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Introduction Electrocardiographic (EKG) artifacts can lead to unnecessary treatment and costly diagnostic workup. Two previous studies reported a ventricular tachycardia artifact as a result of microdebrider malfunction. In this study, we report the first case of EKG artifacts that mimick asystole from microdebrider use during functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). Case A healthy 19-year-old woman presented with chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyposis, and a deviated nasal septum. She was scheduled for a bilateral FESS and septoplasty. During surgery, the microdebrider was changed after 1 hour. While using the second microdebrider, the EKG monitor showed three distinct asystolic events, all lasted approximately 3 seconds. The EKG tracing returned to normal sinus rhythm every time the microdebrider was stopped. The patient's oxygen saturation remained at 100%, and blood pressure remained stable during the episodes. The procedure was aborted, and an extensive cardiology workup was performed, which returned negative results. Biomedical engineering investigated the microdebrider and found a far greater than expected chassis leak, which likely caused electrical interference. Six months later, the patient underwent a right-sided FESS and revision left frontal FESS. There were no EKG abnormalities during the second surgery. Discussion Although other EKG artifacts have been reported in the literature, this is the first case report of an artifact that mimicked asystole that stemmed from microdebrider use. Improved awareness of this potential EKG artifact for both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist may prevent an unnecessary costly workup.

This review describes important aspects of the most commonly encountered craniofacial syndromes. The goal is to provide otolaryngologists and other health care providers with critical information necessary to manage these patients appropriately. The algorithm provided in this article should be helpful in guiding the treatment of craniofacial patients based on their unique otolaryngologic characteristics. The principles highlighted in the algorithm can be applied to other craniofacial syndromes not addressed here, including Pierre Robin sequence and Down syndrome.

Background: Lumbar drain (LD) use in the management of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea remains controversial. We analyzed the relationship between LD placement and CSF leak recurrence after endoscopic repair. Methods: A retrospective case series was conducted. Patients who underwent CSF leak repair from 1999 to 2010 were identified. Data collected included demographics, body mass index (BMI), history of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), associated meningoencephalocele, etiology and site of leak, LD placement, fluorescein and antibiotic use, recurrence, and site of recurrence. Correlation between LD placement and leak recurrence was analyzed. Results: A total of 105 patients underwent CSF leak repair. A total of 68 patients had an LD. Of these 68 patients, 15 (22%) had a recurrent leak. Of the 105 patients, 37 did not have an LD, and 5 of the 37 (14%) recurred. Recurrence rates with and without LD were not significantly different (p = 0.15). Of the 105 patients, 40 (38%) had a spontaneous leak, 15 (14%) had a traumatic leak, and 50 (48%) had an iatrogenic leak. In the spontaneous group, 30 of 40 patients had an LD and 10 of 40 did not. Recurrence was not significant between these subgroups (p = 1.0). LD was used in 11 of 15 patients with traumatic leaks. Of these 15 patients, 4 did not have a drain. Recurrence was not significant between these subgroups (p = 1.0). In 27 of 50 patients with an iatrogenic leak, an LD was placed. Of 50 patients, 23 did not have an LD. There was no statistical significance when the recurrence rates for these subgroups were compared (p = 0.26). Conclusion: In our study, there was no association identified between LD placement and recurrence rates after endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea. © 2012 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Postoperative imaging is frequently performed to assess for intracranial complications following anterior skull base (ASB) surgery. However, there is little data to suggest that radiologic studies change the management of complications. In this study, the utility of postoperative imaging within 72 hours after uncomplicated ASB surgery was examined.A retrospective review was conducted of 143 patients who underwent endoscopic ASB surgery between 2007 and 2013 at Loyola University Medical Center. The main outcomes measures included the ability of head computed tomography (CT) scan to identify postoperative complications and hallmark symptoms associated with complications.Seventy-nine patients underwent postoperative imaging within 72 hours of the initial surgery. The most common finding was pneumocephalus (35/79; 44%). Expanding pneumocephalus requiring surgical intervention developed in 3 cases. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak was the most common complication, occurring in 22 of 143 (15%) of the patients. Of the 24 patients who developed a postoperative complication, all had clinical signs or symptoms indicative of the need for surgical or medical intervention. The positive predictive value for a head CT scan to detect a complication was 12%, negative predictive value was 92%, and sensitivity and specificity were 63% and 48%, respectively.Routine postoperative imaging may be unnecessary after uncomplicated endoscopic ASB surgery because (1) it may not alter patient management; (2) it may not detect the most common complication (CSF leak); and (3) when imaging is positive, the patient has clinical symptoms suggesting a need for intervention.

Benign masses of the vocal fold related to phonotrauma are clinically classified into polyps, nodules, Reinke’s edema, and cysts. Despite the apparent distinctiveness of the clinical nomenclature, low inter- and intraobserver diagnostic agreement has been reported. Excepting cysts, which are epithelial lined, histologic examination of the remaining lesions has shown a variety of overlapping features insufficiently specific for the clinical diagnoses. This study reviews the clinicopathologic characteristics among these benign lesions of the vocal fold. A total of 78 nonneoplastic lesions of the vocal fold were reviewed by 2 pathologists for the presence of epithelial hyperplasia, basement membrane thickening, edema, vascular proliferation, and extracellular “amyloid-like” fibrin. In 46 cases with prebiopsy stroboscopic images, 2 otolaryngologists classified each lesion as polyp, nodule, Reinke’s edema, cyst, or other. They agreed in 43% (n = 20, 13 polyps, 5 nodules, 1 Reinke’s edema, 1 other) and disagreed in 57% (n = 26). There was no histologic feature that reliably distinguished among the lesions. In addition, reactive stromal cell atypia was present in 14 cases. Cysts were distinctive, as all were epithelial lined. The clinicopathologic classification of benign laryngeal lesions is neither clinically reproducible nor histologically unique. Treatment will continue to be individualized based on clinical judgment.