The Usefulness of Total Laryngectomy in Sarcopenic Patients With Hypopharyngeal and Laryngeal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Sarcopenia has an adverse effect on postoperative complications and prognoses in head and neck cancer. This study focused on hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancer patients with sarcopenia and analyzed the body composition following treatment when the larynx was preserved and when total laryngectomy was performed to examine the usefulness of laryngectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 88 primary hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancer patients aged 65 years or older with cT2N0M0 or higher who visited our department. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the 3-year overall survival rate and the 1-year local control rate between the laryngeal preservation group and laryngectomy group. The average change one year following treatment in the laryngeal preservation group, when compared to prior to treatment, was a significant decrease in the body weight (BW) of -0.035, skeletal muscle mass (SMM) of -0.030, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) of -0.026, body mass index (BMI) of -0.034, and grip strength (GS) of -0.066. The average change one year following treatment in the laryngectomy group, compared with prior to treatment, was an increase in BW of +0.028, SMM of +0.026, SMI of +0.008, BMI of +0.032, and GS of +0.026. Although no changes in serum biochemical testing after treatment were observed in the laryngeal preservation group, albumin, transferrin, and transthyretin all exhibited significant improvement or a tendency toward improvement in the laryngectomy group. The patients with sarcopenia before treatment in the laryngeal preservation group had a significantly higher incidence of aspiration pneumonia. CONCLUSION: The presence or absence of sarcopenia before starting treatment is considered to be an index for selecting total laryngectomy.

COVID-19 presenting as acute epiglottitis: A case report and literature review.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occasionally causes acute laryngitis, requiring emergency treatment. Understanding the characteristic laryngeal findings can help diagnose COVID-19 earlier, prevent worsening infection, and properly manage airway obstruction. Herein, we report the case of a 44-year-old male with acute epiglottitis likely caused by COVID-19. On presentation, chest computed tomography (CT) showed no signs of pneumonia. However, the larynx had extensive necrotic-like erosive lesions resembling those of tuberculous laryngitis. COVID-19 was diagnosed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, and secondary bacterial superinfections were suspected after blood testing. The symptoms improved after administration of antibiotics (sulbactam sodium/ampicillin sodium), steroids (dexamethasone), and favipiravir. The patient developed a high fever on the sixth day of hospitalization, and pneumonia was identified on CT. Various culture tests, including tuberculosis, were negative. Thus, remdesivir was administered for COVID-19-induced pneumonia. The patient gradually recovered, was transferred to another hospital, and was discharged on the 35th day of hospitalization. Six previous case reports of COVID-19-induced acute epiglottitis suggested that acute epiglottitis preceded the onset of pneumonia. The laryngeal findings from this report may be useful for diagnosing COVID-19 that does not cause pneumonia and for bringing attention to pneumonia after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Aberrant Hypermetabolism of Nasal Leiomyoma Mimicking Malignancy on 18 F-FDG PET/CT.

ABSTRACT: Leiomyomas are benign tumors that commonly arise from the uterus. They rarely occur in the nasal cavity. Leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas are clinically similar and may be difficult to distinguish preoperatively. Although PET has been reported to be useful for evaluating uterine smooth muscle tumors, the use of PET for evaluating sinonasal leiomyoma has not yet been reported. Here, we describe the images of a patient with leiomyoma of the nasal septum in whom intense FDG uptake was noted on PET/CT.

Examination of risk factors for postoperative vestibular symptoms in patients with cholesteatoma.

BACKGROUND: In cholesteatoma, the prognosis of tympanoplasty has been well discussed in terms of hearing outcomes and residual or recurrent lesions. Postoperative dizziness and vertigo are major complications of tympanoplasty; however, few reports are available. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: We investigated each condition of cholesteatoma postoperative vestibular risk using the STAM system and staging published by EAONO/JOS, as well as findings on bony destruction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From April 2010 to March 2021, 156 patients (166 ears) with cholesteatoma who underwent primary microscopic tympanoplasty at our hospital were registered. Subjective vestibular symptoms were recorded the day after surgery. RESULTS: Postoperative vestibular symptoms were observed in 13.9% of subjects. All of them were stage II and had both attic and mastoid lesions. Attic (p < .05) and mastoid (p < .01) lesions were risk factors. Multivariate analysis showed that significant differences were found in past histories of vestibular symptoms (p < .05) and exposure of the dura mater (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: In the exposed dura group, the length of the prominence of the lateral semicircular canal to the middle cranial fossa dura was significantly shorter than that of the non-exposed group (p < .01). Narrow working space and downward operation may increase vestibular risk.