Predictors of Surgical Outcomes After Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis has an incidence of 15% in India. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), in case of failed medical management, is the current treatment protocol in Chronic rhinosinusitis. This study aims to assess the outcome of FESS as measured by subjective quality of life indices; Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) and Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22. It also assesses the predictive factors which influence the outcome after FESS. The study was conducted among 100 patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis who underwent FESS, after failure of medical management. Immunocompromised or pregnant patients and patients with history of previous sinus surgery or malignancy were excluded from the study. The evaluation was done using Lund Kennedy endoscopy scores, Lund Mackay CT scan scores and RSDI and SNOT-22 questionnaires (baseline and 3 months post-op). Statistical analysis was done using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Kruskall Wallis test, Mann Whitney test and Chi-square test. p < 0.05 was considered significant. RSDI and SNOTT 22 scores showed a mean change 34.78 and 33.04 respectively after FESS, with a p value of < 0.001, which was highly significant. The pre-operative factors which predicted a poor quality of life after FESS were smoking, Allergy and Asthma. Higher pre-operative Endoscopic and CT scores resulted in an improved quality of life after FESS. Gender, concurrent septoplasty and sinonasal polyposis did not influence the quality of life outcomes after FESS. The study determines the quality of life after FESS and also analyses the factors responsible for poor prognosis after functional endoscopic sinus surgery. This study will enable the ENT surgeons to adequately counsel the patients before surgery.

Staging of Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancer: Computed Tomography versus Histopathology.

INTRODUCTION: Computed tomography (CT) imaging is the choice of investigation for evaluation of extent of tumor under the mucosa, locally and regionally. This study was undertaken to assess the accuracy of preoperative CT imaging in the staging of carcinoma of the larynx and hypopharynx. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, all cases who were clinically (c) staged T3-T4 and who underwent surgery were evaluated. The sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy (Ac) of a preoperative CT scan to detect cartilaginous penetration and spread outside the larynx was evaluated. Clinical T-stage by CT imaging was compared with postoperative histopathological T-stage. RESULTS: There were 22 (96%) male patients and one (4%) female patient. Patients were aged from 48 to 64 years (mean, 56 years). Twenty (87%) patients had laryngeal carcinoma, whereas three (13%) had hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Four (17%) patients had T3 tumors and 19 (83%) had T4a lesions. Preoperative imaging over-staged one of five pathological (p) T3 cases and three out of three pT2 cases, and was accurate in the remaining 19 cases. In a comparison of the results of imaging with histopathological T-classification, T-staging was found to be 82.6% accurate. CONCLUSION: CT is a precise and non-invasive imaging method with high sensitivity but relatively lower specificity because of increased false positives. CT imaging may be useful to guide the choice of surgical procedure, which can heavily impact a patients' quality of life.

Is Pterygopalatine Fossa Injection with Adrenaline an Effective Technique for Better Surgical Field in Fess?

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is one of most common surgeries in otorhinolaryngology practice. It is done in the narrow confines of the nasal cavity. Bleeding into the surgical field is a major problem faced by endoscopic surgeons. To assess the effectiveness of pterygopalatine fossa infiltration with lignocaine and adrenaline in controlling surgical field bleeding during endoscopic sinus surgery. A randomized blinded study was done among 68 patients who underwent FESS. Infiltration with 2% lignocaine with 1:80,000 adrenaline was given only on one side and the surgeon was blinded as to which side was infiltrated and he was asked to assess the surgical field using a standard scale. There was statistical significant improvement in surgical field on the infiltrated side (p = 0.001) with almost 25-30% improvement in surgical field on the infiltrated side. The surgical field bleeding also varied with the blood pressure with a positive correlation. There were no complications associated with the procedure. Pterygopalatine fossa infiltration with lignocaine and adrenaline is an effective technique in reducing surgical field bleeding during FESS. It can be combined with nasal decongestion or hypotensive anaesthesia for an optimum surgical field.

Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Thyroid - A Rare Malignant Goitre.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of thyroid is a very rare malignant disease because thyroid gland lacks squamous cells. The disease is almost fatal. Only around 60 cases have been reported in literature. Its incidence is less than 1 % of all thyroid malignancies. The overall survival rate is less than 1 year after the diagnosis. Here we report a rare case of a 70 year old lady who presented with sudden increase in the size of swelling associated with pain and obstructive symptoms in long standing thyroid swelling. Considering patient's age and inoperable nature of disease we treated the patient with concurrent chemoradiation.

Vagal Schwannoma: A Rare Parapharyngeal Tumour.

Among the parapharyngeal tumours, salivary gland tumours are the commonest, followed by schwannomas, which are slow growing benign tumours. Half of the parapharyngeal schwannomas originate from the vagus. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice. We hereby present two cases of parapharyngeal schwannomas, one which had presented as an intraoral mass and the other as a swelling in the neck. The first case, a 57-year-old female patient complained of a slowly increasing swelling in the left side of the throat since 3 months, associated with pain and dysphagia. In the Contrast Enhanced CT scan of the neck, a well-defined cystic lesion with central enhancing solid components (4cm X 4.5cm X 3cm) was seen in the left parapharyngeal region. The second case, a 39-year-old male patient complained of a painless, gradually increasing swelling below the lobule of the right ear since one month. Examination revealed a solitary, nontender, firm and mobile swelling of 2cm X 2cm below the lobule of the right ear. In Contrast Enhanced CT scan of the neck, an enhancing lesion was seen involving the right parapharyngeal space, post-styloid compartment. Both the patients underwent trans-cervical surgical excision. Vagal nerve schwannoma is rare. The majority of the cases present with a slow growing neck swelling without neurological deficit. Complete surgical excision of the tumour is important to prevent recurrence.

Effect of mastoid drilling on the distortion product otoacoustic emissions in the non operated ear.

OBJECTIVE: To monitor the effect of mastoid drilling on the non-operated ear distortion product otoacoustic emissions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured at frequencies of f 2=2, 3, 4 and 5 kHz, and a frequency ratio f 1 /f 2=1.22. DPOAEs were measured in 49 cases, pre and post-operatively who underwent mastoid drilling procedures, compared with each other and with 49 controls who underwent myringoplasty and myringotomy procedures. RESULTS: Amplitudes of DPOAEs decreased significantly in those who underwent mastoidectomies over all the measured frequencies in the immediate post-operative period but had recovered by the seventh post operative day. CONCLUSION: Drill induced noise can cause temporary decrease in the DPOAEs postoperatively and hence temporary hearing loss for a period of one week.

Rhinosporidiosis: A Chronic Tropical Disease in Lateral Pharyngeal Wall.

Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic granulomatous disease caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi. It predominantly affects the mucous membranes of the nose and the nasopharynx. Clinically the lesion presents as a pink or red pedunculated polyp in one or both nostrils. Diagnosis can be made by aspiration cytology and examination with May-Grunwald-Giemsa, hematoxylin and eosin, Periodic acid-Schiff and mucicarmine staining. Definitive diagnosis is by histopathology of the specimen. We report a case of Rhinosporidiosis at the lateral pharyngeal wall which is a very rare site for Rhinosporidiosis to occur; was treated by diathermy excision of the mass and cauterization of the base and oral Dapsone to prevent recurrence of the disease.

Chrysosporium: an uncommon fungus in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis is one of the commonest health problem encountered in rhinology. Of these allergic fungal rhinosinusitis forms a significant group of patients. Patients commonly present with typical symptoms of sinusitis and the diagnosis is often made after imaging and/or intraoperatively. We report a rare case of allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) caused by Chrysosporium species in a 70-year-old male with no co-morbidities. The fungus was isolated from allergic mucin collected from the sinuses. Therapy with intravenous Voriconazole was given leading to good relief for the patient, and no recurrences have occurred till date. Infections caused by Chrysosporium species are very rare, and is very rarely been reported to cause sinusitis in humans.

Tuberculosis of Waldeyer's Ring with an Atypical Presentation as Chronic Adeno-Tonsilitis.

Primary tuberculosis of the oropharynx and nasopharynx is a rare clinical entity.It usually arises secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis. We report a rare case of a 20-year-female, who presented with fever and throat pain. Examination revealed hypertrophied adenoids and tonsils, which was ultimately proved as tuberculosis.Enlargement of the palatine tonsils could be due to a multitude of causes, and a thorough evaluation is necessary to arrive at the right diagnosis.Increased awareness of nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal tuberculosis is important in tropical countries, as the disease may be overlooked resulting in inappropriate management.

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma- A rare Differential Diagnosis for a mass in the External Auditory Canal.

Primary external auditory canal malignancies are very rare; in which, adenoid cystic carcinoma is extremely rare tumour accounting for approximately 5%. Majority of the patients presents with unilateral severe or dull aching constant ear pain of prolonged duration, reduced hearing and mass in the External Ear. These tumours are treated with aggressive surgical excision and adjuvant radiotherapy. Despite this, the overall prognosis is poor due to recurrences and distant metastasis. We report a rare case of adenoid cystic carcinoma in a 36-year-old female, who presented with right ear pain for the last one year. She was treated with wide local excision of the mass followed by adjuvant radiotherapy.

Soft tissue myxoma- a rare differential diagnosis of localized oral cavity lesions.

Myxomas have a common histologic appearance of myxoid ground substance and are classified in group of soft tissue tumors. According to literature myxomas occurring in every decade of life have been reported. Very often intraoral soft tissue myxoma can be misinterpreted as malignant and are difficult to differentiate from the other tumours with myxoid stroma. Of the different variants of soft tissue myxoma, intraoral is extremely rare, slow growing, benign mesenchymal tumour. We report a case of a 22-year-old male who presented with swelling in the right cheek and mass in the right buccal mucosa that appeared gradually over two year. No history of pain over the lesion or bleeding on touch. On intraoral examination a lesion measuring 3 X 3 cm was seen in the right buccal mucosa. Biopsy of the lesion revealed oral soft tissue myxoma. Wide excision with clinically clear margins was done under general anaesthesia. Histopathological report revealed the diagnosis as to be oral soft tissue myxoma. A case of oral soft tissue myxoma is presented for its rarity and for differential diagnosis of localized oral cavity lesions.

Foreign bodies in the aerodigestive tract--a clinical study of cases in the coastal belt of South India.

PURPOSE: To investigate the cases of foreign body in the aerodigestive tract and to elucidate the characteristic problems in India. DESIGN AND SETTING: Three hundred patients presenting with a history of either aspirating or swallowing a foreign body were analyzed in a tertiary care center. Data were collected by retrospective chart review and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 300 patients studied, 90% (270 cases) did have a retained foreign body, with 233 (86.2%) cases found in the pharyngoesophagus and 37 (13.7%) cases in the tracheobronchial tree. With foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial passages, the most common sign and symptom were rhonchi (50%) and dyspnea (67%), respectively; in pharyngoesophagus, the most common symptom and sign were dysphagia (64%) and odynophagia (45%), respectively. The most common foreign body found was fish bone in 39% (106 cases) and the most common site of lodgment was the cervical esophagus 50.5% (136 cases). Rigid endoscopy with forceps removal under general anesthesia was the main treatment modality. Thirty-three (12.2%) cases had complications secondary to retained foreign body. CONCLUSION: Foreign bodies in the aerodigestive tract continue to be a common problem affecting adults and children alike. Rigid endoscopies with forceps removal under general anesthesia are the preferred management modality. From their experience, the authors recommend that no foreign body in the upper aerodigestive tract should be left alone with the hope that it will come out spontaneously. Delay in diagnosis and management can lead to life-threatening complications.

Supravital staining: It's role in detecting early malignancies.

The efficacy of supravital staining in the detection of malignancies in oro and oropharyngeal lesions and its role in the detection of malignant changes in premalignant lesions were studied. This prospective study comprises 90 cases of clinically suspicious lesions and it was done over a period of 3 years. Most of the patients had multiple risk factors for the development of malignancy. All underwent staining with a modified solution of 1% toluidine blue (TB). In our study the overall sensitivity was 97.29% and the specificity was 62.5%.