[Telemedicine for patients with facial palsy : Current developments and options in otorhinolaryngologic treatment]. / Telemedizin bei Fazialisparese : Aktuelle Entwicklungen und Möglichkeiten bei der Behandlung in der HNO-Heilkunde.

Digitalization is also becoming increasingly important in medicine. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated this process and politicians are trying to create a framework for successful knowledge transfer and better digital medical care. This article describes the role of telemedicine in the treatment of patients suffering from facial nerve palsy. Facial nerve palsy has a wide range of effects, from limitations in facial mobility to psychological sequelae. While many of the acute, idiopathic facial nerve palsies improve after a few weeks, around a third of those affected develop synkinesis, involuntary movements that have lifelong functional and psychological consequences. Treatment includes various modalities, from medication and surgery to movement training. Telemedicine offers innovative solutions in cases of regional underuse, but also in the treatment of chronic facial nerve palsies. The article defines the term "telemedicine" in the current context and presents different types of application. A detailed analysis of the application scenarios of telemedicine in facial nerve palsy patients shows that despite a lack of evidence, many potentially useful concepts exist.

Multidisciplinary Care of Patients with Facial Palsy: Treatment of 1220 Patients in a German Facial Nerve Center.

To determine treatment and outcome in a tertiary multidisciplinary facial nerve center, a retrospective observational study was performed of all patients referred between 2007 and 2018. Facial grading with the Stennert index, the Facial Clinimetric Evaluation (FaCE) scale, and the Facial Disability Index (FDI) were used for outcome evaluation; 1220 patients (58.4% female, median age: 50 years; chronic palsy: 42.8%) were included. Patients with acute and chronic facial palsy were treated in the center for a median of 3.6 months and 10.8 months, respectively. Dominant treatment in the acute phase was glucocorticoids ± acyclovir (47.2%), followed by a significant improvement of all outcome measures (p < 0.001). Facial EMG biofeedback training (21.3%) and botulinum toxin injections (11%) dominated the treatment in the chronic phase, all leading to highly significant improvements according to facial grading, FDI, and FaCE (p < 0.001). Upper eyelid weight (3.8%) and hypoglossal-facial-nerve jump suture (2.5%) were the leading surgical methods, followed by improvement of facial motor function (p < 0.001) and facial-specific quality of life (FDI, FaCE; p < 0.05). A standardized multidisciplinary team approach in a facial nerve center leads to improved facial and emotional function in patients with acute or chronic facial palsy.

[Acute facial paresis as a possible complication of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2]. / Eine akute Fazialisparese als mögliche Impfkomplikation bei einer Impfung gegen SARS-CoV-2.

Although acute facial nerve palsy (Bell's palsy) is explicitly mentioned in the information sheets for vaccines as a possible complication of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, from our point of view the benefits of the vaccination clearly outweigh the possible risks. At most, if at all, a slightly increased risk can be derived from the previous case reports. In general, the risk of acute facial palsy is described in association with many vaccinations. The risk, if any, does not appear to be a specific risk of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. On the other hand, cases of acute facial palsy as symptom of a COVID-19 disease have also been described, so that the theoretical question arises as to the extent to which the vaccination may prevent rather than promote the occurrence of facial palsy. Ultimately, if acted quickly, acute facial paralysis can be treated well and its severity and sequelae cannot be compared with the severity of a COVID-19 disease and its possible long-COVID sequelae.

Systemic therapy for recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer: a population-based healthcare research study in Thuringia, Germany.

PURPOSE: Systemic therapy choice for patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer (R/M HNC) is a challenge. Not much is known about systemic therapies used in daily clinical routine and their outcome. METHODS: Data of all 283 patients with R/M HNC (89.4% male, median age: 60 years) registered for first-line systemic therapy between 2015 and 2018 in the cancer registries of Thuringia, a federal state in Germany, were included. Patient characteristics and treatment patterns were summarized. Exploratory univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted on select of systemic therapy and prognostic factors for overall survival. RESULTS: The most frequent first-line regimens were platinum-based combinations (71.4%), mainly cetuximab + platinum + 5-fluorouracil (32.5%). 32.5, 13.1, 4.9, and 1.1%, respectively, received, a second, third, fourth, and fifth line of systemic therapy. Median follow-up was 5.5 months. Median real-world overall survival was 16.8 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 11.1-22.6]. Alcohol drinking [hazard ratio (HR) 2.375, CI 1.471-3.831; p < 0.001], no second-line therapy (HR 3.425, CI 2.082-5.635, p < 0.001), and application of three agents compared to one agent in first-line therapy (HR 2.798, CI 1.374-5.697; p = 0.005) were associated to decreased overall survival after start of first-line systemic therapy. Termination of second-line treatment because of deterioration of the general condition was the only independent negative prognostic factor (HR 4.202, CI 1.091-16.129; p = 0.037) after start of second-line systemic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers useful information, mainly prior to the availability of immunotherapy, on patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and survival in a German real-world population.

Functional Outcome and Quality of Life After Hypoglossal-Facial Jump Nerve Suture.

Background: To evaluate the face-specific quality of life after hypoglossal-facial jump nerve suture for patients with long-term facial paralysis. Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was performed. Forty-one adults (46% women; median age: 55 years) received a hypoglossal-facial jump nerve suture. Sunnybrook and eFACE grading was performed before surgery and at a median time of 42 months after surgery. The Facial Clinimetric Evaluation (FaCE) survey and the Facial Disability Index (FDI) were used to quantify face-specific quality of life after surgery. Results: Hypoglossal-facial jump nerve suture was successful in all cases without tongue dysfunction. After surgery, the median FaCE Total score was 60 and the median FDI Total score was 76.3. Most Sunnybrook and eFACE grading subscores improved significantly after surgery. Younger age was the only consistent independent predictor for better FaCE outcome. Additional upper eyelid weight loading further improved the FaCE Eye comfort subscore. Sunnybrook grading showed a better correlation to FaCE assessment than the eFACE. Neither Sunnybrook nor eFACE grading correlated to the FDI assessment. Conclusion: The hypoglossal-facial jump nerve suture is a good option for nerve transfer to reanimate the facial muscles to improve facial motor function and face-specific quality of life.