Eustachian tuboplasty and shrinkage of ostial mucosa with new devices : Including a proposal of a classification system.

OBJECTIVE: A new combined approach to Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) employing new minimally invasive devices is described. STUDY DESIGN: An anatomoclinical classification of ETD was conceived to allow correct categorization of patients and enable comparative studies to be performed. Herein, the authors report on their experience with a consecutive series of obstructive ETD patients treated by balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube using AERA (Acclarent, Menlo Park, CA, USA), combined with a quantic molecular resonance (QMR)-mediated rhinopharyngeal tubal ostial mucosa shrinkage technique with a dedicated "Mitto" hand piece (Telea, Sandrigo-Vicenza, Italy). METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in 102 patients with ETD. Medical history, complete clinical ENT evaluation and oto-functional examinations were performed in all patients. In all cases, balloon dilatation of the Eustachian tube was performed via the transnasal approach under video-endoscopic control. This was followed by decongestion of the torus tubarius and the inferior turbinate by QMR, with immediate shrinkage of the mucosa of the turbinate and a reduction of the prolapse of the mucosal plica on the tubal ostium. RESULTS: Comparison of pre- and postoperative oto-functional examinations revealed a significant improvement. The postoperative hearing symptoms were reduced in a statistically significant manner on the visual analog scale (VAS). It was possible to perform the postoperative "swallowing-opening-Toynbee-Valsalva" (SOTV) test in a significant percentage of cases compared to the preoperative test. CONCLUSION: The combined surgical procedure of balloon tubodilation with simultaneous QMR-mediated shrinkage of the tubal ostial mucosa and reduction of the posterior portion of the inferior turbinate was found to be an effective, safe, and complete treatment for tubal dysfunction in the majority of patients.

Paediatric adenoidectomy: endoscopic coblation technique compared to cold curettage.

The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy and safety of endoscopic coblator adenoidectomy compared to cold curettage in paediatric patients. Forty homogeneous children (4-16 years of age) with adenoid hypertrophy were divided in 2 groups to receive adenoidectomy using cold curettage (A) or coblator (B). After surgery the following outcomes were evaluated: pain score on first day, days reporting pain, analgesic days, liquid diet days, absent from school days, pain score, days with nausea, days with fever, endoscopic adenoid grade and intraoperative bleeding. Forty days after surgery, basal rhinomanometry and nasal decongestion test were measured. The coblation group reported significantly less pain on the first post-operative day, days reporting pain, analgesic days, liquid diet days and absent school days. Patients in group A showed a higher grade of adenoid persistence by rhinoendoscopy, with high values of nasal resistances at the rhinomanometry even after nasal decongestion, consistent with greater adenoid persistence after cold curettage causing air flow obstruction even after turbinate decongestion. Intra-operative bleeding during coblation was significantly less compared the group undergoing cold curettage. Coblator treatment significantly improved patient recovery compared to curettage. Endoscopic coblation adenoidectomy ensures complete removal of adenoids and reduces postoperative adenoid grade. It can also be considered safer because it is under endoscopic control and can reach the cranial portion of the adenoid and its intranasal extension.

Comparative study on the effectiveness of Coblation-assisted turbinoplasty in allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of adding Coblation-assisted inferior turbinoplasty to a medical treatment regimen for symptoms associated with hypertrophic inferior turbinates. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Prospective, open-label, non-randomized trial with outpatient treatment. Patients were assigned to treatment groups in order of enrolment into the study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: From June 2007 to June 2008, 220 patients with allergic rhinitis and hypertrophic inferior turbinates were enrolled and assigned into two groups: the surgical group who received radiofrequency thermal ablation inferior turbinoplasty and medical therapy, and the medical group who received medical therapy only. Groups were further divided into two allergen types based on antigen sensitivity: perennial and seasonal. Subjective complaints (nasal obstruction, itching, rhinorrhea, sneezing), clinical rhinoendoscopy and rhinomanometry tests results were recorded at the start of the study and 2 months post-treatment. Effect sizes for the mean improvements after treatment were tabulated for all groups. RESULTS: All study outcomes improved within all groups. Comparison between medical and surgical groups showed higher improvement in both perennial and seasonal, respectively, in nasal obstruction, sneezing, rhinomanometry, and rhinomanometry after NPT. Itching improved only in perennial allergen type. Rhinoendoscopy clinical score showed improvement in surgical group over medical group in both allergen types. CONCLUSION: Coblation-assisted turbinate reduction is a promising adjunct to medical therapy in patients with persistent symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis. Patients undergoing this surgery had greater reduction of symptoms than patients receiving medical therapy alone, where patients with perennial allergies appeared to benefit most.

Paediatric tonsillectomy: radiofrequency-based plasma dissection compared to cold dissection with sutures.

Aim of this study was to compare post-operative recovery over 14 days in children submitted to tonsillectomy using a bipolar radiofrequency-based plasma device (Coblation, Evac 70, ArthroCare Corp, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) to cold dissection. Paediatric patients (n = 42) aged 5-16 years old with chronic tonsillitis underwent tonsillectomy using cold dissection with suture ligatures or a plasma device (Evac 70, ArthroCare Corp, Sunnyvale, CA, USA). Pain intensity on the first day, use of analgesics, type of diet, and days of pain, fever, nausea, and absence from school were determined. Groups were compared using time-to-event (Kaplan-Meier) curves and statistically evaluated using the Breslow (generalized Wilcoxon) test. Children undergoing plasma tonsillectomy reported significantly less pain on the first post-operative day (1.2 +/- 0.9 vs. 3.5 +/- 1.5, p < 0.001), fewer days of pain (4.8 +/- 1.5 vs. 9.4 +/- 1.2, p <0.001), pain medication withdrawal (2.6 +/- 1.3 vs. 4.5 +/- 1.3, p <0.001) and earlier use of liquid diet (5.1 +/- 1.4 vs. 8.5 +/- 2.1, p <0.001), and fewer school days lost (5.3 +/- 1.7 vs. 8.9 +/- 1.5, p <0.001). After completing this study, plasma tonsillectomy was adopted for the majority of cases. Benefits of the plasma device include the possibility both to excise tissue and coagulate bleeding vessels using the same device whilst improving quality of post-operative recovery over cold dissection with suture ligatures.

Topical versus systemic diclofenac in the treatment of temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction symptoms.

The most frequent symptom of craniomandibular dysfunction is pain in the preauricular area or in the temporo-mandibular joint, usually localized at the level of the masticatory musculature. Patients sometimes also complain of reflect otalgia, headaches and facial pain. Osteoarthrosis is a frequent degenerative debilitating chronic disorder that can affect the temporomandibular joint. It causes pain and articular rigidity, a reduction in mobility, and radiological alterations are visible in stratigraphy. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a topically applied non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug that has recently become commercially available (diclofenac sodium in a patented carrier containing dimethyl sulfoxide, that favours transcutaneous absorption) which is commonly used to alleviate pain in knee or elbow joints, versus oral diclofenac, in the treatment of symptoms of temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint was diagnosed in 36 adult patients. The patients were randomized in two age- and gender -matched groups. Group A (18 patients) received oral diclofenac sodium administered after a meal in 50-mg tablets twice a day for 14 days. Group B (18 patients) received 16 mg/ml topical diclofenac (diclofenac topical solution, 10 drops 4 times a day for 14 days). All patients completed a questionnaire at the start and end of therapy. Patients were asked to quantify on a graded visual analogue scale and to reply to questions about the pain and tenderness of the temporomandibular joint and the functional limitation of mouth opening. Patients were also requested to report side-effects of the treatment. All patients showed relief from pain after treatment: the difference between the two groups was not significant (p > 0.05). Post-treatment, 16 patients of group A had epigastralgic symptoms. Three patients treated with topical diclofenac showed a modest irritation of the temporomandibular joint region, and disappeared spontaneously. Our results demonstrate that topically applied diclofenac and oral diclofenac are equally effective in the treatment of temporomandibular joint dysfunction symptoms. Topical diclofenac has the advantage that it does not have adverse systemic effects, whereas oral diclofenac had untoward effects on the gastric apparatus. The efficacy of diclofenac topically applied on the temporomandibular joint region observed in group B is explained by the association of diclofenac with dimethyl-sulfoxide, which enables a rapid effective penetration into the joint tissues. It is noteworthy that dimethyl-sulfoxide favours transuctaneous absorption when used in a multi-dose regime as in our study with 4 doses a day. Thus, single, "as required", applications should be avoided because this practice results in scarce absorption of diclofenac.

State and trait anxiety in patients affected by nasal polyposis before and after medical treatment.

The present study aimed to establish whether anxiety and depression in nasal polyposis play a role in genesis of the disease, or are a consequence of symptoms. Anxiety levels were evaluated in state and trait forms, and depression, in 30 consecutive patients presenting nasal polyposis before and after effective 7 months' medical treatment with nasal mometasone, loratadine and montelukast. Before and at the end of treatment, patients were asked to fill in the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Zung self-rating depression scale. In 63.15% of patients with high levels of state anxiety before therapy, these were reduced (p < 0.004) after treatment. In 61.9% of patients with high levels of trait anxiety before treatment, these were reduced (p < 0.002) after treatment. There were no significant differences in depression. Anxiety in nasal polyposis is present both as a state and as a trait, and is significantly reduced after effective medical treatment, showing that anxiety is a reversible consequence of nasal polyposis in most cases.