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Reliable data concerning the incidence of and mortality from cancer of the larynx have been gathered from widely separated geographic areas throughout the world. These data have been used in the construction of a comparative study and have formed the basis for an assessment of the magnitude of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella typhimurium is a major diarrheal pathogen. Although the virulence factors of Salmonella are known, the epithelial receptor that initiates the process of S. typhimurium infection has not been defined. Most enteropathogens utilize an epithelial cell surface glycan receptor to initiate the contact with the host. We identified the epitope of a putative Salmonella receptor by testing the ability of lectins to block the essential oligosaccharide moiety necessary for infection. A panel of lectins was chosen such that each binds to a specific glycoconjugate epitope. Only Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) lectin inhibited S. typhimurium infection in cultured human intestinal epithelial cells and in fetal intestinal mucosa organ culture. This suggests that the putative receptor that mediates S. typhimurium adhesion in the human intestinal epithelium is a glycoconjugate containing a terminal Man 13 (1,4)GlcNAc β (1,4)GlcNAc trisaccharide moiety. The inhibition of Salmonella infection by WGA lectin is pH dependent, with optimum activity at pH 8.5. Pretreatment with WGA also attenuates the Salmonella-induced IL-8 inflammatory response. By targeting this specific mannose-containing glycan on the mucosal surface, an effective therapy might be developed to prevent or treat Salmonella infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toll-like-receptor (TLR) mediated signaling is central to innate immune response to microbial infection. We find that some of these pathways also mediate transcellular communication by the mammalian intestinal epithelium in response to colonization by symbiotic microbiota. Initial colonization of mouse gut by adult microbiota is accompanied by an abrupt increase in epithelial fucosylation. Uncolonized gut is minimally fucosylated, but expresses a fucosylated form of TLR-4 not present in colonized gut. We hypothesized that fucosylated TLR-4 acts as a sentinel for specific mutualist bacteria. Both initial colonization and recovery from antibiotic treatment activate TLR-4-mediated ERK and JNK pathways, stimulating phosphorylation of transcription factors c-fos, ATF2, and c-jun that result in transcription of fut2-mRNA, induction of fucosyltransferase activity, and expression of the highly fucosylated mucosa characteristic of adult mammalian gut. Blocking the ERK and JNK signaling cascade inhibits induction of fut2-mRNA levels and fucosyltransferase activity. Thus, mutualist bacteria communicate their presence to mammalian intestinal epithelium by binding and activating fucosylated TLR-4, stimulating ERK and JNK activation, resulting in increased expression of fucosyltransferase activity. The fucosylated niche in the mammalian colon may promote colonization by specific mutualists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First echocardiographic detection of esophageal stent., (© 2025 The Author(s). Echocardiography published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: Surgery for bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI) aims to establish a patent airway while maintaining voice and swallow function, a unique dilemma. Current techniques display unfavorable healing vectors, and exposed endolaryngeal tissue results in substantial airway granulation requiring postoperative care. We present a novel technique to improve glottic airway patency by preserving laryngeal mucosal lining and harnessing lateral retraction of glottic tissue to reduce revisions for granulation tissue and laryngeal scar., Methods: Case-series analysis was performed on eight BVFI patients who underwent submucosal thyroarytenoid myectomy with arytenoidectomy for treatment from 2011 to 2021. Patient medical comorbidities and BVFI etiology were reviewed. Decannulation rates, revision procedures, requirement of emergency services, and pre- and postoperative status were assessed by laryngology and speech-language pathology using the following metrics: VHI, DI, Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC), GRBAS, jitter percentage, shimmer percentage, pitch range, maximum phonation time, and dysphonia severity index, and diet type. Pre- and postoperative distal-chip flexible laryngoscopy with stroboscopy was performed. Outcome measures were assessed using paired Student's t-test of pre- and postoperative categorical variables., Results: Successful decannulation was achieved in all (four of eight) patients with previous tracheostomy. All patients reported improved respiratory symptoms without tracheotomy. There was no difference in long-term voice outcomes. All patients tolerated a mechanical soft or regular diet, without new or worsened dysphagia., Conclusion: Submucosal thyroarytenoid myomectomy with arytenoidectomy represents an effective BVFI treatment, through utilizing natural vectors of scarring, preservation of endolaryngeal mucosa, and preservation of the superficial lamina propria and the vocal ligament., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 2024., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Laryngoscope published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Objective: Idiopathic subglottic stenosis is a rare disease, and time to diagnosis is often prolonged. In the United States, some estimate it takes an average of 9 years for patients with similar rare disease to be diagnosed. Patient experience during this period is termed the diagnostic odyssey. The aim of this study is to use qualitative methods grounded in behavioral-ecological conceptual frameworks to identify drivers of diagnostic odyssey length that can help inform efforts to improve health care for iSGS patients., Methods: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Setting consisted of participants who were recruited from those enrolled in a large, prospective multicenter trial. We use directed content analysis to analyze qualitative semi-structured interviews with iSGS patients focusing on their pathways to diagnosis., Results: Overall, 30 patients with iSGS underwent semi-structured interviews. The patient-reported median time to diagnosis was 21 months. On average, the participants visited four different health care providers. Specialists were most likely to make an appropriate referral to otolaryngology that ended in diagnosis. However, when primary care providers referred to otolaryngology, patients experienced a shorter diagnostic odyssey. The most important behavioral-ecological factors in accelerating diagnosis were strong social support for the patient and providers' willingness to refer., Conclusion: Several factors affected time to diagnosis for iSGS patients. Patient social capital was a catalyst in decreasing time to diagnosis. Patient-reported medical paternalism and gatekeeping limited specialty care referrals extended diagnostic odysseys. Additional research is needed to understand the effect of patient-provider and provider-provider relationships on time to diagnosis for patients with iSGS., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:815-824, 2024., (© 2023 The Authors. The Laryngoscope published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Objective: Idiopathic subglottic stenosis (iSGS) is a rare, recurrent, fibroinflammatory disease affecting the larynx and proximal trachea. Given it occurs primarily in adult females, estrogen is speculated to play a central pathophysiological role. This study aimed to evaluate relationships between estrogen exposure, disease progression, and recurrence., Methods: North American Airway Collaborative (NoAAC) data of adults with iSGS obstructive airway lesions, who underwent index endoscopic airway dilation, were used to identify associations between estrogen exposure, disease characteristics, and time to recurrence (TTR), and interventions were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Pearson coefficient. Cox proportional hazards regression models compared hazard ratios by estrogen exposure. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted for TTR based on menopausal status., Results: In all, 533 females had complete estrogen data (33% premenopausal, 17% perimenopausal, 50% postmenopausal). Median estrogen exposure was 28 years. Overall, there was no dose-response relationship between estrogen exposure and disease recurrence. Premenopausal patients had significantly shorter time from symptom manifestation to diagnosis (1.17 vs. 1.42 years perimenopausal vs. 2.08 years postmenopausal, p < 0.001), shorter time from diagnosis to index endoscopic airway dilation (1.90 vs. 2.50 vs. 3.76 years, p = 0.005), and higher number of procedures (1.73 vs. 1.20 vs. 1.08 procedures, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: We demonstrate premenopausal patients may have a more aggressive disease variant than their peri- and postmenopausal counterparts. However, it is unclear as to whether this is related to reduced estrogen in the peri- and postmenopausal states or the age-related physiology of wound healing and inflammation, regardless of estrogen., Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 134:825-830, 2024., (© 2023 The Authors. The Laryngoscope published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

We describe an adult patient who presented with purulent pericarditis (PP) in whom two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated a marked decrease in the area of the right ventricular (RV) wall together with the overlying fibrin following intrapericardial administration of a fibrinolytic agent. Documentation of this decrease by measurements performed and illustrated on two-dimensional images has not been reported previously in an adult patient with PP, to the best of our knowledge., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives/hypothesis: Airway access in the setting of unsuccessful ventilation and intubation typically involves emergent cricothyrotomy or tracheotomy, procedures with associated significant risk. The potential for such emergent scenarios can often be predicted based on patient and disease factors. Planned tracheotomy can be performed in these cases but is not without its own risks. We previously described a technique of pre-tracheotomy or exposing the tracheal framework without entering the trachea, as an alternative to planned tracheostomy in such cases. In this way, a tracheotomy can be easily completed if needed, or the wound can be closed if it is not needed. This procedure has since been used in an array of indications. We describe the clinical situations where pre-tracheotomy was performed as well as subsequent patient outcomes., Methods: Retrospective series of patients undergoing a pre-tracheotomy from 2015 to 2020. Records were reviewed for patient characteristics, indication, whether the procedure was converted to tracheotomy or closed at the bedside, and any post-procedural complications., Results: Pre-tracheotomy was performed in 18 patients. Indications included failed extubation after head and neck reconstruction, subglottic stenosis, laryngeal masses, laryngeal edema, thyroid masses, and an oropharyngeal bleed requiring operative intervention. Tracheotomy was avoided in 10 patients with wound closed at the bedside; procedure was converted to tracheotomy in the remaining eight. There were no complications. Indications for conversion included failed extubation, intraoperative hemorrhage, significant stridor with dyspnea, and inability to ventilate., Conclusion: Pre-tracheotomy offers simplified airway access and provides a valuable option in scenarios where tracheotomy may, but not necessarily, be needed., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E2802-E2809, 2021., (© 2021 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of premixed insulin for achieving glycaemic outcomes in clinical practice in the UK., Materials and Methods: Electronic medical record data from The Health Improvement Network database were captured for adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) uncontrolled (HbA1c ≥9%) on two or more oral antihyperglycaemic drugs (OADs) initiating premixed insulin. Effectiveness of premixed insulin was assessed by the probability and incidence of achieving glycaemic outcomes (target HbA1c <7.5% [<58 mmol/mol] and a ≥1% or ≥2% HbA1c reduction) over 24 months., Results: Data from 974 participants (mean age 62 years; 56% male; 52% obese or extremely obese; mean HbA1c 11.3% [100 mmol/mol]; hypertension 64%, dyslipidaemia 23% and nephropathy 21%) were analysed. The probability of achieving HbA1c  <7.5% was highest during months 3-6 (18.2%), while the cumulative probability of achieving this target plateaued between months 15-24 (15.7%-16.0%). Incidence of achieving all glycaemic outcomes plateaued after 12 months and differed by baseline HbA1c, but not OAD use. Factors affecting some glycaemic outcomes included a body mass index >40 kg/m 2 and co-morbidities including nephropathy and stroke., Conclusions: In people with uncontrolled T2D (HbA1c ≥9%), glycaemic outcome achievement on premixed insulin was low at 6 months with little additional clinical benefit beyond 12 months, suggesting a high unmet need for early, timely treatment changes with more effective, simpler therapies., (© 2020 The Authors. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The EchoNavigator (EchoNav, Philips, The Netherlands) is a tool that fuses live X-ray with three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) images allowing for enhanced precision and accuracy during interventional cardiac procedures. We present the first case of EchoNav utilization during balloon mitral valvuloplasty using the newest version (EchoNav 3.0.2). The benefits of the EchoNav application include improved procedural precision and safety due to improved demonstration of the relationship between the interventional equipment and neighboring cardiac structures., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) enhanced by combining with color Doppler technology has significant limitations in providing precise quantitative information, geometric assumptions to calculate chamber volume, mass, and ejection fraction. Reconstructed three-dimensional echocardiographic (3DE) systems (from multiple cross-sectional echocardiographic scans) are still cumbersome and time-consuming. Real time 3DE (RT-3DE) with shorter imaging time than with 3D reconstruction techniques can obtain qualitative and quantitative information on heart disorders. Our purpose was to investigate the feasibility and potential value of RT-3DE as a means of accurately and quantitatively estimating the size of VSD to correlate with the surgical findings., Materials and Methods: 38 patients with VSD were examined with RT-3DE. 3D image database was postprocessed using TomTec echo 3D workstation. The results were compared with the results measured by 2 DE and surgical findings. RT-3DE produced novel views of VSD and improved quantification of the size of the defect. The sizes obtained from 3DE have equivalent correlation with surgical findings as diameter measured by 2DE (r = 0.89 vs r = 0.90). Good agreement between blinded observers was achieved by little interobserver variability., Conclusion: RT-3DE offers intraoperative visualization of VSD to generate a "virtual sense of depth" without extending examining time. From an LV en face projection, the positions, sizes, and shapes of VSDs can be accurately determined to permit quantitative recording of VSD dynamics. It is a potentially valuable clinical tool to provide precise imaging for surgical and catheter-based closure of difficult perimembranous and singular or multiple muscular VSD.

The present case reports demonstrate the incremental value of three-dimensional echocardiography over multiplane transesophageal two-dimensional imaging in the assessment of Lambl's excrescences (strands) involving the aortic valve.

We describe our preliminary experience in assessing normal and stenosed coronary arteries using transesophageal three-dimensional echocardiography (3-D echo) in 27 adult patients. Multiplane transesophageal two-dimensional images of the coronary arteries (20 left, 3 right, 3 both left and right, and 1 posterior descending) were first acquired in the TomTec computer in 3 degrees sequential increments, from 0 degrees to 180 degrees, and then 3-D reconstruction was performed. The entire left main (LMC, measuring 0.5 to 1.7 cm, mean 1.0 cm) as well as variable lengths of proximal or both proximal and middle segments of the left anterior descending (LAD, measuring 0.2 to 2.5 cm, mean 0.8 cm) and circumflex (LCX, measuring 0.2 to 2.8 cm, mean 0.9 cm) coronary arteries together with some of their branches could be visualized in 3-D in 22 of 23 patients. In the remaining patient, the LMC was absent, and both LAD and LCX could be visualized in 3-D as having separate but adjacent origins from the left sinus of Valsalva (proven by angiography). In two patients, long segments of interventricular and great cardiac veins were also visualized accompanying the LAD and LCX, respectively. The right coronary artery (RCA, measuring 0.7 to 3.0 cm, mean 1.9 cm) was also successfully delineated in 3-D in all six patients in whom an attempt was made to visualize it during echo examination. Using the transgastric approach, a long (1.8 cm) segment of the posterior descending branch (PDA) of RCA was imaged in one patient. In addition, nine significantly stenotic lesions (>50% lumen diameter) were identified by 3-D in eight patients involving LMC (1), proximal LAD (1), mid LAD (1), proximal LCX (2), proximal RCA (3), and mid PDA (1). Eight of these 9 lesions were confirmed by coronary angiography. The remaining lesion (mid PDA) could not be confirmed since the patient did not undergo angiography. Our preliminary study demonstrates the usefulness of transesophageal 3-D echo not only in delineating normal coronary arteries but also diagnosing significant atherosclerotic stenosis in these vessels. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 13, September 1996)