Reconstruction of the Anterior Skull Base Using the Nasoseptal Flap: A Review.

The nasoseptal flap is a workhorse reconstructive option for anterior skull base defects during endonasal surgery. This paper highlights the versatility of the nasoseptal flap. After providing a brief historical perspective, this review will focus on the relevant primary literature published in the last ten years.

A complication of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica presenting as acute hypercapnic respiratory failure.

Background: Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica is a rare benign and often indolent disease. We report the first case of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TBO) presenting as acute hypercarbic respiratory failure due to superimposed subglottic submucosal abscess.

Case Report: A 27-year-old man presented to the emergency department in respiratory distress that required mechanical ventilation for acute hypercarbic respiratory failure.

Conscious sedation and local anesthesia for patients undergoing neurotologic and complex otologic procedures.

Objective: Is conscious sedation an effective, safe, and efficient anesthetic choice in patients undergoing select neurotologic and otologic procedures?

Study Design: Retrospective case review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Patients: Six patients underwent eight neurotologic procedures including cerebrospinal fluid leak and encephalocele repair, and primary and revision cochlear implant surgery.

Iatrogenic velopharyngeal insufficiency caused by neonatal nasogastric feeding tube.

Complications from a prolonged nasogastric tube intubation, though seldom reported, are well described. Herein we describe the first two reported cases of velopharyngeal insufficiency secondary to velopharyngeal scarring and immobility from repetitive nasogastric tube insertions and prolonged use. Differing only in location, the proposed pathophysiologic mechanism of injury is identical to that of the nasogastric tube syndrome, a rare and serious, well described entity consisting of bilateral vocal fold paralysis due to pressure-induced ulceration of the posterior cricoarytenoid musculature.

Clinical utility of immunohistochemistry for the detection of the BRAF v600e mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Background: BRAF V600E mutation is the most common genetic alteration in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). We used a mutation-specific antibody for immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of the BRAF V600E mutation and correlated expression with clinicopathologic features. The study was designed to validate the accuracy and determine the clinical importance of IHC detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in PTC.

Parathyroid surgery and methylene blue: a review with guidelines for safe intraoperative use.

Methylene blue has been used to help facilitate parathyroid surgery for over 30 years. Its use has been widely considered both safe and cost effective. Twenty-six cases of a toxic metabolic encephalopathy, however, have been reported with its use.