Assessing social vulnerabilities of salivary gland cancer care, prognosis, and treatment in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Salivary gland cancers (SGC)-social determinants of health (SDoH) investigations are limited by narrow scopes of SGC-types and SDoH. This Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)-study hypothesized that socioeconomic status (SES) most contributed to SDoH-associated SGC-disparities. METHODS: Retrospective cohort of 24 775 SGCs assessed SES, minority-language status (ML), household composition (HH), housing-transportation (HT), and composite-SDoH measured by the SVI via regressions with surveillance and survival length, late-staging presentation, and treatment (surgery, radio-, chemotherapy) receipt. RESULTS: Increasing social vulnerability showed decreases in surveillance/survival; increased odds of advanced-presenting-stage (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.17), chemotherapy receipt (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.23); decreased odds of primary surgery (0.89, 0.84, 0.94), radiotherapy (0.91, 0.85, 0.97, p = 0.003) for SGCs. Trends were differentially correlated with SES, ML, HH, and HT-vulnerabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Through quantifying SDoH-derived SGC-disparities, the SVI can guide targeted initiatives against SDoH that elicit the most detrimental associations for specific sociodemographics.

Influence of Social Vulnerability in Treatment and Prognosis of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of social determinants of health (SDoH) in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in the United States and to evaluate the real-world contribution of specific disparities. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: United States. METHODS: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and National Cancer Institute-Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database were used to study 62,103 adult tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients from 1975 to 2017. Regression analysis assessed trends in months of follow-up and survival across social vulnerability and 4 subcategories of social vulnerability. RESULTS: As overall SVI score increases (increased social vulnerability), there is a significant decrease in the average length of follow-up (22.95% decrease from 63.99 to 49.31 months; P < .001) across patients from the lowest and highest social vulnerability groups. As overall SVI score increases, there is a significant decrease in the average months of survival (28.00% decrease from 49.20 to 35.43 months; P < .001). There is also a significantly greater odds ratio (OR = 1.05; P < .001) of advanced cancer staging upon presentation at higher SVI scores. Patients with higher SVI scores have a lower OR (0.93; P < .001) of receiving surgery as their primary treatment when compared to patients with lower SVI scores. Patients with higher SVI scores also have a significantly greater OR (OR = 1.05; P < .001) of receiving chemotherapy as their primary treatment when compared to patients with lower SVI scores. CONCLUSION: Increased social vulnerability is shown to have a detrimental impact on the treatment and prognosis of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the parotid and submandibular glands in children and young adults: A population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyze the behavior and treatment of adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) in the pediatric and young adult population and to identify factors affecting overall survival (OS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study analyzed salivary gland malignancies in patients aged 0-21 with AdCC histology using the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2018. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients (59.7% parotid, 36.1% submandibular, 1.4% sublingual, 2.8% unspecified) met criteria. Median age was 18 years [range: 0-21]. High-grade dysplasia was present in 67% of cases. Therapy consisted of primary surgery for all cases, regional lymph node dissection (LND) (74%), radiotherapy (71%), chemotherapy (8%), and chemoradiation (7%). The 5-year OS rate was 93.2% [95% confidence interval (CI): 86.9%-99.9%], respectively. Patients who underwent associated LND had improved OS (p = .0083, log-rank test) with a 5-year OS at 82.4% [95% CI: 66.1%-100%] versus 97.6% [95% CI: 93.0%-100%]. A significant difference in OS was found with unfavorable outcomes after positive marginal status: 5-year OS 84.1% [95% CI: 71.0%-99.7%] versus 100% [95% CI: 100%]; p < .001. Adjuvant therapy did not seem to impact the outcome. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that AdCC in children and young adults has an overall good prognosis despite frequent high grade. It suggests that cervical LND may be of importance, but the value of systematic adjuvant therapy is not confirmed. These findings emphasize the importance and relevance of population-based studies in shaping clinical practice and informing the design of future prospective investigations.

Assessment of social vulnerability impact in care and prognosis of sinonasal cancers in the United States.

KEY POINTS: Social determinants of health interactively influence sinonasal cancer care and prognosis. Housing-transportation and socioeconomic status showed the largest associations with disparities. The social vulnerability index can reveal the social determinants of sinonasal cancers.

Analyzing County-level Social Vulnerabilities of Head and Neck Melanomas in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: Studies addressing social determinants of health (SDH) in head-neck melanomas (HNM) have only assessed incidence with increasing socioeconomic status. None have investigated a wider scope of SDH or their summed influence on affecting HNM prognosis and follow-up care. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 374,138 HNM in adults from 1975 to 2017 from the NCI-Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (NCI-SEER) database. Utilizing the NCI-SEER database, Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) scores were matched to county of residence upon diagnosis. Univariate linear regressions were performed on length of care (months of follow-up/surveyed) and prognosis (months survival) across various SDH/SVI scores of socioeconomic status, minority and language status, household composition, housing and transportation, and their total composite. RESULTS: With increasing overall SVI score, which indicates increasing social vulnerability, months of follow-up showed significant decreases ranging from 0.04% to 27.63% compared with the lowest vulnerability groups, with the highest differences in nodular melanomas and the lowest with malignant melanomas in giant pigmented nevi. Similarly, months survival significant decreases ranged from 0.19% to 39.84% compared with the lowest SVI scores, with the highest difference in epithelioid cell melanomas and the lowest in amelanotic melanoma. Comprising this overall score trend, decreases with socioeconomic status, minority-language status, household composition, and housing-transportation contributed differentially per histology subtype. CONCLUSIONS: Our data highlight significant negative trends in HNM prognosis and care with higher total social vulnerability while showing which SDH-themes quantifiably contribute more to these differences. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 134:185-190, 2024.

Social Vulnerability Association with Thyroid Cancer Disparities in the United States.

Background: As thyroid cancer incidence rises, it is increasingly valuable to recognize disparities in treatment and diagnosis. Prior investigations into social determinants of health (SDoH) are limited to pediatric populations or studies looking at single factors such as race or environmental influences. Utilizing the CDC-social vulnerability index and SEER-patient database to assess the amalgamated, real-world influence of varied SDoH and their quantifiable impact on thyroid cancer disparities across the United States. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, 199,340 adult thyroid cancer patients from 1975 to 2017 were assessed for significant regression trends in months of follow-up/surveillance, survival, late staging, and treatment receipt across thyroid cancer-subtypes with increasing overall social vulnerability, as well as in 15 SDoH variables regarding socioeconomic status, minority-language status, household composition, and housing-transportation across all the U.S. counties while accounting for sociodemographic regional differences. Results: With increasing overall social vulnerability, decreases in months of follow-up were observed with patients with papillary, follicular, medullary, oncocytic, and anaplastic thyroid cancer (p = 0.001). Comparing lowest with highest vulnerability cohorts, relative decreases in months of surveillance ranged from 55.6% (14.5-6.5 months) with anaplastic to 17% (108.6-90.2) with oncocytic. Socioeconomic status vulnerabilities, followed by vulnerabilities in household composition and housing-transportation type, contributed to these overall trends. Similar survival decreases occurred across all thyroid cancer patients, ranging from 55.9% (9.6-4.2) with anaplastic to 28.3% (97-69.5) with oncocytic. Minority-language status vulnerabilities and housing-transportation types largely contributed to these trends. Increasing overall vulnerability was associated with increased odds of advanced staging for papillary (odds ratio [OR] = 1.07 [confidence interval, CI 1.03-1.12]) and decreased odds of indicated treatment via surgery (lowest, medullary: 0.91 [CI 0.84-0.99]), radiation therapy (lowest, anaplastic: 0.88 [CI 0.82-0.93]), and chemotherapy (lowest, oncocytic: 0.81 [CI 0.67-0.98]) were observed. Vulnerabilities in minority-language status and housing-transportation, followed by socioeconomic status vulnerabilities, were differential contributors to these overall vulnerability trends. Conclusions: Our results show significant detriments in thyroid cancer care and prognosis in the United States with increasing overall social vulnerability while identifying which SDoH quantifiably contribute more to disparities in inter-relational, real-world-like contexts.

The impact of digital inequities on laryngeal cancer disparities in the US.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and implement a novel, comprehensive tool, the Digital Inequity Index (DII), that quantifiably measures modern-technology access in the US to assess the impact of digital inequity on laryngeal cancer (LC) care nationwide. METHODS: DII was calculated based on 17 census-tract level variables derived from the American Community Survey and Federal Communications Commission. Variables were categorized as infrastructure-access (i.e., electronic device ownership, type of broadband, internet provider availability, income-broadband subscription ratio) or sociodemographic (i.e., education, income, disability status), ranked and then averaged into a composite score. 22,850 patients from 2008 to 2017 in SEER were assessed for regression trends in long-term follow-up, survival, prognosis, and treatment across increasing overall digital inequity, as measured by the DII. This methodology allows for us to assess the independent contribution of digital inequity adjusted for socioeconomic confounders. RESULTS: With increasing overall digital inequity, length of long-term follow-up (p < 0.001) and survival (p = 0.025) decreased. Compared to LC patients with low DII, high DII was associated with increased odds of advanced preliminary staging (OR 1.06; 95 % CI 1.03-1.08), treatment with chemotherapy (OR 1.06; 95 % CI 1.04-1.08), and radiation therapy (OR 1.02; 95 % CI 1.00-1.04), as well as decreased odds of surgical resection (OR 0.96; 95 % CI 0.94-97). CONCLUSIONS: Digital inequities are associated with detrimental trends in LC patient outcomes in the US, allowing discourse for targeted means of alleviating disparities while contextualizing national sociodemographic trends of the impact of online access on informed care.

The Impact of Digital Inequities on Esophageal Cancer Disparities in the US.

BACKGROUND: There is currently no comprehensive tool that quantifiably measures validated factors of modern technology access in the US for digital inequity impact on esophageal cancer care (EC). OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of digital inequities on esophageal cancer disparities while accounting for traditional social determinants. METHODS: 15,656 EC patients from 2013-2017 in SEER were assessed for significant regression trends in long-term follow-up, survival, prognosis, and treatment with increasing overall digital inequity, as measured by the Digital Inequity Index (DII). The DII was calculated based on 17 census tract-level variables derived from the American Community Survey and Federal Communications Commission. Variables were categorized as infrastructure access or sociodemographic, ranked, and then averaged into a composite score. RESULTS: With increasing overall digital inequity, significant decreases in the length of long-term follow-up (p < 0.001) and survival (p < 0.001) for EC patients were observed. EC patients showed decreased odds of receiving indicated surgical resection (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-99) with increasing digital inequity. They also showed increased odds of advanced preliminary staging (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.05) and decreased odds of receiving indicated chemotherapy (OR 0.97;95% CI 0.95-99). CONCLUSIONS: Digital inequities meaningfully contribute to detrimental trends in EC patient care in the US, allowing discourse for targeted means of alleviating disparities while contextualizing national, sociodemographic trends of the impact of online access on informed care.

Large-data contextualizations of social determinant associations in pediatric head and neck cancers.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Prior investigations in social determinants of health (SDoH) and their impact on pediatric head and neck cancers are limited by the narrow scope of cancer types and SDoH being studied while lacking inquiry on the interrelational contribution of varied SDoH in real-world contexts. The purpose of this review is to discuss the current research tackling these shortcomings of SDoH-based studies in head and neck cancer and to discuss means of applying these findings in prospective initiatives and implementations. RECENT FINDINGS: Through leveraging contemporary, large-data analyses measuring diverse social vulnerabilities, several studies have identified comprehensive delineations of which social disparities contribute the largest quantifiable impact on the care of head and neck cancer patients. Progressing from prior SDoH-based research of the decade, these studies contextualize the effect of social vulnerabilities and have laid the foundations to begin addressing these issues in the complex, modern-day environment of interrelatedsocial factors. SUMMARY: Social determinants of health markedly affect pediatric head and neck cancer care and prognosis in complex and surprising ways. Modern-day tools and analyses derived from large-data techniques have unveiled the quantifiable underpinnings of how SDoH impact these pathologies.

Exploring the Epidemiology and Survival Trends in Pediatric Major Salivary Gland Malignancies: Insights from the National Cancer Database.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathological, therapeutic, and survival data on pediatric major salivary gland cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: National Cancer Database (NCDB) query from 2004 to 2018. RESULTS: In total, 967 cases of individuals under the age of 21 were identified. Most cancers affected the parotid gland (86%). Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (41.3%) and acinic cell adenocarcinoma (33.6%) were the most common. Tumors occurred more often from age 11 to 21, and females were more affected. Histology varied by age, gender, and race. In the 0-5 age group, mucoepidermoid carcinoma and myoepithelial carcinoma/sarcoma/rhabdomyosarcoma were the most common pathologies. In patients over 5 years old, mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most frequent tumor in boys, while acinic cell adenocarcinoma was more common in girls. African American patients had a higher incidence of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, while White patients in the 0-5 age group had a higher incidence of myoepithelial carcinoma/sarcoma/rhabdomyosarcoma tumors. Low-grade tumors were commonly diagnosed at stage I, but the 0-5 age group had a high frequency of stage IV tumors. The overall 5-year survival rate was 94.9%, with 90% for the 0-5 years age group and 96% for the 11-15 years age group. Negative margins were associated with higher 5-year survival rates in high-stage tumors (93%) compared to positive margins (80%). Submandibular malignancies had worse 5-year survival rates across all age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Major salivary gland malignancies in pediatric patients exhibit variations in histopathologic characteristics by age, gender, and race. Negative margins impact 5-year survival rates, especially in high-stage tumors.

Assessment of Social Vulnerability in Pediatric Head and Neck Cancer Care and Prognosis in the United States.

Importance: Prior investigations in social determinants of health (SDoH) in pediatric head and neck cancer (HNC) have only considered a narrow scope of HNCs, SDoH, and geography while lacking inquiry into the interrelational association of SDoH with disparities in clinical pediatric HNC. Objectives: To evaluate the association of SDoH with disparities in HNC among children and adolescents and to assess which specific aspects of SDoH are most associated with disparities in dynamic and regional sociodemographic contexts. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study included data about patients (aged ≤19 years) with pediatric HNC who were diagnosed from 1975 to 2017 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database. Data were analyzed from October 2021 to October 2022. Exposures: Overall social vulnerability and its subcomponent contributions from 15 SDoH variables, grouped into socioeconomic status (SES; poverty, unemployment, income level, and high school diploma status), minority and language status (ML; minoritized racial and ethnic group and proficiency with English), household composition (HH; household members aged ≥65 and ≤17 years, disability status, single-parent status), and housing and transportation (HT; multiunit structure, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle, group quarters). These were ranked and scored across all US counties. Main Outcomes and Measures: Regression trends were performed in continuous measures of surveillance and survival period and in discrete measures of advanced staging and surgery receipt. Results: A total of 37 043 patients (20 729 [55.9%] aged 10-19 years; 18 603 [50.2%] male patients; 22 430 [60.6%] White patients) with 30 different HNCs in SEER had significant relative decreases in the surveillance period, ranging from 23.9% for malignant melanomas (mean [SD] duration, lowest vs highest vulnerability: 170 [128] months to 129 [88] months) to 41.9% for non-Hodgkin lymphomas (mean [SD] duration, lowest vs highest vulnerability: 216 [142] months vs 127 [94] months). SES followed by ML and HT vulnerabilities were associated with these overall trends per relative-difference magnitudes (eg, SES for ependymomas and choroid plexus tumors: mean [SD] duration, lowest vs highest vulnerability: 114 [113] months vs 86 [84] months; P < .001). Differences in mean survival time were observed with increasing social vulnerability, ranging from 11.3% for ependymomas and choroid plexus tumors (mean [SD] survival, lowest vs highest vulnerability: 46 [46] months to 41 [48] months; P = .43) to 61.4% for gliomas not otherwise specified (NOS) (mean [SD] survival, lowest vs highest vulnerability: 44 [84] months to 17 [28] months; P < .001), with ML vulnerability followed by SES, HH, and HT being significantly associated with decreased survival (eg, ML for gliomas NOS: mean [SD] survival, lowest vs highest vulnerability: 42 [84] months vs 19 [35] months; P < .001). Increased odds of advanced staging with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02-1.45) and retinoblastomas (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.14-1.50) and decreased odds of surgery receipt for melanomas (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.69-0.91) and rhabdomyosarcomas (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.98) were associated with increasing overall social vulnerability. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of patients with pediatric HNC, significant decreases in receipt of care and survival time were observed with increasing SDoH vulnerability.

National assessment of lymph node status indicators & predictors in pediatric head and neck rhabdomyosarcomas in the US.

OBJECTIVES: Assessing the prognostic utility of lymph node status in pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) patients and identifying demographic and clinical predictors of positive lymph node status among pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma patients. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of head and neck RMS in patients with and without positive lymph node metastasis. METHODS: National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for patients of young (0-11 years) and adolescent (12-21 years) ages with head and neck RMS and confirmed positive or negative lymph node metastasis status. Descriptive analyses, Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, and multivariate logistic regressions were performed on extracted demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Among 272 head and neck RMS patients, 146 (54%) were found to have positive lymph node metastasis. Alveolar RMS (n = 147, 54%) followed by embryonal RMS (n = 74, 27%) were the most represented histology types. Positive lymph node metastasis conferred significantly decreased survivability (p < 0.001) with a median survival period of 36.42 months compared to negative lymph node metastasis with a period of 53.47 months. Older age showed markedly increased odds (OR-2.02; 95%CI 1.22-3.38) of having lymph node metastasis when controlling for sex, race, insurance status, and Charlson-Comorbidity score. Alveolar histologies showed markedly increased odds of having lymph node metastasis (OR-3.21; 95%CI 1.96-5.31); embryonal histologies showed markedly decreased odds of having lymph node metastasis (OR-0.32; 95%CI 0.18-0.56) CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the significant prognostic value of lymph node status among pediatric head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma patients while showcasing crucial demographic and pathological predictors of lymph node metastasis in said patients. Use of lymph node status in pediatric head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma will present future steps towards improving its clinical course.

Complex Head and Neck Resection, Reconstruction, and Rehabilitation in Children.

Pediatric head and neck tumors are uncommon but the consequences of radical resection are extensive. These tumors, benign and malignant, are uniquely challenging because of their proximity to critical functional and neurovascular structures and intimately affect speech, swallowing, voice, breathing, hearing, and vision. In addition, the psychosocial and emotional trauma from the cosmetic and functional consequences can be enduring. Their relative rarity limits surgeon experience and requires a focused effort to develop individual and programmatic expertise. A practiced multidisciplinary team can facilitate smooth preoperative evaluations, efficient coordinated operative procedures, comprehensive rehabilitation, and recovery, as well as optimal oncologic outcomes.

Clinical Practice Guideline: Tympanostomy Tubes in Children (Update).

OBJECTIVE: Insertion of tympanostomy tubes is the most common ambulatory surgery performed on children in the United States. Tympanostomy tubes are most often inserted because of persistent middle ear fluid, frequent ear infections, or ear infections that persist after antibiotic therapy. All these conditions are encompassed by the term otitis media (middle ear inflammation). This guideline update provides evidence-based recommendations for patient selection and surgical indications for managing tympanostomy tubes in children. The guideline is intended for any clinician involved in managing children aged 6 months to 12 years with tympanostomy tubes or children being considered for tympanostomy tubes in any care setting as an intervention for otitis media of any type. The target audience includes specialists, primary care clinicians, and allied health professionals. PURPOSE: The purpose of this clinical practice guideline update is to reassess and update recommendations in the prior guideline from 2013 and to provide clinicians with trustworthy, evidence-based recommendations on patient selection and surgical indications for managing tympanostomy tubes in children. In planning the content of the updated guideline, the guideline update group (GUG) affirmed and included all the original key action statements (KASs), based on external review and GUG assessment of the original recommendations. The guideline update was supplemented with new research evidence and expanded profiles that addressed quality improvement and implementation issues. The group also discussed and prioritized the need for new recommendations based on gaps in the initial guideline or new evidence that would warrant and support KASs. The GUG further sought to bring greater coherence to the guideline recommendations by displaying relationships in a new flowchart to facilitate clinical decision making. Last, knowledge gaps were identified to guide future research. METHODS: In developing this update, the methods outlined in the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation's "Clinical Practice Guideline Development Manual, Third Edition: A Quality-Driven Approach for Translating Evidence Into Action" were followed explicitly. The GUG was convened with representation from the disciplines of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, otology, pediatrics, audiology, anesthesiology, family medicine, advanced practice nursing, speech-language pathology, and consumer advocacy. ACTION STATEMENTS: The GUG made strong recommendations for the following KASs: (14) clinicians should prescribe topical antibiotic ear drops only, without oral antibiotics, for children with uncomplicated acute tympanostomy tube otorrhea; (16) the surgeon or designee should examine the ears of a child within 3 months of tympanostomy tube insertion AND should educate families regarding the need for routine, periodic follow-up to examine the ears until the tubes extrude.The GUG made recommendations for the following KASs: (1) clinicians should not perform tympanostomy tube insertion in children with a single episode of otitis media with effusion (OME) of less than 3 months' duration, from the date of onset (if known) or from the date of diagnosis (if onset is unknown); (2) clinicians should obtain a hearing evaluation if OME persists for 3 months or longer OR prior to surgery when a child becomes a candidate for tympanostomy tube insertion; (3) clinicians should offer bilateral tympanostomy tube insertion to children with bilateral OME for 3 months or longer AND documented hearing difficulties; (5) clinicians should reevaluate, at 3- to 6-month intervals, children with chronic OME who do not receive tympanostomy tubes, until the effusion is no longer present, significant hearing loss is detected, or structural abnormalities of the tympanic membrane or middle ear are suspected; (6) clinicians should not perform tympanostomy tube insertion in children with recurrent acute otitis media who do not have middle ear effusion in either ear at the time of assessment for tube candidacy; (7) clinicians should offer bilateral tympanostomy tube insertion in children with recurrent acute otitis media who have unilateral or bilateral middle ear effusion at the time of assessment for tube candidacy; (8) clinicians should determine if a child with recurrent acute otitis media or with OME of any duration is at increased risk for speech, language, or learning problems from otitis media because of baseline sensory, physical, cognitive, or behavioral factors; (10) the clinician should not place long-term tubes as initial surgery for children who meet criteria for tube insertion unless there is a specific reason based on an anticipated need for prolonged middle ear ventilation beyond that of a short-term tube; (12) in the perioperative period, clinicians should educate caregivers of children with tympanostomy tubes regarding the expected duration of tube function, recommended follow-up schedule, and detection of complications; (13) clinicians should not routinely prescribe postoperative antibiotic ear drops after tympanostomy tube placement; (15) clinicians should not encourage routine, prophylactic water precautions (use of earplugs or headbands, avoidance of swimming or water sports) for children with tympanostomy tubes.The GUG offered the following KASs as options: (4) clinicians may perform tympanostomy tube insertion in children with unilateral or bilateral OME for 3 months or longer (chronic OME) AND symptoms that are likely attributable, all or in part, to OME that include, but are not limited to, balance (vestibular) problems, poor school performance, behavioral problems, ear discomfort, or reduced quality of life; (9) clinicians may perform tympanostomy tube insertion in at-risk children with unilateral or bilateral OME that is likely to persist as reflected by a type B (flat) tympanogram or a documented effusion for 3 months or longer; (11) clinicians may perform adenoidectomy as an adjunct to tympanostomy tube insertion for children with symptoms directly related to the adenoids (adenoid infection or nasal obstruction) OR in children aged 4 years or older to potentially reduce future incidence of recurrent otitis media or the need for repeat tube insertion.

Executive Summary of Clinical Practice Guideline on Tympanostomy Tubes in Children (Update).

OBJECTIVE: This executive summary of the guideline update provides evidence-based recommendations for patient selection and surgical indications for managing tympanostomy tubes in children. The summary and guideline are intended for any clinician involved in managing children aged 6 months to 12 years with tympanostomy tubes or children being considered for tympanostomy tubes in any care setting as an intervention for otitis media of any type. The target audience includes specialists, primary care clinicians, and allied health professionals. PURPOSE: The purpose of this executive summary is to provide a succinct overview for clinicians of the key action statements (recommendations), summary tables, and patient decision aids from the update of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation's "Clinical Practice Guideline: Tympanostomy Tubes in Children (Update)." The new guideline updates recommendations in the prior guideline from 2013 and provides clinicians with trustworthy, evidence-based recommendations on patient selection and surgical indications for managing tympanostomy tubes in children. This summary is not intended to substitute for the full guideline, and clinicians are encouraged to read the full guideline before implementing the recommended actions. METHODS: The guideline on which this summary is based was developed using methods outlined in the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation's "Clinical Practice Guideline Development Manual, Third Edition: A Quality-Driven Approach for Translating Evidence Into Action," which were followed explicitly. The guideline update group represented the disciplines of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, otology, pediatrics, audiology, anesthesiology, family medicine, advanced practice nursing, speech-language pathology, and consumer advocacy. ACTION STATEMENTS: Strong recommendations were made for the following key action statements: (14) Clinicians should prescribe topical antibiotic ear drops only, without oral antibiotics, for children with uncomplicated acute tympanostomy tube otorrhea. (16) The surgeon or designee should examine the ears of a child within 3 months of tympanostomy tube insertion AND should educate families regarding the need for routine, periodic follow-up to examine the ears until the tubes extrude.Recommendations were made for the following key action statements: (1) Clinicians should not perform tympanostomy tube insertion in children with a single episode of otitis media with effusion (OME) of less than 3 months' duration, from the date of onset (if known) or from the date of diagnosis (if onset is unknown). (2) Clinicians should obtain a hearing evaluation if OME persists for 3 months or longer OR prior to surgery when a child becomes a candidate for tympanostomy tube insertion. (3) Clinicians should offer bilateral tympanostomy tube insertion to children with bilateral OME for 3 months or longer AND documented hearing difficulties. (5) Clinicians should reevaluate, at 3- to 6-month intervals, children with chronic OME who do not receive tympanostomy tubes, until the effusion is no longer present, significant hearing loss is detected, or structural abnormalities of the tympanic membrane or middle ear are suspected. (6) Clinicians should not perform tympanostomy tube insertion in children with recurrent acute otitis media (AOM) who do not have middle ear effusion (MEE) in either ear at the time of assessment for tube candidacy. (7) Clinicians should offer bilateral tympanostomy tube insertion in children with recurrent AOM who have unilateral or bilateral MEE at the time of assessment for tube candidacy. (8) Clinicians should determine if a child with recurrent AOM or with OME of any duration is at increased risk for speech, language, or learning problems from otitis media because of baseline sensory, physical, cognitive, or behavioral factors. (10) The clinician should not place long-term tubes as initial surgery for children who meet criteria for tube insertion unless there is a specific reason based on an anticipated need for prolonged middle ear ventilation beyond that of a short-term tube. (12) In the perioperative period, clinicians should educate caregivers of children with tympanostomy tubes regarding the expected duration of tube function, recommended follow-up schedule, and detection of complications. (13) Clinicians should not routinely prescribe postoperative antibiotic ear drops after tympanostomy tube placement. (15) Clinicians should not encourage routine, prophylactic water precautions (use of earplugs or headbands, avoidance of swimming or water sports) for children with tympanostomy tubes.Options were offered from the following key action statements: (4) Clinicians may perform tympanostomy tube insertion in children with unilateral or bilateral OME for 3 months or longer (chronic OME) AND symptoms that are likely attributable, all or in part, to OME that include, but are not limited to, balance (vestibular) problems, poor school performance, behavioral problems, ear discomfort, or reduced quality of life. (9) Clinicians may perform tympanostomy tube insertion in at-risk children with unilateral or bilateral OME that is likely to persist as reflected by a type B (flat) tympanogram or a documented effusion for 3 months or longer. (11) Clinicians may perform adenoidectomy as an adjunct to tympanostomy tube insertion for children with symptoms directly related to the adenoids (adenoid infection or nasal obstruction) OR in children aged 4 years or older to potentially reduce future incidence of recurrent otitis media or the need for repeat tube insertion.

Decannulation protocol for short term tracheostomy in pediatric head and neck tumor patients.

BACKGROUND: While the majority of pediatric tracheostomies are performed in the setting of chronic and complex medical comorbidities, perioperative tracheostomies following head and neck tumor ablation are generally short-term. Deliberate planning is required for decannulation in this setting and no published protocols currently exist. Our study outlines a management strategy for short-term tracheostomy in pediatric patients following head and neck surgery. METHODS: A retrospective study of pediatric head and neck tumor patients undergoing tracheostomy was performed at a quaternary children's hospital from February 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018. Charts were reviewed for demographics, surgical operation, relevant tracheostomy-related complications, and time to decannulation. RESULTS: Eleven patients with a mean age of 10.4 years (st.dev. 6.7, range: 0.5-23) underwent tracheostomy during their primary ablative/reconstructive surgery. Trans-tracheal pressure monitoring helped direct the need for tracheostomy downsizing and readiness for capping trials. All patients were decannulated before hospital discharge after a mean of 12.8 days (st.dev. 2.5, range: 9-18) and were discharged after a mean of 14.8 days (st.dev. 2.5, range: 11-20). CONCLUSION: Pediatric head and neck surgery patients can be quickly and safely decannulated with an instructive protocol and multidisciplinary care.

Extracapsular versus intracapsular tonsillectomy: Outcomes in children with a focus on developmental delay.

INTRODUCTION: Outcomes following intracapsular tonsillectomy (IT) have not been well established in children with developmental delays. The objective of this study was to compare outcomes and complications between intracapsular and extracapsular tonsillectomy (TT) in pediatric patients with developmental delay (DD) in comparison to non-developmentally delayed children. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of pediatric patients with DD undergoing tonsillectomy between 2016 and 2019 at a tertiary care hospital. This group included patients with Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, other genetic syndromes, and patients with a diagnosis of global developmental delay. Outcomes and complications were analyzed for IT and TT. RESULTS: 2267 charts were reviewed, and 320 patients were identified with DD. Of those, 72 patients underwent IT and 248 underwent TT. In the DD cohort, the IT group had a shorter length of stay (0.97 vs 1.7 days, p < .0001) and was less likely to receive post-operative narcotic medication (2.8% vs 35%, p < .0001) and corticosteroids (9.7% vs 64%, p < .0001) during their hospital stay. Reductions in emergency room (ER) visits (5.6% vs 10%, p = .21) and post-op bleeding (PTH) (1.4% vs 4.8%, p = .31) for IT vs TT were not statistically significant in the DD group. In the NDD group, fewer patients undergoing IT returned to the ER (11% vs 2.3%, p < .0001) or had PTH (4.8% vs 0.25%, p, 0.0001) as compared to those children undergoing TT. There was no difference between parental report of symptom improvement between the groups (39% vs 33%, p = .39). Analysis of 180 patients with preoperative and postoperative sleep study data revealed post-op Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) improved with both techniques (74% TT vs 79% IT, p = .7). There were no differences noted for persistent obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among the two techniques for both study groups (p = .63). CONCLUSION: Children with DD undergoing IT have reduced length of stay and reduced inpatient administration of post-operative opioids and steroids. IT has comparable efficacy to TT in treating symptoms of pediatric sleep apnea with a better safety profile. Overall, children undergoing IT return to the operating room less frequently than those undergoing TT. Longer follow-up studies will be needed to evaluate rate of tonsil regrowth, risk of revision surgery and persistence of OSA in these patients.

Thyroid surgery outcomes at a children's hospital: The value of a multidisciplinary team approach.

BACKGROUND: Our purpose is to describe the structure, function and outcomes of our multidisciplinary pediatric thyroid program and to evaluate our experience in comparison to other high-volume centers. METHODS: We reviewed all thyroid operations performed 10/2012 through 09/2019, and examined number of cases per year, patient demographics, procedures, final diagnoses and results. Primary outcomes were hypoparathyroidism and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury at 12 months. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and univariate analyses. RESULTS: We performed 294 thyroid operations on 279 patients. Seventy-nine percent were female. Median age was 15 years (IQR: 12-17). Operations included total thyroidectomy (65%), lobectomy (30%) and completion thyroidectomy (5%). Most common diagnoses were Graves' disease (35%), malignancy (29%), and benign nodule (20%). We developed an evidence-based clinical pathway and conducted weekly multidisciplinary meetings. A clinical data specialist reviewed process and outcome measures routinely. Overall, 6 patients (2.0%) had hypoparathyroidism and 2 (0.7%) had unilateral RLN injury at 12 months. Two of the patients with clinical suspicion of permanent hypoparathyroidism were ultimately weaned off calcium. Both patients with RLN injury had extensive locally advanced malignant disease involving the nerve. CONCLUSIONS: Our multidisciplinary team achieved excellent long-term outcomes for pediatric thyroid surgery comparable to other high-volume pediatric and adult centers.

Secretory Carcinoma of the Salivary Gland: A Rarity in Children.

Originally described as mammary analog secretory carcinoma (SC), SC of the salivary gland is a rare malignancy with morphologic and molecular similarities to SC of the breast. We present 2 children with salivary gland SC with the classic ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion, including 1 with lymph node metastases. Both patients underwent surgical resection and were in remission 24 months postsurgery. One patient was additionally found to have synchronous papillary thyroid carcinoma with a TFG-MET fusion. A review of published cases highlights the expanding molecular profile and confirms the favorable course of salivary gland SC after surgical resection.