ABSTRACT
Background The aim of this study was to determine the histological diagnosis of unilateral nasal polyps and to determine the prevalence of neoplastic pathologies. This study also assessed difference in pathologies whether patients presented symptomatically or were asymptomatic (if they had a mass found incidentally for unrelated throat symptoms). Method This was a 10-year retrospective study of patients undergoing unilateral nasal mass surgery between 2004 and 2014 at a UK district general hospital. We recorded patient demographics, laterality, histology, symptoms, clinical suspicion, and imaging findings. Results 123 patients were included who underwent unilateral surgery between 2004 and 2014 (male n=83, female n=40; mean age 56 years ± 19.5). The majority were of inflammatory origin (n=92; 74.8%). The most common benign neoplastic cause was inverted papilloma (n=19; 15.4%). A number of malignant neoplastic causes were also found, including: melanoma (n=3; 2.44%), olfactory neuroblastoma (n=2; 1.63%), and other non-inflammatory masses (n=7; 5.69%). 15 of these masses were found incidentally, with 14 being inflammatory, and one an olfactory neuroblastoma; therefore, 6.67% of our incidental unilateral nasal masses were found to be of neoplastic pathology. Conclusion This study's findings support the continued practice of routine biopsy of unilateral nasal masses for histological diagnosis, irrespective of whether they are symptomatic or found incidentally. The accuracy of both clinical suspicion and radiological suspicion on CT scans is not adequate to alter this practice.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Otolaryngology clinics are often booked without considering the distribution of work for doctors and audiologists. This causes inefficiencies of time and human resources. This may be due to clinics being booked before referrals have been triaged to identify whether a hearing test, known as a pure tone audiogram (PTA), is indicated. A model that can predict the need for PTA without clinician-led triage could be useful to address these booking issues. OBJECTIVE: To establish if it is possible to predict whether a referred patient requires a PTA based on occurrences of words in the referral letter. METHOD: Binary logistic regression analysis of 500 letters of referral for otolaryngology outpatients. The derived model was then tested on 50 referral letters. All the referral letters were reviewed by clinicians and classified according to whether or not a PTA would be required. RESULTS: The regression model correctly predicted requirement for a PTA in 42 of 50 referral letters (84%), with a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 82%. CONCLUSION: The model is able to predict requirement for a PTA from referral letters with a high degree of accuracy. This method may have a role in assisting administrative/clerical staff or non-specialist clinicians to book appropriate ear, nose and throat (ENT) clinic appointments, with or without a PTA. As a result, workload would be distributed more evenly, through the clinic for both otolaryngologists and audiologists, increasing efficiency.
