), Google (PaLM2 and MedPaLM), and an open source model from Meta (Llama3:70b) in answering clinical test multiple choice questions in the field of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. METHODS: A dataset of 4566 otolaryngology questions was used; each model was provided a standardized prompt followed by a question. One hundred questions that were answered incorrectly by all models were further interrogated to gain insight into the causes of incorrect answers. RESULTS: GPT4 was the most accurate, correctly answering 3520 of 4566 questions (77.1%). MedPaLM correctly answered 3223 of 4566 (70.6%) questions, while llama3:70b, GPT3.5, and PaLM2 were correct on 3052 of 4566 (66.8%), 2672 of 4566 (58.5%), and 2583 of 4566 (56.5%) questions. Three hundred and sixty-nine questions were answered incorrectly by all models. Prompts to provide reasoning improved accuracy in all models: GPT4 changed from incorrect to correct answer 31% of the time, while GPT3.5, Llama3, PaLM2, and MedPaLM corrected their responses 25%, 18%, 19%, and 17% of the time, respectively. CONCLUSION: Large language models vary in their understanding of otolaryngology-specific clinical knowledge. OpenAI's GPT4 has a strong understanding of core concepts as well as detailed information in the field of otolaryngology. Its baseline understanding in this field makes it well-suited to serve in roles related to head and neck surgery education provided that the appropriate precautions are taken and potential limitations are understood. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A Laryngoscope, 2024.

Synergistic Anticancer Activity of Plumbagin and Xanthohumol Combination on Pancreatic Cancer Models.

Among diverse cancers, pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive types due to inadequate diagnostic options and treatments available. Therefore, there is a necessity to use combination chemotherapy options to overcome the chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer cells. Plumbagin and xanthohumol, natural compounds isolated from the Plumbaginaceae family and Humulus lupulus, respectively, have been used to treat various cancers. In this study, we investigated the anticancer effects of a combination of plumbagin and xanthohumol on pancreatic cancer models, as well as the underlying mechanism. We have screened in vitro numerous plant-derived extracts and compounds and tested in vivo the most effective combination, plumbagin and xanthohumol, using a transgenic model of pancreatic cancer KPC (KrasLSL.G12D/+; p53R172H/+; PdxCretg/+). A significant synergistic anticancer activity of plumbagin and xanthohumol combinations on different pancreatic cancer cell lines was found. The combination treatment of plumbagin and xanthohumol influences the levels of B-cell lymphoma (BCL2), which are known to be associated with apoptosis in both cell lysates and tissues. More importantly, the survival of a transgenic mouse model of pancreatic cancer KPC treated with a combination of plumbagin and xanthohumol was significantly increased, and the effect on BCL2 levels has been confirmed. These results provide a foundation for a potential new treatment for pancreatic cancer based on plumbagin and xanthohumol combinations.

Reimplantation with a conventional length electrode following residual hearing loss in four hybrid implant recipients.

HYPOTHESIS: Revision surgery using a newer-generation conventional length cochlear implant electrode will provide improved speech perception in patients that initially underwent hybrid electrode implantation and experienced post-operative loss of residual hearing and performance deterioration. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We present four patients who experienced delayed post-operative hearing loss following implantation with the Nucleus Hybrid S8 device and underwent reimplantation with the Nucleus Freedom or Nucleus 5 device using the Contour Advance array. Pure-tone thresholds and speech perception data were retrospectively reviewed. INTERVENTION: Four subjects underwent reimplantation with the Nucleus Freedom or Nucleus 5 device after experiencing deteriorating performance related to delayed acoustic hearing loss. Comparison of pre-revision performance to the most recent post-revision performance demonstrated improved speech perception performance in all subjects following reimplantation. CONCLUSIONS: A small percent of patients will experience a significant loss of residual low-frequency hearing following hybrid implantation thereby becoming completely reliant on a shorter electrode for electrical stimulation. In the current series, reimplantation with a conventional length electrode provided improved speech perception performance in such patients. Revision surgery with a conventional length electrode should be considered in 'short electrode' recipients who experience performance deterioration following loss of residual hearing.

Glabellar flaps in nasal reconstruction.

Reconstruction of nasal defects presents a particularly unique challenge for the surgeon. Complex aesthetic subunits and limited available adjacent mobile skin with varying color, texture, and thickness all contribute to this task. The ideal reconstruction of nasal defects recruits tissue of similar color, texture, and thickness to that of the defect. Two versatile local flaps for nasal reconstruction are the glabellar flap and an extension of the glabellar flap, the dorsal nasal flap. The authors describe the use of these two local flaps for reconstruction of nasal defects and modifications of these procedures for certain indications, as well as their use in medial canthal reconstruction.

Conversion disorder: a missed diagnosis leading to cochlear reimplantation.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of a patient presenting with presumed cochlear implant (CI) device failure that underwent revision surgery and was ultimately diagnosed with conversion disorder. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical capsule report. SETTING: Tertiary academic referral center. PATIENT: A pediatric patient with Waardenburg syndrome underwent unilateral CI at the age of 6 years for bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss. During the following 2 years, the patient experienced subjective symptoms of device malfunction including abnormal sounds and intermittent loss of signal despite external component exchange. The patient subsequently underwent revision surgery only to have persistent intermittent complaints. Given the severity of the symptoms, the patient underwent a second reimplantation procedure. Extensive device testing by our institutional implant program and the manufacturer failed to reveal any causal device defects. INTERVENTIONS AND RESULTS: Given the ongoing but inconsistent subjective complaints and normal device testing, the patient was referred for psychiatric consultation to evaluate for a nonorganic underlying cause. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with conversion disorder and successfully managed with ongoing psychiatric counseling and close follow-up with our CI program. CONCLUSION: This represents the first report of a patient presenting with symptoms of device failure, who underwent revision surgery and was ultimately found to have conversion disorder. Although rare, conversion disorder should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with symptoms of device malfunction and normal integrity testing particularly among those with significant psychosocial stressors or a history of psychiatric illness. Thorough device testing and in-depth psychological evaluation is required for diagnosis, and close multidisciplinary follow-up with the CI team and psychiatrist is crucial.

Surgical management of dysphagia and airway obstruction in patients with prominent ventral cervical osteophytes.

Large projecting ventral cervical osteophytes are associated with senile degenerative skeletal disease, post-traumatic osteophytogenesis, and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). The vast majority of patients with cervical osteophytes are asymptomatic. However, in a small subset this condition may lead to upper aerodigestive compromise manifesting as dysphagia and/or airway obstruction. Conservative medical therapy is usually sufficient, but patients with intractable disease may require surgical intervention, including tracheostomy, feeding tube placement, or osteophytectomy. A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients who presented to a tertiary referral center over a decade (1998-2008) with complaints of dysphagia and/or respiratory compromise and underwent osteophytectomy for treatment of recalcitrant symptoms. A total of nine patients met criteria. Six patients were diagnosed with DISH, two with trauma-associated osteophytogenesis, and one with senile degenerative vertebral disease. The mean age was 68 years and included seven males and two females. All patients had symptoms of dysphagia and two had simultaneous airway complaints. All patients underwent an anterolateral approach for osteophyte decompression, one of which required concurrent tracheostomy. Following surgery, 100% of patients had significant improvement in dysphagia and respiratory complaints. Eight of nine patients returned to an unrestricted diet and only one required postoperative abstinence from bulky foods; both patients with additional airway complaints were successfully decannulated after surgery. Degenerative conditions and DISH may lead to osteophyte-associated dysphagia and/or airway complaints. Surgical decompression through osteophytectomy is an effective alternative to tracheostomy and feeding tube in carefully selected patients and should be considered for surgically fit patients who fail conservative medical management.

B7-H1 expression in vestibular schwannomas.

HYPOTHESIS: B7-H1 is expressed in vestibular schwannomas. BACKGROUND: Little is known about how benign human vestibular schwannomas interact with antibody-mediated or cell-mediated immunity. We report on the aberrant expression of a novel T-cell coregulatory molecule, B7 homolog 1 (B7-H1), in vestibular schwannomas and discuss the implications of B7-H1 expression and tumor aggressiveness and a potential regulator of B7-H1 expression. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for B7-H1, CD8+, CD3+, and CD4+ lymphocytes were performed on 48 fresh-frozen vestibular schwannoma tissue specimens. A clinical review of patient presenting symptoms and tumor characteristics was performed. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine if there was differential expression of B7-H1 messenger RNA and microRNA-513, a known regulator of B7-H1, in several strongly positive and negative B7-H1 vestibular schwannomas. RESULTS: Nine (19%) of 48 tumors were negative, 23 (48%) tumors were 1+ mildly positive (<20% section area), and 16 (33%) stained 2+ strongly positive (>or=20% section area) for B7-H1. The average number of CD8 cells per high-power field was 2.1 for positive-staining tumors and 1.0 for negative tumors (p = 0.16). Failure of tumor control with stereotactic radiation (p = 0.029) was significantly greater in the strongly positive B7-H1 tumors. Real-time polymerase chain reaction did not show significant differential expression of microRNA-513 (p = 0.62) or B7-H1 messenger RNA (p = 0.35) between the tumors showing strong and negative immunohistochemical staining for B7-H1 protein. CONCLUSION: Vestibular schwannoma tumors express B7-H1, which has been associated with immune tolerance and adverse disease characteristics in several malignancies. Growing tumors that were surgically removed after failed stereotactic radiation therapy were significantly more likely to strongly express B7-H1 protein, which lends some credibility to the hypothesis that immuno-evasion may play some role in their continued growth. Although clinical trends were seen, greater statistical power is required to evaluate whether B7-H1 expression correlates with more aggressive tumor growth or poorer hearing class. B7-H1 seems to be expressed in equal amounts at the RNA level in all vestibular schwannoma tumors that suggests that differential protein expression is occurring at the posttranscriptional level. However, microRNA-513 does not regulate B7-H1 protein expression in these tumors.

Under the microscope: assessing surgical aptitude of otolaryngology residency applicants.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Application to otolaryngology residency is a highly competitive process. Programs identify the best candidates by evaluating academic performance in medical school, board scores, research experience, performance during an interview, and letters of recommendation. Unfortunately, none of these metrics completely assess an applicant's capacity to learn and perform surgical skills. We describe a direct assessment of an applicant's ability for rapid surgical skill acquisition, manual dexterity, and response to stress that can be performed during the interview process. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study at an academic otolaryngology residency program. METHODS: After orientation, applicants were seated at a microsurgical training station and allotted 20 minutes to suture an incision using 10-0 nylon suture on a latex practice card. Their performance was graded using a 1-to-5 scoring system for the following categories: microscope use, respect for tissue, instrument handling, knot tying and suture control, skills acquisition, and attitude toward the exercise. Applicants were given some instruction and assessed on their ability to incorporate what they had learned into their technique. RESULTS: The average total applicant score was 23.2, standard deviation (SD) 3.6 (maximum 30); 13.4% of applicants scored <1 SD below the mean, 66.1% scored within 1 SD of the mean, and 20.5% scored >1 SD above the mean. CONCLUSIONS: The value of applicant screening tests in predicting surgical competency is controversial. We describe a direct assessment tool that may prove useful in identifying outliers, both high and low, to aid in final applicant ranking.

Pitfalls of nonstandardized photography.

Accurate, consistent, high-quality photographs of patients before, during, and after surgery are critical for planning and performing surgical procedures, analyzing and documenting surgical outcomes, and educating patients and surgeons. Attaining the necessary high standards of photography and avoiding common pitfalls associated with nonstandardized medical photography requires stringent uniformity in equipment, lighting, room setup, patient positioning, and camera settings.

Prevalence and timing of individual cochlear implant electrode failures.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of individual electrode failures as a result of open and short circuits in the Nucleus N24 and Freedom series and the Advanced Bionics CII and HR90k (Helix and 1J) devices. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Age at implantation, date of surgery, device type, and other relevant demographic data in addition to telemetry and impedance data were collected on 636 implants. INTERVENTION(S): Individual electrode circuit failures were identified using impedance testing performed intraoperatively and during subsequent programming sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Individual electrode failures were categorized as either "short" or "open" circuits as determined by manufacturer software algorithms. RESULTS: Combining all devices, the risk of 1 or more failures as determined by impedance telemetry is 9.0%. Three or more individual electrode circuit failures within an array may indicate impending deterioration of device performance and future need of reimplantation. CONCLUSION: Open and short circuits are routinely encountered. They can be managed by deactivating the affected electrode(s), and conventional wisdom states that this has little impact on performance. However, it is true that multiple failures are often associated with decreased performance and often lead to revision surgery. Certainly, every patient would prefer to have a fully functional device. Continued reporting of individual electrode circuit failures is critical to product development and improving overall device reliability.

The impact of gross anatomy on the future head and neck surgeon.

Gross anatomy is not only a rite of passage for medical students as they enter the world of practicing medicine but may also be an unrecognized fork in the road in their pursuit of choosing a medical specialty. Otolaryngology: head and neck surgery tends to be poorly represented in medical school curriculum, often only offered as an elective rotation. However, head and neck anatomy remains a constant in most medical schools, granting some exposure to otolaryngology whether students realize it or not. A common thread among most head and neck surgeons in their decision to pursue this surgical specialty is a love for head and neck anatomy, spawned in that first year gross anatomy course. This first and potentially only exposure to otolaryngology should be optimized, as it can have a profound effect in the selection of otolaryngology as a specialty. This introduction can be facilitated by (1) inviting otolaryngology residents to assist during the dissection of the head and neck, (2) soliciting otolaryngology attending physicians to provide clinical correlation lectures, and (3) anatomy professors should identify students who excel in the head and neck portion of the curriculum and direct them towards otolaryngology mentors. There may be a great missed opportunity if a career in otolaryngology is not discussed with students during the dissection of the head and neck.

Kikuchi-fujimoto disease in a 30-year-old caucasian female.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is a rare, self-limited, histiocytic, necrotizing lymphadenitis first described in Japan in 1972. Necrosis of lymph node tissue is caused by apoptosis and may be virally induced. It commonly presents with cervical lymphadenitis and fever. Despite its low incidence, Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease should be considered in patients with persistent lymphadenopathy. Originally thought to occur only in young Asian women, it is now recognized in other geographic regions. We report a 30-year-old white woman with Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease. We discuss the clinical features, differential diagnosis, radiography, pathology, and outcome.

A comparison of remifentanil and fentanyl for fast track paediatric cardiac anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Fast track anaesthetic protocols for cardiac surgical patients have been developed to facilitate early tracheal extubation. We compared anaesthetics based on either remifentanil or fentanyl for fast track paediatric cardiac anaesthesia. METHODS: Fifty patients with atrial septal defect or simple ventricular septal defect who were deemed suitable for fast track anaesthetic management were randomly assigned to group R (remifentanil) or group F (fentanyl). After sevoflurane induction, patients received either R infusion or F bolus. Following intubation, isoflurane 0.5 MAC was administered to all patients. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded at baseline and pre- and postinduction, intubation, skin incision and sternotomy. Other parameters measured included time to extubation, reintubation rate and requirements for postoperative analgesia, ondansetron, and nitroprusside in the paediatric intensive care unit. RESULTS: BP decreased similarly from baseline in both groups. Decreases in HR over time were significantly greater in group R. Haemodynamic response to incision/sternotomy was low and similar in both groups. There were no significant differences in extubation time, reintubation incidence, postoperative narcotic requirements, postoperative hypertension or postoperative nausea/vomiting. CONCLUSIONS: The remifentanil based anaesthetic was associated with a significantly slower HR than the fentanyl based anaesthetic. The clinical implications of the slower HR during remifentanil anaesthesia could be important and should be investigated.