Intraoperative Imaging Techniques to Improve Surgical Resection Margins of Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Cancer: A Comprehensive Review of Current Literature.

Inadequate resection margins in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma surgery necessitate adjuvant therapies such as re-resection and radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and imply increasing morbidity and worse prognosis. On the other hand, taking larger margins by extending the resection also leads to avoidable increased morbidity. Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) are often difficult to access; resections are limited by anatomy and functionality and thus carry an increased risk for close or positive margins. Therefore, there is a need to improve intraoperative assessment of resection margins. Several intraoperative techniques are available, but these often lead to prolonged operative time and are only suitable for a subgroup of patients. In recent years, new diagnostic tools have been the subject of investigation. This study reviews the available literature on intraoperative techniques to improve resection margins for OPSCCs. A literature search was performed in Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane. Narrow band imaging (NBI), high-resolution microendoscopic imaging, confocal laser endomicroscopy, frozen section analysis (FSA), ultrasound (US), computed tomography scan (CT), (auto) fluorescence imaging (FI), and augmented reality (AR) have all been used for OPSCC. NBI, FSA, and US are most commonly used and increase the rate of negative margins. Other techniques will become available in the future, of which fluorescence imaging has high potential for use with OPSCC.

The Impact of Structured and Standardized Documentation on Documentation Quality; a Multicenter, Retrospective Study.

The reuse of healthcare data for various purposes will become increasingly important in the future. To enable the reuse of clinical data, structured and standardized documentation is conditional. However, the primary purpose of clinical documentation is to support high-quality patient care. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of increased structured and standardized documentation on the quality of notes in the Electronic Health Record. A multicenter, retrospective design was used to assess the difference in note quality between 144 unstructured and 144 structured notes. Independent reviewers measured note quality by scoring the notes with the Qnote instrument. This instrument rates all note elements independently using and results in a grand mean score on a 0-100 scale. The mean quality score for unstructured notes was 64.35 (95% CI 61.30-67.35). Structured and standardized documentation improved the Qnote quality score to 77.2 (95% CI 74.18-80.21), a 12.8 point difference (p < 0.001). Furthermore, results showed that structured notes were significantly longer than unstructured notes. Nevertheless, structured notes were more clear and concise. Structured documentation led to a significant increase in note quality. Moreover, considering the benefits of structured data recording in terms of data reuse, implementing structured and standardized documentation into the EHR is recommended.

Voice Characteristics in Patients with Acromegaly during Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Active acromegaly is characterized by Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF)-1 excess. Voice complaints are common in active acromegaly and are suggested to be caused by effects of Growth Hormone or IGF-1 on vocal folds and the surrounding soft tissues. Prospective studies on the course of voice characteristics in acromegaly patients are scarce and results are conflicting. This study investigates objective changes in voice parameters, self-reported perception of voice and laryngostroboscopic features during the first 2.5 years of acromegaly treatment. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In this prospective study, acoustic voice analysis (and videolaryngostroboscopic examination were performed in 27 consecutive treatment-naive acromegaly patients at diagnosis (T0), after 1 year (T1) and after 2.5 years (T2) of treatment. The voice handicap index (VHI-30) questionnaire was taken. RESULTS: During acromegaly treatment, VHI scores decreased, and mucosal edema & hypertrophy diminished. No significant changes in objective voice parameters were detected. The within-subject change in serum IGF-1 levels (97.3 (40.6-208) to 22.4 (10.2-34.1) nmol/L (P < 0.001)) during follow-up correlated positively with the changes in VHI questionnaire scores (R 0.32-0.45; P = 0.002-0.03). CONCLUSIONS: At diagnosis and during acromegaly treatment, mean VHI scores were in the normal range, although they decreased during follow-up. Mucosal edema and hypertrophy largely resolved during treatment. No significant changes in objective voice parameters were observed. Voice characteristics are in the normal range in patients with acromegaly, but may change during treatment. However, voice complaints are important to discuss, since they may influence quality of life.

Intraoperative Primary Tumor Identification and Margin Assessment in Head and Neck Unknown Primary Tumors.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical management of the unknown primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (UP HNSCC) remains controversial due to challenging clinical diagnosis. This study compares positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) findings with intraoperative identification of primary tumors and compares intraoperative frozen-section margins to final histopathology. In addition, adjuvant therapy indications are provided. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Academic university hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty-one patients with UP HNSCC were included. Patients received PET-CT, followed by oropharyngeal transoral laser microsurgery (TLM). Margins were assessed intraoperatively using frozen sections and afterward by final histopathology. Adjuvant treatment was based on final histopathology. RESULTS: The sensitivity of localizing the primary tumor with PET-CT was 50.9% with a specificity of 82.5%. The primary tumor was found intraoperatively on frozen sections in 82% (n = 50) of patients. Five more tumors were identified on final histopathology, leading to a total of 90% (n = 55). Of the 50 intraoperatively found tumors, 98% (n = 49) had negative margins on frozen sections, and 90% (n = 45) were truly negative on final histopathology. Eighteen patients (29.5%) avoided adjuvant treatment. CONCLUSION: PET-CT localized the primary tumor in fewer than half the cases. This protocol identified 90% of primary tumors. Intraoperative frozen-section margin assessment has shown potential with a specificity of 92% compared to final histopathology. As a result, adjuvant therapy was avoided in almost one-third of our patients.

Office-based CO2 laser surgery for benign and premalignant laryngeal lesions.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with laryngeal pathology are often treated with CO2 laser surgery, usually in the operating room under general anesthesia. Although office-based laser surgery using several other laser types has been investigated, prospective studies on office-based CO2 laser surgery are scarce. Our goal was to investigate the feasibility of office-based CO2 laser surgery for benign and premalignant laryngeal pathology by analyzing completion rate, safety, effect on voice quality, and success rate (i.e., no residual or recurrent disease). METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed of 30 consecutive procedures. Inclusion started in June 2016 and was completed in August 2018. Adult patients with clinically benign or premalignant laryngeal lesions who could not undergo transoral laser microsurgery in the operating room under general anesthesia were included. Reasons were either contraindications for general anesthesia, previously failed therapeutic laryngoscopy under general anesthesia, and preference of a procedure under topical anesthesia by the patient. The mean follow-up was 9 months. RESULTS: Thirty procedures were performed in 27 patients (24 males) with an average age of 62 years. Twenty-nine (97%) procedures were fully completed without complications. The mean preoperative Voice Handicap Index (VHI) score (VHI 44) significantly decreased 2 months (VHI 28, P = 0.032) and 6 months (VHI 14, P < 0.001) after the procedure. Almost two-thirds of patients showed no residual or recurrent disease at their follow-up visits. CONCLUSION: Office-based CO2 laser surgery is a feasible and safe procedure that results in significant voice-quality improvement. Almost two-thirds of patients did not require further treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Laryngoscope, 130:1503-1507, 2020.

Cost analysis of office-based transnasal esophagoscopy.

PURPOSE: Although office-based transnasal esophagoscopy has been investigated extensively, a cost analysis is still lacking. We performed a cost analysis combined with feasibility study for two diagnostic processes: patients with globus pharyngeus and/or dysphagia, and hypopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: Prospective cohort study. RESULTS: Forty-one procedures were performed, of which 35 were fully completed. The procedure was well tolerated with mild complaints such as nasal or pharyngeal pain and burping. Four complications occurred: two minor epistaxis and two vasovagal reactions. In patients with globus pharyngeus and/or dysphagia, transnasal esophagoscopy resulted in a cost saving of €94.43 (p 0.026) per procedure, compared to our regular diagnostic process. In patients with suspicion of hypopharyngeal carcinoma, cost savings were €831.41 (p 0.000) per case. CONCLUSIONS: Cost analysis showed that office-based transnasal esophagoscopy can provide significant cost savings for the current standard of care. Furthermore, this procedure resulted in good patient acceptability and few complications.

The art of perception: Patients drawing their vestibular schwannoma.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Drawings made by patients are an innovative way to assess the perceptions of patients on their illness. The objective of this study, at a university tertiary referral center, on patients who have recently been diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma, was to examine whether patients' illness perceptions can be assessed by drawings and are related to their quality of life. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma (mean age [range], 55.4 [17-85] years) between April 2011 and October 2012 were included (N = 253). Sociodemographics, illness perceptions (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire [B-IPQ]), and disease-specific quality of life (Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life [PANQOL] scale) were assessed to evaluate the impact of being diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma. Furthermore, patients' drawings of their tumor were analyzed to explore the association between illness perceptions, drawings, and quality of life. RESULTS: Comparison of the B-IPQ scores of the current sample (N = 139; response rate 54.9%) with other disease samples shows a significantly lower score for patients with vestibular schwannoma on the Coherence dimension, indicating a low understanding of the illness. Illustration of emotions (N = 12) in the drawings gave a negative association with quality of life. Intercorrelations indicate a positive association between a low amount of physical and emotional consequences of the illness and a higher score on the Balance, Hearing, and Energy dimensions of the PANQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' drawings give an insight into their perception of the tumor inside their head. Use of drawings may be helpful when developing and offering self-management programs. Quality of life appears to be significantly affected by the diagnosis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Negative predictors for satisfaction in patients seeking facial cosmetic surgery: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Facial cosmetic surgery is becoming more popular. Patients generally indicate they are satisfied with the results. Certain patient characteristics, however, have been described as negative predictors for satisfaction. Psychopathology such as body dysmorphic disorder and personality disorders are notorious. Psychosocial and cultural factors are more difficult to distinguish. This systematic review defines the predictors, other than body dysmorphic disorder, of an unsatisfactory outcome after facial cosmetic surgery. The authors are also interested in whether valid preoperative assessment instruments are available to determine these factors. METHODS: An extensive systematic PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Library search was performed. In addition, relevant studies from the reference lists of the selected articles were added. There were no publication-year restrictions, and the last search was conducted on July 20, 2014. All factors described as negative predictors for patient satisfaction after facial cosmetic surgery were identified. RESULTS: Twenty-seven articles were analyzed, including 11 prospective studies, two retrospective studies, one case study, eight reviews, and five expert opinions. The following factors were identified: male sex, young age, unrealistic expectations, minimal deformities, demanding patients, "surgiholics," relational or familial disturbances, an obsessive personality, and a narcissistic personality. CONCLUSIONS: This review indicates the possible demographic and psychosocial predictors for an unsatisfactory outcome of facial cosmetic surgery. A brief personality assessment tool that could be used to address predictors preoperatively was not found. The authors suggest use of the Glasgow Benefit Inventory to assess patient satisfaction postoperatively. Further research is being undertaken to develop such an instrument.

Validating the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality Of Life Scale in a sample of Dutch patients recently diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the validity of the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality-of-Life Scale (PANQOL) in a sample of Dutch patients recently diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study in a university tertiary referral center. METHODS: Between April 2011 and March 2012 consecutive patients (mean age, 56.4; range, 17-85 yr) diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma (n = 155) were included. The PANQOL was translated into Dutch according to the accepted rules of forward-backward translation. Quality of life at diagnosis was measured with the generic SF-36 and the disease-specific PANQOL. Factor analysis was used to explore the factor structure of the PANQOL. The scores of the patients in the current study were compared with those of patients from the United States of America. Correlations between SF-36 and PANQOL were examined to study psychometric characteristics of the PANQOL. RESULTS: One hundred nineteen patients (76.8%) completed the questionnaires. SF-36 scores are comparable to previously published studies measuring Quality of Life at diagnosis. Factor analysis on our data has confirmed the original 7-dimensional structure of the PANQOL. The PANQOL scores from the Dutch and the USA patients are comparable. Correlations between PANQOL and SF-36 dimensions corroborate the validity of the Dutch PANQOL version. CONCLUSION: Vestibular schwannoma patients experience a reduced quality of life immediately after the diagnostic process. The PANQOL seems to be a valid disease-specific measure of quality of life in Dutch patients who have recently been diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma.