Retrospective analysis of translaminar, demographic, and physiologic parameters in relation to papilledema severity.

OBJECTIVE: Some case reports suggest that the translaminar pressure difference is important in cases of papilledema. The purpose of this study was to determine ocular, physiologic, and demographic factors associated with papilledema severity. DESIGN: Retrospective, blinded study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients who had undergone a diagnostic lumbar puncture and had a diagnosis of papilledema in conjunction with idiopathic intracranial hypertension between 2004 and 2012 were included in the study. One-hundred and fifty-one patients were identified in initial screening. Sixty of 151 patients met all inclusion criteria, and 120 eyes were eligible for investigation. METHODS: A retrospective review of optic nerve photographs by 2 masked experts was used to grade papilledema severity using the Modified Frisén Scale (MFS). Patients with any systemic or neurologic disease that could affect cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) were excluded. Patients on acetazolamide were excluded. Assessments within 1 MFS grade were averaged and correlated to intraocular pressure, CSFP, translaminar pressure differential, MFS, age, weight, height, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. RESULTS: In univariate and multivariate type 3 generalized estimating equation analyses, only age (Z = -2.70; p < 0.01) and sex (Z = 2.81; p < 0.0001) were significantly correlated with MFS. CONCLUSIONS: Papilledema severity decreased with advancing age and was higher for female sex. We found no association between severity of papilledema and CSFP, intraocular pressure, blood pressure, or any other physiologic parameter. Factors other than the translaminar pressure differential may be important in determining the severity of papilledema.

Characterization of postoperative changes in nasal airflow using a cadaveric computational fluid dynamics model: supporting the internal nasal valve.

IMPORTANCE: Collapse or compromise of the internal nasal valve (INV) results in symptomatic nasal obstruction; thus, various surgical maneuvers are designed to support the INV. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect on nasal airflow after various surgical techniques focused at the level of the INV and lateral nasal sidewall. DESIGN AND SETTING: A fresh cadaver head was obtained and underwent suture and cartilage graft techniques directed at the level of the INV using an external approach. Preoperative and postoperative digital nasal models were created from the high-resolution, fine-cut, computed tomographic imaging after each intervention. Isolating the interventions to the level of the INV, we used computational fluid dynamic techniques to calculate nasal resistance, nasal airflow, and nasal airflow partitioning for each intervention. INTERVENTION: Suture and cartilage graft techniques. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Nasal airflow, nasal resistance, and partitioning of airflow. RESULTS: Using the soft-tissue elevation model as baseline, computational fluid dynamic analysis predicted that most of the suture and cartilage graft techniques directed toward the nasal valve improved nasal airflow and partitioning while reducing nasal resistance. Specifically, medial and modified flare suture techniques alone improved nasal airflow by 16.9% and 15.1%, respectively. The combination of spreader grafts and modified flare suture improved nasal airflow by 13.2%, whereas spreader grafts alone only improved airflow by 5.9%. The largest improvements in bilateral nasal resistance were achieved using the medial and modified flare sutures, outperforming the combination of spreader grafts and modified flare suture. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Techniques directed at supporting the INV have tremendous value in the treatment of nasal obstruction. The use of flare sutures alone can address dynamic valve collapse or upper lateral cartilage incompetence without gross disruption of the nasal architecture. Using computational fluid dynamic techniques, this study suggests that flare sutures alone may improve flow and reduce resistance when placed medially, surpassing spreader grafts alone or in combination with flare sutures. The longevity of these maneuvers can only be assessed in the clinical setting. Studies in additional specimens and clinical correlation in human subjects deserve further attention and investigation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA.

Expression of protease-activated receptors in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: The etiology of the intense inflammatory response showed by patients with allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) remains a mystery. Potential sources of this inflammation may include fungal proteases. Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are components of the innate immune response that are modulated by proteolytic activity and are involved in potentiating T helper 2 (Th2) responses. The objective of the study was to determine whether there is differential expression of PARs in patients with AFRS compared to controls. METHODS: The study was designed as a comparison of gene expression profiles in patients with AFRS vs diseased and nondiseased controls. Twenty-five patients were enrolled. Patients with AFRS (n = 15) were compared to nondiseased controls (n = 5) undergoing minimally invasive pituitary surgery (MIPS) and patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP, n = 5) undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). Ethmoid mucosa RNA was hybridized to 4 × 44 K microarray chips. Four gene probes (PAR1, PAR2, PAR3, and PAR4) were used to assess for differential expression. A linear-mixed model was used to account for some patients having multiple samples. Significance level was determined at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Of the 4 probes, only PAR3 showed statistically significant differential expression between AFRS and nondiseased control samples (p = 0.03) as well as a 2.21-fold change. No additional statistical difference in PAR expression among the comparison groups was noted. CONCLUSION: PARs have been shown to enhance production of inflammatory cytokines and potentiate Th2 responses. In this initial report, patients with AFRS have a significantly increased expression of PAR3 compared to nondiseased controls.