A useful technique for adjusting nasal tip projection in Asian rhinoplasty: Trapezoidal caudal extension cartilage grafting.

The purpose of this article is to present our experience with Asian patients in (1) using a trapezoidal caudal extension cartilage graft to adjust the tip projection in tip refinement for augmentation rhinoplasty, especially for the correction of short nose, and (2) avoiding complications of augmentation rhinoplasty with alloplastic implants. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 358 rhinoplasties that were performed by the corresponding author from January 2004 through July 2009. Patients were included in this study if they had undergone open rhinoplasty with a trapezoidal caudal extension cartilage graft as the only tip-modifying procedure. Patients in whom any additional grafting was performed that might have altered the nasal tip position were excluded. The surgical results were analyzed in terms of the degree of satisfaction judged separately by investigators and by patients. A total of 84 patients-46 males and 38 females, all Asians, aged 13 to 61 years (mean: 29.3)-met our eligibility criteria. Postoperative follow-up for 24 months was achieved in 62 patients. At the 24-month follow-up, the surgeons judged the results to be good or very good in 57 of the 62 patients (91.9%); at the same time, 56 patients (90.3%) said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their aesthetic outcome. Good nasal tip projection, a natural columellar appearance, and improvement in the nasolabial angle were achieved for most patients. Two patients required revision rhinoplasty to correct an insufficient augmentation and migration of the onlay graft. No severe complications were observed during the 2-year follow-up. We have found that trapezoidal caudal extension cartilage grafting in nasal tip refinement is an easy technique to learn and execute, its results are predictable, and it has been associated with no major complications. We recommend trapezoidal caudal extension cartilage grafting for Asian patients as a good and reliable alternative for managing tip projection and support.

The role of diode laser in the treatment of ventricular dysphonia.

OBJECTIVES: The treatment of ventricular dysphonia (VD) should be based on confirming the true folds pathology. In some patients, the ability of the true folds vibration remains unclear and decision making for performing aggressive surgical interventions can be difficult. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study of surgery by chart review. METHODS: Eight cases with suspicious compensatory type of VD were analyzed in this study. They were all symptom free until a history of endotracheal intubation for laryngeal irrelevant surgery. Their false fold adducted and constricted the supraglottic region sphincterically during phonation. Laser ablation of redundant false folds was performed. After confirming the true folds condition, a second procedure was carried out accordingly within 3 months. The outcome was determined by comparing the difference of the perceptual examination and acoustic parameters before and after each procedure. RESULTS: Postoperation laryngoscopy revealed the underlying vocal atrophy in five cases and vocal fold palsy in the other three patients. Six of them were treated by medialization thyroplasty or fat augmentation. No significant change in the perceptual evaluation and maximum phonation time was found after laser ablation surgery. Meanwhile, there was no complication such as choking or aspiration after the laser ablation surgery. There was no recurrence of redundant false fold within the mean follow-up of 40 months. CONCLUSIONS: The role of diode laser microlaryngosurgery is not to improve vocal quality but to offer a better visualization of underlying vocal behavior. This facilitated the subsequent prime vocal fold correction surgery. Therefore, we recommend this two-stage treatment modality for patients with compensatory VD.

Twisted nose: a new simple classification and surgical algorithm in Asians.

The purpose of this study was to present our experiences with correction of twisted nose in Asian patients using a new and simple classification and a surgical algorithm. A classification and standard surgical algorithm was followed to determine treatment strategies for 384 patients with twisted nose between June 2001 and July 2009. A retrospective chart review from the Tri-Service General Hospital archives was performed to collect patients' data and surgical details. A follow-up self-evaluation survey regarding satisfaction with nasal function and esthetics was distributed to all participants. Preoperative and postoperative standardized photography of the face were evaluated to judge objectively the esthetic outcomes of the surgery. There were 147, 131, and 106 patients in Type I, Type II, and Type III patients, respectively. The percentages of functionally satisfied and very satisfied patients were 95.2, 93.9, and 93.4% in Type I, Type II, and Type III groups, respectively. The percentages of esthetically satisfied or very satisfied patients were 89.1, 88.5, and 87.7% in Type I, Type II, and Type III groups, respectively. There were only 2 patients with type III deviation with residual deviation of dorsum objectively who were satisfied with the results after undergoing a revision rhinoplasty. Aside from residual deviation, the postoperative periods were uneventful and without major complications. We propose a new and simple classification and surgical algorithm to optimally correct twisted nose deformities for Asian patients. The classification and surgical algorithm, which is simple and reproducible especially for beginner, guides surgical decisions that yield consistently satisfactory functional and esthetic results.

Neck mass as the first presentation of metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma of the prostate (CAP) is a rare diagnosis in men younger than 50 years of age; this age group accounts for less than 0.1% of all patients with prostatic cancer. Left supraclavicular lymphadenopathy (LSCL) as the presenting symptom of metastatic CAP is even rarer. No cases of CAP presenting as LSCL in men younger than 45 years have been reported in the literature. Here we report a 42-year-old male with the uncommon presentation of CAP as LSCL. In adult males with persistent LSCL, even if younger than 45 years, measurement of serum prostate specific antigen is warranted at the time of initial presentation, and the lymph node biopsy should be subsequently stained for prostate specific antigen immunohistochemically. These examinations are crucial to establish a definitive diagnosis of CAP and, in turn, to institute appropriate management and achieve the best possible outcome.

Recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the parotid region after parotid-gland-sparing radiotherapy.

This study reported our experience of the clinical characteristics of periparotid recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after parotid-gland-sparing radiotherapy. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 296 patients with NPC who underwent parotid-gland-sparing radiotherapy at the Tri-Service General Hospital from 1998 to 2008. Eighty-three patients underwent three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, and 205 patients underwent intensity-modulated radiotherapy; parotid glands were spared bilaterally in all patients. None of these patients had undergone previous radiotherapy or surgical treatment of the head and neck. Disease recurred in a spared parotid gland in three patients (1.04%). Two of these patients had undergone three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and the third underwent intensity-modulated radiotherapy. All three patients had undergone parotidectomy. Adjuvant radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiation was administered. One patient died of metastatic disease 26 months after diagnosis of recurrence; the others were well with no evidence of disease at 63 and 6 months after initial recurrence. Periparotid recurrence is an uncommon pattern of locoregional failure after parotid-gland-sparing radiotherapy for NPC. Early diagnosis and aggressive therapy for patients with periparotid recurrence may improve outcomes.

Potassium titanyl phosphate laser treatment of intubation vocal granuloma.

Vocal process granuloma is an uncommon occurrence which is possibly related to endotrachial intubation. Despite its infrequent occurrence, intubation vocal granuloma has received considerable attention in the literature on account of its versatile clinical managements and various results. We presented a series of cases afflicted with intubation vocal granuloma and documented the promising effect of potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser ablation. Twelve patients of intubation vocal granuloma had been retrospectively reviewed at Tri-Service General Hospital from January 1999 to June 2006. Detailed history taking, physical examination, and voice analysis were conducted in all patients before and after this surgical intervention. They all underwent KTP laser ablation of vocal granuloma. Patients were 7 females and 5 males with a mean age of 46.8 years. The grade of hoarseness, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain (GRBAS) scale and maximum phonation time (MPT) showed significant different before and after this surgical intervention (P < 0.05). There was no recurrence in all patients for at least 14 months in the follow-up. We have found that KTP laser microlaryngosurgery can be a useful therapy and can lead avoidance of repetitive surgical procedures.