Iranian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
Volume:27 Issue: 6, Nov 2015

Synkinesis and facial asymmetry due to facial nerve palsy are distressing conditions that affect quality of life. Unfortunately, these sequelae of facial nerve palsy are unresolved. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a combination of biofeedback therapy and botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injection for the management of synkinesis and asymmetry of facial muscles. Among referrals from three university hospitals, 34 patients with facial synkinesis were divided randomly into two groups. All participants wereevaluated using Photoshop software, videotape, and facial grading system (FGS). The firstgroup received a single dose of BTX-A at the start of treatment, while the second group received normal saline as a control. Bothgroups received electromyography (EMG) biofeedback threetimes a week for 4 months. The mean FGS values for the BTX group before and after treatment were 55.17and 74.17, respectively, and those for the biofeedback group were 66.31 and 81.37,respectively. Moreover, it was shown that in both groups oral-ocular and oculo-oral synkinesisdecreased significantly after treatment compared with before treatment (P0.05). Biofeedback therapy is as effective as the combination of biofeedback and BTX in reducing synkinesis and recovery of facialsymmetry in Bell''s palsy.

In developing countries, chronic otitis media (COM) and cholesteatoma are relatively prevalent. Within the field of otology, COM surgery remains one of the most common surgical treatments. Most recent studies evaluating the potential prognostic factors in COM surgery have addressed graft success rate and types of middle ear and mastoid pathology. There has been much controversy about this issue until the present time. This study evaluated the effect of cholesteatoma on the GSR in COM surgery. The present retrospective, study-controlled study investigated 422 ears undergoing COM surgery. The minimum and maximum postoperative follow-up periods were 6 and 48 months, respectively. The study group consisted of patients with cholesteatomatous COM, while the control group included patients with non-cholesteatomatous COM, who had undergone ear surgery. Postoperative graft success rate and audiological test results were recorded and the effect of cholesteatoma on graft success rate was investigated. The overall GSR was 92.4%. In the study group (COM with cholesteatoma),the postoperative GSR, mean speech reception threshold improvement, and mean air-bone gap gain were 95.3%, 2.1 dB, and 3.2 dB, respectively. In the control group (COM without cholesteatoma), however, these measurements were 90.9%, 9.4 dB, and 9.1 dB, respectively. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. The study results suggest that cholesteatoma is not a significant prognostic factor in graft success rate.

Controversy remains as to the advantages and disadvantages of pharyngeal packing during septorhinoplasty. Our study investigated the effect of pharyngeal packing on postoperative nausea and vomiting and sore throat following this type of surgery or septorhinoplasty. This clinical trial was performed on 90 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I or II patients who were candidates for septorhinoplasty. They were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in the study group had received pharyngeal packing while those in the control group had not. The incidence of nausea and vomiting and sore throat based on the visual analog scale (VAS) was evaluated postoperatively in the recovery room as well as at 2, 6 and 24 hours. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was 12.3%, with no significant difference between the study and control groups. Sore throat was reported in 50.5% of cases overall (56.8% on pack group and 44.4% on control). Although the severity of pain was higher in the study group at all times, the incidence in the two groups did not differ significantly. The use of pharyngeal packing has no effect in reducing the incidence of nausea and vomiting and sore throat after surgery. Given that induced hypotension is used as the routine method of anesthesia in septorhinoplasty surgery, with a low incidence of hemorrhage and a high risk of unintended retention of pharyngeal packing, its routine use is not recommended for this procedure.

Tonsillectomy is the one of the most common types of surgery in children, and is often accompanied by post-operative pain and discomfort. Methods of pain control such as use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), narcotics, and local anesthetics have been used, but each have their own particular side effects. In this study we investigated the effect of ketamine on post-operative sedation and pain relief. A total of 50 children aged between 5 and 12 years who were candidates for tonsillectomy were divided into two groups. The study group received ketamine-midazolam (ketamine 1 mg/kg, midazolam 0.1 mg/kg) and the control group received midazolam (0.1 mg/kg) in the pre-operative period. The same methods of anesthesia induction and maintenance were used in all patients. Pain score was assessed using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating scale and sedation was evaluated using the Riker Sedation-Agitation scale at the time of extubation as well as 5, 10, 15, and 30 minutes and 1, 2, and 6 hours after surgery. The two groups were similar in terms of age, weight, gender and duration of surgery. Pain after 15 and 30 minutes and agitation after 10 and 15 minutes following extubation were lower in the study group (ketamine-midazolam). Mean consumption and time of first request for analgesia after surgery as well as incidence of post-operative vomiting were similar in the two groups. Adding ketamine to midazolam in pre-operative of tonsillectomy reduces agitation and post-operative pain in the first 30 minutes after surgery.

Intra-thoracic goiter refers to the extension of enlarged thyroid tissue into the thoracic inlet. This condition can produce symptoms of compression on adjacent organs and can sometimes be accompanied by malignant transformation. Therefore surgical treatment is almost always necessary. In order to remove the pathology with the fewest post-operative complications, selection of the appropriate surgical approach is essential. In this study we aimed to detect the criteria which help us select the best therapeutic approach. In this retrospective study, 82 patients with intra-thoracic goiter were investigated. Their data were extracted from medical records and analyzed using SPSS software. Overall 82 patients, 18 (21%) males and 64 (78%) females with mean age of 56.38 years were studied. The most common clinical symptoms were mass (95%) and dyspnea (73%). In most patients, the surgical approach was cervical (90.2%), while 9.8% of patients required an extra-cervical approach. Post-operation complications were observed in 17.1% of patients; the most common being transient recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (4.9%). Malignancy was reported in the histopathology of seven patients (8.5%). The most common malignant histopathology was papillary thyroid carcinoma (7.3%). Extension of the thyroid tissue below the uppermost level of the aortic arch was significantly correlated with the need for an extra-cervical approach to surgery (P<0.001). Because of the compressive effect and risk of malignancy, intra-thoracic goiters require immediate surgical intervention. Commonly, cervical incision is used for removing the extended goiter to the mediastinum. Extension of the goiter below the uppermost level of the aortic arch increases the likelihood of an extra-cervical approach being required.

Adenotonsillar hypertrophy (AH) is considered the most common cause of upper respiratory tract obstruction among children. It results in a spectrum of symptoms from mouth breathing, nasal obstruction, hyponasal speech, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to growth failure and cardiovascular morbidity. Adenotonsillectomy is a typical strategy for patients with AH, but may lead to serious complications such as bleeding (4–5%) and postoperative respiratory compromise (27%), especially among young children, as well as recurrence of adenoid tissue (10–20%). Thus, non-surgical therapies have attracted considerable attention as an alternative strategy. The inflammatory mechanism proposed for AH has lead to the use of anti-inflammatory drugs to manage this condition. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of chewable tablets of montelukast, a cysteinyl- leukotriene receptor antagonist, in children with AH. Sixty children between the ages of 4–12 years with >75% choanal obstruction on primary nasal endoscopy were recruited in this randomized, placebo-controlled trial and randomly divided into two groups. The study group was treated with montelukast 5 mg daily for 12 weeks while the control group received matching placebo for the same period of time. A questionnaire was completed by each child’s parent/guardian to assess the severity of sleep discomfort, snoring, and mouth breathing before and after the intervention. Adenoid size decreased in 76% of the study group compared with 3% of the placebo group after 12 weeks. A statically significant improvement was observed in the study group compared with the placebo group in terms of sleep discomfort, snoring, and mouth breathing. The symptoms average total score dropped from 7.7 to 3.3 in the study group, while in the placebo group the total score changed from 7.4 to 6.7. Montelukast chewable tablets achieved a significant reduction in adenoid size and improved the related clinical symptoms of AH and can therefore be considered an effective alternative to surgical treatment in children with adenoid hypertrophy.

Parents are such important members of the cochlear-implant team that analysis of their views is essential in orderto improve services and outcomes. The authors developed a tool to assess parental attitudes towards various aspects of cochlear implantation in children who had passed aural rehabilitation sessions. The authors then went on to determine the validity and reliability of this questionnaire. A questionnaire entitled, “Parental attitudes towards various aspects of cochlear implantation”, was prepared and assessed for content validity by experts in the field. The questionnaire comprised six subgroups, each scored using a five-point Likert scale. Parents of children with severe-to-profound congenital hearing loss who had undergone an aural rehabilitation program between 2007 and 2012 were eligible to take part in the questionnaire validation study (n=92, mean age of cochlear implantation 3.97 years). Test-retest reliability was subsequently assessed in 17 patients within 1 month. The content validity index of the questionnaire was 98.68%.The external and internal reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha (0.844 and 0.892, respectively). Mean scores of the six subgroups of the questionnaire, including communication skills, academic skills, social skills, cochlear-implant center services, costs of surgery and rehabilitation programs and decision-making process and total were 84.6%, 75.0%, 84.0%, 78.8%, 83.4%, 67.0% and 79.2%, respectively. Overall, the results supported the validity, reliability and sensitivity of the questionnaire for use both in centers for cochlear implantation or aural rehabilitation clinics. The questionnaire would provide a valuable means of assessing the impact of cochlear implantation on children’s lives.

Fishbone is the most common foreign body found in the oropharynx. Conventionally patients with suspected fishbone in the throat would have mirror laryngoscopy followed by lateral soft tissue X-ray to look for the fishbone or observe impacts caused by the fishbone i.e. soft tissue swelling or air in upper esophagus. However, the most common site of fishbone impact is the suprahyoid area, which contains high soft tissue and bony density. This makes X-rays less reliable, especially because not all fish have radio-opaque bones. With the advent of fibreoptic nasendoscopy (FNE) and improved access to CT scan, more reliable tools exist to treat patients with suspected fishbone in the oropharynx; A retrospective study, looking at 698 lateral soft tissue X-rays was performed. This study was conducted in Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge (UK) between December 1st, 2004 and February 28th, 2011 using picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). All the radiology reports were reviewed and all the lateral soft tissue X-ray requests for foreign bodies other than fish bones were excluded. Of the 698 lateral soft tissue X-rays performed between December 1st, 2004 and February 28th, 2011, only 229 (32.8%) were suspected to involve a fishbone in the throat. Amongst those requested for suspected fishbone injury, only 23 (10%) cases were reported by the radiologist as positive for fishbone. Of the 23 patients with a positive finding on X-ray, 13 had negative FNE and were discharged from the hospital, while 5 had fishbone which were visualized using fibreoptic nasendoscope and removed. One patient had an appointment in order to be reviewed in the clinic, but did not show up. The notes for 4 patients were not found; however, there were no records on the hospital intranet suggesting that they had been to the operating room for an ENT procedure related to fishbone. Therefore, it is fair to assume that either there was no fishbone to be found or it was picked up during fibreoptic nasendoscopy and removed under local anesthesia. Requesting lateral soft tissue X-ray is not beneficial in cases with a suspected fishbone in the oropharynx when fibreoptic nasendoscope is readily available.

Primary small cell carcinoma of theesophagus (PSCEC) associated with paraneoplastic sweating syndrome is a rare disease characterized with rapid growth rate, metastasis at the time of diagnosis, and poor prognosis. The lung is the most common site for small cell carcinoma but this malignancy includes 0.1% to 1% of all gastrointestinal and 0.8% to 2.7% of esophageal malignancies. So far more than 200 cases of PSCEC have been reported in literature. Case Report: The patient is a 54-year-old female from the Golestan province who presented with dysphagia, 19 kg-weight loss (from 105 kgs to 86 kgs), and excessive sweating. She was admitted in the thoracic surgery ward, at Ghaem Hospital, in the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, with a pathological diagnosis of small cell carcinoma. She underwent transhiatal total esophagectomy. Excessive sweating was eradicated after surgery and she was discharged after 13 days without any complication. She received chemotherapy and at her 5-year follow up, she showed no recurrence or metastasis. PSCEC usually requires chemotherapy with or without surgery. A favorable outcome, with total resection of the lesion combined with chemotherapy, was obtained. However, due to the rarity of the disease there is no definitive choice of treatment.

Fibrolipoma, a subtype of lipoma is painless, well-circumscribed, slow-growing, submucosal benign adipocyte tumour. It is uncommon in the oral cavity and oropharyngeal region, with rare incidence in the retropharynx even rarest in pediatric age group. Case Report: A very unusual case of fibrolipoma is presented in a pediatric patient, who had a huge retropharyngeal fibrolipoma and who presented with breathing difficulty and increasing stridor. It was managed by intro-oral approach excision. Although rare, retropharyngeal benign tumours should be kept in mind during the differential diagnosis of a paediatric stridor case. Early diagnosis is the key for a better outcome and to alleviate the worsening morbidity.

Malignant tumors of the parotid gland account scarcely for 5% of all head and neck tumors. Most of these neoplasms have a high tendency for recurrence, local infiltration, perineural extension, and metastasis. Although uncommon, these malignant tumors require complex surgical treatment sometimes involving a total parotidectomy including a complete facial nerve resection. Severe functional and aesthetic facial defects are the result of a complete sacrifice or injury to isolated branches becoming an uncomfortable distress for patients and a major challenge for reconstructive surgeons. Case Report: A case of a 54-year-old, systemically healthy male patient with a 4 month complaint of pain and swelling on the right side of the face is presented. The patient reported a rapid increase in the size of the lesion over the past 2 months. Imaging tests and histopathological analysis reported an adenoid cystic carcinoma. A complete parotidectomy was carried out with an intraoperative notice of facial nerve infiltration requiring a second intervention for nerve and defect reconstruction. A free ALT flap with vascularized nerve grafts was the surgical choice. A 6 month follow-up showed partial facial movement recovery and the facial defect mended. It is of critical importance to restore function to patients with facial nerve injury. Vascularized nerve grafts, in many clinical and experimental studies, have shown to result in better nerve regeneration than conventional non-vascularized nerve grafts. Nevertheless, there are factors that may affect the degree, speed and regeneration rate regarding the free fasciocutaneous flap. In complex head and neck defects following a total parotidectomy, the extended free fasciocutaneous ALT (anterior-lateral thigh) flap with a vascularized nerve graft is ideally suited for the reconstruction of the injured site. Donor–site morbidity is low and additional surgical time is minimal compared with the time of a single ALT flap transfer.

Cardiovocal hoarseness (Ortner’s syndrome) is hoarseness of voice due to recurrent laryngeal nerve involvement secondary to cardiovascular disease. Recurrent laryngeal nerve in its course (especially the left side) follows a path that brings it in close proximity to numerous structures. These structures interfere with its function by pressure or by disruption of the nerve caused by disease invading the nerve. However painless asymptomatic intramural hematoma of the aortic arch, causing hoarseness as the only symptom, is a rare presentation as in this case. Case Report: We report a case of silent aortic intramural hematoma which manifested as hoarseness as the only presenting symptom. A detailed history and thorough clinical examination could not reveal the pathology of hoarseness. The cause of hoarseness was diagnosed as aortic intramural hematoma on contrast computed tomography. Thus the patient was diagnosed as case of cardiovocal hoarseness (Ortner’s syndrome) secondary to aortic intramural hematoma. A silent aortic intramural hematoma with hoarseness as the only presenting symptom is very rare. This particular case report holds lot of significance to an otolaryngologist as he should be aware of this entity and should always consider it in the differential diagnosis of hoarseness.

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas are a group of heterogeneous disorders and according to WHO classification, are categorized into nodal and extranodal forms. NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, is a subtype of extranodal peripheral T-cell lymphoma and commonly presents as a midfacial destructive lesion. This disorder is more prevalent in Asia and South America and has a strong association with Epstein Barr Virus infection. Invasion of vessel walls by lymphoid cells, which is known as angiocentricity, is characteristic of nasal type NK/T-cell lymphoma. The tumor cells express CD2 and CD56 antigens; but not CD3. The nasal cavity is the mostly frequently affected site. Other commonly affected sites include palate and upper airways. On cross sectional imaging, the nasal involvement is seen as a diffuse sheet-like mucosal thickening along the nasal turbinates and septum or as a destructive midline mass (Figs 1,2). The latter form was previously described as a lethal midline granuloma or polymorphic reticulosis. The mass frequently extends into subcutaneous tissues of nasal ala and buccinator space (Fig.3). Regional lymphadenopathy is usually not seen. The radiological differential diagnoses for a midline nasal cavity mass include squamous cell carcinoma, minor salivary gland tumor, Wegener’s granulomatosis, and fungal infections. The imaging appearances of NK/T-cell lymphoma are often indistinguishable from the above mentioned conditions. However, predilection to involve both sides of the nasal cavity and tendency to spread as a diffuse thin sheet-like soft tissue along the walls of the nasal cavity enveloping the nasal turbinates and nasal septum favour the diagnosis of NK/T-cell lymphoma. Contiguous extension into the nasopharynx, palate, upper airways, and subcutaneous tissues can also suggest the possibility of NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (Fig.4). T-cell lymphoma, compared to B-cell lymphoma, has an aggressive course and poor prognosis. The median survival was reported to be 12 months, even in patients showing a localised disease. Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma is sensitive to both chemo- and radiotherapy. Methotrexate and anthracycline based chemotherapy regimen (SMILE protocol) with infield radiotherapy is the recommended protocol for treatment of NK/T-cell lymphoma.