Exclusive or combined endoscopic approach to tumours of the lower lacrimal pathway: review of the literature.

A literature review was conducted to assess the role of minimally-invasive endoscopic treatments for lacrimal pathway neoplasms. The study involved the analysis of 316 patients with benign or malignant tumours affecting the lacrimal drainage system. Histologically, the analysis revealed a prevalence of squamous cell carcinoma, followed by lymphatic neoplasms and melanomas. In terms of treatment, minimally-invasive endoscopic approaches, such as endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, play a predominant role in managing early-stage tumours, rather than merely obtaining samples for histological analysis. For more extensive tumours, which constitute the majority of cases, more aggressive external approaches are required, along with the use of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The lack of universally shared staging systems poses a limitation in standardisation and comparison of results. Treatment of these tumours remains complex due to their rarity and histological heterogeneity. A multidisciplinary approach is mandatory to optimise outcomes.

Deep Sedation for Pediatric Parotid Sialendoscopy in Juvenile Recurrent Parotitis.

Sialendoscopy is a minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic tool for juvenile recurrent parotitis (JRP); the procedure is under general anesthesia, but local anesthesia has been used for sialendoscopy in children >8 years. Based on the experience in children with sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy, we investigated the reliability and safety of deep sedation for sialendoscopy in JRP. Six children (3 females, 6-13 years) with episodes of parotid swelling underwent interventional (duct dilation and steroid irrigation) sialendoscopy with intravenous bolus of 1 mg/kg propofol and 1 mcg/kg fentanyl, and continuous infusion of 2 mg/kg/h propofol. Sialendoscopy under deep sedation was successfully performed in all the patients; the procedure was well tolerated, without any adverse effects. One event of full awakening was registered and promptly solved without needing to interrupt the procedure. Effectiveness of sialendoscopy under deep sedation was subjectively attested by high positive scores obtained at post-operative standardized questionnaires administered to the patients and their parents, and objectively by the lack of clinical recurrences during the follow-up. The combination of propofol and fentanyl seems to be a reliable and safe means of sedating children with JRP undergoing sialendoscopy.