Ultrasound Identification of Normal Parathyroid Glands.

Ultrasound has become indispensable for identification of thyroid and parathyroid pathology, but normal parathyroid glands have historically been considered too subtle to accurately detect. Inability to identify and protect parathyroid glands can result in hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia during thyroidectomy surgery as well as misinterpretation of central neck structures in the postoperative neck. Advances in ultrasound resolution have opened the door to novel applications for this technology. In this study, we report the first surgeon-performed ultrasound identification of normal parathyroid glands in a series of 6 patients, confirmed by parathyroid tissue aspirate or parathyroid autofluorescence. Recognition of normal parathyroid glands using ultrasound can be valuable for preventing postoperative hypoparathyroidism and in increasing the accuracy of postsurgical ultrasound surveillance.

Prognostic Factors in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancers Metastatic to the Cervical Spine.

OBJECTIVES: The spine is the most common site of bone metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The role of surgery in the management of cervical spine (C-spine) metastases (CSpM) has not been adequately explored. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary referral center from 2002 to 2018. Inclusion criteria were pathologic diagnosis of DTC and imaging/pathologic diagnosis of CSpM. Statistical analysis utilized t tests for continuous variables and χ2 tests for categorical variables. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier curves with univariate and multivariate Cox regressions. RESULTS: Fifty patients with DTC and CSpM were identified. Of those, 16 underwent surgical resection of the C-spine, whereas 34 did not. The most common presenting symptom was neck pain (N = 37, 74%). Patients in the surgery group were more likely to report a subjective improvement of symptoms (P < .01) and to have local (P < .01) and systemic (P = .04) disease control. Five-year overall survival was 44.7% for the surgery group (95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.1-69.3) and 11.1% (95% CI: 2.1-28.8) for the nonsurgery group (P = .01). The strongest risk factor for improved overall survival after C-spine metastasis was local disease control at the C-spine (multivariate hazard ratio [HR] = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12-0.85, P = .02). Surgical intervention was significantly associated with improved survival on both univariate (HR = 0. 35, 95% CI: 0.15-0.82, P = .02) and multivariate (HR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14-0.98, P = .04) analysis. CONCLUSION: Surgical management of CSpM in differentiated thyroid cancers is associated with significantly improved local disease control and overall survival. Referral to spine surgeons should be considered after diagnosis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV. Laryngoscope, 131:E1741-E1747, 2021.

The prognostic role of medical comorbidities in surgically treated human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Prognostic factors specific to surgically managed human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV(+)OPSCC) are not fully understood. Medical co-morbidities may have an impact on survival after surgical treatment. We aimed to identify co-morbidities associated with distant metastases-free survival (DMFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in HPV(+)OPSCCs. METHODS: This is a retrospective case series of HPV(+)OPSCC patients at a tertiary referral center from 2007 to 2016. All patients in the study underwent primary intent-to-cure transoral resection with concomitant neck dissection ± adjuvant radiation ± chemotherapy. Exclusion criteria included a history of previous head and neck cancer or distant metastases at diagnosis. Associations with DMFS and CSS were evaluated using univariable and multivariable Cox regression and summarized with hazard ratios (HRs). RESULTS: 406 patients were included in the cohort (100% HPV(+), 90% Male). All had tumors of the tonsil (62%) or base of tongue (38%). Median follow-up for the cohort was 4.0 years (IQR: 2.6-6.2). Higher tumor stage and a higher Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 score were significantly associated with worse DMFS and CSS (p < 0.02 for all). A history of diabetes mellitus (N = 36, 9%) was significantly associated with DMFS (HR 3.05 [95%CI 1.26-7.37], p = 0.014) and CSS (HR 4.82 [95%CI 1.84-12.61], p = 0.001). On multivariable analysis, after adjusting for tumor stage, diabetes remained significantly associated with worse DMFS (HR 2.58 [95%CI 1.06-6.26], p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: Diabetes mellitus may be associated with worse DMFS and CSS in surgically managed HPV(+)OPSCC.

Anesthesia for TORS for Oropharyngeal Carcinoma: Factors Associated with Prolonged Phase I Postanesthesia Recovery.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical variables affecting anesthetic recovery following transoral robotic surgery (TORS) to resect oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma have not been described. We aimed to explore risk factors associated with prolonged postanesthesia recovery following TORS. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center, January 2010 to November 2016. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients included adults undergoing primary TORS ± neck dissection for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Patients were categorized by phase I recovery time into the "goal" recovery group (75th percentile [lower 3 quartiles], n = 272) and the "prolonged" recovery group (n = 91). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between clinical characteristics and prolonged phase I recovery. RESULTS: A total of 363 patients were included. Median (interquartile range) duration of postanesthesia recovery was 1.5 hours (1.0-2.0). Prolonged recovery was associated with isoflurane (odds ratio, 2.83 [95% CI, 1.56-5.14], P < .001), midazolam (2.77 [1.50-5.12], P = .001), and larger opioid doses (1.26 [1.01-1.58] per 10-mg intravenous morphine equivalents, P = .040) and inversely associated with multimodal antiemetic therapy (0.34 [0.15-0.78], P = .011). Prolonged cases had higher rates of postoperative nausea and vomiting (n = 43 [47.2%] vs 86 [31.6%], P = .008), respiratory depression (28 [30.8%] vs 12 [4.4%], P < .001), sedation (Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale < -2; 26 [28.6%] vs 35 [12.9%], P = .001), severe pain (numeric rating score ≥7; 31 [34.4%] vs 45 [17.2%], P = .001), and longer hospital stays (4 vs 3 days, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Several anesthetic factors are associated with anesthesia recovery duration, which may be shortened by efforts to reduce postoperative sedation, severe pain, and nausea/vomiting. Shortened anesthesia recovery time may reduce hospital stay.

Olfactory outcomes after endoscopic skull base surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Determine the effect of endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS) on long-term olfactory outcomes after surgery. METHODS: An English-language search was conducted using the Cochrane, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases from January 2000 to October 2017 for adult patients undergoing ESBS with subjective and objective olfaction outcomes. Two authors independently examined articles to identify those meeting inclusion criteria. Studies examining objective olfactory outcomes after ESBS were included in the meta-analysis. A random-effects meta-analysis of patients undergoing sellar and parasellar ESBS was conducted to compare preoperative and postoperative olfactory outcomes using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) and Cross-Cultural Smell Identification Test (CCSIT). RESULTS: Among 339 eligible articles, 29 articles met inclusion criteria. Twenty-five of these focused on sellar and parasellar tumors. Individual articles not meeting criteria for meta-analysis were qualitatively reported. Meta-analysis showed there was no difference in preoperative and postoperative olfactory function after sellar and parasellar ESBS based on the UPSIT (five studies, mean difference [MD] = -1.03; 95% CI: -3.98, 1.93; P = .50) and the CCIST (three studies, MD = -0.77; 95% CI: -3.03, 1.49; P = .50). A pooled overall meta-analysis revealed similar results (eight studies, effect size = -0.30; 95% CI: -0.79, 0.18; P = .22). However, heterogeneity for all meta-analyses was high (I2 > 95%, P < .01), suggesting significant variation in the included studies. CONCLUSIONS: Based on published objective olfaction outcomes after sellar and parasellar ESBS, there was no significant difference between preoperative and postoperative olfaction. Further prospective studies using validated objective measures of olfaction are required to improve our understanding on this subject. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2a Laryngoscope, 129:1998-2007, 2019.

Long-term olfaction outcomes in transnasal endoscopic skull-base surgery: a prospective cohort study comparing electrocautery and cold knife upper septal limb incision techniques.

BACKGROUND: Olfactory nerve fibers are at risk of injury during transnasal endoscopic skull-base approaches. Olfactory outcomes for various techniques have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aims to report long-term olfactory outcomes when a cold knife upper septal limb incision technique is used compared to monopolar cautery. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed at a tertiary referral center. Adult patients undergoing endoscopic approaches with septal incisions were randomized to cold knife or monopolar cautery groups. Patient demographics, clinical history, surgical data, and outcomes were collected. Preoperative, 3-month, and 12-month postoperative scores on the University of Pennsylvania Smell Inventory Test (UPSIT) and 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) were measured. Fisher's exact tests were performed for categorical variables and t tests were performed for continuous variables. RESULTS: Twenty-two (22) patients (10 cold knife, 12 cautery) were enrolled between March 2016 and August 2017. The average age ± standard deviation was 50.2 ± 14.0 years (p = 0.59), 54% (p = 0.69) were female, and the primary pathology was pituitary adenoma (73%, p = 1.00). Preoperative, 3-month, and 12-month postoperative UPSIT scores were similar between the cold knife and cautery groups (32.8 vs 32.4, p = 0.80; 33.1 vs 33.0, p = 0.96; 33.6 vs 33.3, p = 0.84). On the "sense of smell/taste" question of the SNOT-22, there was also no difference at all time points (p > 0.22). CONCLUSION: There was no significant change in patient UPSIT scores 1 year after transnasal skull-base approaches, and no short-term or long-term differences between cold knife and cautery upper septal limb incision techniques. Our study supports an individualized approach based on surgeon preference.

Targeted amino acid supplementation in diabetic foot wounds: pilot data and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot wounds are a highly morbid and costly complication of diabetes mellitus. Targeted amino acid supplementation, by increasing tissue hydroxyproline concentrations, has been implicated in improved wound outcomes in surgical incisions and chronic wounds, and after radiation injury. A major component of collagen, hydroxyproline is a surrogate marker used commonly for tissue collagen concentrations. This paper reviews the literature pertaining to amino acid supplementation and wound healing, and also evaluates our pilot data relating to supplementation with arginine, glutamine, and beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. METHODS: For the pilot study, nine patients scheduled to undergo wound debridement for diabetic foot ulcers were randomized prospectively to be a part of either a placebo group or a treatment group that received supplementation twice daily for 2 wks. Tissue samples were collected both before and after 2 wk of supplementation. The results of assay of the samples for hydroyproline were then analyzed via a one tailed Student t-test to evaluate tissue concentrations of hydroxyproline. For the literature review in the study, the MEDLINE/PubMed database was reviewed, using search terms contained in the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). RESULTS: The treatment group in the study exhibited a significantly greater hydroxyproline concentration after supplementation than before it (p=0.03). The mean percent change in the tissue hydroxyproline concentration for arginine, glutamine, and HMB group was +67.8%, with a standard deviation (SD) of 129.89. The mean percent change for the corresponding amino acids in the placebo group was -78.4%, with an SD of 20.55. The review of the MEDLINE/PubMed literature revealed only two human studies of amino acid supplementation in patients with diabetic foot wounds, one of which found a significant improvement in wound-depth and wound-appearance scores. CONCLUSIONS: Given the results of our pilot study, and on the basis of a review of the literature, the administration of a simple amino acid supplement may improve the healing of diabetic foot wounds via increased collagen production.