Efficacy of dupilumab in real-life settings: a STROBE study.

BACKGROUND: Dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting IL-4 and IL-13, has demonstrated its efficacy in several clinical trials. However, to date, real-life data remains limited. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to assess the real-life impact of dupilumab on patients with severe and uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) quality of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, monocentric, observational, real-life study, conducted in accordance with the STROBE guidelines. The following parameters were collected before treatment and at 1, 4, and 12 months: Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22), nasal polyp score (NPS), Sniffin' Sticks-16 (SST-16), visual analog scale (VAS) for loss of smell, nasal congestion score (NCS), gustatory VAS, asthma control, oral corticosteroid usage, surgery rates, and occurrence of side effects. RESULTS: The study included 47 patients. SNOT-22 scores decreased from 52.4 ± 24.3 to 12.7 ± 10.5 at 12 months (p < 0.001). NPS decreased from 6.15 ± 1.71 to 1.57 ± 1.40 at 12 months (p < 0.001). SST-16 scores increased from 1.6 ± 2.83 to 9.1 ± 5.4 at 12 months (p < 0.001). NCS decreased from 2.45 ± 0.72 to 0.38 ± 0.63 at 12 months (p < 0.001). Prior to treatment, 72.3% were using oral corticosteroids, compared to 17.0% at 12 months (p < 0.01). Two patients required additional surgery, and 17% reported completely uncontrolled asthma, compared to 0% at 12 months (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our real-life results confirm the efficacy of Dupilumab in the treatment of severe and uncontrolled CRSwNP.

Writing in the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Diseases. Dos and Don'ts!

Too many articles are still rejected by scientific medical journals due to lack of preparation of the manuscript and of knowledge of the modern editorial rules that govern scientific medical writing. Therefore, the editorial board of the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Heads & Neck Diseases summarized studies published by its members since 2020 in the columns of the scientific journal of the French Society of Otorhinolaryngology and the International Francophone Society of Otorhinolaryngology and data from the PubMed indexed literature dedicated to scientific medical writing in otolaryngology in the 21st century. The authors hope that this review, in the form of a list of "Dos and Don'ts", will provide authors with a practical guide facilitating publication of rigorous, reproducible and transparent scientific studies, in accordance with the movement toward better science that society as a whole has been fighting for since the beginning of this century.

Keys for successful publication in Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis: A STROBE analysis of peer reviews of articles submitted in 2020-2021.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate reviewing and editorial decision for articles submitted to the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made of reviewers' comments on 1,133 scientific articles (700 original articles, 96 literature reviews, and 337 case reports), originating from 69 countries, consecutively submitted on-line between January 1st, 2020 and December 31st, 2021. The main objective was to document the acceptance rate and decision time. Accessory objectives were to synthesize the main comments and to screen for correlations between acceptance and the main characteristics of first authors, articles and reviewers' comments. RESULTS: In total, 4.1% of submitted articles were accepted. Median decision time differed significantly (P<0.0001), at 1 month in case of refusal and 4 months in case of acceptance. Reviewers mentioned failure to adhere to the journal's authors' guide, to use the appropriate EQUATOR guidelines and to adopt the recommended P<0.005 significance threshold in 94.8%, 54.2%, and 39.9% of cases, respectively. On multivariate analysis, 3 variables significantly impacted acceptance, which increased from 1.3% to 44.6% (P<0.0001) when an appropriate EQUATOR guideline was used and from 0.3% to 57.4% (P<0.0001) when the significance threshold was set at P<0.005, and decreased from 10.5% to 1.1% (P=0.0001) when the article did not originate from a French-speaking country (member of the Francophonie organization). CONCLUSION: Adhesion to modern scientific medical writing rules increased acceptance rates for articles in the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Diseases. Teaching modern scientific medical writing needs to be enhanced in otorhinolaryngology.

Methanobrevibacter smithii tonsillar phlegmon: a case report.

Untreated tonsillar phlegmon is a life-threatening condition commonly caused by Streptococcus pyogenes and Fusobacterium necrophorum, among other pathogens. Here, using specific laboratory tools, we detected Methanobrevibacter smithii in addition to S. pyogenes. This unprecedented observation questions the role of methanogens in phlegmon and the optimal treatment of this mixed infection.

Clinical features of patients who had two COVID-19 episodes: a European multicentre case series.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features of patients who had two demonstrated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) episodes. METHODS: Data of patients with both COVID-19 episodes were recruited from 22 March to 27 December 2020. The following outcomes were studied: epidemiological, comorbidities, prevalence and severity of general and otolaryngological symptom, olfactory, aroma, and gustatory dysfunctions. A comparison between first and second episodes was performed. RESULTS: Forty-five patients reported having two confirmed COVID-19 episodes. The majority of patients had mild infections in both episodes. The second clinical episode was significantly similar to the first. The symptom duration of the second episode was shorter than the first. The occurrence of loss of smell was unpredictable from the first to the second episode. CONCLUSION: The recurrence of COVID-19 symptoms is associated with a similar clinical picture than the first episode in patients with initial mild-to-moderate COVID episode. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of second episode remain uncertain and may involve either true reinfection or virus reactivation from sanctuaries.

Patterns of smell recovery in 751 patients affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Post-viral olfactory dysfunction is well established and has been shown to be a key symptom of COVID-19 with more than 66% of European and US patients reporting some degree of loss of smell. Persistent olfactory dysfunction appears to be commonplace and will drive the demand for general practitioner, otolaryngology or neurology consultation in the next few months - evidence regarding recovery will be essential in counselling our patients. METHODS: This was a prospective survey-based data collection and telemedicine follow-up. RESULTS: In total, 751 patients completed the study, of whom 477 were females and 274 males. The mean age of the patients was 41 ± 13 years (range 18-60). There were 621 patients (83%) who subjectively reported a total loss of smell and 130 (17%) a partial loss. After a mean follow-up of 47 ± 7 days (range 30-71) from the first consultation, 277 (37%) patients still reported a persistent subjective loss of smell, 107 (14%) reported partial recovery and 367 (49%) reported complete recovery. The mean duration of the olfactory dysfunction was 10 ± 6 days (range 3-31) in those patients who completely recovered and 12 ± 8 days (range 7-35) in those patients who partially recovered. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, at this relatively early point in the pandemic, subjective patterns of recovery of olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 patients are valuable for our patients, for hypothesis generation and for treatment development.

COVID-19 and rhinology, from the consultation room to the operating theatre.

The purpose of this article is to give rhinologists advice on how to adapt their standard practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main goal of these recommendations is to protect healthcare workers against COVID-19 while continuing to provide emergency care so as to prevent loss of chance for patients. We reviewed our recommendations concerning consultations, medical prescriptions and surgical activity in rhinology.

Rhinoplasty: French validation of the MiRa scale.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to translate the MiRa scale into French and validate its use for French-speaking surgeons. MATERIAL AND METHODS: ISPOR and WHO recommendations were used to carry out the translation process from English to French in five steps. The MiRa scale is a validated analysis scale of nasal dysmorphoses. Few tools are available in French for French-speaking surgeons. ISPOR and WHO recommendations were used to complete the five-step translation process from English into French. To assess the reliability of the MiRa scale-French version, we statistically compared intra-observer repeatability (comparison of scores obtained when one observer assessed each patient twice at a one-month interval) and inter-observer repeatability (comparison of scores obtained when 2 observers assessed the same patient) using the Wilcoxon test and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (α=5%). OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to obtain a translation of the idea or concept rather than a literal translation to enable good intra- and inter-observer repeatability. RESULTS: Each step allowed us to make changes gradually working towards a conceptual translation equivalent to the original version. CONCLUSION: The MiRa scale is the only aesthetic analysis scale validated in the literature for nasal dysmorphoses. The combined use of two sets of translation recommendations, with a five-step translation-back-translation process, made it possible to obtain a French version perfectly in line with the original. This version is usable by French-speakers.

Maxillary fungus balls due to Fusarium proliferatum.

Fungus ball is the most common form of non-invasive fungal rhinosinusitis. Aspergillusfumigatus (between 44.8% and 75%) and Aspergillusflavus (14%) are the two most common species recovered. However, recent advances in mycological laboratory methods have enhanced the detection and identification of fungi within fungus balls. Fusarium species, sometimes recovered from other forms of fungal rhinosinusitis such as allergic fungal rhinosinusitis or acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, are poorly associated with sinonasal fungus ball. Here, we describe two further cases of a fungus ball due to Fusariumproliferatum and provide the first description of this fungal pathogen with a fungus ball of odontogenic origin. These case reports demonstrate that uncommon fungal species such as Fusarium spp. might be underestimated as agents of sinusal cavity fungus ball. Enhanced mycological detection and diagnostic techniques might give rise, in the near future, to the emergence of new or rare fungal species associated with this clinical entity.

Assessing normal values for the FACE-Q rhinoplasty module: An observational study.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine normal values for the FACE-Q rhinoplasty module. DESIGN: A prospective monocentric observational cohort study. SETTING: We tested FACE-Q Satisfaction with Nose and Satisfaction with Nostrils in two groups of patients, seeking or not a rhinoplasty. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and four patients were included in the study, fifty-two in each group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome was to identify possible cutting scores to establish normal values for each of the FQRM questionnaires. RESULTS: Regarding the Satisfaction with Nose scale, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < .001). Area under the ROC curve was 0.964 (95% CI = 0.931-0.997). Forty-seven points was the value presenting the best Youden index (sensitivity = 96.2%, specificity = 86.5%). Regarding the Satisfaction with Nostrils scale, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < .001). Area under the ROC curve was 0.820 (95% CI = 0.741-0.899). Sixty-four points was the value presenting the best Youden index (sensitivity = 94.2%, specificity = 53.8%). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to generate normative data for the FACE-Q rhinoplasty module. The findings presented here have important implications for future clinical care and research. The definition of a normal score can help practitioners to better analyse their patients and to support a therapeutic indication.

Outcomes of septorhinoplasty: a new approach comparing functional and aesthetic results.

The aim of this study was to compare objective and subjective functional results of septorhinoplasty with subjective aesthetic results. A prospective study was performed including global and subgroup analyses (primary versus secondary septorhinoplasty). Three instruments were used to evaluate pre- and postoperative results: rhinomanometry for the objective functional analysis, the Nasal Symptom Obstruction Evaluation (NOSE) scale for the subjective functional analysis, and the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) scale for the subjective aesthetic analysis. A septorhinoplasty was performed in all cases. Thirty-five patients were included (22 female), of whom 74% underwent primary septorhinoplasty. The correlation between rhinomanometry, NOSE and ROE scores was analysed. Mean resistance of the two nasal cavities was 4.9 (standard deviation (SD) 8.35) sPa/ml before surgery and 0.8 (SD 0.7) sPa/ml after surgery. NOSE and ROE scores were, respectively, 72.5/100 (SD 21.7) and 7.5/24 (SD 11.3) before surgery and 22/100 (SD 20.6) and 18/24 (SD 17.3) after surgery. Patients complaining of postoperative nasal obstruction had a worse aesthetic evaluation. Correction of the functional disease appears to be as important as aesthetic correction. This study comparing functional and aesthetic results after septorhinoplasty could provide a basis for future studies.

A Case of Fungus Ball-Type Maxillary Sinusitis Due to Penicillium Roqueforti.

The Penicillium genera, encompassing about 225 different species of fungi, are naturally present in the environment. These genera are poorly linked to human disease, except for Penicillium marneffei causing septicemia in immunocompromised hosts. Thus, Penicillium species recovered from respiratory tract samples are often considered as inhaled contaminants in the clinical laboratory. However, we report here a case of fungal maxillary sinusitis due to Penicillium roqueforti diagnosed in a 40-year-old female, a teacher, complaining of moderate pain for months in the maxillary sinus and chronic posterior rhinorrhea. CT scanner and MRI enabled a preliminary diagnosis of left maxillary fungus ball-type sinusitis with calcified material seen on CT and marked very low signal in T2 weighted images seen on MRI. Anatomopathological and mycological examination of sinusal content showed septate hyphae. Direct sequencing of the sinusal content revealed P. roqueforti. P. roqueforti has been traditionally used in France for more than 200 years for cheese ripening. However, to our knowledge, this ascomycetous fungus has very rarely been associated in the literature with human disease. P. roqueforti is associated only with cheese worker's lung, a hypersensitivity pneumonitis affecting employees in blue cheese factories. Other species in the Penicillium genus are reported to cause various disorders such as invasive infection, superficial infection or allergic diseases. P. roqueforti has never previously been reported as a cause of human infection. Thus, we report the first case of fungus ball due to P. roqueforti in an immunocompetent patient.

Endoscopic surgery for sinonasal tumors: The transcribriform approach.

Over the past 10 to 20 years, endoscopic endonasal surgery has become for many teams the preferred treatment for sinonasal tumors. Technical advances in the field of surgical instrumentation (good visualization, hemostasis…) and the progress of imaging guidance (to avoid neurovascular complication) has made those procedures simpler and safer. Nevertheless, endonasal endoscopic procedures require a trained surgical team of ENT specialist and neurosurgeon. Endoscopic endonasal surgery has been reported to be feasible for all types of sinonasal tumors whether benign tumors such as inverted papillomas, or malignant tumors. In this paper, we mostly focus on the principles underlying the transcribriform approach, which is dedicated to the surgery of CSF leaks, encephaloceles/meningoceles, access to benign intracranial tumors such as olfactory groove meningiomas, and the resection of sinonasal malignancies with skull base invasion such as olfactory neuroblastomas.

The MiRa scale, a new standardised scale for evaluating nasal deformities before and after septorhinoplasty: A prospective study comparing patient satisfaction and the surgeon's assessment.

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to assess the reliability of a new standardised scale for evaluating nasal anomalies in order to compare the surgeon's assessment and patient satisfaction. DESIGN: Monocentric prospective cohort study. SETTINGS: First, we validated the reliability of the MiRa scale; then, we compared the surgeon's assessment and patient satisfaction. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-two patients underwent septorhinoplasty surgery and gave their written consent before inclusion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome measurement was to validate the reliability of the MiRa scale: two observers analysed all records twice. Intra-observer reproducibility and interobserver reproducibility were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Secondary outcome measurement was to compare the surgeon's assessment and patient satisfaction: MiRa and ROE (Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation) scores were established for each patient prior to and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: Using the MiRa scale, ICC for intra- and interobserver reproducibility was, respectively, 95.4% and 96%, showing no statistical difference (P=.70, P=.45). Good correlation scores were, respectively, 93% and 92%. Mean ROE scores were 7.1/24 (SD=11.3) before and 19.3/24 (SD=17.3) after surgery (P<.05). We found an increase in MiRa and ROE scores of +19.75% and +51.25% (P<.05), respectively. The average postoperative ROE score in the primary septorhinoplasty group was 20.4 (SD=14.4) and 17.2 (SD=23.1) in the secondary septorhinoplasty group (P<.05). CONCLUSION: MiRa scale is a reliable, standardised tool to evaluate surgical outcome in septorhinoplasty surgery. It provides an objective and reproducible score. The surgeon's assessment was more critical than patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction is more difficult to achieve in cases involving a secondary septorhinoplasty.

Sinonasal adenocarcinoma: clinical outcomes and predictive factors.

A retrospective study of 39 patients treated for sinonasal adenocarcinoma between 1995 and 2010 was performed. Epidemiological, clinical, histological, and therapeutic aspects of this series of patients were analyzed statistically and their impact in terms of overall and disease-free survival established using the Kaplan-Meier method. A search for prognostic factors was made using a log-rank test. The male to female sex ratio was 6.8 to 1. The average age at diagnosis was 65.7 years (range 40.2-85.6 years). An occupational risk factor (wood dust, leather) was found for 19 patients (48.7%). The median patient follow-up was 51.9 months (range 8-180 months). Tumours were classified as T1 in 20.5%, T2 in 25.6%, T3 in 23.1%, and T4 in 30.8% of cases. Disease-free survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years were 87.9%, 44.8%, and 39.2%, respectively; overall survival rates were 86.1%, 72.2%, and 50.3%, respectively. Overall survival was correlated with tumour status (TNM, American Joint Committee on Cancer) (P=0.004). Surgery followed by radiotherapy improved overall survival (P=0.012) and disease-free survival (P=0.028) when compared to other treatment modalities. When compared to surgery alone, surgery followed by radiotherapy improved disease-free survival regardless of tumour stage (P=0.049).