A Multi-Institutional Review of Characteristics of Idiopathic Versus Non-Idiopathic Facial Paralysis.

Objective: Occult lesions involving the facial nerve can be misdiagnosed as idiopathic facial paralysis, also known as Bell's palsy. Our goal was to compare the clinical features of patients with idiopathic/viral versus non-idiopathic facial paralysis and identify predictors of malignant etiologies.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of 276 patients referred for surgical management of facial paralysis at two large facial nerve tertiary care centers.

Agent Orange and head and neck cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess the incidence of head and neck cancer in patients exposed to Agent Orange and related dioxins.

Methods: Studies were identified through CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus. Primary studies were identified through April 2023.

Laser ablation of a fourth ventricular hamartoma causing medically refractory hemifacial spasms in a child: illustrative case.

Background: Hamartomas of the floor of the fourth ventricle (HFFVs) are rare lesions that cause a variety of symptoms, including hemifacial spasm (HFS). When symptomatic, these deep-seated lesions are traditionally treated via open surgical approaches. The authors describe successful laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) of an HFFV causing intractable HFS.

A strain with a substantially smaller genome retains the core metabolic versatility of its genus.

are a group of phototrophic microbes with a marked metabolic versatility and flexibility that underpins their potential use in the production of value-added products, bioremediation, and plant growth promotion. Members of this group have an average genome size of about 5.5 Mb, but two closely related strains have genome sizes of about 4.