Search

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the speech outcomes, reveal postoperative rates of obstructive sleep apnea, and characterize changes in the pharyngeal flap and velopharyngeal anatomy following pharyngeal flap surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency. A retrospective chart was reviewed for patients with clefts who underwent pharyngeal flap surgery between November 2020 and November 2021. The data collected included age, gender, cleft palate type, age at pharyngeal flap surgery, postoperative complications, age and type of primary palatoplasty, preoperative and postoperative speech assessments, magnetic resonance imaging findings, and obstructive sleep apnea outcomes. The authors included 72 nonsyndromic patients who underwent pharyngeal flap surgery following cleft palate repair. The mean age at pharyngeal flap surgery was 10.6 ± 6.2 years. There was a significant improvement in the Pittsburgh Weighted Speech Score Hypernasality Component and the nasalance scores of oral syllables (p < 0.001). The obstructive sleep apnea rate after pharyngeal flap surgery was 6.9%. Compared to preoperatively, the velar angle was more acute (p < 0.001), the velar length was longer (p < 0.001), the distance of the velum tip to the posterior pharyngeal wall was shorter (p < 0.001), the size of velopharyngeal gap was narrower (p < 0.001), and the pharyngeal flap atrophied (p < 0.001) at 6 months postoperatively. The pharyngeal flap improved speech outcomes in patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency with a relatively low incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (6.9%). The velum is positioned more superiorly and posteriorly, and the size of the velopharyngeal gap is substantially reduced after pharyngeal flap surgery. In addition, the pharyngeal flap partially atrophied over time., (Copyright © 2023 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetic disease characterized by congenital impairment of mucociliary clearance causing recurrent respiratory tract infections. Pulmonary manifestations of PCD are well-known whereas adequate data on otorhinolaryngological complications is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical features, course and related factors of otorhinolaryngologic domains in PCD patients., Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of PCD who were on follow-up in the ear-nose-throat (ENT) department of our center between 2000 and 2021 were enrolled. Demographic and clinical data, frequency of sinonasal and otological complaints, examination findings and possible risk factors associated with otorhinolaryngological diseases were obtained via electronic medical charts retrospectively., Results: Of the 121 patients, 53% were male, median age at PCD diagnosis was 7 years (1 month - 20 yrs). The most common ENT manifestation was otitis media with effusion (OME) (66.1%, n = 80), followed by acute otitis media (43.8%, n = 53), acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) (28.9%, n = 35), chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) (27.3%, n = 33) and chronic otitis media (10.7%, n = 13). Patients with ARS and CRS were significantly older than patients who did not have ARS and CRS (p = 0.045 and p = 0.028, respectively). The annual number of ARS attacks also correlated with age of patients positively (r = 0.170, p = 0.06). Of the 45 patients with pure-tone audiometry, most common finding was conductive hearing loss (CHL) in 57,8% (n = 26). Presence of OME significantly increased tympanic membrane injury which was observed as sclerosis, perforation, retraction or changes due to ventilation tube insertion (VTI). (OR: 8.6, 95% CI: 3.6-20.3, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Otorhinolaryngologic diseases are common, variable and complicated in PCD patients, consequently ENT physicians' awareness should be improved through shared experiences. ARS and CRS seem to appear in older PCD patients. Presence of OME is the most important risk factor for tympanic membrane damage., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Babies with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are discharged with the support of a home-type mechanical ventilator, after opening a tracheostomy. In addition, although rare, tracheostomy is required in the neonatal period in congenital airway malformations. Early tracheostomy is appropriate to prevent complications due to prolonged intubation. We aimed to find the appropriate time for tracheostomy by examining the tracheostomy opening and closing times, complications and demographic characteristics of the patients, who were hospitalized and underwent tracheostomy in our neonatal intensive care unit., Methods: This retrospective study involved infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between January 2014 and 2019 and discharged following tracheostomy. Information acquired from hospital data was enrolled. The protocol was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04497740., Results: Twenty-six neonates with median 27.5 weeks gestational age and birth weight 885 gr were enrolled in the study. The mean opening time for tracheostomy was 54 ± 24 days, and the postmenstrual age (PMA) was 36 ± 3 weeks. The mean time to closure of tracheostomy in newborns with a tracheostomy was 387 ± 164 days. The duration of accidental decannulation developed as an early complication in 8 patients was mean 11 ± 8 days. Aspiration pneumonia in 2, subglottic stenosis in 5, accidental decannulation in 2, suprastomal collapse in 7, tracheocutaneous fistula in 8 and granulation tissue in 2 patients were found to be late complications, which occurred within median 90 days., Conclusions: If there is no evidence that breathing has improved and the patient is still using a mechanical ventilator at high pressures and high oxygen concentration, a tracheostomy placement should be considered within two months.

Objective: Compared to adults, pediatric tracheotomy is associated with a higher incidence of complications. Various surgical techniques have been described to minimize complications. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of three different tracheotomy techniques on tracheal complications and decannulation., Methods: Pediatric patients who underwent tracheotomy at Hacettepe University Department of Otorhinolaryngology were retrospectively analyzed. 62 patients were included in the study. Tracheotomy related complications and direct laryngoscopy images of all patients were examined in the postoperative period. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the tracheotomy technique; vertical incision traction suture (VITS) technique (n: 24), vertical incision maturation suture (VIMS) technique (n: 19), inferior based flap (Björk) technique (BT) (n: 19)., Results: The rate of severe suprastomal pathology was detected as 29.2% in the VITS group, 15.8% in the VIMS group and 26.3% in the BT group (p = 0.656). The accidental decannulation rate was detected as 20.8% in the VİTS group, 26.3% in the VİMS group and 10.5% BT group (p = 0.442). The rate of life-threatening occurrence until recannulated was detected as 60% in the VİTS group, 20% in the VİMS group and 0% in the BT group (p = 0.394). The rate of tracheocutaneous fistula was detected as 13.3% in the VİTS group, 40% in the VİMS group and 33.3% in the BT group (p= 0.337)., Conclusions: There were no differences in complication rates based on techniques, and that stomal complications were common in small children requiring tracheotomies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interests The authors disclose no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of an activity-based home program and an exercise-based home program on dizziness severity, balance, and independent level of daily life activities in patients with dizziness due to chronic unilateral peripheral vestibular disorders., Design: A single-blind randomized controlled trial., Setting: University dizziness management clinics., Participants: Individuals (N=75) between 18 and 65 years of age who had chronic unilateral peripheric vestibular disorders and vestibular rehabilitation indication., Intervention: Participants were randomly divided into 3 groups: an activity-based home program (group 1/activity group), an exercise-based home program (group 2/exercise group), and a control group (group 3). After an initial assessment, all groups participated in the patient education program. In addition, the activity-based home program was administered to the first group, while the Cawthorne-Cooksey home exercise program was administered to the second group., Main Outcome Measures: Visual analog scale (VAS), Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale (VADL), and computerized dynamic posturography before and immediately after the treatment program., Results: A statistically significant improvement was found in the activity and exercise groups in terms of VAS, VADL, Sensory Organization Test (SOT) 5, SOT 6, and SOT (composite) scores compared with the control group (P<.05). A statistically significant improvement was found in the activity group in terms of the instrumental subscale of VADL, SOT 5, SOT 6, and SOT (composite) scores compared with the exercise group., Conclusions: The activity-based home program was more effective in improving the home management task, the occupational task, and balance than the exercise-based home treatment program in patients with chronic peripheral vestibular disorders., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Choanal atresia is the most common congenital nasal anomaly, with an incidence of 1:5000-1:8000 live births. Atresia can be seen as membraneous, bony or mixed type. When it is bilateral, it is accepted lifethreatening, therefore bilateral atresia necessitates immediate intervention. Diagnosis is confirmed by endoscopic examination and computed tomography. The absolute treatment is surgical, and different approaches have been proposed., Methods: Herein, we describe our 15-year experience in the treatment of 58 patients of congenital choanal atresia with transnasal endoscopic approach, and we compare the efficacy of placement of an intranasal stent and applying mitomycin while endoscopic microsurgical repair., Results: The study included 41 female patients (71%) and 17 male patients (29%) with congenital CA. The mean age was 3 years ranging from 10 days to 16 years. The atretic plate was bilateral in 24 patients (41%) and unilateral in 34 (59%). The most common atresia type was the mixed type with 29 patients (50%). A total of 17 patients (29%) required postoperative revision(s). Postoperative revisions were more frequent among patients with bilateral CA (50%), and with mixed CA (31%). Stenting was used additionally by surgical correction for 10 patients. After stenting, fibrosis and restenosis was seen in 7 patients (79%). Mitomycin C was applied peroperatively in 8 patients. Restenosis after mitomycin application was seen in 4 patients (50%)., Conclusions: By our experience, endoscopic microsurgical repair of atresia proved to be an effective and safe procedure, results compared with adjuvant treatment modalities like stent or mitomycin C use, was not better. Restenosis was the major problem seen after surgical correction.

Tracheoesophageal fistulas (TEFs) are abnormal connections between the esophagus and tra-chea and are associated with atresia of the esophagus in most cases. Herein, we present a case of H-type TEF in a young woman which is successfully treated with slide tracheoplasty technique.

Boybeyi Türer Ö, Demir N, Ciecieraga T, Günaydın RÖ, Soyer T. Assessment of pediatric cricopharyngeal achalasia with high resolution manometry. Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 804-809. Cricopharyngeal achalasia (CPA) is an uncommon cause of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) which is the failure of upper esophageal sphincter (UES) to relax during bolus passage. The diagnostic challenges in OPD have been overcome with the use of high resolution manometry (HRM) in children where a catheter based biomechanical evaluation testing of the oropharyngeal swallowing is performed. Herein, we present a case with severe dysphagia diagnosed as CPA utilizing HRM testing. An 8-year-old boy was seen in our clinic with a two-year history of difficult swallowing, recurrent respiratory tract infections, hypoxia and seizure secondary to aspiration. Esophagography revealed an indentation of the cricopharangeal muscle (CPM) in the cervical part of the esophagus. Videofluroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) revealed cricopharyngeal bar at level of C5-6 and diffuse dysmotility in esophagus. Conventional esophageal manometry revealed absence of peristaltic activity throughout the esophagus. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed narrowing in upper esophagus that with applied force allowed passage of the endoscope. The patient underwent UES dilatation 6 times. He had temporary relief of symptoms. Since he did not have sustained response to dilatation, a botulinium toxin (5IU/each quadrant) injection (BTI) to CPM was performed twice. His symptoms recurred at the end of 3 months. HRM was performed revealing weakness of CPM and uncoordinated contractions and relaxations in UES. We could not reliably differentiate if HRM findings were a sign of primary illness or secondary to BTI. Swallowing rehabilitation was adjusted based on HRM findings. He is still under follow-up with mild dysphagia to certain solids. CPA is an uncommon cause of dysphagia with limited therapeutic options. HRM should be performed in OPD before considering any treatment modality including esophageal dilatation and BTI. HRM has become gold standard diagnostic tool in OPD that provides objective evaluation of pharyngeal and UES motility in children.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the speech results of posterior pharyngeal wall augmentation (PPWA) with fat grafting both in the early and late postoperative period, and to clarify the impact of the procedure concomitant with speech therapy., Materials and Methods: This is a prospective case-control study. The study involved 87 cleft palate ± cleft lip patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) who has been treated with PPWA. Patients were separated into two groups according to age; the first group consisted of 49 pediatric participants between 6 and 12 years of age and the second group consisted of 38 adolescent participants between 13 and 18 years of age. Preoperative velopharyngeal function and articulation were compared postoperatively at the following time points: the 3rd month, 12th month, 18th month and 24th month. The velopharyngeal function was evaluated with regards to the velopharyngeal closure type and velopharyngeal closure amount, by using the pediatric flexible nasoendoscopy and the nasometer methods. In the nasometer evaluation, nasalance sores were measured by using nonsense syllables and meaningful sentences. The Ankara Articulation Test (AAT) (Ege et al., 2004) was used to detect compensatory articulation products secondary to VPI. Consonant production error types and frequencies were determined according the guidelines stated in the study of Hardin-Jones et al. (2009). These were Pharyngeal Fricatives - Posterior Nasal Fricatives/Stop Production, Glottal Stop Production, Middorsum Palatal Stop Production, Nasal Frictional Production, Posterior Nasal Frictional Production/Phoneme Specific Nasal Emission, use of Nasal Consonants for Oral Consonants, and Replacement of Trills. All the participants received concurrent speech therapy four times, twice in the post-operative period between 1 and 3 months and twice between 3 and 6 months., Results: PPWA improved the speech performance from the 18th month to 24th month of the postoperative period. AAT assessment of the first group after 24 months comparing the post-PPWA with the preoperative data showed a highly significant decrease with regard to compensatory production errors and hypernasality; however, in the second group, the same comparison revealed a highly significant decrease in regard to the degree of hypernasality and a significant difference in terms of glottal articulation and pharyngealization of fricatives. A circular closure pattern was observed in 17 individuals with cleft palate at a rate of 70.6%., Conclusion: PPWA with concurrent speech therapy is an acceptable surgical method to correct VPI and to improve speech performance., (Copyright © 2017 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Laryngeal stenosis is the most challenging disorder for the laryngologist to treat. Microtrapdoor flap technique was described in 1980s; however, it has not been popular since then. The reason may be the difficulty of the technique. In this study, we will report our experience with microtrapdoor flap technique to treat glottic stenosis of 34 patients., Study Design: Retrospective case series of a tertiary referral center., Methods: Twelve male and 22 female patients make up our study group. All patients, but one, had pure glottic stenosis. The other patient had combined supraglottic and glottic stenosis. Unilateral or bilateral microtrapdoor technique was applied to all patients. The patients are required to have at least 1 year postoperative follow-up., Results: The etiology of glottic stenosis includes 19 cases due to failed surgery for bilateral vocal fold paralysis; seven cases due to microlaryngoscopy (three laryngeal papilloma, one leukoplakia excision, one glottic cancer excision, one foreign body extraction, one biopsy from interarytenoid region); four cases due to prolonged intubation; one case due to laryngeal fracture, one case due to vertical laryngectomy, one case due to smoke inhalation (burn), and one case congenital or idiopathic. Seventeen patients had tracheotomy. All seventeen of them were decannulated 2 months postoperatively. Thirty-three patients (97%) were dyspnea free on exertion 1 year postoperatively. One patient developed restenosis and dyspnea 1 year after treatment; she needs retreatment., Conclusions: Microtrapdoor flap technique is a successful surgical option for treatment of short-segment laryngeal stenosis., (Copyright © 2016 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Contact granuloma has been associated with voice abuse, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and habitual throat clearing. It has a high propensity for persistence and recurrence. Treatment options included voice therapy and antireflux measures. Surgical excision has been considered in patients who do not respond to medical management. In this research, we aimed to present our experience with botulinum toxin injection only., Studydesign: Retrospective case series of a tertiary referral center., Methods: Our series consisted of 22 patients, who underwent botulinum toxin injection only as an office procedure to bilateral thyroarytenoid and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles in 2 × 1.25 to 2 × 2.5 U. No other treatment was applied. The cases were followed up for at least 6 months ranging between 6 and 100 months with a mean of 28., Results: Seventeen cases (77%) were cured of their granuloma. Eleven of the cured cases had grade 2, four cases had grade 1, and two patients had grade 3 granuloma., Conclusions: Botulinum toxin A injection only is an efficient treatment modality in contact granuloma, especially for grade 1, 2, and 3 cases, and it can be used as a first-line treatment., (Copyright © 2016 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study is to evaluate parotid masses management in pediatric population. From June 2002 to December 2014, 13 patients under the age of 18 with parotid tumors were treated via surgery at Hacettepe University Department of Otorhinolaryngology. Information on patients' demographics, clinical and histopathologic tumor characteristics and treatment modalities with results was obtained from medical records, retrospectively. The age was ranging between 8-17 years. Ten (76.9%) patients had benign tumors and 8 (61.5%) of them were pleomorphic adenoma. One case had chronic sialadenitis with sialolithiasis and one patient had fluoride follicular hyperplasia. Three patients had malignant tumors; two of them were adenoid cystic carcinoma and one case of malignant melanoma metastasis. Twelve cases had undergone partial parotidectomy. Only one total parotidectomy was performed which was the patient with malignant melanoma. None of the patients had major complications or facial nerve palsy. During the 3 years follow up period, recurrence or Frey syndrome had not been detected but the case with malignant melanoma had distant metastasis during the follow up time. Although pediatric parotid masses are unusual, they can represent a variety of pathological diagnoses, including malignancy. Parotidectomy remains the mainstay of treatment and surgical experience is needed for low complication rates especially in children.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to compare long term otoscopic and audiological findings of cleft palate patients with or without early grommet insertion., Methods: Cleft palate patients followed-up in Hacettepe University between 2008 and 2013 were included in the study. Age, gender, cleft types and palate surgery data, grommet tube insertion history and otological - audiological evaluations of the patients were recorded. Patients were evaluated in three groups according to grommet insertion history: A-early routine grommet insertion, B-grommet insertion during follow-up, C-no grommet insertion. Otological and audiological findings were compared., Results: There were 154 patients in the study, with a median age of 7.7 years. There were 67 patients in group A (43.5%), 22 patients in group B (14.3%) and 65 patients in group C (42.2%). OME was identified significantly higher in group A and normal otoscopic examination findings were higher in group C. Complications showed a higher rate than other otoscopic findings in group B patients. There was no significant difference for any frequencies in between the groups in terms of mean air-bone gap (ABG) values. There were 20 grade I, 25 grade II, 77 grade III and 32 grade IV patients in the study according to the Veau classification., Conclusion: Prophylactic grommet insertion may not be applied as some cleft palate patients with no OME. Wait and see protocol can be recommended for these patients, and they should be followed-up up closely to avoid complications. If the effusion does not recover or tympanic membrane changes occur in follow-up, grommet insertion should be considered., (Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Conclusion: Selected patients might have benefited from genioglossus advancement (GA), even it was applied solely. GA provided significant reduction on the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), with a 53% surgical success., Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of GA on AHI of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)., Method: From January 2008 to April 2014 patients who underwent a genioglossus advancement procedure alone were included into the study and records of these cases were analyzed retrospectively. Pre-operative and post-operative values of body mass index (BMI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), nocturnal polysomnographic data including AHI, mean, and minimum oxygen saturation were compared., Results: There were 16 males and one female patient with the mean age of 46 years. The AHI showed a significant reduction from 27.5 ± 8 pre-operatively to 17.3 ± 12.6 post-operatively. The pre-operative and post-operative mean O2 saturation value improved from 92.1 ± 2.4% to 93.4 ± 1.7%. Pre-operative ESS scores decreased significantly from 7.7 ± 1.6 to 4.8 ± 1.9. There were no significant difference between pre- and post-operative values of BMI and minimum O2 saturation. The success rate was found to be 53%, which was based on success criteria as an AHI of <20 with at least 50% reduction.

Objective: The aim was to evaluate surgical techniques and their relationship to postoperative success rate and hearing outcomes in acquired atresia of the external auditory canal., Materials and Methods: In this article, 24 patients with acquired atresia of the external auditory canal were retrospectively evaluated regarding their canal status, hearing, and postoperative success., Results: Acquired stenosis occurs more commonly in males with a male: female ratio of 2-3:1; it seems to be a disorder affecting young adults. Previous ear surgery (13 patients, 54.2%) and external ear trauma (11 patients, 45.8%) were the main etiological factors of acquired ear canal stenosis. Mastoidectomy (12/13) and traffic accidents (8/11) comprise the majority of these etiological factors. Endaural incision is performed in 79.2% and postauricular incision for 20.8% of cases during the operation. As types of surgical approach, transcanal (70.8%), transmastoid (20.8%), and combined (8.4%) approaches are chosen. The atretic plate is generally located at the bony-cartilaginous junction (37.5%) and in the cartilaginous canal (33.3%); the bony canal is involved in a few cases only. Preserved healthy canal skin, split- or full-thickness skin grafts, or pre- or postauricular skin flaps are used to line the ear canal, but preserved healthy canal skin is preferred., Conclusion: The results of surgery are generally satisfactory, and complications are few if surgical principles are followed.

Conclusion: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) was associated with a significantly higher rate of pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF)., Objective: PCF is the most frequent complication following total laryngectomy. Although organ-preserving radiotherapy (RT) or CRT offer good locoregional control, many patients still require salvage laryngectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors that predispose patients to PCF, with a focus on preoperative RT, induction chemotherapy (ICT), and CRT., Methods: This was a retrospective case series; 151 patients who underwent TL were reviewed. Preoperative RT, ICT, CRT, and some surgical parameters were analyzed as potential risk factors., Results: The overall PCF rate was 13%. CRT was the only preoperative treatment that had a significant effect on PCF (35.3%, p = 0.004, odds ratio (OR) = 10.75). Surgery extended to the pharynx (p = 0.005, OR = 8.34) and vacuum drain duration (p = 0.012, OR = 5.16) were observed to be associated with PCF.

Conclusion: The degree of midline crossing of lateral supraglottic cancer does not significantly change its rate of contralateral cervical metastasis. The rate of occult metastasis is too high to take the risk of contralateral regional recurrence. We support routine bilateral neck dissection even in lateral supraglottic cancers with no or minimal midline crossing., Objectives: Data on the rate of contralateral cervical metastasis of laterally located supraglottic cancer, the effect of its degree of midline crossing on contralateral cervical metastasis, and its treatment are still controversial., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort, chart review involving 305 surgically treated patients with T1-3 squamous cell carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx. In all, 184 patients had bilateral neck dissection; 86 N0 contralateral necks were followed up. Thirty-five patients who needed postoperative radiation therapy because of the primary tumor or ipsilateral neck dissection specimen also received radiation therapy to the contralateral neck. The degree of midline crossing at the epiglottis was measured on a laryngectomy specimen with a ruler and expressed as 'no,' '<5 mm' or '≥5 mm.', Results: The rates of occult and overall contralateral metastasis in our series were 16% and 28%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between contralateral neck metastasis and recurrence rates in the neck dissection, follow-up, and irradiation groups according to the degree of midline crossing.

Objective: Chronic tonsillitis is the persistent inflammation of the tonsillar tissue that occurs due to recurrent, acute or subclinical infection. The recurrent and chronic inflammation of palatine tonsils sometimes results in hypertrophy. Apoptosis provides an important balance between lymphocytes in tonsillar lymphoid tissue. The aim of this study is to investigate the apoptosis in tonsillar diseases., Methods: 43 patients with chronic tonsilitis and tonsillar hypertrophy underwent tonsillectomy. The specimens were examined immunohistochemically for apoptosis. Tonsils were assembled into groups according to their size. Specimens were compared for their apoptotic cell count., Results: The apoptosis difference between the tonsil size groups is not statistically significant (p>0.05). However, when the study group was divided into two at age 6, the difference was not statistically significant for patients at and below 6 years of age; but, the difference was statistically significant for patients above 6 years of age (p<0.05). The comparison of apoptosis in microcompartments of tonsil tissue (intrafollicular, interfollicular, subepithelial and intraepithelial) between tonsil size stages and between chronic tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy groups revealed no statistical significance (p>0.05). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between intrafollicular and interfollicular, interfollicular and intraepithelial & subepithelial and intraepithelial areas (p<0.05)., Conclusions: In the light of these findings, it was concluded that apoptosis played a role in the tonsillar hypertrophy and atrophy. Apoptosis functioned to balance lymphocyte proliferation in tonsil tissue. The association of apoptosis with tonsillar hypertrophy seemed to be age-dependent., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (CXPA) is a malignant transformed variant of pleomorphic adenoma (PA). Generally it presents with a rapidly growing mass in the parotid gland within a preexisting PA or following surgical resection of PA. Mainstream treatment modality is surgical resection followed by radiotherapy if necessary. Facial nerve preservation and complete resection of the tumor are the main principles of the operation. Giant malignant derivates are not seen frequently and constitute a challenging task for surgeons to achieve the main principles of resection. Prognosis of CXPA is poor and aggressive treatment should be performed immediately after the diagnosis. We present a 82-year-old woman with a giant malignant parotid gland mass who was successfully treated with surgery without any facial nerve injury., (Copyright © 2013 Polish Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Society. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z.o.o. All rights reserved.)

Histopathological changes in septal and nasal mucosa of patients with nasal septum deviation are not well known. Biopsies of septal and lateral nasal mucosae from both sides of nose were obtained from 20 patients undergoing septoplasty and control group of 10 patients undergoing head and neck surgery. Histopathological changes including lymphocytic infiltration and squamous metaplasia were compared. This study determined significantly higher rate of squamous metaplasia and lymphocytic infiltration in septal mucosa opposite the deviation compared to control group. Furthermore, there was a significantly higher rate of lymphocytic infiltration in the lateral nasal wall mucosa opposite the deviation when compared to control group. Increased lymphocytic infiltration and squamous metaplasia are observed on both sides of nasal mucosa; however, they are more severe on the side opposite the deviation. Septal deviation predisposes to chronic mucosal inflammation and squamous metaplasia, both of which may render patients susceptible to chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background: Pharyngocele or a lateral pharyngeal diverticulum (LPD) are rare lesions, which are bulgings of the pharyngeal mucosal surface through one of the weak areas of the pharynx., Methods: The external approach has been the primary surgical treatment of pharyngoceles. The purpose of this article was for us to report an endoscopic successful treatment of pharyngocele by suture pharyngoplasty., Results: Endoscopic suture pharyngoplasty does not require an external incision and hospitalization. After 3 months of abstinence from trumpet playing, the patient is back to his musical career., Conclusion: Because of the minimally invasive procedure, endoscopic suture pharyngoplasty can be performed in case of symptomatic pharyngoceles with a good result., (Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: The scope of the study is to compare endolaryngeal dilatations (ED) with laryngotracheal reconstruction with cartilage grafting (LTRCG) in terms of restenosis., Methods: Pediatric subglottic stenosis patients treated in Hacettepe University, between 2002 and 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients who had ED or LTRCG as primary management were included in the study. EDs were grouped into bronchoscopic dilatation (BD), laser incision and balloon dilatation (LBD) and cold knife incision and balloon dilatation (CKBD). The groups were evaluated in terms of restenosis and decannulation rates., Results: There were 35 patients (9 females, 26 males; mean age 4.42). LTRCG was performed in 16 patients (9 anterior and 7 anterior and posterior grafts). EDs were performed in 19 patients with 6 CKBDs, 7 LBDs and 6 BDs. There were 3 grade II, 13 grade III cases in the LTRCG group while 4 grade I, 6 grade II, 8 grade 3 and 1 grade 4 in the ED group. Overall decannulation rate was 97% (34/35) in all patients. Restenosis was higher in the ED group (63.2%) than the LTRCG group (31.3%) with rates of CKBD 16.7% (1/6), LBD 71.4% (5/7) and BD 100% (6/6). Restenosis rates were found to be increasing with higher grades (grade I-25%, grade II-66%, grade III-85%)., Conclusion: ED may need more repetitive interventions than LTRCG due to restenosis. Less restenosis might be observed when balloon is used for dilatation and cold knife for mucosal incisions., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) occurs when gastric contents pass the upper esophageal sphincter, causing symptoms such as hoarseness, sore throat, coughing, excess throat mucus, and globus. The pattern of reflux is different in LPR and gastroesophageal reflux. LPR usually occurs during the daytime in the upright position whereas gastroesophageal reflux disease more often occurs in the supine position at night-time or during sleep. Ambulatory 24-h double pH-probe monitoring is the gold standard diagnostic tool for LPR. Acid suppression with proton pump inhibitor on a long-term basis is the mainstay of treatment. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is found in many sites including laryngeal mucosa and interarytenoid region. In this paper, we aim to present the relationship between LPR and H. pylori and review the current literature.

The aim of this work is to stress the importance of and discuss the timing and options for the treatment of congenital aural atresia (CAA), including non-surgical alternative treatment modalities and amplification, and to report the audiological and surgical results of a series of patients. Thirty-eight children with CAA were evaluated with regard to hearing and anatomical anomalies accompanying CAA: the state of the ossicles and the facial nerve, postoperative complications and audiological results. The ages of the patients ranged between 4 and 18 years, with a mean of 10 years. All underwent surgical treatment; 32 had unilateral atresia, while 6 had bilateral atresia. The mean follow-up duration was 7 months. The facial canal was dehiscent in 36.8% of cases. In 70.2% cases, the malleus and incus were present as an ossicular mass, fixed and attached to the atretic bone. The stapes was normal in 97.3% of the patients; in 2.7% the suprastructure was deformed. The success rate, defined as an air-bone gap of 20 dB or less, was 63.1% in this series of patients. If atresia is bilateral, very early hearing stimulation to prevent the maldevelopment of children's speech and cognitive skills is of the utmost importance. In unilateral cases, surgery may be postponed until early adulthood, when the patient is able to make his/her own decision and cooperate in the treatment and postoperative aspects.

Objectives: The facial nerve usually occupies the oval window area in patients with oval window atresia. During exploration, if the facial nerve is discovered to lie in the oval window area, this is usually regarded as a contraindication for further surgical intervention. The aim of the present paper is to demonstrate the preoperative pathognomonic radiological sign and describe a new surgical approach for this difficult situation., Methods: 3 patients and 4 ears were operated due to conductive hearing loss by the same surgeon in a tertiary referral center. Their clinical presentation, radiological findings, surgical findings and final outcomes were evaluated and correlated., Results: Surgical findings were identical in all 4 ears: facial nerve was running over the oval window and tympanic portion was completely dehiscent. Incus long arm was medially displaced due to abnormal development of the stapes suprastructure. In each ear a successful vestibulotomy and teflon piston placement was achieved. Preoperative mean air-bone gap of 47.5dB was improved to 21.5dB. There were no complications., Conclusion: Oval window atresia is a rare middle ear anomaly usually regarded as a contraindication for surgical intervention. In this study we present a novel surgical approach with succesful results. However the best approach is to inform the family by showing the nerve on tomography, showing the operation video, informing the family about the sensorineural hearing loss and letting the family choose the treatment option., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Total arytenoidectomy is claimed to increase risk of aspiration and cause more voice loss than other operations performed for bilateral abductor vocal fold paralysis (BVFP). However, objective evidence for such a conclusion is lacking. There is no study comparing swallowing and voice after total and partial arytenoidectomy., Objective: To compare voice and swallowing parameters after endoscopic total and partial arytenoidectomy for BVFP., Design, Setting, and Participants: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, case-control study conducted at a tertiary referral university, the study population comprised 20 patients with BVFP., Interventions: Endoscopic total and partial arytenoidectomy., Main Outcomes and Measures: Decannulation, duration of operation, Voice Handicap Index, acoustic and aerodynamic analysis, postoperative breathing ability, subjective comparison of preoperative and postoperative voice, speech intensity, and functional outcome swallowing scale., Results: Median duration of partial and total arytenoidectomies were 59 and 49 minutes, respectively. This difference was statistically significant (P = .04). Comparisons of preoperative and postoperative Voice Handicap Index, acoustic and aerodynamic measures, postoperative breathing ability, subjective comparison of preoperative and postoperative voice, speech intensity, and functional outcome swallowing scale were not statistically significantly different between both groups., Conclusions and Relevance: Endoscopic total and partial arytenoidectomy are very successful static surgical options for BVFP. Partial takes longer than total arytenoidectomy. They both provide a comfortable airway, acceptable voice, and acceptable deglutition. It may be a sound practice to perform partial arytenoidectomy initially for primary BVFP cases and reserve total arytenoidectomy for revision cases., Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01824849.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the biology of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) to develop effective novel treatment modalities., Methods: Serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) were evaluated in 50 patients with laryngeal SCC and 15 controls. Results were compared according to tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification criteria., Results: IL-12 and TGF-β levels were not different between the early- and late-stage patients and controls. Tumor classification or nodal involvement was not associated with IL-12 and TGF-β levels. Patients with laryngeal SCC had significantly more detectable serum IL-10 levels than those of controls, given that IL-10 could be detected in only 1 early-stage and 9 late-stage patients, but not in the control group (p = .003). IL-10 was increasingly detectable with advanced T classification (p = .009) and nodal involvement (p = .008)., Conclusions: Serum IL-12 or TGF-β levels were not affected with disease activity and classification; however, serum IL-10 levels were correlated with both parameters., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The objective of this study is to compare the nasal packing and the transseptal suturing techniques regarding the extubation difficulty evaluation scores, follow-up times in post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU), pain scores, and postoperative complications. Two hundred patients who underwent septoplasty from January 2009 to October 2009 were randomly assigned either to have nasal packs (n: 100) or transeptal sutures (n: 100). In the transseptal suture group, extubation was easier and PACU follow-up times were shorter, when compared to the nasal packing group (p < 0.001). Patients with nasal packing had significantly higher pain scores (p < 0.001). Minor bleeding was significantly higher in the transseptal group with seven cases, compared to the nasal packing group without any bleeding cases (p = 0.014). There were two patients who had postoperative major bleeding, and two patients who had septal hematoma in the transseptal suture group. One patient with nasal packing had postoperative infection. Septal perforation was not seen in any of the cases. While patients in both groups experienced postoperative crusting, patients in the transseptal suture group also complained about foreign body sensation. Extubation was more comfortable; post-anaesthesia monitorization duration was shorter, and postoperative pain was less, but minor bleeding was seen more with transseptal sutures. There was no significant difference in terms of major bleeding, hematoma, infection or perforation. Foreign body sensation was the main cause of postoperative discomfort in the transseptal suture group. Transseptal suturing might be a significantly comfortable, cost-effective and reliable alternative to nasal packing.