Surgical treatment of nasal non-melanoma skin cancer using full-thickness skin graft: can antiplatelet therapy be related to a better result?

Aim: The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate if antiplatelet therapy in elderly patients undergoing surgical excision of nasal non-melanoma skin cancer and contemporary reconstruction with full-thickness skin graft can be related to a better vitality of the graft and consequently improved aesthetic result.

Materials And Methods: Patients affected by BCC or SCC of the nose that underwent surgical excision and contemporary reconstruction with full-thickness skin graft were divided into two groups according to antiplatelet therapy. Medications were performed 7 and 15 days after surgery.

Glycyrrhizin and Mannitol Nasal Therapy: Cytological and Clinical Outcomes in Chronic Rhinitis.

 Chronic rhinitis (CR) represents a widespread inflammation with a high incidence in the general population. Although it is generally considered a benign condition, CR has a relevant impact on quality of life and requires a specific treatment approach.  The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of glycyrrhizin and mannitol intranasal treatment on chronic rhinitis using cytological analysis and subjective evaluation of symptoms.

Dupilumab in the treatment of severe uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP): A multicentric observational Phase IV real-life study (DUPIREAL).

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is associated with significant morbidity and reduced health-related quality of life. Findings from clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of dupilumab in CRSwNP, although real-world evidence is still limited.

Methods: This Phase IV real-life, observational, multicenter study assessed the effectiveness and safety of dupilumab in patients with severe uncontrolled CRSwNP (n = 648) over the first year of treatment.

Malignant trichilemmal carcinoma misdiagnosed with parotid gland malignant tumor.

Malignat proliferating trichilemmal tumor (MPTT) are rare tumors usually presenting in photo-exposed areas, especially on the face, scalp, neck,and dorsal part of the hand. Differential diagnosis include squamous cell carcinoma, basal-cell carcinoma, keratoacanthoma and malignant nodular melanoma, so that only incisional biopsy can lead to pre-operative diagnosis. We present case MPTT misdiagnosed with parotid gland malignant tumor that underwent radical surgical excision and adijuvant radiotherapy.

Use of Irrigation Device for Duct Dilatation during Sialendoscopy.

Background: Continuous irrigation of the duct with isotonic saline is one of the fundamental stages of a successful sialendoscopic procedure. It allows for an adequate luminal distension for the removal of debris and mucous plugs and for the conservative treatment of strictures. This procedure, which commonly involves the use of a medical syringe, can be laborious, and it is often necessary to interrupt irrigation during surgery due to the high resistance to saline.

Is it possible to diagnose Posterior Semicircular Canal BPPV from the sitting position? The role of the Head Pitch Test and the upright tests along the RALP and LARP planes.

Purpose: The diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) involving the posterior semicircular canal (PSC) is traditionally entrusted to positioning tests where patients are rapidly brought in the supine position. This prospective study aims to define the role of a diagnostic protocol for PSC-BPPV including only upright tests.

Materials And Methods: 109 patients with PSC-BPPV were enrolled.

Recovery of Regular Daily Physical Activities Prevents Residual Dizziness after Canalith Repositioning Procedures.

Objective: Residual dizziness is a disorder of unknown pathophysiology, which may occur after repositioning procedures for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. This study evaluates the relationship between regular daily physical activity and the development of residual dizziness after treatment for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Study Design: Prospective observational cohort study.

Spontaneous Jamming of Horizontal Semicircular Canal Combined with Canalolithiasis of Contralateral Posterior Semicircular Canal.

Spontaneous canalith jam is an uncommon form of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo mimicking acute vestibular neuritis. We described for the first time a spontaneous horizontal semicircular canalith jam associated with a typical canalolithiasis involving contralateral posterior semicircular canal (PSC), illustrating how the latter condition modified direction-fixed nystagmus during head movements. An 81-year-old woman with persistent vertigo referred to our center.

Interpretation of the mucous plug through sialendoscopy.

Objective: The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight the behaviour of mucus inside the ducts of the major salivary glands, in presence of typical pathologies, through images obtained with sialendoscopy.

Subject: The authors present and comment on some sialendoscopies that show mucous plug in the ducts of the major salivary glands.

Results: In primary Sjogren's syndrome, mucous plugs confirm the qualitative anomaly of the mucins and acidification saliva.

Upright BPPV Protocol: Feasibility of a New Diagnostic Paradigm for Lateral Semicircular Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Compared to Standard Diagnostic Maneuvers.

The diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) involving the lateral semicircular canal (LSC) is traditionally entrusted to the supine head roll test, also known as supine head yaw test (SHYT), which usually allows identification of the pathologic side and BPPV form (geotropic vs. apogeotropic). Nevertheless, SHYT may not always allow easy detection of the affected canal, resulting in similar responses on both sides and intense autonomic symptoms in patients with recent onset of vertigo.

Predictive markers of long-term recurrence in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Background: In last years, many attempts were made to recognize chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) phenotypes focusing on identifying relevant key pathogenic molecules. Polyps recurrence rate ranges from 4% to 60%, so it's clear that not all clinical and immunologic factors associated with recurrence are known.

Objective: We investigate the inflammatory profile in patients with long term recurrent and non-recurrent CRSwNPs and if a specific profile is associated with recurrence, comparing eosinophilic, neutrophilic and lymphocytic infiltration, as well as IL-5 and IL-8 expression to long term recurrence rate.

Glaucoma: recent advances in the involvement of autoimmunity.

Glaucomatous optic neuropathy is the most commonly acquired optic neuropathy encountered in clinical practice. It is the second leading cause of blindness globally, after cataracts, but it presents a greater public health challenge than cataracts, because the blindness it causes is irreversible. It has pathogenesis still largely unknown and no established cure.

Features of Residual Dizziness after Canalith Repositioning Procedures for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.

Objectives: To assess factors related to residual dizziness (RD) in patients who underwent successful canalith repositioning procedures (CRPs) for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic center.

Effect of Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation Treatment on Nasal Ciliary Motility: A Study with Phase-Contrast Microscopy.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of nasal ciliary motility after radiofrequency ablation treatment in patients with isolated inferior turbinate hypertrophy and to clarify how long until normal ciliary function is restored.

Study Design: Prospective, single-group, pretest-posttest design.

Setting: Academic tertiary care medical center.

Kawasaki disease: an evolving paradigm.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a self-limited childhood systemic vasculitis that exhibits a specific predilection for the coronary arteries. KD predominantly affects young children between the ages of 6months and 4years. Incidence rates in Asians are up to 20 times higher than Caucasians.

Myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion with endoscopic or microscopic technique in adults: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of endoscopic-assisted myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion in adults affected by chronic otitis media with effusion, comparing the outcomes of this approach with those obtained with the traditional microscopic technique. Twenty-four patients were enrolled in this trial and alternately assigned to 2 groups of 12 subjects each. In group A, patients underwent myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion under endoscopic view, whereas in group B, the same procedure was performed traditionally using a microscope.

Cytologic and functional alterations of nasal mucosa in smokers: temporary or permanent damage?

Objective: Tobacco smoke is a significant risk factor for respiratory diseases. The purpose of this study is to analyze the cytologic and functional features of nasal mucosa in smokers, nonsmokers, and ex-smokers to evaluate if nasal alterations in smokers are permanent or reversible conditions after smoking cessation.

Study Design: Case series with planned data collection.

Goodpasture's syndrome: a clinical update.

Goodpasture's syndrome (GS) is a rare and organ-specific autoimmune disease that is mediated by anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibodies and has pathology characterized by crescentic glomerulonephritis with linear immunofluorescent staining for IgG on the GBM. It typically presents as acute renal failure caused by a rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, accompanied by pulmonary hemorrhage that may be life-threatening. It was first described as a distinctive syndrome by Pasture in 1919.

Idiopathic bilateral vestibulopathy: an autoimmune disease?

Bilateral vestibulopathy (BV) is the loss of function of both peripheral labyrinths or of the eighth nerves. Its etiology remains obscure in approximately 20% to 50% of cases (so-called idiopathic bilateral vestibulopathy, IBV). Alternatively, the cause could be viral or vascular; to date, causative gene mutations have not been identified.

Role of Human Papillomavirus in the Pathogenesis of Laryngeal Dysplasia.

Objective: A synergistic effect between smoking and alcohol intake is the major cause of premalignant and malignant lesions of the larynx, but the risk factors and pathogenesis of the neoplastic transformation in nonsmokers remain poorly defined. The aim of this retrospective study is to establish the relationship between smoking habits and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in laryngeal dysplasia.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

EMLA(®) cream as local anesthetic for radiofrequency turbinate tissue reduction.

Radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction is a minimally invasive technique in the treatment of turbinate hypertrophy and is generally performed under local anesthesia. However, perioperative discomfort and pain are common side effects and studies concerning the technique of choice to anesthetize the nasal mucosa in this procedure are lacking. The aim of this prospective controlled trial is to assess the effectiveness of EMLA(®) cream as a topical anesthetic for radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction of inferior turbinates comparing its effect with that obtained using a traditional anesthetic technique.

Oncologic results of the surgical salvage of recurrent laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in a multicentric retrospective series: emerging role of supracricoid partial laryngectomy.

Background: Several studies in the last decade evaluated conservative surgical procedures and, in particular, supracricoid operations as an alternative to total laryngectomy for the salvage of recurrences of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) after a first attempt of organ preservation.

Methods: The clinical records of 68 consecutive patients primarily treated by irradiation or endoscopic surgery and surgically salvaged by total laryngectomy or supracricoid partial laryngectomy in 2 large university hospitals in Italy from 2004 to 2010 were reviewed.

Results: The survival was not affected by the primary treatment or by salvage modality.

Transdermal scopolamine in the management of postparotidectomy salivary fistula.

Parotid fistula represents an uncommon complication in parotid surgery. Its early recognition contributes to successful management. The condition is distressing for both the patient and the surgeon, since conservative and operative treatment frequently fail.