Search

Background: Cauliflower ear deformity, a common sequela of auricular trauma, presents an esthetic and reconstructive challenge. Existing surgical techniques have limitations, including complexity, donor site morbidity, and variable long-term outcomes. Materials and Methods: In this case series, we present a novel and minimally invasive surgical approach for the correction of cauliflower ear deformity that adapts the Valente otoplasty technique; it combines cartilage debulking with helical rim release and Mustardé mattress stitches to restore ear contour and reduce the risk of recurrence. The procedural steps include bielliptic post-auricular skin and soft tissue incision, release of the cartilaginous spring, removal of excess fibrocartilaginous tissue, cartilage reshaping with suture to restore contour, and tissue redistribution to promote adherence of skin to the cartilage framework. Results: Outcomes were evaluated in 7 patients (9 ears) with cauliflower ear deformity, assessing surgical duration, complications, patient satisfaction, and esthetic outcomes at two years after surgery. The mean surgical duration per patient was 52 ± 17 minutes, including 2 bilateral procedures. Follow-up at 24 months showed favorable esthetic outcome in all patients with sustained improvements in auricular contour and symmetry with neither loss of the shape nor recurrence of deformity. Patients reported high satisfaction and improved quality of life, with mean Glasgow Children Benefit Questionnaire scores of 99.3 ± 6.3. Conclusions: This technique thus demonstrated lasting correction of cauliflower ear with favorable cosmetic outcomes, low risk of complications, and high patient satisfaction. Further investigations and longer-term follow-up are warranted to validate the technique's durability and expand its application to older and more diverse patient populations. Level of Evidence IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these evidence-based medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the case of an elderly patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), who underwent open tracheotomy with Bjork flap under local anesthesia. Topics discussed include result of the patient's neck computed tomography, how tracheostomy procedure was performed, and multifactorial etiology of respiratory distress.

Metastatic lymph nodes of the head and neck are often associated with locoregional spread of mucosal squamous carcinoma, but in rare instances visceral malignancies may bypass Virchow's node. The possibility of distant metastasis should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While olfactory dysfunction associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attracted considerable interest, few studies have tracked outcomes at serial time points or beyond 2 weeks. Furthermore, data are conflicting regarding whether COVID-19 severity correlates with degree of olfactory dysfunction. This prospective case-control study analyzed prevalence and severity of subjective loss of smell in outpatients (n = 23) and inpatients (n = 20) with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection vs healthy controls (n = 25). Olfactory dysfunction was reported more commonly in COVID-19 patients than in healthy controls (P <.001), and outpatients paradoxically reported loss of smell more commonly than inpatients (P =.02). Headaches were present in 52% of patients with olfactory dysfunction. Anosmia or hyposmia persisted beyond 5 days but most of the patients recovered by 30 days, suggesting favorable prognosis for olfaction. Differences between inpatients and outpatients are potentially reflective of timeline of olfactory symptoms and contextual factors, underscoring the importance of corroborative objective testing, coupled with careful tracking of temporal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the diagnostic performance of Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) in patients with cervical metastasis from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary (SCCUP) origin.Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were systematically scrutinized up to July 1, 2019, looking for studies that encompassed the NBI in the SCCUP diagnostic work up. The main inclusion criteria for eligible articles for the meta-analysis were non-evidence of primary tumor after physical examination and conventional cross-section imaging before NBI assessment and the availability of complete data on the diagnostic accuracy of NBI. A set of random-effects model meta-analyses was then performed following the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines.Results: Five studies, conducted between January 2003 and September 2016, comprising 169 patients imaged with NBI, were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of NBI in patients with head and neck SCCUP was 0.83 (99% CI, 0.54-0.95) and 0.88 (99% CI, 0.55-0.97), respectively. The positive and negative likelihood ratios were 6.38 (99% CI, 1.6-25.44) and 0.06 (99% CI, 0.005-0.86). The pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 82.15 (99% CI, 7.06-955). The overall detection rate of NBI was 0.35 (99% CI, 0.18-0.53), which allowed localization the primary tumor in 61 out of 169 patients, otherwise not detected by the usual diagnostic work-up.Conclusions: Current available evidence suggests that NBI has a considerable diagnostic accuracy in patients affected by head and neck SCCUP. Laryngoscope, 130:1692-1700, 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]