Reconstruction of the Anterior Skull Base Using the Nasoseptal Flap: A Review.

The nasoseptal flap is a workhorse reconstructive option for anterior skull base defects during endonasal surgery. This paper highlights the versatility of the nasoseptal flap. After providing a brief historical perspective, this review will focus on the relevant primary literature published in the last ten years. We will touch upon new applications of the flap, how the flap has been modified to expand its reach and robustness, and some of the current limitations. We will conclude by discussing what the future holds for improving upon the design and use of the nasoseptal flap in anterior skull base reconstruction.

A complication of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica presenting as acute hypercapnic respiratory failure.

BACKGROUND: Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica is a rare benign and often indolent disease. We report the first case of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TBO) presenting as acute hypercarbic respiratory failure due to superimposed subglottic submucosal abscess. CASE REPORT: A 27-year-old man presented to the emergency department in respiratory distress that required mechanical ventilation for acute hypercarbic respiratory failure. Upon extubation the next day, stridor was elicited with ambulation. Spirometry revealed fixed upper airway obstruction. Neck imaging showed a 2.8 × 2.0 × 4.0 cm partially calcified subglottic mass with cystic and solid component obstructing 75% of the airway. Surgical exploration revealed purulent drainage upon elevation of the thyroid isthmus and an anterolateral cricoid wall defect in communication with a subglottic submucosal cavity. Microbiology was negative for bacteria or fungi. Pathology showed chondro-osseous metaplasia compatible with tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TBO). The patient received a course of antibiotics and prophylactic tracheostomy. Since tracheostomy removal 3 days later, the patient remains asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica is a rare disease with usually benign clinical course and incidental diagnosis. It may present as acute hypercarbic respiratory failure when subglottic infection is superimposed.

Conscious sedation and local anesthesia for patients undergoing neurotologic and complex otologic procedures.

OBJECTIVE: Is conscious sedation an effective, safe, and efficient anesthetic choice in patients undergoing select neurotologic and otologic procedures? STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case review. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Six patients underwent eight neurotologic procedures including cerebrospinal fluid leak and encephalocele repair, and primary and revision cochlear implant surgery. Patients were deemed poor candidates for general anesthesia secondary to medical comorbidities. These were compared to 11 control patients who underwent same procedures under general anesthesia with intubation. INTERVENTION: Dexmedetomidine infusion was utilized as the primary agent for conscious sedation in this high-risk patient population because, unlike other commonly used sedatives, it preserves normal respirations while providing adequate analgesia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Preoperative Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and Morbidity (P-POSSUM) scores were calculated for the study group. We measured total anesthesia, and perioperative and recovery times. Cost of anesthetic agents was considered and any adverse effects were noted. Patient satisfaction with the operative experience was assessed with telephone surveys. RESULTS: P-POSSUM scores were high for the study group. Postoperative anesthesia was shorter for the study patients undergoing conscious sedation. Difference in cost of anesthetic agents was negligible. The adverse effects were few and as expected for the type of procedure. Patients reported satisfaction and comfort with their operative experience. CONCLUSION: Select neurotologic and otologic procedures can be safely, effectively, and efficiently performed under conscious sedation with dexmedetomidine infusion as the primary anesthetic choice for patients who are deemed poor medical candidates for general endotracheal anesthesia.

Iatrogenic velopharyngeal insufficiency caused by neonatal nasogastric feeding tube.

Complications from a prolonged nasogastric tube intubation, though seldom reported, are well described. Herein we describe the first two reported cases of velopharyngeal insufficiency secondary to velopharyngeal scarring and immobility from repetitive nasogastric tube insertions and prolonged use. Differing only in location, the proposed pathophysiologic mechanism of injury is identical to that of the nasogastric tube syndrome, a rare and serious, well described entity consisting of bilateral vocal fold paralysis due to pressure-induced ulceration of the posterior cricoarytenoid musculature.

Clinical utility of immunohistochemistry for the detection of the BRAF v600e mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: BRAF V600E mutation is the most common genetic alteration in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). We used a mutation-specific antibody for immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of the BRAF V600E mutation and correlated expression with clinicopathologic features. The study was designed to validate the accuracy and determine the clinical importance of IHC detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in PTC. METHODS: Direct sequencing and IHC for BRAF V600E mutation was performed in 37 consecutive patients with PTCs. IHC was scored on an intensity proportion scale. IHC positive tumors were stratified into intensity categories. The categories were assessed for clinicopathologic variables, including age, extrathyroidal extension, lymphovascular invasion, and lymph node metastases. RESULTS: A total of 25 PTCs were BRAF V600E-positive and 12 were BRAF mutation-negative on IHC. The BRAF V600E mutation-specific antibody had a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 100% for detecting the mutation. Tumors with high-intensity staining were more likely to have extrathyroidal extension. CONCLUSION: IHC is an accurate method for the detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in PTC, and its ability to quantify the mutation expression may serve as a better predictor of tumor behavior than molecular sequencing. It provides a potentially rapid, easily applicable, and economic alternative to current techniques.

Parathyroid surgery and methylene blue: a review with guidelines for safe intraoperative use.

Methylene blue has been used to help facilitate parathyroid surgery for over 30 years. Its use has been widely considered both safe and cost effective. Twenty-six cases of a toxic metabolic encephalopathy, however, have been reported with its use. As a result, some surgeons have stopped using this technique altogether. It is now known that methylene blue is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. When combined with drugs that increase central serotonin neurotransmission, serotonin toxicity results. This is the cause of the encephalopathy described in the literature. A case report, review of the literature, and guidelines as to its proper use are presented so as to allow for safe parathyroid surgery.