April 30, 2005 Robert Sean Miller, MD; Thomas A. Tami, MD
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Abstract
We report a previously undescribed method of removing multiple oral papillomas, which we performed on 5 men with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Patients were brought to the operating room and placed under general anesthesia. In addition, 1% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine was injected under and around the lesions. We then removed the lesions with a Tricut laryngeal blade attached to a handheld powered shaver. Postoperatively, patients were sent home on clindamycin, a pain medication, and Peridex. At the 1-week follow-up, patients reported only minimal pain, and their wounds were well healed. We observed no adverse events associated with the shaving procedure. Our method expedites the process of removing multiple oral cavity papillomas while reducing the morbidity generally associated with other procedures.
April 30, 2005 Yi-Shing Leu, MD; Guan-Min Ho, MD, PhD
April 30, 2005 Amin B. Kassam, MD; Atul Patel, MD; William Welch, MD; Jeffrey Balzer, PhD; Carl Snyderman, MD; Barry Hirsch, MD; Ricardo Carrau, MD
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Abstract
We describe a unique method of accessing the ventromedial skull base and lower craniocervical junction. Our method employs a trajectory between that of the more anterior transoral or retropharyngeal approaches and the various posterior or posterolateral skull base approaches. This "extended" lateral approach allows surgeons to resect very large tumors of the skull base through a single incision. The operative field is more extensive than that achieved with other approaches; it extends from the cerebellar hemisphere to the extradural ventral upper cervical spine, and it provides access to tissue outside the spinal canal, such as the ventral strap muscles. We describe our use of this approach during a single-stage resection of a large hemangiopericytoma in a 37-year-old man.
April 1, 2005 Lela Migirov, MD; Jona Kronenberg, MD
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Abstract
We conducted a retrospective study of 53 mastoidectomies in 51 patients with acute otomastoiditis. In 26 cases (49.1%), surgery had been performed within 48 hours of the development of symptoms. The most common complication of acute otomastoiditis was subperiosteal abscess, which occurred in 37 cases (69.8%). Intracranial complications were seen in 6 cases (11.3%). The most common pathogens isolated from subperiosteal abscesses, the mastoid cavity, and intracranial collections were Streptococcus spp and Staphylococcus aureus. In 14 cases (26.4%), conservative treatment failed to cure acute otomastoiditis; such cases should raise a suspicion of a subperiosteal abscess, an underlying cholesteatoma, or an infection caused by gram-negative bacteria. Upon hospital admission, patients should receive antibiotics that are effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Patients with intracranial complications or facial nerve paralysis may require a combination of two or more antibiotics. Long-term follow-up is highly recommended.
March 1, 2005 Korhan Asal, MD; Ahmet Köybasioglu, MD; Erdogan Inal, MD; Ahmet Ural, MD; S. Sabri Uslu, MD; Alper Ceylan, MD; Fikret Ileri, MD
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Abstract
We studied the incidence of Frey's syndrome and facial contour deformity in two groups of patients who had undergone superficial parotidectomy. One group was made up of 12 patients who were randomized to undergo reconstruction of the surgical defect with a sternocleidomastoid muscle flap; the other 12 patients did not receive a flap. All 24 patients were evaluated via a short questionnaire, the starch-iodine test, and a visual examination. On the questionnaire, none of the 24 patients said they experienced abnormal facial sweating, flushing, or warmth while eating, although 6 of the 12 patients in the nonflap group had a mildly positive starch-iodine test. No patient in the flap group had a positive test. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was seen between the two groups with respect to cosmetic results.
March 1, 2005 Eric Bergson, MD; Robert T. Sataloff, MD, DMA
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Abstract
We conducted a study to determine the prognostic reliability of preoperative computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) in patients undergoing surgical excision of an acoustic neuroma. Our goal was to determine the correlation between objective preoperative assessments of balance function and subjective postoperative patient self-assessments. To that end, we retrospectively reviewed the records of 21 adults who had undergone preoperative CDP, and we subsequently obtained their subjective assessments of balance function by follow-up telephone surveys at least 1 year postoperatively. We conclude that although CDP has proven to be useful in many aspects of balance evaluation, it did not appear to be a valuable predictor of subjective postoperative balance function in these patients.
March 1, 2005 Marcus M. Maassen, MD; Hubert Löwenheim, MD; Markus Pfister, MD; Stephan Herberhold, MD; Jesus Rodriguez Jorge, MD; Ingo Baumann, MD; Andreas Nüsser, MD; Rainer Zimmermann, MD; Sibylle Brosch, MD; Hans P. Zenner, MD
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Abstract
Despite the wide variety of ossiculoplasty techniques that are available, success rates are limited. Current use indicates that surgeons prefer ceramic, autograft bone, and plastic pore prostheses. During the past decade, titanium prostheses have been used with great promise. Although their use is not widespread, satisfaction rates are high. An earlier study of ossiculoplasty showed that titanium prostheses were effective in reducing conductive hearing loss. To date, the surgical-handling attributes of titanium middle ear prostheses have not been assessed. We report the results of our survey of 32 otologic surgeons who used the open Tübingen titanium prosthesis for primary and revision ossiculoplasty during tympanoplasty in 400 patients at 12 academic and nonacademic otolaryngology clinics, most of them in Germany. Because the audiometric efficacy of titanium prostheses has been previously reported, our primary outcomes measures included ease of use with respect to the amount of time required to prepare the implants for placement and the surgeons' overall impression of the intraoperative handling characteristics of the implants, taking into consideration factors such as positioning, length adjustment, visibility, and the stability of the coupling. Surgeons also compared the properties of the titanium implant with those of gold, ceramic, and autograft implants that they had used in the past. Based on the results of 383 of the 400 ossiculoplasties, our survey revealed that the titanium implant was significantly superior to the others in all measured respects.
March 1, 2005 Shehzad Ghaffar, FCPS (Pak.), FRCS (Ire.); Iftikhar Salahuddin, MD, FRCS (Can.)
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Abstract
Malignant tumors of the nasal cavity are rare. We report the case of an elderly woman who consulted us with a 4-year history of progressive nasal obstruction, occasional epistaxis, facial pain, and watering of the eyes. A diagnosis of olfactory neuroblastoma was established by histopathology and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. On staging, the mass was classified as a Kadish stage B tumor. The mass was excised via a lateral rhinotomy approach, and the tumor was peeled away completely from the cribriform plate with endoscopes. The patient underwent postoperative radiation, and she was free of recurrence at follow-up 15 months later.
March 1, 2005 Ian K. McLeod, MD; Patrick C. Melder, MD
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Abstract
The da Vinci Surgical System is a new and exciting entrant into the field of robotic technology. This system is undergoing considerable research and is being practically applied in general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, urology, and gynecology. We have previously described our experience with the da Vinci system in the laboratory setting, and we have reviewed its potential applications in otolaryngology. Here we present a case report of the first da Vinci'assisted excision of a vallecular cyst in a human. Although we initially encountered some difficulties in the setup, we were able to perform the procedure with moderate ease and without complication. The potential of the da Vinci system in otolaryngology is promising. Further research is needed to explore all of its possible uses in our field.
February 1, 2005 Akhtar Hussain, FRCS; Farhan Ahsan, MRCS
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Abstract
Most translabyrinthine temporal bone defects are reconstructed with free abdominal fat grafts, with or without the use of hydroxyapatite cement. However, these procedures are associated with considerable morbidity at the graft donor site, with a 6 to 15% incidence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, and with postoperative headaches. We have developed a new technique for reconstructive cranioplasty that involves the use of hydroxyapatite cement and a pericranial/deep temporal fascia graft. This technique obviates the need for an abdominal fat graft and therefore circumvents the morbidity associated with it; it may also significantly reduce the incidence of CSF leaks and postoperative headaches. We describe the results of our use of this technique in a series of 10 patients. Based on our early findings, we believe that this technique holds great promise for reconstructive cranioplasty following translabyrinthine craniectomy.
December 1, 2004 Dewey A. Christmas, MD; Joseph P. Mirante, MD, FACS; Eiji Yanagisawa, MD, FACS
December 1, 2004 Ricardo Ferreira Bento, MD, PhD; Sulene Pirana, MD; Robert Sweet, MD; Arthur Castillo, MD; Rubens Vuono Brito Neto, MD
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Abstract
There are several controversial aspects to the management of traumatic facial paralysis. One of these involves the precise nature of surgical intervention once the decision to operate has been made. Between June 1, 1984, and June 30, 1993, we surgically treated 220 cases of traumatic facial paralysis with good cochlear reserve by decompressing the tympanic and mastoid segments via a transmastoid approach followed by decompression of the geniculate ganglion and the distal half of the labyrinthine segment via a middle fossa approach. We discuss the results of surgery via the middle fossa approach, and we review the literature.
