Use of peak nasal inspiratory flowmetry and nasal decongestant to evaluate outcome of septoplasty with radiofrequency coblation of the inferior turbinate.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the role of peak nasal inspiratory flowmetry (PNIF) in evaluating inspiratory improvements in patients who underwent both septoplasty and inferior turbinate coblation by radiofrequency (ITC-RF). METHODS: One hundred and eight patients underwent both Cottle's septoplasty and ITC-RF. PNIF measurements were performed in all patients in the preoperative period and 6 months postoperatively. All measurements were made both before and after decongestion of the nasal cavity with oxymetazoline spray. RESULTS: Mean preoperative PNIF measurements differed significantly: 104.3 ± 33.6 L/min vs 136.1 ± 27.7 L/min before and after oxymetazoline decongestion, respectively. Mean postoperative PNIF measurements were 139.2 ± 30.8 L/min and 151.2 ± 32.3 L/min before and after decongestion, respectively. Preoperatively the mean difference between before and after decongestion was 32.1 ± 16.3 L/min. Postoperatively the mean difference was 11.8 ± 11.1 L/min. CONCLUSION: PNIF can be used in the assessment of ITC-RF outcomes with the aid of nasal decongestants, even in patients who also underwent septoplasty.

Impedance-controlled radiofrequency vs. cold dissection tonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency (RF) and cold dissection (CD) tonsillectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, double-blind, controlled clinical study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and fourteen patients underwent tonsillectomy. The RF and CD techniques were used for the right and left tonsils, respectively; the patients and examining physicians were blinded to this information to avoid bias. We compared operation times, intraoperative bleeding, and postoperative pain associated with the respective techniques. RESULTS: The RF and CD techniques required similar operation times. Intraoperative bleeding was lower after RF dissection than after CD. The severity of pain did not differ between the two techniques on postoperative day 1, but was significantly lower for the CD technique than the RF technique on postoperative days 5 and 10. CONCLUSION: The RF technique is superior to CD regarding intraoperative bleeding, but not regarding operation time or time to return to a painless dietary regimen.

Neck masses: diagnostic analysis of 630 cases in Turkish population.

Neck masses can be classified into three main categories: congenital, inflammatory and neoplastic. Our aim was to determine the distribution of diagnosis in patients who were followed-up for a neck mass and had undergone surgery for diagnostic indications. Six hundred and thirty cases referred to the Otorhinolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery Department of Haseki Research and Training Hospital between January 2005 and February 2012 with a neck mass who underwent excisional or incisional biopsy to establish a histopathologic diagnosis were retrospectively evaluated. Patients with a diagnosis of upper aerodigestive tract malignancy were excluded from the study. As well as the patients with thyroid masses were excluded. Only unknown primary neck masses were included in the study. The neck masses were categorized as inflammatory (33.49 %), congenital (18.9 %) or neoplastic (47.6 %). Neoplastic masses were either benign (51 %) or malignant (49 %) tumors. The most common causes were tuberculous lymphadenitis (40.28 %) among inflammatory masses, thyroglossal duct cysts (32.77 %) among congenital masses, pleomorphic adenoma (22.33 %) among benign neoplastic masses, and lymphoma (20 %) among malignant neoplastic masses. The most common types of mass were congenital in the 0-20 year age group, benign neoplastic in 21-40-year-old and malignant neoplastic in the >40-year group. Any neck mass, especially in an elderly patient, should be managed with caution as a considerable proportion may be malignant. In children and adolescents, a neck mass requiring surgery is most likely to be congenital. Tuberculosis should be considered as a cause of a neck mass due to a long-term inflammatory process in a developing country.