IMRT for head and neck cancer: Cost implications.

Objectives: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is a dose-delivery technology allowing for a reduction in radiotherapy side effects. It has been rapidly adopted despite the lack of prospective studies showing improved outcomes. We sought to compare the cost through Medicare reimbursement patterns of surgery, IMRT, and conventional XRT in treating head and neck cancer.

Endoscopic endonasal surgery for recurrent pituitary tumors: technical challenges to the surgical approach.

Objective To review our experience in a series of patients who underwent revision endoscopic pituitary surgery. Methods Retrospective chart review. Results A total of 27 patients were included in the study.

Higher risk of superficial injection during injection laryngoplasty in women.

Purpose: To review our clinical experience with percutaneous injection laryngoplasty at a single institution over a three-year period, and to specifically assess the rate of unintentional injection into the superficial lamina propria (SLP) and compare with results found in the literature.

Materials And Methods: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to identify patients who underwent office-based injection laryngoplasty (OBIL) over a three-year period. Video documentation and the written notes of the procedures were reviewed to determine the rate of inadvertent placement of injectate into the SLP.

Critical appraisal of extent of resection of clival lesions using the expanded endoscopic endonasal approach.

Objectives To present a critical evaluation of our experience using an expanded endoscopic endonasal approach (EEEA) to clival lesions and evaluate, based on the location of residual tumor, what the anatomic limitations to the approach are. Design A retrospective review of all endoscopic endonasal operations performed at our institution identified 19 patients with lesions involving the clivus. Extent of resection was determined by preoperative and postoperative tumor volumes.

Laser stimulation of single auditory nerve fibers.

Objectives/hypothesis: One limitation with cochlear implants is the difficulty stimulating spatially discrete spiral ganglion cell groups because of electrode interactions. Multipolar electrodes have improved on this some, but also at the cost of much higher device power consumption. Recently, it has been shown that spatially selective stimulation of the auditory nerve is possible with a mid-infrared laser aimed at the spiral ganglion via the round window.