Novel Multidisciplinary Salivary Gland Society (MSGS) Questionnaire: An International Consensus.

Objectives: First, establishment and validation of a novel questionnaire documenting the burden of xerostomia and sialadenitis symptoms, including quality of life. Second, to compare two versions regarding the answering scale (proposed developed answers Q3 vs. 0-10 visual analogue scale Q10) of our newly developed questionnaire, in order to evaluate their comprehension by patients and their reproducibility in time.

A useful landmark to locate the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomy.

Background: To determine whether the insertion of the sternothyroid muscle onto the oblique line of the thyroid cartilage can be used to reliably locate the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) during thyroidectomy.

Methods: This is a prospective descriptive case series. The EBSLN was identified and confirmed with a nerve stimulator during thyroid surgery.

How OSA Evolves From Childhood to Young Adulthood: Natural History From a 10-Year Follow-up Study.

Background: Understanding the natural history of childhood OSA can help to determine disease prognosis and to guide risk stratification and management strategies.

Methods: To evaluate the natural history of childhood OSA and factors associated with spontaneous remission and persistent and incident OSA from childhood to late adolescence/early adulthood, a longitudinal analysis of a prospective community-based cohort was designed. Subjects from a cohort established for an OSA prevalence study were invited to participate in this 10-year follow-up study.

Narrow Band Imaging Endoscopy of the Nasopharynx for Malignancy: An Inter- and Intraobserver Study.

Objective: To assess interobserver agreement and intraobserver reproducibility when assessing the nasopharynx for malignancy under white light and narrow band imaging endoscopy because the decision to biopsy hinges on the examiner's perceived chance of malignancy.

Methods: An interobserver and intraobserver agreement study utilizing white light and narrow band endoscopic images of the nasopharynx. The setting was an academic referral hospital.

MicroRNA-125b Interacts with Foxp3 to Induce Autophagy in Thyroid Cancer.

Thyroid cancer is rapidly increasing in incidence worldwide. Although most thyroid cancer can be cured with surgery, radioactive iodine, and/or chemotherapy, thyroid cancers still recur and may become chemoresistant. Autophagy is a complex self-degradative process that plays a dual role in cancer development and progression.

If cytology of Warthin tumor is accurate, can management be conservative?

We conducted a retrospective study to assess the accuracy of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of Warthin tumor and to evaluate the subsequent risk of conservative nonsurgical management. We reviewed the records of 75 patients (76 tumors) with a parotid mass that had been diagnosed as a Warthin tumor by FNAC. This patient population was made up of 64 men and 11 women, aged 46 to 93 years (mean: 67).

Expression of Antioxidant Molecules and Heat Shock Protein 27 in Thyroid Tumors.

Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage is a known causing factor for many types of tumors, but information on the role of oxidants and antioxidants in thyroid tumors is limited. The aim of this study was to determine antioxidant levels in thyroid tumors. In this study, tumor and its matched non-tumor thyroid tissue samples were obtained from 53 patients with thyroid tumors.

Non-nasopharyngeal head and neck lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma in the United States: A population-based study.

Background: Non-nasopharyngeal head and neck lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is a rate entity. The purpose of this study was to analyze its demographic, clinicopathologic, and survival characteristics.

Methods: A cohort from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database of cases with non-nasopharyngeal head and neck LELC between 1973 and 2011.

Estrogen receptor α induces prosurvival autophagy in papillary thyroid cancer via stimulating reactive oxygen species and extracellular signal regulated kinases.

Context: The incidence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) shows a predominance in females, with a male:female ratio of 1:3, and none of the known risk factors are associated with gender difference. Increasing evidence indicates a role of estrogen in thyroid tumorigenesis, but the mechanism involved remains largely unknown.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the contribution of autophagy to estrogen receptor α (ERα)-mediated growth of PTC.

Inhibition of Foxp3 in cancer cells induces apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells.

Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in lymphocytes facilitate the thyroid tumor growth and invasion. Very limited information is available on Foxp3 expression in thyroid cancer cells and its function is totally unknown. This study demonstrated that Foxp3 expression was increased in thyroid cancer cells.

The cross-talk between estrogen receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in thyroid cancer.

Background: Estrogen receptor (ER) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) are associated with thyroid tumorigenesis and treatment. However, the interaction between them has not been studied.

Methods: The impact of ER over-expression or down-expression by DNA/small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection, ERα agonists, and the ERβ agonist diarylpropiolnitrile (DPN) on PPARγ expression/activity was examined in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) cells.

One-stop evaluation of globus pharyngeus symptoms with transnasal esophagoscopy and swallowing function test.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of a one-stop assessment of patients complaining of globus sensation with transnasal esophagoscopy (TNE) and functional endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES).

Design: Prospective, nonrandomized, experimental investigation.

Setting: Tertiary referral centre.

Combined ultrasound/endoscopy-assisted vocal fold injection for unilateral vocal cord paralysis: a case series.

Objective: Transcutaneous vocal cord injection is a popular treatment choice for patients suffering from unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Transcutaneous transcartilaginous (through the thyroid cartilage) approach abolishes any anatomical constraint to reach the vocal cord. However it is a largely blind procedure as the needle should stay submucosal.

Second branchial fistula with unusual presentation--a case report.

Complete second branchial fistula is a rare clinical entity. The classical presentation of second branchial fistula is recurrent discharge from the external opening with or without recurrent painful neck swelling. We report an unusual case whose presenting symptom was a long-standing history of throat discomfort with recurrent blood stained saliva.

Reproducibility of clinical grading of tonsillar size.

Objective: To determine the reproducibility of the Brodsky grading scale and the modified 3-grade and 5-grade scales in reporting the size of the tonsils.

Design: Retrospective review of 60 video recordings of tonsil examination by 12 independent observers with different clinical backgrounds and various levels of training. The sizes of the tonsils were graded using different grading scales.

Autograft ossiculoplasty in cholesteatoma surgery: is it feasible?

Objective: To investigate whether autologous ossicles can be safely used in ossicular reconstruction in cholesteatoma surgery after attempting cholesteatoma removal under the operating microscope.

Study Design: A prospective fine-section histological study of formalin-stored ossicles, harvested from cholesteatomatous ears, to evaluate for existence of residual cholesteatoma after surface disease clearance under the operating microscope.

Methods: One hundred four ossicles were harvested from 76 patients with cholesteatoma for the study.