Association Between Facial Nerve Monitoring With Postoperative Facial Paralysis in Parotidectomy.

Importance: Electrophysiologic facial nerve monitoring is becoming an established intraoperative aid to assist the surgeon in facial nerve trunk or branch location and dissection. Limited studies have addressed the postoperative outcomes of parotid surgery with and without monitoring.

Objective: To examine the influence of intraoperative facial nerve monitoring on postoperative facial nerve function and procedure duration in parotid surgery.

Hyperkinetic gallbladder: an indication for cholecystectomy?

Cholecystectomy may benefit children with biliary colic without stones on ultrasound (US) or low ejection fraction on cholecystokinin-hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (CCK-HIDA) scan. Children with symptomatic biliary colic and abnormal HIDA scan, specifically those with high ejection fractions, may benefit from cholecystectomy. All patients younger than 18 years old undergoing cholecystectomy from 2008 to 2012 in our practice were reviewed.

Symptomatic gastric inlet patches in children treated with argon plasma coagulation: a case series.

The pathologic potential of gastric inlet patches is now being recognized. A recent adult study has shown the effectiveness of argon plasma coagulation in ablating the patch and the associated symptoms. There are no reports of ablation in children.

[ENT medicine and head and neck surgery in the G-DRG system 2008].

Background: Further developments in the German DRG system have been incorporated into the 2008 version. For ENT medicine and head and neck surgery significant changes concerning coding of diagnoses, medical procedures and concerning the DRG-structure were made.

Methods: Analysis of relevant diagnoses, medical procedures and G-DRGs in the versions 2007 and 2008 based on the publications of the German DRG institute (InEK) and the German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI).

[Expert assessment of adenocarcinomas of the nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses caused by wood dust].

Background: Adenocarcinomas of the nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses after occupational exposure to sawdust from oak and beech have been listed as occupational diseases in Germany since 1988. Given that modes of treatment have changed, we analyzed the guidelines based on the recommendations of Hartung et al. for developing an expert assessment on reduced earning capacity.

[ENT and head and neck surgery in the German DRG system 2007].

Background: The German DRG system has been further developed into version 2007. For ENT and head and neck surgery, significant changes in the coding of diagnoses and medical operations as well as in the the DRG structure have been made.

Results: New ICD codes for sleep apnoea and acquired tracheal stenosis have been implemented.

[Case allocation of extensive operations on head and neck within the German DRG system 2004-2007: what is the net result of the continued developments in case allocation?].

Background: When the German DRG system was implemented there was some doubt about whether patients with extensive head and neck surgery would be properly accounted for. Significant efforts have therefore been invested in analysis and case allocation of those in this group. The object of this study was to investigate whether the changes within the German DRG system have led to improved case allocation.

Aesthetic outcome of transfacial sinus surgery: the patient's view.

Objective: To investigate the patient's view of the cosmetic outcome of transfacial sinus surgery.

Design: Prospective survey of patients after transfacial sinus surgery in a tertiary referral academic otolaryngology department.

Setting: Academic outpatient clinic of otorhinolaryngology.

The effect of endogenous nitric oxide on mechanical ciliostimulation of human nasal mucosa.

Background: Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) production by the inducible NO-synthase is enhanced in the nasal respiratory epithelium of patients with allergic rhinitis. Recent experimental data suggest endogenous NO to be strongly involved in the regulation of ciliary activity, the driving force of the mucociliary transport system.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the effect of endogenous NO on mechanical stimulation of ciliary activity in a nasal mucosa explant model.

Primary role of growth-related oncogene-alpha and granulocyte chemotactic protein-2 as neutrophil chemoattractants in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background: The aetiology of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate neutrophil-attracting chemokine patterns in CRS without nasal polyposis.

Methods: The biological activity of the chemokines was identified using a two-step high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique combined with a bioassay in extracts from 55 CRS patients, and in the turbinate mucosa (TM) of patients (N=51) undergoing septumplasty.

[ENT relevant changes in the German OPS Procedure Classification System for 2006].

Background: Classification of surgical and medical procedures is of increasing relevance for health care financing. From this viewpoint, classification according to the German "Operations- und Prozedurenschlüssel" (OPS) was frequently inadequate so far.

Methods: In the course of a comprehensive DRG evaluation project, deficits of the economic classification of ENT-medicine were identified.

[The German DRG system and its effect on imaging quality in ENT, and head and neck surgery].

Background: The new G-DRG system for 2006 was published in September 2005. This article presents, analyses, and comments essential changes in the G-DRG system for 2006 and their consequences for ENT-Medicine.

Results: The complexity of the G-DRG system has increased significantly.

[Possibilities and limitations for the representation of ENT medicine in the G-DRG reimbursement system. Results of the DRG evaluation project].

Background: To improve the representation of ENT medicine in the German diagnosis related groups (G-DRG) reimbursement system, the German Association for ENT Medicine and the ENT Professional Medical Association, in cooperation with the DRG-Research Group of the University Hospital of Muenster, undertook a DRG evaluation project.

Method: A retrospective analysis was carried out of the DRG data records from 93,605 cases taken at 39 ENT institutions in 2003. A prospective collection of data from 25,666 cases, including defined expenditure data within a 4 month period in 2004, was also made.

Myxoid chondrosarcoma of the maxilla in a pediatric patient.

Myxoid chondrosarcomas of the head and neck region are rare. We report the case of an 8-year-old boy with progressive unilateral nasal obstruction resulting from a highly differentiated myxoid chondrosarcoma of the maxilla extending to the nasal cavity and the ethmoid. Clinical presentation, histological findings and therapy are presented with a brief review of the literature.

[Malignant fibrous histiocytoma in the parotid gland. Case series and literature review].

Background: Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), a soft tissue sarcoma that is predominantly localized in the extremities and retroperitoneum, rarely occurs in the head and neck. This study presents the clinicopathological features of three patients with MFH of the parotid gland treated at the ENT department of the University Hospital of Muenster (Germany) between 1991 and 2002.

Patients: The clinical course of all three patients was defined by a rapidly growing mass in the parotid area.

[G-DRG System 2005. Analysis and evaluation of significant changes from the viewpoint of HNO medical science].

With the release of the new Global Case Agreement by Self Administration in Public Health on the 16 September 2004, the adjustment of the G-DRG System for the year 2005 was completed. Otorhinolaryngology, and head and neck surgery face several changes in the fields of diagnosis and procedural coding (ICD-10-GM 2005, OPS-301 2005), G-DRG case allocation, and extra reimbursements for special interventions. Despite some considerable improvements, substantial problems remain unsolved.

The effect of endogenous nitric oxide on cholinergic ciliary stimulation of human nasal mucosa.

Objectives/hypothesis: Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) production by inducible nitric oxide synthase is enhanced in the nasal ciliated respiratory tract epithelium of patients with allergic rhinitis. Recent experimental data have suggested endogenous NO to be strongly involved in the complex regulation of ciliary activity, the driving force of the mucociliary transport system. The authors investigated the effect of endogenous NO on acetylcholine-stimulated ciliary activity of human nasal mucosa.

Chronic rhinosinusitis--need for further classification?

Objective And Design: The etiology and classification of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps still remain unclear. Based on investigations of inflammation type in biopsies from patients with nasal polyposis and chronic non-polypous rhinosinusitis, we tried to determine whether there is a need for further classification of chronic rhinosinusitis into two disease entities.

Subjects: Biopsies of diffuse nasal polyposis (n= 37) and chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (n= 41) were examined for eosinophil and neutrophil tissue infiltration, degree of inflammation, and involved cytokines in inflammation mechanisms.