Improved vocal quality and decreased vocal effort after botulinum toxin treatment for laryngeal dystonia.

OBJECTIVES: Laryngeal dystonia (LD) is characterized by irregular and involuntary task-specific spasms of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles. There is no curative treatment for it, however, laryngeal botulinum neurotoxin injections (BoNT-I) are considered the standard of care therapy. This study aims to characterize the population of LD patients and to assess the results of laryngeal BoNT-I. METHODS: A Retrospective cohort study was conducted. Medical records were reviewed for all the patients with LD diagnosis seen in the Voice Unit of the Red de Salud UCChristus between January 2013 and October 2021. Biodemographic, clinical and treatment data were collected. Additionally, a telephonic survey was completed by the patients that underwent laryngeal BoNT-I, including self-reported voice outcomes and Voice Handicap Index 10 (VHI-10). RESULTS: Of the 34 patients with LD included in the study, 23 received a total of 93 laryngeal BoNT-I and 19 completed the telephone survey. The majority (97%) of the injections corresponded to patients with adductor LD and 3% to abductor LD. Patients received a median of 3 (1-17) injections, with a more frequent cricothyroid approach (94.4%), while the thyrohyoid approach accounted for 5.6% of cases. Most injections were bilateral (96.8%). A significant improvement in the vocal quality and effort was noted after the last injection and the overall BoNT-I treatment (P < 0.001). Similarly, the VHI-10 score improved from a median of 31 (7-40) to 2 (0-19) (P < 0.001) after the last injection. A post-treatment breathy voice was reported in 95% of patients, and dysphagia to liquids and solids in 68% and 21%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Laryngeal BoNT-I is an effective treatment for LD, achieving an improvement in self-reported vocal quality and VHI-10 scores, and a reduction of the self-reported vocal effort. Adverse effects are mild in the majority of cases, constituting a safe and effective therapy for these patients.

Vestibular and Oculomotor Findings in Vestibular Migraine Patients.

BACKGROUND: Vestibular migraine (VM) is the most frequent etiology of recurrent spontaneous episodic vertigo. Vestibular and oculomotor abnormalities have been described in VM; however, the diagnosis is currently based on symptoms. The objective of this study was to determine the most frequent abnormalities in videonystagmography (VNG), caloric testing (Cal) and video head impulse test (vHIT) in patients with VM. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including all VM and probable VM patients seen from January 2021 to July 2022. Demographics, auditory symptoms and results via VNG, Cal and vHIT were evaluated. VNG results were compared with a control group. RESULTS: Sixty patients, 81.7% with VM and 18.3% with probable vestibular migraine, were included. VNG revealed the following abnormalities: 21.7% spontaneous nystagmus; 33.3% positional nystagmus, mostly central; 26.7% optokinetic nystagmus; 56.7% smooth pursuit abnormalities and 70% saccade test abnormalities, mostly velocity and latency. An abnormal unilateral caloric response was seen in 22.9%, while vHIT revealed a low gain in at least one canal in 21.7%, and saccades were seen in at least one canal with normal gains in 18.3%. Concordant results between Cal and lateral vHIT were seen in 77.1% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Although VM is a clinical diagnosis, vestibular and oculomotor abnormalities are commonly seen. The most frequent oculomotor findings were an abnormal saccade test, abnormal smooth pursuit and central positional nystagmus.

Implementation of the updated Sydney system biopsy protocol improves the diagnostic yield of gastric preneoplastic conditions: Results from a real-world study.

BACKGROUND: The updated Sydney system biopsy protocol (USSBP) standardizes the sampling of gastric biopsies for the detection of preneoplastic conditions (e.g., gastric intestinal metaplasia [GIM]), but the real-world diagnostic yield is not well-described. AIM: To determine whether regular application of USSBP is associated with higher detection of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), GIM and autoimmune gastritis (AIG). METHODS: We performed a real-world retrospective study at an academic urban tertiary hospital in Chile. We manually reviewed medical records from consecutive patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) from January to December 2017. Seven endoscopists who performed EGDs were categorized into two groups (USSBP 'regular' and USSBP 'infrequent') based on USSBP adherence, using minimum 20% adherence as the prespecified threshold. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between endoscopist groups and the likelihood of diagnosing CAG, GIM or AIG. RESULTS: 1206 patients were included in the study (mean age: 58.5; 65.3% female). The USSBP regular group demonstrated a higher likelihood of detecting CAG (20% vs. 5.3%; aOR 4.03, 95%CI: 2.69-6.03), GIM (12.2% vs. 3.4%; aOR 3.91, 95%CI: 2.39-6.42) and AIG (2.9% vs. 0.8%; aOR 6.52, 95%CI: 1.87-22.74) compared to infrequent group. Detection of advanced-stage CAG (Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment stage III/IV) was significantly higher in the USSBP regular vs. infrequent group (aOR 5.84, 95%CI: 2.23-15.31). CONCLUSIONS: Routine adherence to USSBP increases the detection rates of preneoplastic conditions, including CAG, GIM and AIG. Standardized implementation of USSBP should be considered in high gastric cancer risk populations.

Audiological follow-up in transplant patients treated with calcineurin immunosuppressants "Calcineurin inhibitors and Ototoxicity".

BACKGROUND: Ototoxicity is a side effect of drugs and medications that usually leads to bilateral and symmetric sensorineural hearing loss that commonly affects the high-frequency range initially, with or preceded by tinnitus. Possible ototoxic side effects of calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressants have been suggested, but this remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate audiological changes in patients undergoing transplantation receiving immunosuppressive treatment with calcineurin inhibitors. METHODS: Prospective cohort study. Adult patients undergoing liver or kidney transplantation treated with calcineurin inhibitors were included. Pure-tone audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory questionnaire were completed at baseline, one, three, and six months after transplantation. Hearing thresholds were compared and correlated with plasma concentrations of calcineurin inhibitors. RESULTS: Seventeen patients were included, 59% males, with a median age of 54.7 years (29-68 years). Twelve patients underwent liver transplantation, four underwent kidney transplantation, and one patient underwent both. The medianfollow-up was 5.8 months (4-8 months). Significant pure-tone average shifts were observed in two patients. Both cases presented fluctuations in their hearing levels, which were not bilateral or symmetrical and affected the higher frequencies. All patients received tacrolimus within the therapeutic range during the follow-up period. Three different patients exceeded the expected range once; however, they were rapidly corrected and did not correlate with any changes in hearing. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that tacrolimus does not cause hearing loss when levels are within the therapeutic range for a follow-up period of six months post-transplantation.

Caloric and video head impulse test dissociated results in dizzy patients.

Introduction: We are now able to detect abnormalities for any semicircular canal with the use of the video head impulse test (vHIT). Prior to the vHIT, the gold standard for unilateral canal paresis of the lateral canal was considered the caloric test. Clinical cases where the caloric test and vHIT are discordant are not uncommon. Methods: Retrospective study. All consecutive cases of dizziness seen from 11/2020 to 12/2021 for which the patient underwent both caloric and vHIT tests performed within 10 days, were reviewed. Patients with discordant results were included. We evaluated the caloric response, vHIT gains for all canals and saccades, with and without gain abnormalities. Results: We included 74 cases of dizziness with dissociated results. The most common finding was a normal caloric response with abnormal vHIT results (60.8%); the main abnormal finding on vHIT was the presence of saccades. In this group, 37.7% of patients had normal gains and refixation saccades. In addition, the most found low gain was for the posterior canal. The main diagnosis in this group was vestibular migraine. For the group with unilateral caloric paresis and normal vHIT gain in the lateral canal, the main diagnosis was Ménière's disease. Discussion: The most common disorders with discordant results were Ménière's disease and vestibular migraine. The caloric test and vHIT are complementary and combining both tests provide greater clinical information. Further research is needed to understand refixation saccades with normal gains.

Phantosmia May Predict Long-Term Measurable Olfactory Dysfunction After COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: Persistent olfactory dysfunction (OD) after 6 months caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection has been reported with a variable prevalence worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of long-term OD and identify predisposing factors. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted on 100 adults with COVID-19. Olfactory function was assessed with the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test and a symptom survey at the onset of disease and 30 days later. Patients with persistent quantitative OD at the second assessment were reevaluated after 1 year. Demographic variables, symptoms, and the degree of smell loss were analyzed. RESULTS: Participants included 100 patients. The mean age was 42.2 ± 15.6 years, 55 (55%) were female, and 56 (56%) were outpatients. Baseline smell loss was identified in 75/100 (75%) patients, decreasing to 39/95 (40%) after 1 month, and persisting in 29 patients after 1 year. Phantosmia at baseline was the only risk factor identified for persistent OD after 1 year (relative risk 2.51; 95% confidence interval 1.53-4.12; p < 0.001). Regardless of the outcome in smell function, a significant decline in olfaction was associated with the presence of phantosmia at 1 month (ß = -12.39; 95% CI -19.82 to -4.95; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 (2019-2020 variants) produced a highly frequent OD that persisted in 29% of the patients after 1 year. The presence of phantosmia at baseline and 1 month was associated with a worse evolution, but phantosmia may interfere with the performance in an identification smell test. A longer follow-up is required in these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Laryngoscope, 132:2445-2452, 2022.

Resective surgery versus palliative care in advanced gallbladder cancer. / Cirugía resectiva versus paliación en cáncer de vesícula avanzado.

INTRODUCTION: Despite multiple advances in medicine, gallbladder cancer remains a disease with poor prognosis. In advanced stages, the main options are surgical management or palliative non-surgical care. However, it is not clear which therapy constitutes a better alternative. METHODS: We searched in Epistemonikos, the largest database of systematic reviews in health, which is maintained by screening multiple information sources, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, among others. We extracted data from the systematic reviews, reanalyzed data of primary studies, conducted a meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table using the GRADE approach. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We identified one systematic review including three primary studies, none of them randomized. We concluded that resective surgery may increase survival rates in patients with advanced gallbladder cancer, but the certainty of the evidence is low.

INTRODUCCIÓN: A pesar de los múltiples avances de la medicina, el cáncer de vesícula sigue siendo una enfermedad con mal pronóstico. En su etapa avanzada, se plantea el tratamiento quirúrgico o paliativo no quirúrgico, pero no está claro cual de las alternativas constituye una mejor opción. MÉTODOS: Realizamos una búsqueda en Epistemonikos, la mayor base de datos de revisiones sistemáticas en salud, la cual es mantenida mediante el cribado de múltiples fuentes de información, incluyendo MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, entre otras. Extrajimos los datos desde las revisiones identificadas, analizamos los datos de los estudios primarios y preparamos una tabla de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. RESULTADOS Y CONCLUSIONES: Identificamos sólo una revisión sistemática que incluyó tres estudios primarios, de los cuales ninguno corresponde a un ensayo aleatorizado. Concluimos que la cirugía resectiva podría aumentar la sobrevida en los pacientes con cáncer de vesícula avanzado, pero la certeza de la evidencia es baja.