Surgical indications for upper mediastinal dissection by sternotomy in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a relatively indolent disease, despite the high incidence of lymph node metastases. Although less frequent, some upper mediastinal metastases of PTC cannot be removed without sternal resection. In this study, we investigated the prognostic impact of upper mediastinal dissection (UMD) by sternotomy on patients with mediastinal metastases of PTC. Charts of patients with PTC who underwent surgical treatment at our institution between 2006 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Fifty-eight patients with upper mediastinal metastases were enrolled. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were compared, and Cox hazard regression models were used for analyses. Of the 58 patients with mediastinal metastasis, 12 (20.7%) underwent dissection of the prevascular nodes, 51 (87.9%) underwent dissection of the upper paratracheal nodes, and 14 (24.1%) underwent dissection of the lower paratracheal node. The preferred site of mediastinal metastasis was the upper paratracheal nodes. The 5 and 10-year disease-specific survival rates for patients after UMD were 74.6% and 58.7%, respectively. Among 25 patients (43.1%) with locoregional recurrence, 12 (20.7%) had mediastinal recurrence and 7 were eligible for additional UMD. Although distant metastasis was the predominant poor prognostic factor, mediastinal recurrences were more frequently unresectable than cervical recurrences, suggesting that mediastinal recurrence is a poor prognostic factor. Mediastinal metastases larger than 30 mm or metastases to the lower paratracheal nodes are considered a risk factor for mediastinal recurrence. UMD by sternotomy for patient with upper mediastinal metastases which are difficult to resect via transcervical approach is an effective treatment option to improve patient prognosis.

[A Novel Virtual-reality Imaging System in Cardiovascular Surgery:a Potentially Promising Technology for Surgeons].

Adequate preoperative planning may facilitate successful procedures in cardiovascular surgery. We have developed a system named the Vesalius 3D suite, combining three-dimensional (3D) image-processing software with an optic-tracking spatial navigation, allowing quick, accessible 3D image interpretation for virtual reality (VR) exploration and measurement from one or more of a range of imaging modalities. We present a novel method of virtual imaging analysis for preoperative planning and simulation in cardiovascular surgery using this 3D-VR system. Based on unimodal or multimodal medical imaging data, digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) data sets can be reconstructed for 3D visualization. Virtually reconstructed images can be viewed on flat-screen or stereoscopic display, revealing each patient's specific anatomy and the internal structures in exquisite detail. Highly accessible 3D interpretation promptly permits precise measurements of repair-relevant anatomical parameters including geometrically complex shapes. This technology may promote understanding of form and function in the cardiovascular system, and facilitate operative procedures in more challenging cases, and it seems especially valuable for any surgeon to gain experience in practicing for rarely-performed procedures or uncommon patient-specific preoperative surgical rehearsal.

Ex-vivo aortic root and coronary artery cast measurement to validate the accuracy of virtual imaging.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the accuracy of two methods of measuring features in cardiac anatomy, using an objective standard cast model. METHODS: We made a silicone cast using a swine heart. Computerized tomography data of the solidified cast were processed through virtual reality (VR) software and through two-dimensional multiplanar-reconstruction (2D-MPR), and all measurements were compared against physical measurements of the cast. RESULTS: The cast perfectly demonstrated the fine detail of the aortic valve and the proximal parts of coronary arteries. Anatomical features were measured by 3D-VR, 2D-MPR, and directly on the cast. Measurement differences between 2D-MPR and the cast were on average at least 3.6 times larger than those between 3D-VR and the cast. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the observed accuracy, 3D-VR measurements seem considerably more accurate than the current standard 2D-MPR, and 3D-VR may be considered as the next gold standard for 3D measurement of cardiac anatomy in vivo.

Validation of Virtual Imaging of a Dynamic, Functioning Aortic Valve Using an Ex Vivo Porcine Heart.

PURPOSE: To investigate a virtual reality imaging system in terms of visualization accuracy and appropriate orientation when displaying cardiac anatomy, we used an ex vivo model enabling direct comparison between reconstructed 3-dimensional visualization of intracardiac structures and real-time visual images. DESCRIPTION: We established a systole-diastole platform using a swine heart activated by an external mechanical pump and reservoir, allowing simultaneous acquisition of endoscopic visual and computed tomography images of the aortic valve. Virtual images were processed from computed tomography data using 3-dimensional software (the Vesalius 3D suite; PS Medtech, Amsterdam, Netherlands) and compared with visual images seen through a fiberoptic scope. EVALUATION: An endoscope gave a fine view of the aortic valve, whereas the virtual images elucidated the valve structures. Superimposition of the images from the 2 different modalities showed the virtual reality images precisely matching the visual images in both systole and diastole, confirming the validity of this virtual reality application. CONCLUSION: In view of this demonstrated fidelity of virtual imaging, this technology may be of sufficiently high quality to be considered a gold standard for cardiac anatomy.

Effect of fexofenadine/pseudoephedrine combination tablet on nasal obstruction in patients with allergic rhinitis using rhinomanometry: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: A fexofenadine/pseudoephedrine combination tablet (F/P) is an optimal product for nasal obstruction. It contains fexofenadine hydrochloride, a histamine H1-receptor antagonist for sneezing and rhinorrhea and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, an α-adrenergic agonist. The effect of an antihistamine-decongestant on nasal obstruction has been demonstrated in previous studies, but onset of action and efficacy data on nasal obstruction are limited. OBJECTIVE: We estimated the efficacy of F/P on nasal obstruction in patients with house dust mite-induced allergic rhinitis (AR) versus fexofenadine (F) using objective methods. METHODS: In this single-center, single-dose, prospective, randomized, parallel-group study, 24 adult patients with a history of at least 2 years of AR and nasal obstruction were randomized to receive F/P or F. The effect on nasal obstruction was evaluated using nasal airflow and visual analog scale (VAS) score measured at 30-minute intervals before and for 8 hours after dosing. The primary end point was onset of action, based on a comparison of absolute change from baseline in nasal airflow between F/P and F. The protocol was registered in a clinical trial registry as UMIN 000041845. RESULTS: The onset of action for F/P was 30 minutes based on nasal airflow and 60 minutes based on VAS. F/P maintained a significant beneficial effect after onset of effect, while F showed no significant change during the test period. CONCLUSIONS: We found F/P had a clear effect on nasal obstruction associated with perennial AR when compared with F. There was a time lag in nasal airflow improvement and nasal obstruction relief.

Novel surgical methods for reconstruction of the recurrent laryngeal nerve: Microscope-guided partial layer resection and intralaryngeal reconstruction of the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

BACKGROUND: The optimal strategy for surgical management of papillary thyroid carcinoma invasion of the recurrent laryngeal nerve remains controversial. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of 2 surgical methods and provide detailed descriptions of microscope-guided partial layer resection and intralaryngeal reconstruction of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 85 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent initial surgical excision for invasion of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Twenty-seven patients (28 recurrent laryngeal nerve sites) underwent partial layer resection, and 11 patients (11 recurrent laryngeal nerve sites) underwent intralaryngeal reconstruction of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. The remaining patients underwent either only resection or resection with immediate reconstruction of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Pre and postoperative phonetic function and rates of locoregional recurrence were extracted from medical charts for analysis. RESULTS: Isolated locoregional recurrence specific to the aerodigestive tract was identified in 1 patient (3.7%) in the partial layer resection group and 1 patient (9.1%) in the intralaryngeal reconstruction group. Seventy-five percent of patients in the partial layer resection group recovered or had preserved vocal cord function, and the mean maximum phonation time of the patients with postoperative complete vocal cord palsy was 15.3 seconds. The mean maximum phonation time of the patients, excluding 4 patients with permanent stoma in the intralaryngeal reconstruction group, was 22.3 seconds. The mean maximum phonation time of either group was longer than that of patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve resection only and comparable with that of patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve resection and immediate reconstruction. CONCLUSION: Patients who underwent either partial layer resection or intralaryngeal reconstruction had low rates of locoregional recurrence specific to the aerodigestive tract and good postoperative functional outcomes.

Cetuximab and paclitaxel combination therapy for recurrent basaloid squamous cell carcinoma in the ethmoid sinus.

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC), a histologically distinctive variant of squamous cell carcinoma comprising basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, is aggressive and shows a poor prognosis because of frequent lymph node invasion and distant metastases. To date few articles regarding chemotherapy for metastatic disease have been reported, thus feasible chemotherapy is not well established. Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody for epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), which has great efficacy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma due to EGFR signaling pathway blockage. Because BSCC also highly expresses EGFR, cetuximab may be effective for BSCC. We report here a first case of recurrent BSCC in the ethmoid sinus with intracranial extension treated with cetuximab-based chemotherapy, which revealed great response in a 40-year-old man. Positron emission tomography (PET) revealed no lymph node or distant metastasis. The patient underwent chemoradiotherapy 66 Gy in 33 fractions with triweekly 100 mg/m2 cisplatin. However, 12 weeks after treatment completion PET revealed a residual tumor at the primary cancer site. Combination therapy with weekly paclitaxel and cetuximab was started, and complete response was observed 2 months from treatment initiation. The patient has maintained complete response for 32 months, and no tumor regrowth has been observed.

Three Dimensional Motion Analysis of Hand Tremors During Endoscopic Ear Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic surgery is developing in various clinical specialties. During ear endoscopic surgery, a surgeon has to hold an endoscope with one hand and operate the surgical instruments with another hand. Therefore, the stability of the surgeon's hand affects the field of surgical view and quality of the surgery considerably. There are few techniques which are used during surgery to stabilize the endoscope. However, no study has evaluated the efficacy of such techniques in detail. This study examined the three dimensional movement of an endoscope to compare and evaluate the effect of various stabilization techniques to reduce the hand tremor while using the endoscope. METHODS: A non-randomized controlled trial involving 15 medical students was conducted in Tottori University, Japan. Subjects held an endoscope with their non-dominant hand and manipulated it using three different stabilization techniques i.e. with resting the elbow on the table, resting the endoscope on the ear canal, both with the elbow on the table and endoscope on the ear canal. For the control, subjects were made to use the endoscope without any stabilization technique. The endoscopic movement was measured with and without using the stabilization techniques. RESULTS: The results obtained in this study indicated that manipulating the endoscope with resting the elbow on the table restrains both vertical (Y-axis) and optical axis (Z-axis) direction of tremor, and manipulating the endoscope by resting it on the ear canal restrains both vertical (Y-axis) and horizontal axis (X-axis) direction while the combined use of both the techniques reduces the endoscope movement in all the three X, Y and Z axes. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, concomitant use of both techniques appears to be clinically beneficial in endoscopic ear surgery.

Post-laryngectomy voice rehabilitation with a voice prosthesis in a young girl with advanced thyroid cancer.

The aim of this report is to evaluate the effects of voice rehabilitation with a voice prosthesis in a young patient with thyroid cancer. A 17-year-old girl underwent voice restoration with a voice prosthesis after laryngectomy to treat thyroid cancer. She completed voice-related questionnaires (the Voice Handicap Index-10 and Voice-Related Quality Of Life Survey) at ages 17 and 21 and underwent phonetic functional evaluation. The sound spectrograms of her phonation using the voice prosthesis showed low frequency sounds without an obvious basic frequency. She was ashamed of her hoarse voice and did not use her voice prosthesis during high school. However, after beginning to work at age 20, she used her voice to communicate in the workplace. At age 21, her questionnaire scores, especially those related to the physical and functional domains, improved compared with those at age 17. Voice restoration with a voice prosthesis is recommended for young patients who undergo laryngectomy for advanced thyroid cancer. The advantages of voice restoration with a voice prosthesis may increase when the patient reaches working age, and it may improve post-laryngectomy quality of life considerably.

Preliminary study of transoral robotic surgery for pharyngeal cancer in Japan.

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) with the da Vinci Surgical System has been used for the removal of pharyngeal and laryngeal cancers with the objective to improve functional and aesthetic outcomes without worsening survival. While TORS has been approved in many countries, Japan's FDA has not yet done so. Our hospital started using TORS with the approval of the Ethical Review Board and the Minimum Invasive Surgical Center Committee at Tottori University. No surgical outcomes of TORS for Japanese patients with head and neck cancer have been reported in Japan. This paper deals with the outcomes and feasibility of TORS for Japanese patients with pharyngeal cancer at our institution. TORS was performed for 10 patients with T1, T2, T3 oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma between 2013 and 2014. This is a single-institutional study. TORS could be completed for all cases, except one patient that was not candidate, and no intraoperative conversion to an open surgical procedure was required. Five patients underwent neck dissection, two of them concurrent and three staged. Of all patients, positive surgical margins were detected in two. The average blood loss including neck dissection was 21.5 ± 33.4 ml, the operation time was 183 ± 36 min and the console time was 103 ± 22 min. No tracheostomy had been performed either pre- or postoperatively, and there was no difference between preoperative and postoperative swallowing functions. In this single-institutional preliminary study, we demonstrated that TORS is a feasible and safe treatment. A clinical multi-institutional study of TORS for laryngopharyngeal cancer has been approved as an advanced medical system study and is under way. In the near future, it is expected that the efficacy and safety of TORS for laryngopharyngeal cancer will be confirmed as the result of this multiple-institutional clinical study in Japan.

Usefulness of chest CT scan for head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Chest computed tomography (CT) is not performed routinely or worldwide as the initial diagnostic procedure for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). The significance of the chest CT scan for HNC diagnosis has not been thoroughly defined. The present study reports findings in an effort to broaden the acceptance and application of CT for HNC. METHODS: Using medical records, we assessed initial chest CT scans of the patients with new-onset HNC between April 2004 and March 2010. The results were classified into three groups: nodules ≥ 1 cm, small nodules (< 1 cm) that were indeterminate and normal lungs without nodules. Lung nodules that increased in size and/or number at follow-up were regarded as malignant. First, the sensitivity of X-ray and CT for detection of lung nodules in patients with HNC was compared. Second, the nodules were estimated to be malignant or not malignant by follow-up chest CT. Third, statistical analyses were performed to determine the association between variables and distant lung metastases in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. RESULTS: In total, 332 patients underwent a chest CT scan as part of the initial examination. Lung nodules were detected on the initial chest CT in 77 patients: in contrast, lung nodules were detected on the initial chest X-ray in only five patients. On initial chest CT scans, lung nodules ≥ 1 cm were observed in 10 patients, small solitary lung nodules were observed in 67 patients, and lungs without nodules were observed in 255 patients. Lung nodules were detected in 77 (23.2%) patients, 25 (32.5%) of whom had malignant lung nodules. Moreover, in 18/67 patients (26.9%), small lung nodules initially classified as indeterminate were determined as malignant at follow-up. However, 30/255 patients (11.8%) without nodules at initial diagnosis developed lung nodules at follow-up. T3 or T4 disease (P = 0.006), N2 or N3 disease (P < 0.001) and stage 3 or 4 disease (P = 0.001) individually and significantly correlated with the development of lung metastases. In addition, lung nodules in initial CT scans (P = 0.004) and other distant metastases (P < 0.001) were significant predictors for the development of lung metastases at follow-up. CONCLUSION: Initial chest CT scan is recommended for patients with advanced HNC. Further, patients with advanced HNC with or without lung nodules, as detected on initial chest CT scans, should be followed up with additional scanning.