Association between superior labial frenum and maxillary midline diastema - a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric otolaryngologists have seen an increased focus on upper lip frenum as a possible culprit for feeding difficulties and the development of maxillary midline diastema (MMD). This increase may be encouraged by parents' exposure to medical advice over the internet about breastfeeding and potential long-term aesthetic concerns for their children. Subsequently, there has been increased pressure on pediatric otolaryngologists to perform superior labial frenectomies. There has been a reported 10-fold increase in frenectomies since the year 2000. However, there is no consensus within the literature regarding the benefit of superior labial frenectomy in preventing midline diastema. OBJECTIVE: To provide physicians and parents with the most updated information by systematically reviewing the available literature for the association between superior labial frenum and midline diastema. METHODS: A literature search was performed in MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and Dental and Oral Sciences Source (DOSS). Using the Covidence platform, a systematic review was conducted. The initial 314 articles identified underwent systematic review and 11 studies were included in the final review. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: Available data, primarily from the dental literature, showed that two subtypes of frenum: papillary and papillary penetrating frenum, are associated with maxillary midline diastema. Superior labial frenectomy should be delayed until permanent lateral incisors have erupted, as this can spontaneously close the physiological MMD. Current literature recommends against frenectomy before addressing the diastema with orthodontics, which helps to prevent diastema relapse. It is also imperative to rule out other odontogenic and oral cavity causes of diastema, such as thumb sucking, dental agenesis, and other causes. Online information may not always be fully representative and should be interpreted in the full context of the patient's medical history before referral for surgical intervention.

Use of mucosal eosinophil count as a guide in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a local inflammatory process driven by eosinophils. Mucosal eosinophil count (MEC) has previously been demonstrated to be a reliable indicator of disease severity. We aim to evaluate use of MEC in guiding medical management of CRS after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with CRS who underwent FESS from 2004 to 2017. Tissue MEC per high-power field (HPF) was determined by pathologic examination. MECs were compared by polyp status, postoperative medication requirements, and revision surgery. Patients received normal saline (NS) nasal irrigations with additional treatment as needed for disease control: 1-drug therapy (1-DT) intranasal steroid spray (ISS), 2-drug therapy (2-DT) ISS plus budesonide nasal irrigations (BNI) or leukotriene receptor antagonist (LRA), or 3-drug therapy (3-DT) ISS plus BNI and LRA. Correlations between MEC and 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), preoperative computed tomography (CT), and nasal endoscopy scores were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 156 patients were included. Fifty-seven were managed with 1-DT, 35 with 2-DT, and 62 with 3-DT. Across all patients, mean postoperative 6-month and 1-year SNOT-22 (18.1 ± 17.0, 18.1 ± 20.2, respectively) and nasal endoscopy (3.6 ± 3.8, 3.6 ± 4.1, respectively) scores were significantly lower than preoperative scores (37.4 ± 22.8, 6.5 ± 4, respectively). With increasing MEC, odds of requiring 2-DT (odds ratio [OR] = 1.1, p = 0.0002), 3-DT (OR = 1.12, p < 0.0001), and revision surgery (OR = 1.11, p < 0.0001) were significantly increased. Preoperative endoscopy (ρ = 0.44, p < 0.0001) and CT scores (ρ = 0.51, p < 0.0001) and postoperative 6-month (ρ = 0.55, p < 0.0001) and 1-year (ρ = 0.4, p < 0.0001) endoscopy scores demonstrated good correlation with MEC. CONCLUSION: MEC correlates with objective clinical disease severity and may guide aggressiveness of management for the individual patient.

Salivary Gland Cancers of the Nasopharynx: A Population-Based Analysis of 383 Cases.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Salivary gland nasopharynx cancers (SGNPCs) are rare malignancies with few cases discussed in the literature. This study represents the largest cohort of SGNPC to date. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective population-based analysis. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry from 1973 to 2015 was utilized to extract 383 cases of SGNPC. Data were analyzed for demographic characteristics, incidence, clinicopathologic traits, and outcome prognosticators. RESULTS: White female patients aged >40 years were most commonly affected. The incidence was measured as 0.019 per 100,000 people. The majority of tumors presented at advanced stages (stage III/IV, 60.8%). Adenoid cystic carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and mucoepidermoid carcinoma were the most commonly encountered histologies (43.1%, 31.6%, 13.3%, respectively). Cervical node involvement and distant metastasis were measured at 23% and 11.9%, respectively. Mucoepidermoid carcinomas presented with the best disease-specific survival at 5 and 10 years. Asian ethnicity, age <80 years, and earlier American Joint Committee on Cancer stages were positive prognostic factors. The inclusion of surgical therapy improved 5-year outcomes among the most common histologies, except for mucoepidermoid carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Salivary gland nasopharyngeal cancer represents a group of rare histologies with similar outcomes as squamous cell carcinomas. However, prognosis is primarily dependent on histologic subtype, race, age, and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage.

Reliability of the supraorbital ethmoid cell vs Keros classification in predicting the course of the anterior ethmoid artery.

BACKGROUND: We previously showed that the supraorbital ethmoid cell (SOEC) is a reliable landmark for identifying the anterior ethmoid artery (AEA). Recent data have suggested that Keros classification is also a dependable predictor. We aim to characterize the location of the AEA and its relation to the skull base in patients with and without SOEC using the Keros classification. METHODS: Retrospective radiographic evaluation of computed tomography (CT) scans of 76 patients (40 with SOEC, 36 without) was conducted. Distance of AEA from skull base and prevalence of AEA outside of the skull base were measured on each side and compared between groups using the 2-sample t test and χ2 test, respectively. Subgroup analysis was carried out based on the Keros classification. RESULTS: Mean distance of AEA from the skull base was 1.32 ± 1.5 mm in patients with SOEC and 0.47 ± 1.08 mm in those without (p < 0.001). Prevalence of AEA outside of the skull base was 53.8% in those with SOEC and 18.1% in those without (p < 0.001). Comparing patients with SOEC to those without, AEA was found below the skull base in 30% vs 0% of cases with Keros type 1 (p = 0.45), 58% vs 14.5% with Keros type 2 (p < 0.001), and 60% vs 50% with Keros type 3 (p = 0.72). CONCLUSION: The presence of SOEC is associated with a higher prevalence of the AEA coursing below the level of the skull base in all Keros types, thus placing the artery at greater risk for injury. Careful surgical planning is needed to avoid potential orbital complications.

Clostridium difficile infection in dialysis patients.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhea. Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may be at increased risk for CDI. Patients with ESRD with CDI have increased mortality, longer length of stay, and higher costs. The present studies extend these observations and address associated comorbidities, incidence of recurrence, and risk factors for mortality. We queried the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) for patients with ESRD diagnosed with CDI, and assessed for the incidence of infection, comorbidities, and mortality. The records of 419,875 incident dialysis patients from 2005 to 2008 were reviewed. 4.25% had a diagnosis of a first CDI. In the majority of patients with CDI positive, a hospitalization or ICU stay was documented within 90 days prior to the diagnosis of CDI. The greatest adjusted relative risk (aRR) of CDI was present in patients with HIV (aRR 2.68), age ≥65 years (aRR 1.76), and bacteremia (aRR 1.74). The adjusted HR (aHR) for death was 1.80 in patients with CDI. The comorbidities demonstrating the greatest risk for death in dialysis patients with CDI included age ≥65 years and cirrhosis (aHR 2.28 and 1.76, respectively). Recurrent CDI occurred in 23.6%, was more common in Caucasians, and in those who were older. CDI is a common occurrence in patients with ESRD, with elderly patients, patients with HIV positive, and bacteremic patients at highest risk for infection. Patients with CDI had nearly a twofold increased risk of death.