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Objective: To study the role of adenotonsillectomy (ADT) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). Methods: A systematic review were performed following the PRISMA guideline. PubMed and Embase were searched for studies regarding adenotonsillectomy for OSA in children with MPS. The MINOR Score were applied for quality assessment of the included studies. Results: Nineteen studies were eligible for inclusion: fifteen were retrospective and four prospective. A total of 1406 subjects were included. The samples size varied from 2 to 336, the male to female ratio is 1.2 and mean age varied from 2.4 to 11 years. Overall, 56.2 % (IC 95%: 53.6–58.8) of the included subjects underwent ADT. MPS I and II are the two most operated types. Three studies, including 50 children, reported improvement in polysomnographic parameters after surgery. Two authors described the duration of follow-up: 8.4 and 9.8 years, respectively. Conclusions: More than half of children with MPS underwent ADT for the treatment of OSA, although few evidence demonstrated improvement in term of polysomnographic parameters. The two types of MPS most involved are type I and II. Considering the disease progression and anesthetic risks, multidisciplinary management may help identify the subgroup of children with MPS who benefit from ADT for the treatment of OSA.

Objectives: The aim of this review is to evaluate complications in patients undergoing surgical control of bleeding after thyroid surgery. Secondly, we have analyzed the rate of the main complications. Methods: The databases PubMed and EMBASE were searched for articles regarding complications after revision thyroid surgery for bleeding. A Systematic review methodology based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis was performed. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, six are retrospectives and three retrospectives controlled. The overall rate of bleeding after thyroid surgery was 1.38%. In these patients, the most common complication after revision surgery for bleeding is hypoparathyroidism 24.9% (95% CI: 20.7–29.5) followed by recurrent laryngeal nerve injury 8.1% (95% CI: 6.4–10.1) and wound infection 4.5% (95% CI: 2.5–7.6). Tracheostomy and other lethal complications are rarely described. Conclusion: Although rare, complications after surgical control of bleeding in patients undergoing thyroid surgery can be serious. Therefore, in order to optimize the surgical outcomes, standardized protocol providing early detection and precise hemostasis procedure, is needed. Specific patient-informed consent for this condition should be created.

Objectives: The aim of this review is to evaluate complications in patients undergoing surgical control of bleeding after thyroid surgery. Secondly, we have analyzed the rate of the main complications. Methods: The databases PubMed and EMBASE were searched for articles regarding complications after revision thyroid surgery for bleeding. A Systematic review methodology based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis was performed. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, six are retrospectives and three retrospectives controlled. The overall rate of bleeding after thyroid surgery was 1.38%. In these patients, the most common complication after revision surgery for bleeding is hypoparathyroidism 24.9% (95% CI: 20.7–29.5) followed by recurrent laryngeal nerve injury 8.1% (95% CI: 6.4–10.1) and wound infection 4.5% (95% CI: 2.5–7.6). Tracheostomy and other lethal complications are rarely described. Conclusion: Although rare, complications after surgical control of bleeding in patients undergoing thyroid surgery can be serious. Therefore, in order to optimize the surgical outcomes, standardized protocol providing early detection and precise hemostasis procedure, is needed. Specific patient-informed consent for this condition should be created.

PurposeThe aim of this review was to study the surgical management of laryngeal amyloidosis and estimate the rate of recurrence after surgery.MethodsA systematic review searching PubMed and EMBASE was performed. A qualitative synthesis of data regarding the surgical management of LA and a quantitative analysis of the recurrence rate after surgery was conducted.ResultsThis systematic review included 14 retrospective studies, one of whom is retrospective controlled. A total of 515 subjects were included, the mean age ranged from 43.3 to 58 years with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.3. All cases had a localized laryngeal amyloidosis. The supraglottic region was the most affected laryngeal site and multiple sites were commonly involved. Surgical treatment consists of endoscopic excision using laser, cold or powered instruments. Open surgery is required for severe primary case or revision surgery. Surgical complications such as granulomatosis scar tissue formation, tracheostomy, laryngotracheal stenosis, pneumothorax and concomitant malignancy were developed in 17.5% of patients. The time onset to diagnosis varied from 1 months to 15 years and the duration of follow-up from 3 months to 25 years. The rate of recurrence was 28.4% (95% CI 24.5-32.6) and the timing of recurrences ranged from 3 months to 10 years.ConclusionThe recurrence rate after primary surgery for laryngeal amyloidosis is high. A tailored surgical treatment based on the disease extension and a long-term follow up are recommended.

Objectives: To evaluate surgical approaches and outcomes of pleomorphic adenoma of parotid gland in pediatric population. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed and EMBASE was performed to identify articles reporting surgical treatment of pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland in children. A qualitative analysis on results was conducted. Results: Our search included 23 retrospective studies. The number of children with pleomorphic adenoma underwent surgical treatment were 330. Superficial parotidectomy is the most reported type of surgery, total parotidectomy is performed when the tumor occurs in the deep lobe or in revision surgery and limited excisions in selected case of small lesions mainly in the tail of parotid gland. The rate of recurrences after surgery ranged from 0% to 44.4%. Revision surgery was performed in all cases of recurrences. Considering major complications, transient facial paralysis was observed from 0% to 50% of cases after primary and/or revision surgery; Frey's syndrome from 0% to 14.3% of cases regardless of the type of surgeries. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of pleomorphic adenoma of parotid gland in children requires a tailored approach based on the location and extent of the tumor with the main aim of complete excision of the neoplasm. Appropriate surgical approach results in a decrease of recurrence rate and morbidity. Surgical skill is needed to reduce complication rates especially in children.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is a rare vestibular disorder in the pediatric population. It is a vestibulopathy characterized by brief attacks of vertigo, which occur after specific movements. This review aims to provide the current evidence regarding benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children. This is a narrative review of the available literature on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children. The studies were retrieved from systematic searches on PubMed and by cross referencing. Few studies have focused on pediatric benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and most are retrospective non-controlled studies that include a small number of children. The vast majority of cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children have been reported to be secondary. The most frequent forms involve the posterior canal and the horizontal canal. The diagnosis is based on positional maneuvers, respectively the Dix–Hallpike maneuver, which reveals a torsional upbeating nystagmus; and the supine roll test, which reveals a geotropic, horizontal nystagmus. The treatment consists of physical repositioning maneuvers: the Semont or the modi-fied Epley maneuver for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo involving the posterior canal and the Gufoni or the Barbecue maneuver in case of the horizontal canal. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children can be resistant to treatment and repetitive positional maneuvers may be necessary, particularly for children with vestibular migraine or benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood, who have a statistically significant major risk of having recurrences compared to patients who do not. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children is a rare but well-recognized clinical entity. It is diagnosed by positional testing and treated by repositioning maneuvers. Wide awareness and education among pediatric providers and otolaryngologists are needed in order to avoid a delay in identification and treatment.

Congenital bony nasal cavity stenosis is caused by alterations of the normal embryological development of the nasal cavity. Depending on the site of the obstruction, the most important types of stenosis are: choanal atresia and stenosis, congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis, congenital midnasal stenosis, arhinia and nasal septum deviation. Although they are uncommon, they could be potentially life-threatening conditions that require early diagnosis and proper treatment. In case of neonatal nasal obstruction, appropriate differential diagnosis with other causes, such as rhinitis and sinonasal masses, are performed by nasal endoscopy and radiological exams. Treatment strategy consisting of medical nasal therapies and endoscopic or open nasal surgery should be tailored according to the types and the degree of the stenosis. When indicated, endoscopic endonasal approach is considered the most effective technique in neonates warranting minimal surgical invasiveness and maximum effect. In order to promote the management of these rare yet clinically relevant neonatal nasal breath disorders, we review the current trends in diagnosis and treatment of congenital bony nasal cavity stenosis.

Introduction: Smell and taste loss are characteristic symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients. Methods: We conducted an observational, retrospective study on 376 patients with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to the San Gerardo Hospital in Monza, Italy, from March to July 2020. All patients answered a phone questionnaire providing information on age, sex, smoking status, and clinical characteristics. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated through logistic regression models including relevant covariates. Results: The prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in COVID-19 patients was 33.5 and 35.6%, respectively. Olfactory dysfunctions were significantly directly associated with current smoking and history of allergy, the multivariable ORs being 6.53 (95% CI 1.16-36.86) for current smokers versus never smokers, and 1.89 (95% CI 1.05-3.39) for those with an allergy compared to those without any allergy. Respiratory allergy in particular was significantly associated with olfactory dysfunctions (multivariable OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.02-5.17). Significant inverse associations were observed for patients aged 60 years or more (multivariable OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.19-0.57) and hospitalization (multivariable OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.89). Considering gustatory dysfunctions, after allowance of other variables a significant direct association was found for respiratory allergies (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.03-4.86), and an inverse association was found only for hospitalization (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.06-0.76). Conclusion: Our study indicates that current smoking and history of allergy (particularly respiratory) significantly increase the risk for smell loss in COVID-19 patients; the latter is also significantly associated to taste loss. Hospitalization has an inverse association

Objectives: To determine the impact of adenotonsillectomy for treatment of severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children without comorbidities. Methods: A systematic review was performed to identify studies regarding adenotonsillectomy for treatment of children with severe sleep apnea. Polysomnographic parameters were considered as metric of cure and the number of patients of persistent apnea was calculated. Quality of evidence was graded using OCEBM (Oxford Center for Evidence Based Medicine) and MINORS (Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies) scores. Results: The systematic review included nine studies. Five studies were prospective and four retrospectives. No one was controlled. The number of subjects with severe OSA included was 499 with a prevalence of male. The mean age varied from 4.3 to 8.2. The follow-up period ranges from 1 to 23 months. The criteria for considering severe OSA ranges from AHI or RDI ≥10 to ≥30. All the trials have found a statistically significant reduction of postoperative AHI or RDI values in patients who had undergone adenotonsillectomy for severe OSA. The AHI and RDI improving varied from 57.7% to 93.3%. All the studies documented persistent OSA after adenotonsillectomy. The number of residual OSA considering AHI≥5 varied from 30 to 55.5%, in case of AHI ≥1 from 60 to 90.6%. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review regarding the effectiveness of adenotonsillectomy for severe OSA in otherwise healthy children. Adenotonsillectomy is partially effective in the treatment of severe OSA in children without comorbidities. However, it reduces the severity of OSA determining a significant reduction of polysomnographic parameters. These results suggest a clinical and polysomnographic follow-up after surgery in order to manage the residual mild and moderate OSA.

Objective: Dysphagia after uncomplicated thyroidectomy is commonly reported and it includes a broad spectrum of swallowing complaints. Though various causes have been hypothesized, it remains not completely understood. Methods: A systematic review was performed to identify studies concerning dysphagia post uncomplicated thyroid surgery. A qualitative analysis of data extracted was conducted. Results: We have included 16 studies of which 15 are prospective and one are retrospective. The number of subjects varied from 12 to 254, the mean age from 39 to 54 years with an overall prevalence of females. The duration of the follow-up ranges from 1 month to 4 years. All the included trials documented postoperative dysphagia, 12 of which have detected it in the early postoperative period. Considering long-term follow-up period, 12 studies reported an overall improvement of swallow symptoms. The instrumental findings revealed non-specific alterations of swallowing. Conclusions: Dysphagia after uncomplicated thyroidectomy can arise early in the postoperative period resolving spontaneously in the first year. Diagnostic methods failed to identify the physio pathological mechanism of swallow alteration leaving this condition still unclear. Since these symptoms can reduce patient’s quality of life, we suggest an appropriate education before thyroid surgery.

Purpose: To perform a comprehensive review of the literature regarding presbyphonia. Methods: We searched PUBMED through a combination of MeSH terms for articles published in the English language concerning presbyphonia. Results: Presbyphonia identifies vocal changes due to anatomical and physiological changes of the larynx occurring during the aging process. It affects about 10–20% of elderly and could negatively impact on their quality of life. The diagnosis of presbyphonia is typically a diagnosis of exclusion made in absence of other laryngeal disease with a characteristic clinic of aging voice and an instrumental pattern of presbylarynx. The treatme nt of choice for presbyphonia is speech therapy that significantly improves voice performances. In case of failure, surgical therapy should be proposed in selected patients although evidence of its benefit is scanty. Conclusions: The reviewed evidence regarding aging voice has shown that presbyphonia is considered a clinical entity that could impact the quality of life in elderly. Speech therapy is effective for improving voice performances.

Objectives The main purpose was to evaluate the recurrence rate after surgery for antrochoanal polyps (ACPs) in children; secondly, we have analyzed the rate of recurrence for different types of surgery and the risk factors involved. Methods We performed a systematic review searching PubMed and MEDLINE databases including English-language published studies from June 1989 to October 2017 regarding surgical treatment of ACPs in children. Results We included thirteen studies, eight were retrospective and five prospective, with 285 participants, the mean rate of recurrence after ACPs surgery was 15.0% (95% CI:11.0–20.0). Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) was the main type of surgery used for primary cases (75.4%) followed by the combined approach i.e. FESS with a transcanine sinusoscopy or mini Caldwell-Luc (14%), the Caldwell-Luc (CWL) (8%) and simple polypectomy (SP) (2.8%). Our analysis has demonstrated a significant reduction of recurrences using the combined approach 0% (95% CI: 0.0–8.0) compared with FESS 17.7% (95% CI: 12.8–23.4) or SP 50% (95% CI:15.7–84.3) (p <.05) but no significant differences with CWL 9.1% (95% CI: 1.1–29.2) and others surgical approaches (p >.05). The analysis of the possible risk factors involved in recurrences are inconclusive. Conclusion Recurrences of ACPs in children are still high. The endoscopic sinus surgery is considered the first choice for primary treatment, whilst the external approach may be a valid option in case of recurrence. It seems that the combined approach could reduce recurrence rates in selected patients that cannot be completely managed with endoscopy.

Juvenile recurrent parotitis is a rare recurrent inflammation of the parotid glands occurring in children. The etiology remains obscure and the treatment is still debated. In the present study, we perform a systematic review of the literature with the purpose of identifying and discussing the treatment options emerged over the last 28 years in order to prevent recurrent episodes of parotitis. We ultimately included 24 studies. The definitions used for juvenile recurrent parotitis varied widely and none of the selected studies referred exactly to the same definition. Only one was a randomized controlled trial and it showed marked benefits with the use of Bear Bile and Huangqi, two traditional Chinese medicines. Two additional study on sialendoscopy included a control group but was not randomized. All the remaining contributions were case series or case reports. The vast majority (n = 19) of the selected studies reported on sialendoscopy. They all documented improvement of the condition following this intervention. An analysis grouping all these studies (corresponding to 336 children) showed that only 25.8% (95% Confidence Interval: 21.5–30.8) of the treated children had further recurrences. However, the only two controlled study on sialendoscopy showed a similar improvement in controls. The remaining four studies were on sialography (n = 2), on oral appliance in the specific group of children with concomitant dental malocclusion (n = 1) on ductal hydrocortisone infusion through catheter inserted in the parotid duct (n = 1). Improvements were documented in all four contributions. This systematic review of the literature did not consent us to draw definite conclusions on the most suitable treatment for juvenile recurrent parotitis. The available evidence is indeed weak and difficult to interpret because of the scarcity of randomized controlled trials, the heterogeneity of the definitions used and the high rate of spontaneous resolution. Future large and well-designed r

Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) is currently recommended in children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). However, the condition persists after surgery in about one third of cases. It has been suggested that Drug Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) may be of help for planning a more targeted and effective surgical treatment but evidence is yet weak. The aim of this review is to draw recommendation on the use of DISE in children with OSA. More specifically, we aimed at determine the proportion of cases whose treatment may be influenced by DISE findings. A comprehensive search of articles published from February 1983 to January 2014 listed in the PubMed/MEDLINE databases was performed. The search terms used were: "endoscopy" or "nasoendoscopy" or "DISE" and "obstructive sleep apnea" and "children" or "child" or "pediatric." The main outcome was the rate of naive children with hypertrophic tonsils and/or adenoids. The assumptions are that clinical diagnosis of hypertrophic tonsils and/or adenoids is reliable and does not require DISE, and that exclusive T&A may solve OSA in the vast majority of cases even in the presence of other concomitant sites of obstruction. Five studies were ultimately selected and all were case series. The median (range) number of studied children was 39 (15-82). Mean age varied from 3.2 to 7.8 years. The combined estimate rate of OSA consequent to hypertrophic tonsils and/or adenoids was 71% (95%CI: 64-77%). In children with Down Syndrome, the combined estimated rate of hypertrophic tonsils and/or adenoids was 62% (95%CI: 44-79%). Our findings show that DISE may be of benefit in a minority of children with OSA since up to two thirds of naive cases presents with hypertrophic tonsils and/or adenoids. Its use should be limited to those whose clinical evaluation is unremarkable or when OSA persists after T&A.

The assessment of pediatric laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is controversial. Otorhinolaryngologists may play a role in the evaluation of children with suspected LPR detecting typical airway endoscopic findings and/or associated diseases and may help in the selection of children to be subjected to further instrumental tests. In this perspective the present review aims at examining the available evidence in the literature regarding the assessment of LPR in children. After careful literature search there are no current validated symptoms assessment questionnaires for LPR evaluation in children; flexible fiberoptic nasopharyngolaryngoscopy remains controversial as a diagnostic tool in suspect LPR cases; even though the multichannel intraluminal impedance with pH monitoring has been proposed as the instrumental gold standard, further evidence need to be found for validation in children with typical features of LPR.