The post-operative tonsillectomy (POPT) study: A multi-centre prospective paediatric cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Tonsillectomy is the most common operation performed by otolaryngologists in the UK, despite this we have a poor understanding of the post-operative recovery. We aimed to investigate post-operative bleeding and pain following paediatric tonsillectomy using a patient diary. DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. SETTING: Multi-centre study involving 12 secondary and tertiary otolaryngology units across the North of England. Patients were recruited from 1st March 2020 to 30th June 2022. Multilevel ordered logistic regression model statistics were performed. PARTICIPANTS: Children (≥4 years, ≤16 years) undergoing tonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy) for benign pathology. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency and severity of post-operative bleeding. Intensity and pattern of post-operative pain. RESULTS: In total 297 children were recruited, with 91 (30.6%) diaries eligible for analysis. Post-operative bleeding occurred in 44% of children. Most frequently blood in the saliva was reported (82.9%). Increasing age significantly increased bleeding odds by 17% per year (p = .001). Bleeding frequency decreased with higher surgeon grade (p = .003) and when performing intracapsular coblation tonsillectomy (p = .02) compared with other techniques. Lower age and intracapsular coblation tonsillectomy, against other techniques, significantly reduced rates of pain post-operatively (p < .0001 and p = .0008). CONCLUSION: A high level of low-level post-operative bleeding was observed. Pain scores remained high for 5 days post-operatively then gradually reduce to normal by day 13. Intracapsular coblation tonsillectomy appears to be superior to all other techniques in terms of reducing post-operative bleeding and pain. These findings should be used to guide patients in the consent process to inform them of the expected nature of post-surgical recovery.

Jugular Vein Phlebectasia (IJP): Surgically Manageable But Ignored Entity.

IJP is a rare, congenital, benign, isolated, sporadically occurring fusiform or saccular dilatation of Internal Jugular Vein (IJV) of unknown aetiology usually presenting as a unilateral neck mass. It is mostly seen in children and young adults. We report a 4 year old male presented to Expert ENT & Diagnostic Centre presenting with history of painless right neck swelling in the right carotid triangle first observed on crying with no history of trauma, facial congestion, chronic cough, difficulty in swallowing or breathing, non febrile, venous humps, heaviness or cessation of normal voice. Diagnosis of right IJP was made. Exploration and wrapping the dilated segment in polytetrafluoroethylene tube graft was done. Because of its rarity, this entity is frequently ignored or misdiagnosed. This case report intends to stress the importance of keeping IJP as differential diagnosis while dealing with such a swelling to avoid invasive investigations and inappropriate treatment.

Spindle Cell Carcinoma of Nasal Septum: A Rare Case Report with Review of Literature.

Spindle Cell Carcinoma (SpCC) is a rare neoplasm that occurs mainly in the upper aero-digestive tract, mostly in larynx. We present a case of SpCC arising from nasal septum. Surgical excision was done with postoperative chemo-radiotherapy and the patient is in follow-up and is asymptomatic from the last 24 months.

Unusual Presentation of a Giant Schwannoma of Left Lateral Border of Tongue: A Rare Case Report.

Schwannoma is a benign, encapsulated, slow-growing and generally solitary tumour that arise from Schwann cells of the peripheral nerve sheath. Approximately 1-12% occur intraorally with the tongue being one of the site. We report a case of schwannoma of the tongue in a 33-year-old male patient. It presented as a slow growing mass of the tongue. We did the surgical excision of the tumour with the help of CO2 laser, and the patient is in follow-up and is asymptomatic from the last 7 months.