A Novel Technique: Stapler-Assisted Total Laryngectomy with Concurrent Tracheoesophageal Prosthesis Insertion.

Introduction: Stapling-assisted closure of pharyngeal mucosa during total laryngectomy was described in 1973.Few authors have demonstrated that this technique provides a faster and more reliable pharyngeal closure with ashorter operative period. However, the simultaneous placement of tracheoesophageal prostheses is quitechallenging and affects the patient's speech rehabilitation. Aim: We are reporting our novel concurrent tracheoesophageal prosthesis insertion technique in stapler-assistedtotal laryngectomy. Methods: A patient with locally advanced laryngeal cancer underwent total laryngectomy with stapler-assistedcloser and concurrent primary tracheoesophageal prosthesis. In a closed stapler-assisted reconstruction of theneopharynx, an inflate folye ballon was utilised to identify the ideal TEP puncture site. Results: The immediate postop course was uneventful, and the patient acquired fluent alaryngeal speech after thespeech rehabilitation. Conclusion: Our novel technique of concurrent tracheoesophageal prosthesis insertion in stapler-assisted totallaryngectomy is practically simple and shortens the operative time.

Management of Giant Cell Tumor of the Hyoid bone- A rare Clinical Entity with Review of Literature.

BACKGROUND: Giant cell tumors (GCTs) are typically found in the long bones but can also occur in the head and neck region. GCT of the larynx is a rare entity with only 42 reported cases in the international literature. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge this is the largest laryngeal GCT reported in the literature to date. GCT of the larynx can present with dysphonia, dyspnea, and/or dysphagia and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a neck mass. PATIENT AND METHODS: A38-year-old man presented with complaints of mass in the neck with dysphonia and dysphagia. On clinical examination,there was huge spherical swelling extending from submental region till sternal notch with overlying normal skin. Computed tomography (CT) neck revealed a 20 × 15.7 cm mass centered on the hyoid bone, which was further diagnosed by histopathology as giant cell tumour on biopsy. The patient was counselled on treatment options and it was decided to proceed with a surgical approach. The patient consented to and successfully underwent en-bloc excision of mass with hyoid bone. Histopathology report revealed GCT of Hyoid bone.Currently the patient has no evidence of disease at 25 months follow-up, has an optimal voice, and is on regular follow -up with us. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: GCTs of the larynx have a good prognosis and can be treated successfully through complete resection of the tumor, negating the need for adjunctive therapy such as radiation, chemotherapy or denosumab therapy.

Incorporation of the Milan system in reporting salivary gland fine needle aspiration cytology-An insight into its value addition to the conventional system.

BACKGROUND: Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytology (MSRSGC) was introduced to standardise the terminology and reporting of salivary gland cytology. The purpose of our study was to compare the conventional system and the proposed Milan System to look for concordance rates in cytohistopathologic correlation and any value addition to the conventional system. METHODS: This was a retrospective cross sectional observational study. The fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) were reported in the conventional manner and were correlated with the surgical specimen. The cyto-histopathological correlation was studied to look for concordance rates. FNAC were retrospectively reviewed and were categorised according to the Milan system. These reports were correlated with surgical specimen category wise and concordance rates, risk of neoplasm (RON), risk of malignancy (ROM) were calculated. RESULTS: Salivary gland FNAC done during the study period was 323 in number and histopathological correlation was available for 153 cases. The concordance rate of type specific diagnosis was 80.3% as per conventional system. With the application of Milan system, the concordance rates rose to 88.07% with an improvement of 6.67%(excluding non-diagnostic). RON and ROM for non-diagnostic (I)-50%, 50%; non-neoplastic (II)-22%,0%; atypia of unknown significance (III)-66%, 11%; benign neoplasm (IVA)-98%, 3%; salivary gland neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential (IVB)-93%,14%; suspicious for malignancy (V)-100%, 60% and malignant (VI) was 100%, 94%. CONCLUSION: The broad categorisation provided by the Milan system represents the gross rate of malignancy and helps in deciding the management plan and eventual surgical plan. Thus, it adds value to conventional reporting of salivary gland cytology.

Parathyroid cyst eclipsed by parathyroid adenoma: Value of adjunct imaging.

Parathyroid cyst is a rare clinical entity and often presents as a diagnostic challenge, especially when presents in conjunction with a coexistent parathyroid adenoma. Patient with primary hyperparathyroidism had presented with a localised left inferior parathyroid adenoma with a coexistent right inferior parathyroid cyst which was initially missed on routine ultrasound and sestamibi scan. Suspicion of right inferior thyroid cyst was raised on ultrasound done by a dedicated parathyroid ultrasonologist. Right inferior thyroid cyst was confirmed to be parathyroid cyst on histopathological examination. Parathyroid cysts are seldom picked on sestamibi due to compressed parathyroid tissue present only at the periphery of the cyst. Hence, use of adjunct anatomical imaging like ultrasound, CT scan or MRI is worthwhile to reduce chances of missing hyperfunctional parathyroid tissue, which can eventually lead to revision surgery for persistent primary hyperparathyroidism.

Impact of socioeconomic factors on paediatric cochlear implant outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: The study was aimed at evaluating the impact of certain socioeconomic factors such as family income, level of parents' education, distance between the child's home and auditory verbal therapy clinic, and age of the child at implantation on postoperative cochlear implant outcomes. METHODS: Children suffering from congenital bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss and a chronologic age of 4 years or younger at the time of implantation were included in the study. Children who were able to complete a prescribed period of a 1-year follow-up were included in the study. These children underwent cochlear implantation surgery, and their postoperative outcomes were measured and documented using categories of auditory perception (CAP), meaningful auditory integration (MAIS), and speech intelligibility rating (SIR) scores. Children were divided into three groups based on the level of parental education, family income, and distance of their home from the rehabilitation-- auditory verbal therapy clinic. RESULTS: A total of 180 children were studied. The age at implantation had a significant impact on the postoperative outcomes, with an inverse correlation. The younger the child's age at the time of implantation, the better were the postoperative outcomes. However, there were no significant differences among the CAP, MAIS, and SIR scores and each of the three subgroups. Children from families with an annual income of less than $7,500, between $7,500 and $15,000, and more than $15,000 performed equally well, except for significantly higher SIR scores in children with family incomes more than $15,000. Children with of parents who had attended high school or possessed a bachelor's or Master's master's degree had similar scores, with no significant difference. Also, distance from the auditory verbal therapy clinic failed to have any significantimpact on a child's performance. DISCUSSION: These results have been variable, similar to those of previously published studies. A few of the earlier studies concurred with our results, but most of the studies had suggested that children in families of higher socioeconomic status had have better speech and language acquisition. CONCLUSIONS: Cochlear implantation significantly improves auditory perception and speech intelligibility of children suffering from profound sensorineural hearing loss. Younger The younger the age at implantation, the better are the results. Hence, early implantation should be promoted and encouraged. Our study suggests that children who followed the designated program of postoperative mapping and auditory verbal therapy for a minimum period of 1 year seemed to do equally well in terms of hearing perception and speech intelligibility, irrespective of the socioeconomic status of the family. Further studies are essential to assess the impact of these factors on long-term speech acquisition andlanguage development.

Salvaging cochlear implant after wound infection: Well worth a try.

BACKGROUND: Cochlear implant (CI)-related wound infections are known to happen even years after the implant procedure and present a challenging clinical situation. Due to the formation of biofilm on the implant surface such infections are difficult to eradicate. Invariably explantation of the device is required for wound healing. METHOD: A 10-year-old patient presented with recurrent CI-related wound infection 8 years after implantation. The implant was salvaged with wound debridement and treating it with tea tree oil which is known for its biofilm eradicating properties. It was then covered with double layer of vascularised soft tissue. Combination of intravenous vancomycin and oral rifampicin known for their efficacy in biofilm-related infection was also used. RESULTS: The implant could be salvaged using this novel technique of treating the implant with a biofilm eradicating agent, wound debridement, double layer vascularised soft tissue cover, and long-term antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Agents having anti-biofilm activity when used in conjunction with surgical debridement and judicious antimicrobial therapy can be used for salvaging the implant and limiting the morbidity associated with these infections.

Effect of Type 1 Tympanoplasty on the Quality of Life of CSOM Patients.

Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) continues to be an important public health problem despite significant advances in medical science. Ear discharge, pain, discomfort, difficulty in hearing, limitation of routine activities and emotional problems due to CSOM cause a significant impact on the health and general well being of the patient. We have done Type 1 tympanoplasty in tubotympanic type of COM to reconstruct the tympanic membrane and alleviate the symptoms of the patients. This study presents an analysis of the impact of the surgery on the patient subjectively and its correlation with objective outcomes. 45 patients were selected to fill the chronic otitis media-5 (COM-5) questionnaire and underwent pure tone audiometry preoperatively. All the patients underwent Type 1 tympanoplasty by using temporalis fascia graft. The status of the ossicles was checked and documented intraoperatively. Patients requiring ossicular reconstruction or with attico antral disease were excluded. Patients were followed up for a period of 6 months and those with an intact graft after 6 months were included in the study. These patients were again made to fill the questionnaire and undergo pure tone audiometry postoperatively. 37 out of 45 patients (82 %) had an intact graft 6 months after surgery. Marked improvement was observed in subjective scores as documented by the questionnaire, pre- and postoperatively with the mean improvement in total scores being 7.89 ± 4.81 on a Visual Analogue Scale. Also significant improvement was achieved in closure of air-bone gap with the mean improvement being 14.73 ± 8.58 dB. Significant correlation was found between subjective and objective scores in most patients. This study showed that Type 1 tympanoplasty brings about a significant improvement in the quality of life of chronic suppurative otitis media patients. Most patients showed a marked improvement in subjective scores which correlated well with the objective findings of the status of the graft and improvement in air-bone gap. Asymptomatic patients with less preoperative scores showed less improvement in subjective scores which did not correlate with the objective outcomes.