Surgical Approaches and Outcomes of Short Nose Correction: A Descriptive Systematic Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to describe all published techniques of short nose correction released by surgeons over the years and summarize their outcomes in a descriptive systematic review of the literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A computerized literature search was conducted using 5 major databases. All original studies discussing correction methods and/or outcomes of shortened noses were included. The risk of bias was evaluated blindly by 2 reviewers, and the data were descriptively presented. The study protocol was recorded in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. RESULTS: A total of 24 studies including 1450 patients were included. Lengthening of the nose was performed through a cartilage-only graft in 14 studies, whereas bone graft was used in 3 studies. The mean increase in nasal tip projection in 5 reports ranged from 0.05 to 2.2 mm. The mean nasal length before and after rhinoplasty was reported in 8 studies, with a mean increase ranging from 0.28 to 6.2 mm. Regarding surgical complications, 30 patients had implant deviation or migration, 22 patients experienced postoperative infection, and 12 patients required corrective surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Augmentation of a short nose is a challenging surgical procedure for rhinoplasty. There are several techniques for short nose correction; however, it is difficult to evaluate the outcomes in the absence of a standard tool of assessment. Further analytical studies are warranted to fully evaluate surgical techniques.

Practice of ear candling during lockdown due to COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: Cerumen production is a protective process for the ear canal. Cerumen impaction causes unpleasant symptoms. There are various cerumen removal practices. These include irrigation, application of softeners/solvents, mechanical removal, and micro-suction. However, during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic, some patients opted for some procedures, such as ear candling, which are not evidence-based. This study aimed to explore the awareness of ear candling among otolaryngology doctors and record cases with complications of such practice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was developed after an extensive literature search, and distributed to otolaryngology residents, fellows, and consultants of different hospitals across the country. A total of 80 respondents agreed to participate in the study. Results: A total of 16 doctors reported seeing cases of ear candling, of which 13 patients had different complications, of which ear pain was the most commonly reported. The majority of participants (42.5%) thought the lack of medical access during lockdown enhanced the practice of alternative medicine for ear-related complaints in society compared to 35% of participants who had a neutral response regarding this idea and 22.5% who disagreed. Conclusions: Although the practice of ear candling is not widely spread in KSA, different types of ear complications were recorded by the otolaryngologist. We would like to encourage the doctors to report such complications, especially after the lockdown period.

Rare Variation of Accessory Maxillary Ostium.

Accessory maxillary ostium (AMO) is one of the anatomical variations in the maxillary sinus. It can be present in different sizes, shapes, and locations. We here reported a case of a rare variation of AMO with large size in a patient with chronic rhinosinusitis. It is important to identify the presence of AMO especially in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis as it can lead to mucus recirculation and disease persistence.

Correlation between Allergic Rhinitis and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) exhibits nonspecific clinical presentations, and these symptoms may be associated with other conditions such as allergies, including allergic rhinitis and laryngitis. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the correlation of laryngopharyngeal reflux with allergic rhinitis/laryngitis. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore the correlation between these two conditions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 126 patients with suggestive manifestations of laryngopharyngeal reflux were included in this study. Patients were classified into LPR positive and negative groups based on the results of a 24-hour oropharyngeal pH monitoring system while allergic rhinitis status was assessed with the score for allergic rhinitis (SFAR). THE RESULTS OF THE TWO GROUPS WERE COMPARED REGARDING THE SFAR SCORE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PH RESULTS AND SFAR SCORE WAS EXPLORED RESULTS: The LPR positive group demonstrated significantly higher SFAR scores compared to the negative LPR group (p < 0.0001). In addition, the Ryan score was significantly correlated with the SFAR total score and its symptomatology-related items (r ranged between 0.35 and 0.5). Conclusion. It seems that laryngopharyngeal reflux increases patients' self-rating of allergic manifestations. It appears that there is an association between laryngopharyngeal reflux and allergic rhinitis/laryngitis.