Association of human papillomavirus related squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx and cervix.

BACKGROUND: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is well established in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and cervical cancer (CC). However, the association between both HPV related cancers remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between HPV related cancers of the oropharynx and cervix. METHODS: A provincial cancer registry was used to retrospectively identify all patients diagnosed with OPSCC from 1997-2015. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of CC history in women with p16+/-OPSCC was measured. RESULTS: From 372 women with OPSCC included, the SIR of CC was significantly higher across all ages compared to the general population in Alberta, Canada (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Women with HPV/p16+ OPSCC have a significantly higher risk of CC compared to the general population.

Does drug-induced sleep endoscopy change the surgical decision in surgically naïve non-syndromic children with snoring/sleep disordered breathing from the standard adenotonsillectomy? A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Adenotonsillectomy is the most commonly performed operation for pediatric snoring/sleep disordered breathing (S/SDB). However, 20-40% of patients will fail to improve. Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) may provide a more individualized surgical plan and limit unsuccessful surgeries. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of DISE on surgical decision-making in surgically naïve children with S/SDB. METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was undertaken at the Stollery Children's Hospital. Patients 3-17 years of age who underwent DISE-directed surgery for S/SDB between January 2009 and December 2015 were eligible. We excluded other indications for tonsillectomy and syndromic children. The primary outcome was the level of agreement between a DISE-based surgical decision and the reference standard based on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines via un-weighted Cohen's kappa. Secondary outcomes included the frequency and type of alternate surgical targets identified by DISE. The agreement on tonsil size between in-office physical assessment and DISE was also calculated. The effectiveness of DISE-directed surgery on postoperative S/SDB was not investigated. RESULTS: Five hundred fifty-eight patients were included. DISE changed the surgical plan in 35% of patients. Agreement between DISE-based and AAP clinical practice guidelines-based management was low (κ = 0.354 +/- 0.021 [95% CI 0.312-0.395]). An alternate diagnosis or surgical target was identified by DISE in 54% of patients. There was moderate agreement on tonsil size (κ = 0.44 [0.33-0.55]) between DISE and in-office clinical assessment. CONCLUSIONS: This is a first phase diagnostic study, which demonstrates that DISE affects decision-making in surgically naïve children with S/SDB in up to 35% of patients. It has utility in individualizing first stage surgical treatments as well as identifying alternate targets for further surgical or medical therapy, while potentially limiting unsuccessful surgeries. Further studies to examine the effect of DISE on surgical outcomes are required.

A case of acquired laryngomalacia in an infant, with endoscopy before and after establishing the diagnosis for the first time.

A 12-week-old infant girl born at 27 weeks gestation, with multiple comorbidities, was referred to the paediatric otolaryngology team due to stridor and feeding difficulties. Initial airway endoscopy was performed, showing no abnormal findings. The infant underwent frequent hospitalisations for recurrent cyanotic spells. Despite initial laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy not showing abnormalities, a repeat endoscopy demonstrated laryngomalacia, significant enough to require a supraglottoplasty. This is the first report to confirm, with video evidence, that some cases of laryngomalacia are acquired rather than congenital, even in infancy.