[Acceptance of digital apps in the follow-up of patients with head and neck tumors]. / Akzeptanz digitaler Apps in der Nachsorge von Patient*innen mit Kopf-Hals-Tumoren.

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures lead to improved quality of life in cancer patients and possibly to earlier detection of tumor recurrence. OBJECTIVE: Patient interest in complementing tumor follow-up care with apps for recording PROs was assessed using a questionnaire. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An independently created questionnaire to record the interest of tumor patients in a digitalized form of tumor follow-up care was evaluated (n = 110). RESULTS: In the study, the majority of tumor patients were interested in using an app for tumor disease. Taking age into account, the number increased even further for patients < 60 years of age, as expected. In line with this, human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive patients showed significantly greater interest (p = 0.021). CONCLUSION: The introduction of an app is supported by the majority of tumor patients. In addition to recording PROs, other applications (appointment reminders, patient files, sports/nutrition programs) could also be integrated.

Indications for Submandibulectomy Within a 20-Year Period.

Purpose: Different pathologies of the submandibular gland are an indication of submandibular gland excision-ranging from inflammatory causes and sialolithiasis to malignant tumors. The purpose of this study was to get an overview of the different indications for submandibular gland excision. Methods: The main goal of this study was to evaluate the different indications for submandibular gland excision during a 20-year period. In addition, epidemiological information and therapy concepts were investigated with a special focus on Tumor Lymph nodes Metastasis (TNM) classification and recurrence rate. Procedures during which the submandibular gland was removed while not being the primary cause for surgery (eg, neck dissection in Level Ib) were not included. Results: During the period of observation, 359 submandibular gland excisions were performed. The most common cause for submandibular gland excision was sialolithiasis (n = 129) with intraparenchymal stone localization. Up next were inflammatory causes (n = 115) in particular chronic submandibular sialadenitis followed by only a few cases of Sjögren's syndrome, sarcoidosis, and tuberculosis. In 115 cases, surgery was performed for tumors of the submandibular gland, with 88 of them being benign and 27 malignant. Malignancies were then divided into lymphomas (n = 9) and primary salivary gland malignancies (n = 18). Conclusion: This retrospective study of a large cohort of patients displays a representative overview of the indications for submandibular gland excision. Sialolithiasis was the most common underlying cause of gland excision. The malignancy rate in our cohort was lower than described in the literature.

[Acute care of soft tissue injuries in the head and neck region]. / Akutversorgung von Weichteilverletzungen im Kopf-Hals-Bereich.

BACKGROUND: Soft tissue injuries are a common consequence of head and neck trauma. With injuries being highly individual and varying depending on the underlying trauma, it is difficult to establish standardized guidelines for head and neck trauma in general. The main goal of this study was to showcase the distribution of soft tissue injury types and the principles pertaining to acute care of the individual clinical presentations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective evaluation was carried out using all trauma-relevant ICD-10 codes for trauma to the head (S00.- to S09.-) and neck (S10.- to S19.-) among patients who were treated at the authors' clinic-a certified national trauma center-during a period of 10 years (2012 to and including 2021). RESULTS: A total of 8375 patients with head and neck trauma were treated during the observation period, i.e., an average of 836 patients per year. Within this collective, 2981 trauma cases involving soft tissue injuries were documented. Superficial injuries to the head (S00.-) and open wounds to the head (S01.-) were the most common head and neck soft tissue injuries, with 1649 and 920 cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: The case numbers of soft tissue injuries generally show an inverse correlation to the required underlying trauma: diagnoses of the categories S00 and S01 occur very often; injuries which only occur after severe trauma, such as traumatic amputation at neck level (S18), are rare. According to current literature, penetrating neck traumas should be treated using a no-zone approach. In Europe, penetrating neck injuries are rather rare because of low crime rates and strict weapon laws.