The Clinical Utility and Cost of Routine Staging Exam under Anesthesia for Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Introduction: The standard complete evaluation of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has included a staging exam under anesthesia (EUA) since the 1970s. The EUA for all sites of HNSCC has historically consisted of panendoscopy for the purpose of diagnostic biopsy, accurate staging of primary disease, and identification of second primary tumors. However, due to the accessibility of the oral cavity, the sole purpose of EUA for tumors of this site is to identify second primary tumors.

Outcomes After Tracheostomy for Patients With Respiratory Failure due to COVID-19.

Objective: To evaluate the utility and safety of tracheostomy for patients with respiratory failure from COIVD-19 and describe patient clinical characteristics and process of management.

Methods: Case series of the first 24 COVID-19 patients who underwent tracheostomy at our institution, a single-center tertiary care community hospital intensive care/ventilator weaning unit. The patients all had respiratory failure from COVID-19 and required endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation.

Thromboprophylaxis in Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction.

Head and neck patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction are at high risk for thromboembolism. While the prevention of thromboembolism has become an essential aspect of care, within the field of microsurgery, concern for anastomotic complications have hindered the creation of an accepted regimen. The aim of this review was to evaluate the risks and benefits of prophylactic agents for thromboprophylaxis.

Gene master regulators of papillary and anaplastic thyroid cancers.

We hypothesize that distinct cell phenotypes are governed by different sets of gene master regulators (GMRs) whose strongly protected (by the homeostatic mechanisms) abundance modulates most cell processes by coordinating the expression of numerous genes from the corresponding functional pathways. Gene Commanding Height (GCH), a composite measure of gene expression control and coordination, is introduced to establish the gene hierarchy in each phenotype. If the hypothesis is true, than one can selectively destroy cancer nodules from a heterogeneous tissue by altering the expression of genes whose GCHs are high in cancer but low in normal cell phenotype.

Multiflap closure of scalp defects: Revisiting the orticochea flap for scalp reconstruction.

Reconstruction of the scalp following oncologic resection is a challenging undertaking owing to the variable elasticity of the soft tissue overlying the calvarium and the limited amount of tissue available for recruitment. Defect size, location, and skin characteristics heavily influence the reconstructive options available to the surgeon. Reconstruction options for scalp defects range from simple direct closure, to skin grafting, to adjacent tissue transfer with local flaps, and ultimately to free tissue transfer.