Translation of the Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire-2 into Telugu and its Validation for use in Indian Patients.

Trismus refers to restriction in the ability to open the mouth. Comprehensive evaluation of trismus and its treatment outcomes needs a multidimensional, self-administered, trismus specific tool. In the present scenario, Gothenburg trismus questionnaire is the only reliable instrument to quantify trismus. Translation of this questionnaire helps in providing standardized documentation of trismus related problems and to obtain a patient's perspective on treatment outcomes within various populations. The aim of this study was to translate the Gothenburg trismus questionnaire-2 (GTQ 2) into Telugu (one of the Indian Languages) and validation of the translation for its effective use in regional Telugu speaking patients. The GTQ 2 was translated according to the guidelines framed by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research: (1) forward translation, (2) reconciliation and back translation, (3) cognitive debriefing, and (4) pilot testing. The psychometric properties of the translated version were evaluated by testing its internal consistency, construct validity, known-group validity and floor and ceiling effects. Patients who reported with or without trismus to the Head and Neck Oncology outpatient clinic were enrolled for the study. Comparison of the GTQ scores was done using Mann-Whitney U-test. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used for assessing convergent and divergent validity. Internal Consistency was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The translated version of the GTQ 2 was administered to 60 patients (30 trismus patients and 30 non-trismus patients). GTQ 2 was successfully translated without any significant issues. Construct validity of the translated version was confirmed and it has a good internal consistency (α > 0.7). The translated instrument can differentiate between those with and without trismus (p < 0.0005). A valid and reliable Telugu version of the Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire-2 is now available for the benefit of Indian patients. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13193-021-01369-7.

Resurgence of Emergency Total Laryngectomy: An Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic.

Laryngeal cancer is one of the most common head and neck cancers in India. Surgery is the preferred modality of treatment in majority of cT4a cases and selective cT3 cases of Carcinoma Larynx. COVID-19 outbreak became a global pandemic and caused significant delays and disruptions in every aspect of cancer care. Similarly, patients of laryngeal cancer presented with advanced disease and significant stridor. In such cases, Emergency total laryngectomy (ETL) proved to be a valid treatment modality in the place of conventional workup and treatment. We present our experience with Emergency laryngectomy during the COVID-19 pandemic and how we overcame its challenges. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-022-03422-5.

Virtual Laryngectomy Club: A Reality.

Total laryngectomy remains an essential treatment for locally advanced laryngeal carcinoma. However, it involves lifestyle changes for the patient, such as the inability to communicate verbally, breathing or aesthetic changes, which affect their quality of life and require comprehensive rehabilitation. Speech rehabilitation is of utmost importance for these patients. Hence to provide comprehensive rehabilitation after total laryngectomy we have been running a successful laryngectomee club at our institute for the benefit of our patients. But when the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic, many of our patients couldn't make their regular followup visits. We have successfully conducted the first ever online virtual meeting for our laryngectomee club members via video conferencing service.

Correction to: Translation of the Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire­2 into Telugu and its Validation for use in Indian Patients.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s13193-021-01369-7.].

Tracheal/Laryngeal Infiltration in Thyroid Cancer: a Single-Centre Experience.

Around 1/3 of patients of locally advanced carcinoma thyroid present with tracheal infiltration either alone or along with infiltration of other adjacent structures. Even though trachea is infiltrated, adequate resection is the main modality of treatment in these patients. We retrospectively analysed carcinoma thyroid patients who were operated at our institute, between January 2011 and December 2018, and underwent thyroidectomy with tracheal or laryngeal resection. Seventeen patients underwent tracheal/laryngeal resection with thyroidectomy. The mean age of patients was 57 years. Six and eleven were male and female, respectively, 0.14 (82%) patients had dyspnoea on presentation, 6 had hoarseness of voice, 6 had haemoptysis, and in 2 patients, neck swelling was the only complain. Two patients in our study presented with acute stridor, underwent emergency intubation and subsequently surgery. Two other patients had bulky pedunculated tumour in preoperative bronchoscopy and required tracheostomy for intubation before proceeding with surgery. In 11 patients, sleeve resection followed by end-to-end anastomosis was done, window resection was done in 3 patients, partial laryngectomy in 1, and total laryngectomy in 2 patients. In 10 patients (59%), the site of infiltration was in the lateral tracheal wall, with relatively small posterior primary (mean size 3.7 cm) in the thyroid lobe. Two patients developed postoperative complication, one patient with sleeve resection had secondary haemorrhage, and one patient who underwent window resection with myochondrial thyroid lamina flap reconstruction developed salivary fistula. These patients underwent re exploration with tracheostomy and were subsequently decannulated. Preoperative diagnosis of tracheal infiltration helps in better planning of surgery and counseling the patients of any possible complication. Clinical workup and pre-emptive diagnosis is therefore of paramount importance.

Primary Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor of the Trachea: a Case Report with Brief Review of Literature.

Malignant schwannoma, also called malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), is a rare and aggressive tumor arising from the nerve sheath. We describe a rare case of endotracheal malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor occurring in a middle-aged male who presented with asthma-like symptoms for 6 months with progressively increasing dyspnea. A computed tomogram (CT) scan of the thorax revealed near complete luminal obstruction of the trachea by a mass lesion at the level of the second and third tracheal rings. Microlaryngotracheoscopy revealed a fleshy pedunculated growth arising from the left side of the second and third tracheal rings and obliterating almost the entire tracheal lumen. Intraluminal complete excision of the mass was done. Later, he underwent excision of the 2nd and 3rd rings after the histopathology revealed MPNST. Patient after 28 months of follow-up is free of disease.

Cervicofacial-facial artery myocutaneous flap (C-FAM flap): A novel flap in oral cavity reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Reconstruction is an integral part of the surgical management of oral cancer. Local flaps are one of the options in reconstruction of small to moderate sized defects of oral cavity. Reconstruction is an integral part of the surgical management of oral cancer. Every defect needs to be assessed individually to tailor made the reconstruction because of its multidimensionality and complexity. Varieties of autologous tissues are being used in reconstruction like local, regional, or free flaps which can be simple or complex tissues. There is always a trend to identify the newer flaps/technique to personalize reconstruction. Local flaps are also one of the options in reconstruction of small to moderate sized defects of oral cavity. Local tissue if it is available is in the primary surgeon's purview and the flap can be raised without much technical difficulty and morbidity. We used perforator based tissue from the face and neck which is richly supplied by the facial vessels and named as the Cervicofacial- Facial Artery Myocutaneous flap (C-FAM flap) for reconstruction of oral cavity. METHODS: We used perforator based local tissue from the face and neck which is supplied by facial vessels and named it as the C-FAM flap for the reconstruction of oral cavity defects. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients underwent C-FAM flap reconstruction in different subsites of the oral cavity with acceptable functional rehabilitation. There was no flap loss. CONCLUSION: The C-FAM flap is a robust flap, which is reliable, pliable, and rich in its vascularity. It has to be one of the armamentarium for the oral cavity reconstruction. C-FAM flap: A Novel flap in Oral cavity reconstruction.

Hypothyroidism in Carcinoma of the Tongue with Adjuvant Treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of hypothyroidism with adjuvant treatment in oral tongue carcinoma patients treated primarily with surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was carried out to analyze hypothyroidism incidence and its relation to adjuvant treatment (radiation/radio-chemotherapy) in oral tongue carcinoma after the primary surgical ablation and neck dissection. Hypothyroidism was analyzed in relation with dose of radiation, gender, and adjuvant treatment modality. RESULTS: The study analyzed the patients who were treated between January 2012 and June 2015. Among 705 patients with carcinoma of the tongue treated primarily with wide local excision and neck dissection, 383 received adjuvant treatment. A total of 215 patients received radiation, and 168 received concurrent radio-chemotherapy. Of 378 patients, 78 developed hypothyroidism during follow-up: 27 patients received concurrent radio-chemotherapy, and the remaining 51 received only radiation. Lower neck received 40-48 Gy in 2 patients, 50 Gy in 74 patients, and 60-70 Gy and concurrent radio-chemotherapy in 27 patients. Median follow-up was 32 months. Hypothyroidism occurred in 21.5% of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue. The minimum period to develop hypothyroidism was 3 months in this study. Gender and adjuvant treatment were not found to be significant for the incidence of hypothyroidism. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of patients with carcinoma of the tongue who receive adjuvant treatment will develop hypothyroidism, hence frequent monitoring of thyroid function is advised during follow-up.

Safety of Completion Thyroidectomy for Initially Misdiagnosed Thyroid Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Completion thyroidectomy is defined as the surgical removal of the remnant thyroid tissue following procedures of less than total or near-total thyroidectomy. Whether thyroid reoperations are associated with an increased complication risk is controversial. OBJECTIVE: A retrospective analysis was done of patients undergoing completion thyroidectomy for cancer of the thyroid who had undergone surgery elsewhere for solitary thyroid nodule. The incidence of surgical complications in these patients after reoperation was investigated in this study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included a total of 53 patients who had undergone thyroid lobectomy for a solitary nodule as initial surgery elsewhere and were referred to our institute for completion thyroidectomy when the histopathology revealed malignancy. RESULTS: There were 53 patients, 43 females and 10 males. Their mean age was 34.7±12.12 years (range 19-65 years). After initial surgery, the histopathology revealed papillary carcinoma in 46 patients (86.8%), follicular carcinoma in 7 (13.2%). Fourteen out of 53 patients had recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy after initial surgery (26.4%). None of the patients had clinical hypocalcemia after the first surgery. One or more parathyroid glands were identified and preserved in 52 patients (98.1%) in the process of completion thyroidectomy. No patient had additional recurrent nerve injury at the second surgery. The mean serum calcium value preoperatively was 8.96±0.39 mg/dL, and six months after surgery serum calcium was 8.74±0.56 mg/dL. Mean follow-up was 18 months. Transient hypoparathyroidism occurred in 24.5% patients. Five patients were lost to follow-up. Permanent and symptomatic hyperparathyroidism occurred in eight patients (16.67%). CONCLUSIONS: Completion thyroidectomy is a safe and appropriate option in the management of well-differentiated thyroid cancer. It removes disease on the ipsilateral and contralateral side of the thyroid and carries a low risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve damage, but a higher risk of permanent hypoparathyroidism.

Modified pectoralis major myocutaneous flap for the total glossectomy defects: Effect on quality of life.

BACKGROUND: There is a general notion that, total glossectomy with laryngeal preservation leads to high dependency of tracheostomy and/or feeding tube. The objective of this study is to analyze the quality of life in terms of tube dependency following total glossectomy with a modified pectoralis major myocutaneous flap (PMMC) reconstruction and laryngeal suspension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The retrospective study included consecutive patients operated from July 2012 to February 2015 proven advanced Carcinoma of tongue. We analyzed the time to wean off tracheostomy and feeding tube in 56 patients who underwent total glossectomy and a modified technique of PMMC reconstruction. RESULT: The median time for tracheostomy weaning was 10 days and nasogastric tube was 16 days. CONCLUSION: Modified technique of reconstruction with PMMC in total glossectomy is a viable option with minimal functional morbidity. Quality of life in terms of tracheostomy and feeding tube dependency is minimal. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:32-35. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.