Treatment of sialorrhea with botulinum toxin injections in pediatric patients less than three years of age.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the patient demographics and the efficacy and safety profile of botulinum toxin (BTX) injections for sialorrhea control in patients under the age of three. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review study. Patients under three years of age who received BTX injections for sialorrhea management from 2010 to 2021 were assessed. Patient demographics, comorbidities, medical and surgical histories, indications, BTX injection details, and post injection complications were documented. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients met inclusion criteria. The most common patient under three years of age with sialorrhea to receive BTX injections were white (51.0%) male (51.0%) with congenital (73.5%) and/or neurologic (53.1%) comorbidities. Thirty-six (73.5%) patients were from medically underserved areas/populations. Our patients on average received 1.7 injections, with 44.9% requiring multiple BTX injections. Bilateral parotid and bilateral submandibular glands (four-gland) BTX injections were associated with significant decrease in admissions for pneumonia and cessation of anticholinergics usage (both P < 0.05). Post BTX injections, 15 (30.6%) patients required additional surgeries for sialorrhea control. No adverse outcomes due to BTX injections were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric sialorrhea was commonly associated with congenital and/or neurologic comorbidities and disproportionately impacted medically underserved black patients. BTX injections offered multifaceted benefits for controlling sialorrhea in patients under the age of three. Four-gland BTX injections led to reduction of unnecessary hospitalization, usage of anticholinergics, and additional surgeries for sialorrhea management.

Injection Laryngoplasty for the Treatment of Type 1 Laryngeal Clefts: A Single Institution Experience.

OBJECTIVE: Standards for treatment of laryngeal clefts remain poorly defined. There are no large case series that report the efficacy of injection laryngoplasty (IL) in the treatment of pediatric Type 1 laryngeal clefts (LC-1). The objective of this study is to measure the effect of IL in young children with LC-1. METHODS: A retrospective case series of 130 patients was completed over 3 years at a at a single institution included patients aged 1 month to 8 years, diagnosed with aspiration and penetration issues during swallowing based on a Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study (VFSS). Patients underwent surgical evaluation and intervention using carboxymethylcellulose gel injection. Collected data points included age in months at time of first injection, gender, race, pre- and post-operation VFSS scores, number of injections, co-morbidities and post-operative complications. VFSS scores were evaluated pre- and post-operatively to assess efficacy of intervention. A secondary outcome was efficacy in patients with aspiration compared to those with penetration alone. RESULTS: This study included 77 male and 53 female patients. Sixty-two patients (48%) demonstrated a significant post-operative improvement in their swallowing function (P < .05). There were no statistical differences in age, number of injections, or the volume of the first injection. Patients that showed a post-operative improvement in swallowing function were on average 5 months older and had more severe aspiration and penetration compared to those who did not demonstrate a post-operative benefit and underwent less injections. The volume of injection did not appear to play a role in the success rate. CONCLUSION: Injecting the inter-arytenoid area in patients with LC-1 appears to confer some benefit to close to half of our patient population. Successful procedures seemed to occur in patients with more severe aspiration and penetration and older age.

The use of imaging to identify immunocompromised children requiring biopsy for invasive fungal rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Children with severe immunocompromise due to cancer therapy or hematopoietic cell transplant are at risk both for potentially lethal invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (IFRS), and for complications associated with gold-standard biopsy diagnosis. We investigated whether early imaging could reliably identify or exclude IFRS in this population, thereby reducing unnecessary biopsy. METHODS: We reviewed clinical/laboratory data and cross-sectional imaging from 31 pediatric patients evaluated for suspicion of IFRS, 19 without (age 11.8 ± 5.4 years) and 12 with proven IFRS (age 11.9 ± 4.6 years). Imaging examinations were graded for mucosal thickening (Lund score), for fungal-specific signs (FSS) of bone destruction, extra-sinus inflammation, and nasal mucosal ulceration. Loss of contrast enhancement (LoCE) was assessed separately where possible. Clinical and imaging findings were compared with parametric or nonparametric tests as appropriate. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Positive (+LR) and negative likelihood ratios (-LR) and probabilities were calculated. RESULTS: Ten of 12 patients with IFRS and one of 19 without IFRS had at least one FSS on early imaging (83% sensitive, 95% specific, +LR = 15.83, -LR = 0.18; P < .001). Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≤ 200/mm3 was 100% sensitive and 58% specific for IFRS (+LR = 2.38, -LR = 0; P = .001). Facial pain was the only discriminating symptom of IFRS (P < .001). In a symptomatic child with ANC ≤ 200/m3 , the presence of at least one FSS indicated high (79%) probability of IFRS; absence of FSS suggested low (<4%) probability. CONCLUSION: In symptomatic, severely immunocompromised children, the presence or absence of fungal-specific imaging findings may effectively rule in or rule out early IFRS, potentially sparing some patients the risks associated with biopsy.

Anterior Tongue Microglossia: Impact on Face Development.

Microglossia is an extremely rare developmental condition that might impact the patient's respiratory, feeding and speech functions, in addition to other intraoral structures. Embryologically, the tongue has 2 origins, which when affected, will determine whether the patient has microglossia or aglossia. A multidisciplinary team should adopt an organized approach based on confirmation by direct laryngoscopy, determination whether associated airway anomalies, mandibular deformities are present; followed by assessment of the ventilatory and feeding status. The involvement of multiple factors, the presence of several anatomical anomalies and the growth exerted by patients, confer microglossia a rather dynamic clinical entity. Two cases of microglossia depicting these features are presented along with review of the literature and a management algorithm.

Dexamethasone Use in the Treatment of Pediatric Deep Neck Space Infections.

OBJECTIVES: Assess the outcome of Intravenous (IV) dexamethasone in the treatment of pediatric deep neck space infections (DNSI) in combination with IV antibiotics. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients admitted for a DNSI from March 2014 to June 2016. Patient characteristics including demographics, abscess type, antibiotic, dexamethasone, surgery, culture, and length of stay (LOS) were obtained. Patients treated with antibiotics alone versus antibiotics and dexamethasone were compared. Primary outcome measures were rate of surgical drainage and LOS. RESULTS: Overall 153 patients with DNSI were identified, including 62 lateral neck, 18 parapharyngeal, 40 peritonsillar, 32 retropharyngeal, and 1 submandibular. All patients received antibiotics. Dexamethasone was used in 35% of patients. The rate of surgical drainage in the dexamethasone and non-dexamethasone group was 36% and 53% respectively (P = .043). LOS was shorter for the dexamethasone group (2.9 days) compared to the non-dexamethasone group (3.8 days) but was non-significant, P-value-.09. The most common microorganisms cultured were MRSA (25), MSSA (11), and Streptococcus pyogenes (10). CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone use was associated with a decreased rate of surgical drainage in pediatric patients with DNSI. Further prospective study is needed to determine the role of dexamethasone in treatment.

Advanced practice providers and children's hospital-based pediatric otolarynology practices.

INTRODUCTION: Advanced practice providers (APPs), including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, have been deployed in children's hospital-based academic pediatric otolaryngology practices for many years. However, this relationship in terms of prevalence, roles, financial consequences and satisfaction has not been examined. The objective of this study is to explore how APPs impact healthcare delivery in this setting. METHODS: Pediatric otolaryngology chiefs of all academic children's hospitals in the US were electronically surveyed about the ways APPs intersected clinically and financially in their respective practice. RESULTS: A total of 29 of 36 children's hospital-based pediatric otolaryngology practices completed the survey, of which 26 practices (90%) utilized APP. There were large variances within the APP practice cohort in faculty size (mean/median/range = 9.4/8.5/3-29); annual patient visits (mean/median = 18,373/17,600); number of practice site (mean/median/range = 4.3/4/2-9) and number of outpatient APP (mean/median/range = 6.3/5/1-30). No factors (faculty size, annual visits and number of practice sites) differentiated between the APP and non-APP practices. Among APP practices, significant correlation (p<.00001) was observed between size of APP cohort to faculty size and annual visits. 69% of the practices did not differentiate job functions of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. 85% of the practices utilized APPs in all practice sites and 19% utilized APPs in the operating room. 77% of APPs billed independently and 46% had on-site supervision. The most prevalent APP salary bracket based on 0-5, 6-10 and > 11 years of tenure were $76-100K (65%), $100-150K (77%) and $100-150K (86%), respectively. In 46% of the practices, APPs were able to generate enough revenue to cover more than 75% of their salary and 23% of practices generated a profit. 81% of the chiefs ranked the effectiveness of APPs as high (4 and 5) on a 5-point Likert scale. DISCUSSION: The majority of academic pediatric otolaryngology practices employed APPs. Despite the diversity seen in practice complexity, APP functionality and financial impact, most found the APP model to be beneficial in improving patient care, patient access and faculty productivity.

Injection bronchoplasty with carboxymethlycellulose with cystoscopy needle for neonatal persistent bronchopleural fistulae.

OBJECTIVE: We describe the novel use of injectable carboxymethylcellulose to close a persistent bronchopleural fistula (BPF) in a neonate who underwent an ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) after aborted fetoscopy. METHODS: In this case, a patient with laryngeal atresia underwent fetoscopy that was halted after concern for instruments within the mediastinum, and thus ultimately required an EXIT to establish an airway. Bilateral pneumothoraces and eventually multiple BPF were identified that continued to persist despite multiple attempts at removal of chest tubes over a four-week period. We look at the role of endoscopy and a substance often used in the larynx to help close a persistent BPF. RESULTS: At initial bronchoscopy, no BPF was identified, but at subsequent evaluation due to persistent pneumothorax, we used increased positive end expiratory pressure to help reveal the fistula. Given the bronchial location of the fistula, traditional laryngeal instruments could not be used, requiring the use of urologic cystoscopy needles to assist in accessing these challenging locations. At postoperative day 2 from the injection, the chest tube was removed and did not require replacement. CONCLUSION: There are many methods to help treat BPF. The endoscopic injection of carboxymethylcellulose adds a technique to the pediatric otolaryngologist's armamentarium.

Intratonsillar abscess: A not-so-rare clinical entity.

OBJECTIVE: To report the prevalence of intratonsillar abscess in the pediatric population at our institution and demonstrate that intratonsillar abscess is a more commonly encountered diagnosis than previously reported. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed that included patients presenting to our pediatric tertiary referral academic emergency department from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 diagnosed with intratonsillar abscess on computed tomography. RESULTS: In the year 2014, 22 children were diagnosed with intratonsillar abscess by radiological criteria. The majority of patients (82%) required no surgical intervention and were successfully treated with antibiotics and supportive measures. All patients recovered from the infection uneventfully, and there were no treatment complications recorded. CONCLUSION: Even in recent literature, intratonsillar abscess is described as a rare entity, with few cases reported. In our experience, CT imaging demonstrating the presence of intratonsillar abscess is more common than previously described. Regardless of treatment method, in our experience children with intratonsillar abscess do well clinically.

Anterior skull base duplication requiring delivery via EXIT procedure: A case report.

Duplication of the anterior skull base structures is an extremely rare malformation of failed midline blastogenesis. We present the case of a child with an obstructive oral cavity mass diagnosed on prenatal imaging. The child was successfully delivered by EXIT procedure, a tracheotomy was performed, and postnatal imaging demonstrated an array of craniofacial malformations, including complete duplication of the maxilla, pituitary glands, aqueducts of Sylvius, and basilar arteries. The child underwent excision of the duplicate maxilla, resulting in a wide cleft palate that will be repaired at a future date.

Comparison of cidofovir and the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in the treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

We conducted a retrospective study of the use of cidofovir and the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccineas adjunctive treatments to lesion debridement in patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). Our study population was made up of 15 children-7 boys and 8 girls, aged 1 to 16 years at diagnosis (mean: 6.2)-with pathologically confirmed RRP who had been followed for at least 1 year. In addition to demographic data, we compiled information on disease severity, the type of adjunctive treatment administered to each patient, the frequency of debridements, the length of observation, and remission rates. Of the 15 patients, 5 had been treated with cidofovirafter debridement (cidofovir-only group), 6 were treated with MMR vaccine after debridement (MMR-only group), 3 were treated with one and later switched to the other based on parental preference, and 1 received neither treatment, only debridement. The initial mean Derkay disease severity scores were 12.6 for the cidofovir-only group and 11.0 for the MMR-only group (p = 0.61). The cidofovir-only patients underwent an average of 11.8 adjunctive treatments and the MMR-only patients an average of 17.7 (p = 0.33). The average duration of observation was 44.0 months in the cidofovir-only group and 64.7 months in the MMR-only group (p = 0.29). Remission rates were 20% in the cidofovir-only group and 50% in the MMR-only group (p = 0.54). Our study found insufficient evidence of any significant differences between cidofovir and the MMR vaccinein terms of the number and frequency of adjunctive treatments and the rates of remission.

Invasive fungal sinusitis in the pediatric population: Systematic review with quantitative synthesis of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Invasive fungal sinusitis (IFS) represents an often fatal condition within the pediatric population. In an effort to characterize demographics, treatment modalities, and prognostic factors, we performed a systematic review. METHODS: We systematically reviewed EMBASE, Medline, TRIPdatabase, SCOPUS and the Cochrane database for invasive fungal nasal and sinus infections limited to individuals <18 years of age. Case series including 3 or more patients were included. Demographics, treatment and outcomes were analyzed using R Gui statistical software. RESULTS: Twelve studies met inclusion criteria (103 patients). There was male preponderance of 48.5% with median age of 11 years old. Majority of patients had underlying leukemia (44.6%). Aspergillus was the predominant organism (47%). Isolated nasal findings occurred in 14% of patients and nasal findings occurred in 49% overall. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of immunocompromised patients was below 600 in most patients (99%). Average and median length of neutropenia was 2 weeks. All patients were prescribed amphoterocin with 50% as single medicinal therapy. Surgery occurred in 82.8% of cases. The mortality rate was 46%. Univariate analysis identified presenting with facial pain as a negative predictor of overall mortality (OR 0.296, 95% CI: 0.104-0.843, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Mortality remains high in pediatric patients with IFS. An ANC of <600 occurred in the majority of immunocompromised patients at a duration of 2 weeks. Presenting with facial pain was a negative predictor of mortality. Many studies label this condition as invasive fungal sinusitis; however, approximately one seventh presented with only nasal findings and half overall had nasal involvement.

Retrospective Review of Management and Outcomes of Pediatric Descending Mediastinitis.

OBJECTIVES: To review the management and outcomes of pediatric patients treated for descending mediastinitis at a single institution and contribute to an updated mortality rate. STUDY DESIGN: Case series with chart review. SETTING: Tertiary care pediatric hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study is a 19-patient case series of all patients treated for descending mediastinitis at a tertiary pediatric hospital from 1997 to 2015, and it serves as an update to the case series published from this institution in 2008. Review of management included time to diagnosis, time to surgery, surgical procedures performed, and antibiotics administered. The primary outcomes measured were length of hospitalization and mortality. RESULTS: In addition to 8 previously reported patients, we identified 11 pediatric patients treated for descending mediastinitis in the period of review. All 19 patients were <18 months old, and all survived their hospitalization. Fourteen patients underwent surgical drainage at least twice. The median length of hospital stay was 15 days. Retropharyngeal abscess was the source of infection in 16 of 19 patients, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was the isolated organism in 14 of 15 positive cultures. CONCLUSION: This review represents the largest reported series of pediatric patients with descending mediastinitis. With 100% survival, our results suggest that pediatric descending mediastinitis can be safely managed by prompt surgical drainage. Broad-spectrum antibiotics covering MRSA and a low threshold for repeat surgical intervention have been an important part of our successful approach and may decrease length of stay.

Palatopharyngoplasty with bilateral buccal mucosal graft repair to alleviate oropharyngeal stenosis.

Oropharyngeal stenosis is rare, but known complication from tonsillectomy procedure. A 15-year-old female presented with refractory dyspnea, mild obstructive sleep apnea, and dysphagia. She underwent tonsillectomy 3 years prior. Severe cicatricial oropharyngeal scar involving soft palate, anterior tonsillar pillars, and base of tongue, resulted in 1-cm(2) airway. Case report describing lysis of severe palatopharyngeal scar bands from tonsillectomy misadventure with immediate buccal mucosal grafts to repair resultant oropharyngeal defects. Patient no longer complains of difficulty breathing or dysphagia.

Traumatic tracheal injury in children: a case series supporting conservative management.

OBJECTIVES: Injuries to the tracheobronchial region are rare, but have the potential for rapid progression and can become life-threatening. Etiologies of non-penetrating tracheobronchial injuries include blunt cervical trauma, endotracheal intubation, and other iatrogenic causes. Several options for treatment ranging from conservative to surgical exist, but no single treatment has been implemented with consensus. While early surgical repair was once considered the cornerstone of therapy, evidence supporting conservative treatment continues to gain strength. METHODS: All pediatric patients who suffered from non-penetrating injuries to the tracheobronchial tree who were treated by the Otolaryngology Service at a tertiary children's hospital from May 2012 through March 2014 were recorded. A total of 8 patients were identified. The cases were collected from the patients treated by the Otolaryngology Department based on retrospective review. The available electronic medical records were reviewed for each patient. Data including type of injury, endoscopic assessment of injury, treatment received, and follow-up were collected. RESULTS: The ages ranged from 2 to 15 years old, with a mean of 9.25 years old. Six of the eight patients had injuries related to endotracheal intubation. Each patient was taken to the operating suite for diagnostic direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy, and treated with initial conservative management. All but one of the patients was treated with endotracheal intubation, and the average length of intubation was 11.71 days. All of the injuries healed spontaneously without requiring initial open surgery. Five patients (62.5%) developed some degree of tracheal stenosis. Three patients (37.5%) required further surgery; one received a tracheostomy and two patients required balloon dilation. CONCLUSIONS: This case series is the largest to date documenting the outcomes of conservative treatment of non-penetrating traumatic tracheal injuries in children. By using initial conservative therapy, we were able to avoid open surgical procedures in many of our patients. We believe that this case series provides further support for conservative management for children with tracheobronchial injuries.

Non-otogenic lateral sinus thrombosis: a complication of acute sphenoid sinusitis.

The consequences of intracranial spread of sinus infection can be dismal. The subtle presentation of sphenoid sinusitis often leads to a delay in diagnosis. The disease may go unrecognized until complications are severe enough to cause more localizing symptoms. Often infections in the head and neck spread into the cranial cavity, leading to a localized effect. For example, otogenic infections can spread to the mastoid or lateral venous sinus. We report a case of sphenoid sinusitis complicated by lateral and sigmoid venous sinus thrombosis.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of neonatal suppurative parotitis: a report of two cases and review of the literature.

Suppurative parotitis is an uncommon entity identified in newborns. While Staphylococcus aureus has been frequently identified as the causative pathogen among the few patients diagnosed with neonatal suppurative parotitis (NSP), there has only been one prior case described in the literature that was due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Because of its virulence, MRSA presents new and substantial challenges for the surgeon; we describe two cases of NSP caused by MRSA and the subsequent surgical intervention necessitated for cure. We also include a review of all cases of NSP described in the English-language literature.