Intraglandular botulinum toxin in postoperative head and neck fistula: a retrospective analysis.

Purpose: Orocervical (OCF) or pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) are one of the disastrous complications of head and neck cancer surgery. Conventional standards of management are predominantly conservative. Though a majority of such patients respond to conservative management, it nevertheless causes significant delay in wound healing.

Audit for antifungal treatment usage in adults with invasive fungal infection: A prospective observational study.

Objective: The antifungal audit aimed to evaluate antifungal usage in a tertiary care center. It focused on patient profiles, the appropriateness of antifungal use, associated adverse drug reactions, reasons for suboptimal usage, and the economic burden caused by prolonged non-optimal antifungal use.

Methodology: Conducted at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India from January 2019 to December 2020, the study evaluated systemic antifungal use in 100 hospitalized adults with invasive fungal infections.

Office-based flexible endoscopic guided biopsy: single-center feasibility analysis.

Background: Direct laryngoscopy and biopsy have been the standard of care for biopsy of lesions arising from the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT). The requirement of general anesthesia is often a prerequisite. Procedures performed under the laryngeal block and local anesthesia are not viewed as appropriate from the point of view of patient comfort.

Label-based comparative proteomics of oral mucosal tissue to understand progression of precancerous lesions to oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Oral squamous cell carcinomas typically arise from precancerous lesions such as leukoplakia and erythroplakia. These lesions exhibit a range of histological changes from hyperplasia to dysplasia and carcinoma in situ, during their transformation to malignancy. The molecular mechanisms driving this multistage transition remain incompletely understood.

Unravelling the Reasons Behind Limited Response to Anti-PD Therapy in ATC: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Tumor-Infiltrating Immune Cells and Checkpoints.

Inhibiting the immune checkpoint (ICP) PD-1 based on PD-L1 expression status has revolutionized the treatment of various cancers, yet its efficacy in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) remains limited. The therapeutic response depends upon multiple factors, particularly the conduciveness of the tumor's immune milieu. This study comprehensively evaluated and classified ATC's immune microenvironment (IME) to elucidate the factors behind suboptimal response to anti-PD therapy.

Comprehensive Analysis of Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibromas via Whole-Exome Sequencing.

Introduction: The molecular basis and mechanisms of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNA) pathogenesis are still unknown. Despite being a rare and benign neoplasm, JNA is a locally aggressive and potentially destructive head and neck neoplasm, typically found in young males. The advancement of genome technologies and analytical tools has provided an unparalleled opportunity to explore the intricacy of JNA.

Pre-vascular Facial Nodes: Sentinel Station for Metastasis in Gingivobuccal Complex Cancers.

Background: Pre-vascular facial nodes (PV-FNs; perifacial lymph nodes) are supra-mandibular lymph nodes above the inferior border of the mandible. These are not part of routine neck dissection done for OCSCC. These lymph nodes can be sentinel station for metastatic lymph nodes from gingivobuccal complex cancers and are missed during routine neck dissection.

Factors Impacting Outcome and Prognosis of Invasive Fungal Sinusitis: How Vital is Iron Metabolism?

Iron is an important micronutrient involved in cell biology through vital reactions. We examined the correlations between iron metabolism parameters and the course of invasive fungal sinusitis. Patients with invasive fungal sinusitis were enrolled.

Metagenome Analysis of Cholesteatoma-associated Bacteria: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: Cholesteatoma usually harbors a poly-microbial infection. As the diversity of bacterial pathogens in the Indian COM is unknown, we set out to identify the bacteria associated with cholesteatoma disease in different patients of North India using targeted metagenomic analysis of the 16 S rRNA gene.

Methods: We recruited 15 patients of cholesteatomatous chronic otitis media (COM), who underwent surgical disease clearance.

Perimarginal quadrangle dissection: Pushing the boundaries of neck dissection in gingivo-buccal complex cancer.

Objectives: Perimarginal nodes (PMN) lie in close relationship with marginal mandibular nerve (MMN), in the lymphatic drainage pathway of gingivo-buccal cancers (GBC), above the lower border of mandible and remain unaddressed in conventional neck dissection. We have aimed to define the boundaries of perimarginal node dissection, explore incidence of PMN metastasis and its correlation with histopathological characteristics.

Materials And Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 112 consecutive patients of GB carcinoma.

Multimodality management of locoregionally extensive Marjolin ulcer: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Marjolin ulcer (MU) is an aggressive cutaneous malignancy that commonly occurs in those with a chronic wound such as post-burn scar.

Case Report: A 20-year-old male who sustained a flame burn over the scalp at 3 months of age developed a nonhealing ulcer over the burn scar 20 years later, which was treated with adequate surgical margins with adjuvant mold brachytherapy. Two months after completion of that treatment, he developed parotid nodal metastasis with positron emission tomography (PET)-positive bilateral cervical, supraclavicular, right suboccipital, and mesenteric lymph nodes that were treated with concurrent chemoradiation.

Novel Therapeutic Strategies of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Nanomedicine in Pediatric Cerebral Palsy Patients.

Infantile central palsy (CP) is caused due to damage to the immature developing brain usually before birth, leading to altered topography and biochemical milieu. CP is a life-limiting disorder, which causes changes in sensory, motor, cognitive, and behavioral functioning. Understanding its pathophysiology is complex, and current therapeutic modalities, oral medication, surgical treatment, physical therapy, and rehabilitation provide minimal relief.

Metagenomic insights into fungal community composition of the nasopharyngeal region of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis patients from India.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated mucormycosis (CAM) was reported predominantly from India during the second wave of COVID-19  and has a high mortality rate. The present study aims to understand the fungal community composition of the nasopharyngeal region of CAM-infected individuals and compare it with severe COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. The fungal community composition was decoded by analyzing the sequence homology of the internal transcribed spacer-2-(ITS-2) region of metagenomic DNA extracted from the upper respiratory samples.

Utility of an in-house real-time PCR in whole blood samples as a minimally invasive method for early and accurate diagnosis of invasive mould infections.

Introduction: Invasive mould infections (IMIs) are a leading cause of death in patients with compromised immune systems. Proven invasive mould infection requires detection of a fungus by histopathological analysis of a biopsied specimen, sterile culture, or fungal DNA amplification by PCR in tissue. However, the clinical performance of a PCR assay on blood samples taken from patients suspected of invasive mould disease has not been fully evaluated, particularly for the differential diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) and invasive Mucormycosis (IM).

Quality of life and swallowing outcomes following major glossectomy: A prospective single-center experience.

Background: There exists a lacuna in the structured reporting of swallowing dysfunction and quality of life (QoL) outcome following major glossectomy.

Methods: Prospective cohort study to assess the swallowing dysfunction and QoL following STG (subtotal glossectomy) or NTG (near total glossectomy) over a 6-month period using FEES and PAS scale, MDADI, and FACT-HN.

Results: Twenty-four patients were available for analysis.

Evaluation of kit-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (TB-LAMP) assay in the diagnosis of tubercular lymphadenitis.

Background: The rapid and accurate diagnosis of tubercular lymphadenitis remains a challenging task today. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the LoopAMP MTBC kit (TB-LAMP) as a replacement for sputum smear microscopy in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). However, no prospective diagnostic accuracy study of TB-LAMP for tubercular lymphadenitis in adults has been performed yet.

Comparison of 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC and 18F-FDG PET/CT in the Evaluation of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma-A Prospective Study.

Purpose Of Study: 18F-FDG PET/CT plays a major role in diagnosis and staging of head and neck cancer; however, FDG has lower uptake in adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC). Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expression is found to be associated with endothelial cells or tumor neovasculature in malignant AdCC and salivary duct carcinoma. Thus, present study is aimed to compare the role of 68Ga-PSMA and 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with primary and/or metastatic AdCC.

Role of ApneaGraph® in the Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

Aim: To evaluate the utility of ApneaGraph® AG 200 in diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) as compared to Polysomnography, localization of the site of upper airway obstruction, and the success rate of surgery.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted including fifteen patients of OSA undergoing surgical treatment. All patients underwent sequential overnight ApneaGraph (AG) and Polysomnogram (PSG) before and after 3 months following surgery.

Utility of in-house and commercial PCR assay in diagnosis of Covid-19 associated mucormycoss in an emergency setting in a tertiary care center.

Invasive mucormycosis (IM) is a potentially fatal infection caused by fungi of the order . Histopathology, culture, and radiology are the mainstays of diagnosis, but they are not sufficiently sensitive, resulting in delayed diagnosis and intervention. Recent studies have shown that PCR-based techniques can be a promising way to diagnose IM.

Perineural Invasion of Superior and Inferior Laryngeal Nerves in Advanced Stage Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx: A Case Series and Review.

Objective: To evaluate bilateral superior and recurrent laryngeal nerves for tumor spread in patients of advanced-stage laryngeal carcinoma undergoing surgical resection.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted including biopsy-proven cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) that were planned for total laryngectomy. Patients with metachronous or synchronous SCC were excluded from the study.

Normal Serum Levels of Otolin-1 in Patients with Meniere Disease in Remission.

 Degenerative changes in the otolithic organs have been theorized to be caused by the mechanical obstruction to endolymphatic flow, possibly resulting in endolymphatic hydrops (ELH). Otolin-1 is an otoconial matrix protein that crosses the blood labyrinth barrier and has been found in the serum of healthy and diseased patients.  To measure the serum levels of Otolin-1 in Meniere disease (MD) patients and compared them with the healthy individuals.

Childhood and Adolescent Sleep Awareness in Caregivers and Health Care Providers: A Community- and Hospital-Based Survey.

Background: Sleep disorders are common in childhood and adolescence with mental and physical consequences needing appropriate intervention by caregivers and health care providers (HCPs). The objective of the study, conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital and public school in north India, was to develop validated questionnaires to evaluate childhood and adolescent sleep awareness in caregivers and HCPs.

Methods: The study participants (caregivers represented by parents of 2-18 year olds attending a public school and of those attending outpatient services at the study hospital and HCPs represented by medical interns and nursing graduates within 1 year of graduation) were enrolled after appropriate screening.