What is the purpose of launching the World Journal of Otorhinolaryngology?

We are pleased to announce the launching of the World Journal of Otorhinolaryngology (WJO) as a new member of the World Series journal family. The WJO is a peer-reviewed open-access journal dedicated to publishing original research articles, review articles, clinical studies, and case reports in all areas of otorhinolaryngology. Please consider submitting your research findings in otorhinolaryngology to the WJO.

Recurrent oropharyngeal cancer: Analysis of surgical treatment outcomes

BACKGROUND

The main goal of our research is to introduce transoral robotic surgery and laser resection (TLR) as a considerable way of treating patients with recurrent oropharyngeal malignancies.

AIM

To develop a foundation of minimally invasive transoral surgical technique for patients with oropharyngeal recurrence.

METHODS

This study prospectively and retrospectively included patients with recurrent tumors from 2003 to 2018. Subjects were allocated into two groups: (1) Group I; underwent TLR; and (2) Group II (control); underwent open surgeries of varying volume. Evaluation was done with intraoperative blood loss, postoperative infection incidence, and quality of life using the scale for patients with head and neck tumors known as the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head & Neck Scale.

RESULTS

One-hundred and forty one patients were included (103 males and 38 females), in 82 cases (85.4%), a recurrent tumor developed earlier than a year after primary tumor therapy; forty-six were in group I and 69 in group II, age ranging from 18 years to 86 years (average: 57.6 years). The first group showed a statistically significant less amount of blood loss and a decreased incidence of infectious complications (P < 0.05). Additionally, there was a significant difference in functional outcomes (quality of life scores) but no significant difference in survival curves.

CONCLUSION

In properly elected patients, TLR is not just reasonable but tends to be a favorable alternative for recurrent oropharyngeal cancers compared to the outcomes of the open surgery group.

Synchronous carcinoma of head and neck: 2 cases report

Multiple primary cancers are becoming an increasingly frequent situation and are often the source of many diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. We report the case of two patients diagnosed with head and neck synchronous carcinomas. The first case is a 33-year-old man with a history of a keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma of the eye lid and who was operated 4 mo later from a mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the submandibular salivary gland. The second case is a 71-year-old woman who underwent a total parotidectomy for a mucoepidermoïd carcinoma of the left parotid gland and who consulted 2 mo later for epistaxis. The explorations concluded to a squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx. The patient had a complementary radiotherapy. No local neither distant recurrence of the two tumors has been detected after a follow-up of 36 mo in the first case and 24 mo in the second one.

It is 2015: What are the best diagnostic and treatment options for Ménière’s disease?

Ménière’s disease (MD) is a common cause of recurrent vertigo. Its pathophysiology is still unclear and controversial. The most common histological finding in postmortem temporal bone studies of patients is endolymphatic hydrops (EH). However, not all cases of hydrops are associated with MD and it may represent the end point of various etiologies. The diagnostic criteria for MD have undergone changes during the past few decades. A recent collaboration among specialty societies in United States, Europe and Japan has given rise to a new set of guidelines for the diagnosis and classification of MD. The aim is to develop international consensus criteria for MD that would help improve the quality of data collected from patients. The diagnosis of MD can be difficult in some cases as there is no gold standard for testing. Previous use of audiometric data and electrocochleography are poorly sensitive as screening tools. Recently magnetic resonance imaging as a diagnostic tool for identifying EH has gained popularity in Asia and Europe. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials are also used but lack specificity. Finally, the treatment for MD has improved with the introduction of intratympanic treatments with steroids and gentamicin as well as less invasive treatment with the Meniett device.

Elective regional lymphadenectomy for advanced auricular squamous cell carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the rate of occult lymph node disease in elective parotidectomy and neck dissection specimens in patients with advanced auricular cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC).

METHODS: At a single institution, from 2000 to 2010, 17 patients with advanced auricular cSCC were considered high risk for occult regional parotid and/or neck nodal metastases and, thus, underwent an auriculectomy and elective regional lymphadenectomy (parotidectomy and/or neck dissection). Indications for elective regional lymphadenectomy were large tumor size, locally invasive tumors, post-surgical and post-radiation recurrence, and being an immunosuppressed patient. We determined the presence of microscopic disease in the regional (parotid and neck dissection) pathology specimens.

RESULTS: There were 17 advanced auricular cSCC patients analyzed for this study. Fifteen (88%) patients were men. The average age was 69 (range: 33 to 86). Ten (59%) patients presented with post-surgical recurrence. Five (29%) patients presented with post-radiation recurrence. Four (24%) patients presented with both post-surgical and post-radiation recurrence. Four (24%) patients were immunosuppressed (2 (12%) were liver transplant patients, 2 (12%) were chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients, and 1 (6%) was both). The subsite distribution of cSCC included helix (3, 18%), antihelix (2, 12%), conchal bowl (7, 41%), tragus (2, 12%), and postauricular sulcus (3, 18%). Four (24%) patients presented with multifocal auricular cSCC. No patients had bilateral disease. All patients were confirmed to have cSCC on final pathology. The tumors were well (5, 29%), moderately (10, 59%), and poorly (2, 12%) differentiated SCC. The average size of the cSCC tumor was 2.9 cm (range: 1.7 to 7 cm). Twelve (70%) tumors were greater than 2 cm. Six (35%) patients underwent partial auriculectomy. Eleven (65%) patients underwent total auriculectomy. Eight (47%) patients underwent elective parotidectomy and elective neck dissections; 3 (18%) underwent only elective parotidectomy; 3 (18%) underwent only an elective neck dissection; 2 (12%) underwent an elective parotidectomy and therapeutic neck dissection; and 1 (6%) underwent a therapeutic parotidectomy and an elective neck dissection. None of the elective parotidectomy or neck dissection specimens were found to contain any malignant disease. All therapeutic parotidectomy and neck dissection specimens contained metastatic SCC. Fourteen (82%) underwent parotidectomy. Of these, 10 (71%) underwent superficial parotidectomy whereas 4 (29%) underwent total parotidectomy. Fourteen (82%) underwent neck dissections [levels II/Va (1, 7%), levels II/III/Va (2, 14%), levels I/II/III/Va (2, 14%), and complete levels I-V (9, 64%)]. Three (18%) underwent concurrent temporal bone resections for tumor extension from the auricle. The average follow-up for our patients was 44 mo (range: 4 to 123 mo). At the time of the review, 6 (35%) patients were alive and 11 (65%) had passed away.

CONCLUSION: This study suggests that, in patients with advanced auricular cutaneous SCC, elective regional lymphadenectomy is not necessary. However, furtherprospective studies are necessary to assess the necessity.

Transoral robotic surgery for adult parapharyngeal lymphangioma: A case report

BACKGROUND

Lymphangiomas are a group of benign swellings which are commonly seen in children. The most common sites of presentation is the head and neck region, less commonly seen in axilla, chest, liver, spleen, etc. The ideal modality of treatment has always been surgical excision irrespective of the site and age group. But with the advent of minimally invasive surgical techniques, it is now possible to perform excision of parapharyngeal space lesions with minimal morbidity and good clearance.

CASE SUMMARY

A 42-year-old male patient who presented with difficulty in swallowing and had undergone surgery twice outside, where Transcervical approach was attempted to remove the parapharyngeal mass, but failed. Magnetic resonance imaging scan demonstrated a 6 cm x 5 cm x 4 cm left parapharyngeal mass. He underwent transoral robotic surgery for the excision of the parapharyngeal lesion and had an uneventful post-operative recovery.

CONCLUSION

Lymphangiomas are hamartomatous swellings which are benign in nature. The symptoms of the patient with large parapharyngeal mass include dysphagia, dyspnoea and neck swelling. Clinicoradiological evaluation is of utmost importance to determine the adjacent vital structures and the approach to the tumor. With the advent of robotics in oncology, transoral robotic excision is one of the best approaches to perform such a surgery.

Infrathyroidian hydatid cyst: Diagnostic difficulties and therapeutic management, a case report

Hydatidosis is a cosmopolitan anthropozoonose common to humans and many mammals. The cervical localization is rare even in endemic countries. We report a case of cervical hydatidosis located in the infra-thyroidian region. The diagnosis was suspected on clinical and radiological examinations (Ultrasonography, computed tomography-scan). The surgical removal of the cyst was difficult because of the inflammatory tissue around the mass. The confirmation of the diagnosis was obtained by the histopathological examination. During the follow-up, a local recurrence of the disease was diagnosed after 9 mo treated successfully by surgery.

Endoscopic push through tragal cartilage tympanoplasty: A 10-year retrospective review of our technique and outcomes

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic ear surgery (EES) provides a magnified, high-definition view of the otological surgical field. EES allows otologists to avoid surgical incisions and associated postoperative complications. It is an ideal technique for the performance and teaching of tympanoplasty.

AIM

To examine the efficacy of total Endoscopic Push Through Tragal Cartilage Tympanoplasty (EPTTCT), at our institution over a 10-year period.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 168 cases of EPTTCT for closure of small to medium tympanic membrane perforations from 2013-2023 was conducted. Patient sex, age range (pediatric vs adult), etiology of injury, success rate, complications, and postoperative hearing status were collected.

RESULTS

Graft uptake results indicated success in 94% of patients, with less than a 2% complication rate. Postoperative pure tone audiometry demonstrated hearing status improvement in 69% of patients.

CONCLUSION

EPTTCT has been shown to be effective in tympanic membrane perforation closures with minimal complications. This study further demonstrates the efficacy and safety of these procedures in a single-center review.

Morbus Menière: Were the last 50 years of molecular biological research fruitless for Menière’s disease?

After discovering an inner ear hemorrhage, Prosper Menière ascribed disease to the inner ear for the first time. Since that time, a lot of efforts have been made to determine the pathophysiologic causes of the classical symptoms sensorineural hearing loss, vertigo attacks, tinnitus and ear fullness. According to its express pattern Menière’s disease may appear as classical and atypical disease. In the last decades, huge advances have taken place in biochemical and physiological research and in pathophysiological understanding of the inner ear and its diseases. This encloses stimulus perception and conduction, regulation of inner-ear fluid homeostasis and inner ear diseases with underlying genetics. Menière’s disease pathophysiologic correlate is an endolymphatic hydrops which is characterized by changes of inner ear homeostasis with its parameters volume, concentration, osmolarity and pressure of the endolymph. Hormones, autonomous system and the immunsystem together with purinergic, adrenergic and muscarinic receptors, steroids, vasopressin, atrial natriuretic peptide and aquaporin channels regulate inner ear homeostasis. Consequently, general diagnostics comprise a magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium, vestibular diagnostics and tone audiometry. Standard therapy for acute inner ear symptoms is limited to cortisone infusions together with a rheologic agent or a radical scavenger. For acute vertigo attacks and for the mainstay therapy antivertiginous pharmaceuticals are given. In severe cases destruction of the vestibular hair cells by ototoxic antibiotics, endolymphatic sac surgery or neurectomy of the vestibular nerve might be necessary. Certainly, in research there is a move from simple pharmaceutical therapy forward to nanoparticle-based, genetic-based and stem cell therapy.