Surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: An update.

This update aimed to evaluate surgical indications in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). It was conducted and reported according to the criteria stipulated by the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SwiM) guidelines. From the PubMed-National Library of Medicine database, 1098 articles were identified for the period 2006-2021 using the key words "nasal polyps" and "surgery". After screening and analysis, 39 publications were selected. The efficacy of surgery on functional improvement in CRSwNP, measured by the specific quality-of-life score SNOT-22, is established, and improvement in olfactory function is expected in 50% of patients. The rate of surgical revision is at least 10-15% at 4 years, but the disease can be controlled for several years, with the interval between primary surgery and symptomatic recurrence exceeding 10 years in some cases. The criteria for surgery are not clearly defined in the literature. However, several authors consider failure of ≥ 8 weeks' well-conducted local medical treatment and use of more than 2 courses of systemic corticosteroids as a reliable indication. No studies or meta-analyses are currently available to determine the superiority of one surgical technique over another.

Guidelines of the French Society of ENT (SFORL): Drug-induced sleep endoscopy in adult obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the indications, anesthesiological and surgical procedure and interest of drug-induced sleep endoscopy in the treatment of adult obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. DESIGN: A redactional committee of 17 experts was set up. Conflicts of interest were disclosed and followed up throughout the process of drawing up the guidelines. The work received no funding from any firm dealing in health products (drugs or devices). The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) method was applied to assess the quality of the data on which the guidelines were founded. It was stressed that strong recommendations should not be made on the basis of poor-quality or insufficient data. METHODS: The committee studied 29 questions on 5 topics: indications and contraindications, anesthetic technique, surgical technique, interpretation and reporting of results, and management guided by results. RESULTS: Expert review and application of the GRADE method led to 30 guidelines: 10 with high level of evidence (Grade 1+ or 1-), 19 with low level (GRADE 2+ or 2-) and 1 expert opinion. CONCLUSION: Experts fully agreed on the strong guidelines formalizing the indications and modalities of drug-induced sleep endoscopy for adult obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Surgical navigation in parotid sialolith extraction.

Posterior parotid lithiasis may in some cases require a combined surgical approach associating sialendoscopy to an external intraoral or transfacial approach. This single-center retrospective study describes the surgical technique for parotid lithiasis extraction by a combined external and sialendoscopic approach with the help of CT-navigation. Five patients were included between November 2014 and July 2020. The sialolith was extracted in 100% of cases. Navigation and transillumination localizations matched consistently. No patients showed postoperative facial paresis. At 2 to 21 months' follow-up, there was no recurrence of sialolithiasis. Navigation can be a complement to transillumination, improving surgical comfort and safety, but does not replace first-line sialendoscopy. Visual control is required whenever possible after extraction. In combined procedures, it enables accurate identification of parotid sialoliths. In case of impassable stenosis, it could be a therapeutic alternative to parotidectomy.

Narrow-Band Imaging in oncologic otorhinolaryngology: State of the art.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the diagnostic performance of Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) combined with White Light Imaging (WLI) in the diagnosis of mucosal lesions at each location of the upper aerodigestive tract, for detection of primary tumor in case of carcinoma of unknown primary, for determination of intraoperative resection margins, and to describe its main diagnostic pitfalls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A PubMed search was carried out according to the PRISMA method. RESULTS: Four hundred and seventy-seven articles published between 2007 and 2020 were identified, 133 of which met the study inclusion criteria and were assessed. CONCLUSION: The current literature seems to support the use of NBI in diagnosis and/or follow-up of (pre-)malignant head & neck tumors, and in the determination of intraoperative resection margins.

Endonasal endoscopic oncologic resection and reconstruction of the anterior skull base in the elderly: A single-center retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: In old and frail patients, oncologic anterior skull-base surgery through an endonasal endoscopic approach avoids the morbidity incurred by transfacial and transcranial approaches, sometimes considered unreasonable, although surgery remains the gold standard treatment for sinonasal cancer. OBJECTIVES: To assess the functional and oncologic results of this surgery in over-70 year-olds. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A single-center retrospective study included all patients aged over 70 years at surgery, who underwent endonasal endoscopic oncologic resection and reconstruction of the anterior skull base, between October 2008 and October 2018. RESULTS: Fifteen procedures in 13 patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean hospital stay was 7 days. All resections were considered R0, apart from one case with positive dura-mater margins (6.7%). All patients had complete radio-surgical treatment, in accordance with the REFCOR recommendations. Two cases of meningitis were reported (13.3%). At a median follow-up of 27 months, 4 patients presented local recurrence, 1 of whom also had lung metastases. Two patients died of disease-related or treatment-related causes. CONCLUSION: This technique is a feasible treatment in patients aged over 70 years, providing good functional results, and acceptable oncologic outcome.

Author's reply to letter-to-the-editor.

We welcome the opportunity to continue the discussion and to clarify issues you raised in your letter. You will find enclosed a point-by-point response to your comments. Please note that all of these points are already discussed in the "discussion" section of our article "Comparison of needle aspiration versus incision and drainage under local anaesthesia for the initial treatment of peritonsillar abscess". Regarding the retrospective design of our study, we think that the length of hospital stay was the best criterion to be used as primary outcome because it is a clinical endpoint and a composite criterion, reflecting the global improvement of the patient. Our study included PTA patients aged under 15 because the management of peritonsillar abscess in children follows specific guidelines and requires specific care, and due to evident issues of understanding, compliance and pain handling, incision and drainage under local anaesthesia is not routinely used in younger children. We fully agree that this subject remains an area of debate and we are perfectly aware that due to methodological limitations and especially the retrospective design, the level of evidence of our study is not sufficient to draw firm conclusions on the superiority of one technique on the other. At this day, only low-quality evidence studies have been published on this subject and the debate remains opened to determine whether needle aspiration or incision and drainage is the most safe and effective technique in treating peritonsillar abscess.

Comparison of needle aspiration versus incision and drainage under local anaesthesia for the initial treatment of peritonsillar abscess.

PURPOSE: The treatment of peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is still controversial regarding the best method of drainage to perform. This study aims to compare effectiveness and safety of needle aspiration versus incision and drainage under local anaesthesia for the initial treatment of PTA. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients (age > 15 years) admitted in two tertiary medical centres for a PTA between November 2010 and October 2016 was performed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the type of drainage: needle aspiration or incision and drainage, under local anaesthesia. The primary outcome was the length of hospital stay; the need to repeat the procedure or to go to the operating room was also assessed. Complications or adverse events were listed in each group to assess safety. RESULTS: Over a 6-year period, 182 patients were admitted for a PTA and included in the analysis, with 82 patients in the aspiration group and 100 patients in the incision group. Mean age was 36.3 years, with a sex ratio of 1.33. The length of hospital stay ranged from 1 to 7 days (mean 2.7 days, median 2 days) with a median length of stay of 3.0 days (interquartile range 2-4) in the aspiration group versus 2.0 days (IQR 2-3) in patients who underwent incision and drainage (p = 0.009). A repetition of the needle aspiration was made for 46.3% of patients versus 10% of repetition of the procedure in the incision group (p = 0.0001). 12 patients (14%) of the aspiration group and 4 patients (4%) of the incision group required an additional drainage under general anaesthesia (p < 0.001). We found no differences regarding safety in both groups. CONCLUSION: Our study showed a significant decrease in the length of hospital stay in patients admitted for a PTA who underwent an initial incision and drainage under local anaesthesia, compared to needle aspiration, as well as a lower risk of repeating the procedure. A well-designed prospective and randomized study on a larger sample of patients is required to support these findings.

Variability in facial-muscle innervation: A comparative study based on electrostimulation and anatomical dissection.

Facial-nerve palsy is the most common complication during facial surgery. However, there are few detailed reports on the distribution of the terminal branches of the facial nerve to the mimetic muscles. This also applies to the communicating branches. The aim of our study was to assess the variability of communicant and terminal branches of the facial nerve in humans. This prospective study involved anatomical dissections and intraoperative electric stimulation of facial nerves. We first performed 30 dissections to define the branching patterns of the extracranial facial nerve, with particular focus on the penetrating points into the mimetic muscles. We then studied and compared these preliminary data with 14 operative facial stimulations conducted during parotidectomies. Each trunk and branch received systematic electrostimulation. The electrostimulation and facial-and-neck movements were analyzed by two independent reviewers. The peripheral branching and intercommunication of the facial branches were highly variable. Combining electrostimulation and dissections, the frontalis muscle, the depressor labii inferioris and the platysma showed little nerve recuperation whereas the sphincter muscles (orbicularis ori and oculi) were anatomically protected. Facial-muscle innervation differed among individuals. We found complex variations in the facial branching mode. Our study highlights the branches and corresponding areas that could be considered anatomically risky. Clin. Anat. 32:169-175, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Transoral robotic surgery of the tongue base for obstructive sleep apnea: Preliminary results.

INTRODUCTION: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a major public health issue. Robotic tongue-base reduction surgery is being developed, but needs assessment. The present study reports clinical and polygraphic results at 6 months' follow-up. METHOD: Single-center prospective study of 8 patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for severe OSAS. RESULTS: Mean age was 47 years. M/F sex ratio was 5:3. Initial body-mass index ranged from 18 to 35kg/m2. Mean Epworth score was 12. Mean preoperative apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 47 (range, 36-60). At 6 months, only 1 patient did not meet usual success criteria (AHI<20 with>50% decrease); 2 patients had residual AHI between 10 and 20; the other 5 had non-significant event rates. CONCLUSION: TORS tongue-base reduction showed promising results, which need confirmation on long-term multicenter studies.

Functional outcome after long-term low-dose trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole in chronic rhinosinusitis with purulence: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole has been suggested as a treatment option for chronic rhinosinusitis with purulence. This study aimed to assess the functional and endoscopic outcomes after a three-month course of low-dose trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. METHODS: A prospective study was performed, comprising patients referred to a tertiary care medical centre with a diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis with purulence. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was prescribed at 960 mg/day for three months. Sinonasal complaints and endoscopic findings were documented, and bacteriological data were compared. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were included. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacterium cultured (86 per cent). Improvement in nasal function, as measured by the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test, was highly significant at three months (p < 0.0005). This improvement slightly decreased but remained significant at 6, 9 and 12 months. No side effects were noted. Endoscopic scores revealed similar and concordant improvements. CONCLUSION: Long-term low-dose trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole therapy seems to be a safe option for selected patients. Additional randomised multicentre studies remain necessary.

Transnasal Endoscopic Sphenopalatine Artery Ligation Compared With Embolization for Intractable Epistaxis: A Long-term Analysis.

Background Transnasal endoscopic sphenopalatine artery ligation (TESPAL) and selective embolization both provide excellent treatment success rate in the management of intractable epistaxis. Few long-term studies comparing these approaches have been previously published. Recommendations often present these techniques as alternatives, but there is no clear consensus. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy of sphenopalatine artery ligation versus embolization to control intractable epistaxis. Methods We performed a retrospective study including all patients referred to our tertiary medical center for severe epistaxis and treated by surgical ligation and/or embolization. The patients were classified into 2 groups: those who underwent TESPAL only and those who underwent endovascular embolization only. We evaluate and compare long-term clinical outcomes after surgical ligation or embolization for the control of intractable epistaxis in terms of effectiveness (recurrence rate) and safety (complication rate). Results Forty-one procedures of supraselective embolization and 39 procedures of surgical ligation for intractable epistaxis are reported and analyzed. No significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of demographic factors, comorbidities, or average length of hospital stay. The 1-year success rate was similar (75%) in both groups. Complications (minor and/or major) occurred in 34% cases in the embolization group and in 18% in the surgical group ( P = .09, ns). Bilateral embolization including facial artery was the only treatment method associated with a significant risk of complications ( P = .015). Conclusion TESPAL seems to provide a similar control rate with a decrease in the number of complications compared to selective embolization in the context of intractable epistaxis. Further studies are required.

Anatomical study of the inferior vesical artery: is it specific to the male sex?

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to clarify the origin of the inferior vesical artery and determine its existence in women. METHODS: This descriptive study is based on 25 dissections (6 male and 19 female cadavers). We dissected the internal iliac artery and its branches from the iliac bifurcation, bilaterally and comparatively. Each arterial branch supplying the bladder was identified and dissected as far as the bladder. RESULTS: In total, 50 topographies of the bladder vascularization were visualised. The inferior vesical artery was observed in 92% of the male subjects and in 47.4% of the female subjects. In the male cadavers, it arose from the internal iliac artery in 72.7% of cases and from the umbilical artery in 27.3% of cases. In the female cadavers, it arose from a common trunk with the umbilical artery and the uterine artery in 33.3% of cases and directly from the umbilical artery in 33.3% with one terminal branch supplying the upper part of the vagina. In two female subjects, the inferior vesical artery arose from the first segment of the uterine artery (22.2%), and in one subject from the obturator artery (11.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The inferior vesical artery is not specific to the male sex. The contradictions found in the literature of this artery are due to the variations observed in pelvic vascularization and to the close connections between vaginal and bladder vascularisation in women. However, surgeons should consider these variations, to prevent bladder devascularization by non-selective ligation.

Morphological concordance between CBCT and MDCT: a paranasal sinus-imaging anatomical study.

PURPOSE: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an imaging technique, first developed for use during oral and pre-implant surgery. In sinonasal surgery, CBCT might represent a valuable tool for anatomical research given its high spatial resolution and low irradiation dose. However, clinical and anatomical evidence pertaining to its efficacy is lacking. This study assessed the morphological concordance between CBCT and multislice detector computed tomography (MDCT) in the context of sinonasal anatomy. METHODS: We performed an anatomical study using 15 fresh cadaver heads. Each head underwent both CBCT and MDCT. Two independent reviewers evaluated 26 notable anatomical landmarks. The primary outcome was the overall morphological concordance between the two imaging techniques. Secondary objectives included assessment of inter-rater agreement and comparison of the radiation doses received by different parts of the anatomy. RESULTS: Overall morphological concordance between the two imaging techniques was excellent (>98 %); the inter-rater agreement for CBCT was approximately 97 %, which is highly similar to MDCT, but achieved using a significantly decreased irradiation dose. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary study indicates that CBCT represents a valid, reproducible, and safe technique for the identification of relevant sinonasal anatomical structures. Further research, particularly in pathological contexts, is required.

Efficacy of tobramycin aerosol in nasal polyposis.

CONTEXT: Treatment of infected nasal polyposis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Multicenter interventional prospective double-blind randomized study with matched groups: treatment with tobramycin aerosol versus isotonic saline aerosol. The study population included 55 patients: 23 receiving isotonic saline aerosol and 32 receiving tobramycin. A novel device (Easynose®) was used with an original principle limiting pulmonary deposition and ensuring homogeneous peripheral deposition in the nasal cavities. OBJECTIVES: The principal objective was to compare bacteriological eradication between tobramycin 150mg/3ml versus isotonic saline, both administered by nebulization via the Easynose® device. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Tobramycin aerosol administered via the Easynose® device showed significantly better bacteriological eradication than isotonic saline.

The frontal branch of the facial nerve: can we define a safety zone?

PURPOSE: The temporal branch of the facial nerve, a particularly important branch in facial expression, is commonly exposed to surgical trauma. The frontal branch is the most important branch of the temporal branch in the clinical point of view. However, it does not really define in the international nomenclature. The objective of this study was to clearly identify this branch, to perform a cartography of the crossing areas of this branch; and therefore to define statistically a zone of safety within the fronto-temporal region. METHOD: We used 12 fresh cadavers to perform 24 facial nerve dissections. After the identification of the facial nerve, the branches of the temporofacial trunk were identified, dissected and followed till their penetration. We measured the relationship of the frontal branch with the zygomatic arch, temporal vessels and lateral border of the orbit. We conducted a statistical study to assess the risk of injury of this branch within the temporal region. RESULTS: We observed an important variability in the distribution of this branch in the temporal region. We defined three zones of decreasing safety at the level of three interest landmarks: at the level of the inferior part of the zygomatic arch, we estimated an elevated risk of nerve injury (>85%) from 22.6 to 26.06 mm in front of the tragus; at the level of the superior part of the zygomatic arch, we estimated an elevated risk of nerve injury (>85%) from 27.46 to 30.43 mm in front of the tragus; at the level of the lateral border of the orbit, we estimated an elevated risk of nerve injury (>85%) from 16.20 to 19.17 mm behind this landmark. CONCLUSIONS: There exists no real area of anatomical safety in the temporal region. It seems, however, possible to define areas of relative safety that would be of great help for the surgeon or the morphologist wishing to approach pathologies of this region.

Sialendoscopy learning curve: comparing our first and last 100 procedures.

OBJECTIVES: Sialendoscopy is a relatively new minimally invasive technique that permits direct salivary tree visualization and is important in obstructive sialadenitis management and treatment. The present study aimed to examine the sialendoscopy learning curve between March 2009 and March 2013. METHODOLOGY: We compared the first and last 100 sialendoscopies performed in our department with regard to anaesthesia type, operating time, success rate, technical difficulty, major complications, and clinical improvement. RESULTS: General anaesthesia rates were 63% and 38% (P = 0.0004) among the first and last 100 sialendoscopies, respectively. Among the first and last 100 procedures, respectively, average operating times were 39 and 25 minutes (P = 0.00055) for diagnostic sialendoscopies and 68 and 65 minutes (P = 0.35) for interventional sialendoscopies. Successful stone extraction rates were 65% and 90.2% (P = 0.0058) among the first and last 100 procedures, respectively, while the corresponding rates of successful stenosis dilation were 92.5% and 97.1% (P = 0.27). Technical difficulty was encountered in 25% and 17% (P = 0.164) of the first and last 100 sialendoscopies, respectively. Neither group experienced major complications. All patients tolerated the procedures well and had excellent outcomes. CONCLUSION: Progressive learning regarding sialendoscopy enabled more frequent operation under local anaesthesia, thus better meeting the requirements of a minimally invasive technique. We were able to decrease the operative time in diagnostic sialendoscopy. These two factors support the inclusion of diagnostic sialendoscopy into the diagnostic panel in obstructive glandular diseases.