Publication rate of abstracts presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Research projects are frequently presented at national meetings not only to make the data available, but also to further critically evaluate the project. The ultimate goal remains publication of the research. We assessed the publication rate of presentations at 1993-95 annual meetings. METHODS: All presentations at the scientific sessions were searched in the computerized database Melvyl MEDLINE and PubMed. The papers were categorized in 6 broad groups. RESULTS: The overall proportion of presentations that were published was 32%. Clinical papers in pediatrics had the highest publication rate, followed by basic science research in laryngology and plastics. CONCLUSION: The publication rate of 32% is lower than the rate at meetings in other fields, reflecting variability in selection criteria for the presentations and quality of abstracts presented. Basic science presentations did not have a greater publication rate as compared to clinical presentations.

Radial forearm free flap pharyngoesophageal reconstruction.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the outcome of pharyngoesophageal reconstruction using radial forearm free flaps with regard to primary wound healing, speech, and swallowing in patients requiring laryngopharyngectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review in the setting of a tertiary, referral, and academic center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients underwent reconstruction of the pharyngoesophageal segment using fasciocutaneous radial forearm free flaps. RESULTS: All free flap transfers were successful. An oral diet was resumed in 85% of the patients after surgery. Postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistulas occurred in 4 patients (20%) with 3 resolving spontaneously. Distal strictures also occurred in 20% of the patients. Five patients who underwent tracheoesophageal puncture achieved useful speech. CONCLUSIONS: Advantages of radial forearm free flaps for microvascular pharyngoesophageal function include high flap reliability, limited donor site morbidity, larger vascular pedicle caliber, and the ability to achieve good quality tracheoesophageal speech. The swallowing outcome is similar to that achieved after jejunal flap pharyngoesophageal reconstruction. The main disadvantage of this technique relates to a moderately high incidence of pharyngocutaneous fistulas, which contributes to delayed oral intake in affected patients.

Nitric oxide improves cisplatin cytotoxicity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To test whether nitric oxide (NO) enhances the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell line. BACKGROUND: Cisplatin is one of the most frequently used chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of HNSCC. NO has been shown to play an important role in regulating tumor growth. Previous studies demonstrate that NO can enhance the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts. In this report, we examined the in vitro interaction of NO and cisplatin in a HNSCC cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CCL23 cells were pretreated with three different NO donors: PAPA/NO (t 1/2 = 15 min), DPTA/NO (t 1/2 = 3 h), and DETA/NO (t 1/2 = 20 h). The cells were rinsed and exposed for 6 hours to a culture medium containing cisplatin. Cell survival and LD50 of cisplatin were calculated with and without NO pretreatment. RESULTS: PAPA/NO and DPTA/NO did not show any cytotoxic activity and did not change the LD50 of cisplatin. DETA/NO when used alone resulted in 25.6% cell death at its peak dose (100 microM). Pretreatment with DETA/NO resulted in almost a threefold reduction of the LD50 of cisplatin (6.8 vs. 2.4 microg/mL). Pretreatment with DETA/NO sensitized the HNSCC cells to subsequent cisplatin activity (two-sided P =.00016). CONCLUSION: Pretreatment of HNSCC cells with long-acting NO donors enhances cisplatin activity. Short- and medium-acting NO donors do not exert a toxic effect and do not augment the activity of cisplatin. NO agonists should be considered in the future as a possible adjunct to cisplatin in the treatment of HNSCC. Further studies with animal models are necessary to further clarify this relationship.

Measurement of adductory force of individual laryngeal muscles in an in vivo canine model.

In this experiment, the adductory properties of three intrinsic laryngeal muscles (the thyroarytenoid [TA], lateral cricoarytenoid [LCA], and interarytenoid [IA]) were studied and quantified. Using an in vivo canine laryngeal model, a recently developed "tensionometer" was used to measure the adductory force produced by each of these muscles at the vocal process of the arytenoid. Isolated muscle activation was obtained by stimulating selective terminal branches of the anterior division of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Results indicate that the LCA is the strongest adductory muscle, followed by the TA and the IA. Videolaryngoscopy revealed that LCA contraction causes adduction of the vocal fold and vocal process, with the predominant effect on the process. TA stimulation leads primarily to adduction of vocal fold, and the IA adducts mainly the vocal process. Implications of these findings are discussed.