Ectopic Olfactory Neuroblastoma: Systematic Review of a Rare Clinical Entity among Sinonasal Tumors

Objectives  Ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma is an uncommon manifestation of an already rare neoplasm. We aimed to systematically review the literature for cases of ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma to better characterize this rare disease entity and to present two new case reports. Methods  A search of the PubMed and Embase databases was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to identify English-language articles reporting cases of ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma, published from 1955 through November 2021. Results  Sixty-six cases of ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma were identified in 62 articles including the current review. Ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma arose in a wide age range (2-89 years) without significant sex predilection. It occurred most commonly in the ethmoid (25%), maxillary (25%), and sphenoid (16%) sinuses. Seventy-three percent of cases presented with low Hyams grade (I and II). The most common symptoms were nasal obstruction (32%) and epistaxis (32%). Paraneoplastic syndromes were observed in 27% of patients. The most common treatment was surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. Overall, 76% of all patients were disease-free at the time of last follow-up. Locoregional recurrences and distant metastases were found in 19 and 5% of cases, respectively. Conclusion  This systematic review describes previously reported cases of ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma, a disease entity with poorly understood characteristics. Physicians should consider olfactory neuroblastoma in the differential diagnosis for sinonasal masses, as their ectopic presentation may present considerable diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. Patients with olfactory neuroblastoma may benefit from long-term follow-up and routine endoscopic examinations for surveillance of ectopic recurrences.

Decision-Making in the Treatment of Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis: A Survey of Laryngologists

OBJECTIVE

Idiopathic subglottic stenosis (iSGS) is a rare condition involving the subglottic larynx and upper trachea, commonly affecting Caucasian females between 30 and 50 years of age. Despite its homogeneous presentation, clinical management for iSGS is yet to be standardized, leading to variability in outcomes between predominant interventions. In recognition of the heterogenicity in iSGS treatment and the need to improve patient outcomes, this study aimed to survey laryngologists to understand the factors influencing clinical decision-making and the incorporation of new treatment modalities for iSGS.

METHODS

An online survey was sent to 145 academic laryngologists. The survey assessed respondents' professional backgrounds, experience treating iSGS, treatment algorithms, and how various patient factors affect management.

RESULTS

Of the 87 (60%) laryngologists who responded to the survey, the most common clinical assessments were tracheoscopy/bronchoscopy (96.8%) and pulmonary function tests (43.6%). Endoscopic dilation (ED) was the most common primary treatment offered (97.5%): 28.7% of surveyed laryngologists offer SISI as a primary treatment, and 74.7% perform SISI as a planned postoperative treatment. The most common SISI protocol was repeated injections every 4-6 weeks for a series of 1-3 total injections. Notably, 9.2% perform the Maddern procedure. Routine algorithms of care involving surgery were most often based on prior experience and prior patient outcomes (75.9%) and conversations with colleagues (64.4%). Only 31% report using the same protocol learned during their fellowship training.

CONCLUSION

This survey highlights significant variation in the management of patients with iSGS. Understanding the factors that influence decision-making may lead to potential standardization in heterogeneous treatment approaches and may improve clinical outcomes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

5 Laryngoscope, 134:865-872, 2024.

Factors Associated With Dysphagia in Patients Undergoing Tracheal Resection

Importance

Patients undergoing tracheal resection commonly experience dysphagia postoperatively, and the patient factors that predict severity and duration of symptoms are currently unclear.

Objective

To determine the association of patient and surgical factors on postoperative dysphagia in adult patients undergoing tracheal resection.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing tracheal resection at 2 tertiary academic centers from February 2014 to May 2021. The centers included LAC+USC (Los Angeles County + University of Southern California) Medical Center and Keck Hospital of USC, both tertiary care academic institutions. Patients involved in the study underwent a tracheal or cricotracheal resection.

Exposures

Tracheal or cricotracheal resection.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was dysphagia symptoms as measured by the functional oral intake scale (FOIS) on postoperative days (PODs) 3, 5, and 7, on the day of discharge, and at the 1-month follow-up visit. Demographics, medical comorbidities, and surgical factors were evaluated for association with FOIS scores at each time period using Kendall rank correlation and Cliff delta.

Results

The study cohort consisted of 54 patients, with a mean (SD) age of 47 (15.7) years old, of whom 34 (63%) were male. Length of resection segment ranged from 2 to 6 cm, with a mean (SD) length of 3.8 (1.2) cm. The median (range) FOIS score was 4 (1-7) on PODs 3, 5, 7. On the day of discharge and at 1-month postoperative follow-up, the median (range) FOIS score was 5 (1-7) and 7 (1-7), respectively. Increasing patient age was moderately associated with decreasing FOIS scores at all measured time points (τ = -0.33; 95% CI, -0.51 to -0.15 on POD 3; τ = -0.38; 95% CI, -0.55 to -0.21 on POD 5; τ = -0.33; 95% CI, -0.58 to -0.08 on POD 7; τ = -0.22; 95% CI, -0.42 to -0.01 on day of discharge; and τ = -0.31; 95% CI, -0.53 to -0.09 at 1-month follow-up visit). History of neurological disease, including traumatic brain injury and intraoperative hyoid release, was not associated with FOIS score at any of the measured time points (δ = 0.03; 95% CI, -0.31 to 0.36 on POD 3; δ = 0.11; 95% CI, -0.28 to 0.47 on POD 5, δ = 0.3; 95% CI, -0.25 to 0.70 on POD 7; δ = 0.15; 95% CI, -0.24 to 0.51 on the day of discharge, and δ = 0.27; 95% CI, -0.05 to 0.53 at follow-up). Resection length was also not correlated with FOIS score with τ ranging from -0.04 to -0.23.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this retrospective cohort study, most patients undergoing tracheal or cricotracheal resection experienced full resolution of dysphagia symptoms within the initial follow-up period. During preoperative patient selection and counseling, physicians should consider that older adult patients will experience greater severity of dysphagia throughout their postoperative course and delayed resolution of symptoms.

Endolymphatic Hydrops is a Marker of Synaptopathy Following Traumatic Noise Exposure

After acoustic trauma, there can be loss of synaptic connections between inner hair cells and auditory neurons in the cochlea, which may lead to hearing abnormalities including speech-in-noise difficulties, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. We have previously studied mice with blast-induced cochlear synaptopathy and found that they also developed a build-up of endolymph, termed endolymphatic hydrops. In this study, we used optical coherence tomography to measure endolymph volume in live CBA/CaJ mice exposed to various noise intensities. We quantified the number of synaptic ribbons and postsynaptic densities under the inner hair cells 1 week after noise exposure to determine if they correlated with acute changes in endolymph volume measured in the hours after the noise exposure. After 2 h of noise at an intensity of 95 dB SPL or below, both endolymph volume and synaptic counts remained normal. After exposure to 2 h of 100 dB SPL noise, mice developed endolymphatic hydrops and had reduced synaptic counts in the basal and middle regions of the cochlea. Furthermore, round-window application of hypertonic saline reduced the degree of endolymphatic hydrops that developed after 100 dB SPL noise exposure and partially prevented the reduction in synaptic counts in the cochlear base. Taken together, these results indicate that endolymphatic hydrops correlates with noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy, suggesting that these two pathologic findings have a common mechanistic basis.

In vivo functional imaging of the human middle ear with a hand-held optical coherence tomography device

We describe an optical coherence tomography and vibrometry system designed for portable hand-held usage in the otology clinic on awake patients. The system provides clinically relevant point-of-care morphological imaging with 14-44 µm resolution and functional vibratory measures with sub-nanometer sensitivity. We evaluated various new approaches for extracting functional information including a multi-tone stimulus, a continuous chirp stimulus, and alternating air and bone stimulus. We also explored the vibratory response over an area of the tympanic membrane (TM) and generated TM thickness maps. Our results suggest that the system can provide real-time in vivo imaging and vibrometry of the ear and could prove useful for investigating otologic pathology in the clinic setting.

Nonmelanoma Facial Skin Cancer: A Review of Diagnostic Strategies, Surgical Treatment, and Reconstructive Techniques

Nonmelanoma skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and the face is a common area for skin cancer development due to its frequent exposure to the sun. This article focuses on the surgical management of facial nonmelanoma skin cancers, including diagnostic considerations, biopsy techniques, and staging. In addition, we discuss surgical treatment options, including indications, techniques, outcomes, and facial reconstruction following tumor excision.

The genome sequence of segmental allotetraploid peanut Arachis hypogaea

Like many other crops, the cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is of hybrid origin and has a polyploid genome that contains essentially complete sets of chromosomes from two ancestral species. Here we report the genome sequence of peanut and show that after its polyploid origin, the genome has evolved through mobile-element activity, deletions and by the flow of genetic information between corresponding ancestral chromosomes (that is, homeologous recombination). Uniformity of patterns of homeologous recombination at the ends of chromosomes favors a single origin for cultivated peanut and its wild counterpart A. monticola. However, through much of the genome, homeologous recombination has created diversity. Using new polyploid hybrids made from the ancestral species, we show how this can generate phenotypic changes such as spontaneous changes in the color of the flowers. We suggest that diversity generated by these genetic mechanisms helped to favor the domestication of the polyploid A. hypogaea over other diploid Arachis species cultivated by humans.