Defining the Health Utility Value of Medical Management of Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Prospective Pilot Study

The extent to which medical management of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) may improve health utility value (HUV) remains unknown. We conducted a prospective pilot study to longitudinally assess HUV via the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire in patients with CRS who were receiving medical therapy but did not undergo sinus surgery. The primary study outcome was HUV at 12-month follow-up; secondary end points included HUV at baseline and 3- and 24-month follow-up. Our study enrolled 115 patients who received the following medical treatments: saline irrigations (n = 83, 72.2%), steroid sprays (n = 93, 80.9%), antihistamines (n = 64, 55.7%), steroid irrigations (n = 29, 25.2%), and oral antibiotics (n = 58, 50.4%). There was a statistically significant improvement (mean, +0.073; P = .003) in HUV at 12 months (minimum clinically important difference, 0.055) as compared with baseline. However, there was no statistically significant trend in HUV over time between baseline and 24-month follow-up (P = .3033). These findings can inform cost-effectiveness research as new medical therapies for CRS emerge.

Connexin 32 and 43 mutations: do they play a role in chronic rhinosinusitis?

OBJECTIVE

Dysfunction of the sinonasal epithelium may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) including recurrent acute rhinosinusitis (RARS). Mutations in connexin 32 and 43 proteins have been associated with a number of human diseases. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of mutations in connexin 32 or connexin 43 genes in CRS and RARS.

METHODS

Prospective case series of 19 patients with CRS and /or RARS. Clinical and demographic factors were noted and buccal swabs were collected for DNA sequencing of connexin 32 and connexin 43 genes.

RESULTS

One patient was found to have a conservative V193I mutation in the connexin 32 gene. Connexin 43 mutations were found in two patients - a silent R239R mutation and an AAA insertion after the stop codon in the 3' UTR. None of these mutations are associated with any known diseases or predicted to lead to protein dysfunction.

CONCLUSION

Mutations in connexin 32 or 43 genes in patients with CRS, including RARS, appear to be rare. The etiologic role of connexin mutations in chromic rhinosinusitis is suspect, and routine sequencing for connexin mutations in patients with RARS or CRS is not cost effective.

Is imaging necessary in the evaluation of the patient with an isolated complaint of anosmia?

Imaging studies are often obtained during the evaluation of the patient with an olfactory deficit. The purpose of this article is to describe an investigation that was conducted to assess the effectiveness of imaging studies in determining the etiology of olfactory loss in the patient with an isolated complaint of anosmia and no relevant findings on physical examination, including nasal endoscopy. The author conducted a retrospective review of the records of 20 women and eight men, aged 22 to 71 years (mean: 45), whose duration of anosmia had ranged from 1 month to 2 years (median: 3 mo). Twenty of these patients had undergone contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the paranasal sinuses and brain, and the other eight had undergone enhanced computed tomography. The author found that these imaging studies did not add to the information obtained by the clinical history and endoscopic nasal examination and were thus not useful in determining the cause of anosmia. Based on these findings, the author does not recommend that imaging studies be included as part of the evaluation of these patients.

Open Zenker's diverticulectomy using stapling techniques

This is a prospective review of patients who underwent Zenker's diverticulectomy, closure of the pharyngotomy with nonabsorbable staples, and cricopharyngeal myotomy through an open neck approach over a period of 2 years. The study group consisted of 9 men with a mean age of 67 years. The diagnosis of Zenker's diverticulum was based on a barium swallow esophagram. The mean operative time was 1.5 hours, with a mean estimated blood loss of 25 mL. Barium swallow esophagrams performed on the first postoperative day showed no pharyngeal fistulas. Oral feeding was started after the esophagram. One patient was discharged on postoperative day 1, 1 was discharged on postoperative day 3, and the remaining 7 were discharged on postoperative day 2. All patients were able to take oral feeding by postoperative day 1. There were no operative complications in this series. We conclude that stapling with nonabsorbable staples is a relatively safe and effective method for closing pharyngeal defects after Zenker's diverticulectomy. The technique leads to shortening of the operative time and hospital stay, and allows early resumption of oral feeding.

Bacteriology of nontraumatic maxillary sinus mucoceles versus chronic sinusitis

OBJECTIVE

To compare the bacteriology of maxillary sinus mucoceles to chronic sinusitis and understand the pathogenesis of nontraumatic maxillary sinus mucoceles (NTMSM).

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review.

METHODS

Review of intraoperative bacteriology culture results obtained in patients with NTMSM. Patients with history of facial trauma or previous paranasal sinus surgery were not included in the study. The results were compared to intraoperative cultures obtained from patients with chronic sinusitis (CS).

RESULTS

The study groups consisted of 16 patients with NTMSM (9 male and 7 female patients) and 211 patients with CS (86 male and 125 female patients). Cultures in the NTMSM group were positive in 7 of 16 patients (44%) (four cultures had more than one isolate). There was no growth in cultures of 9 patients (56%). On the other hand, cultures in 176 patients with CS (83%) grew organisms (42 cultures had more than one isolate); there was no growth in 35 of 211 patients (17%) (P = .0007). The cultures grew aerobic bacteria in 7 of 16 (44%) and 160 of 211 (76%) patients of the NTMSM and CS groups, respectively. Anaerobic bacteria were detected in cultures of 2 of 16 patients (12.5%) with NTMSM compared with 13 of 211 patients (6.2%) in the CS group (P = .286). The most common pathogenic aerobe in the NTMSM group was alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus, while Staphylococcus aureus was the most common in the CS group.

CONCLUSION

The bacteriology of maxillary sinus mucoceles is different from that of CS. The majority of patients with mucoceles have sterile intraoperative cultures. The data do not support infection as the main origin of NTMSM.

Maxillary sinus mucoceles: clinical presentation and long-term results of endoscopic surgical treatment

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical presentation of maxillary sinus mucoceles, understand their pathogenesis, and determine the long-term efficacy of the endoscopic surgical treatment.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review.

METHODS

Thirteen consecutive patients who presented with maxillary sinus muco(pyo) celes were studied. Subjects with history of preceding sinus/nasal surgery or facial trauma were excluded. The presenting signs and symptoms, radiological findings, and surgical management were reviewed.

RESULTS

There were six women and seven men with an age range of 31 to 71 years. Two patients had environmental allergies. Nine patients complained of cheek pressure or pain, six of nasal obstruction, and eight of nasal drainage. On endoscopic nasal examination, the medial wall of maxillary sinus was bulging with prolapsed middle meatal mucosa in 10; drainage was seen in 7, but none had polyps. The sinus involvement was limited to the maxillary sinus and the ipsilateral ethmoid on computed tomographic studies in 10 cases. Patients were treated with endoscopic ethmoidectomy, middle meatal antrostomy, and marsupialization of the mucocele. Intraoperative cultures grew organisms in five patients. Postoperative follow-up ranged between 10 and 66 months. Two patients required lysis of adhesions in the middle meatus, and one, revision antrostomy. All patients had a patent middle meatal antrostomy and healthy maxillary sinus mucosa at latest follow-up. The presenting symptoms resolved or improved in 12 cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The etiology of maxillary sinus mucoceles is not well understood. Mechanical obstruction or allergy or both do not seem to play an important role. An infectious origin is also not supported by the above data. Endoscopic sinus surgery is a reliable therapeutic measure with a favorable long-term outcome.

Clinical presentation and management of labyrinthine fistula caused by chronic otitis media

To describe the clinical presentation and surgical management of patients with chronic otitis media complicated by labyrinthine fistula and to determine clinical indicators that predict postoperative hearing outcome, I performed a retrospective analysis at an academic tertiary care center. Thirty-four patients with labyrinthine fistula as a complication of chronic otitis media, documented at mastoidectomy, underwent postoperative audiometry. The median age was 50 years, and the duration of otologic symptoms ranged from 2 months to more than 40 years. On presentation, 3 patients had anacusis in the affected ear, while in the others, the pure tone average for bone conduction at the 0.5-, 1-, 2-, and 4-kHz frequencies was 34 dB hearing level. Nineteen patients (56%) complained of dizziness on presentation. The fistula test was positive in 14 of 28 patients (50%). The fistula was detected radiologically in 10 of 24 patients (42%). Cholesteatoma was present in 33 of 34 patients (97%). The lateral semicircular canal was the most common site of labyrinthine fistula. The cholesteatoma matrix was completely removed in 29 of 33 cases and exteriorized in the remaining 4. Of the 31 patients with measurable hearing preoperatively, anacusis occurred in 8 (26%). In 6 of these, the preoperative pure tone average for bone conduction was greater than 50 dB hearing level, and cholesteatoma matrix and granulation tissue invading the membranous labyrinth were found at surgery. I concluded that in chronic otitis media, labyrinthine fistulas occurred almost exclusively in the presence of a cholesteatoma. Postoperative hearing outcome correlated with the size of the fistula and the presence of granulation tissue invading the labyrinth. which could be predicted by the preoperative audiometry.

Extent of lymphadenectomy achieved by various modifications of neck dissection: a pathologic analysis

OBJECTIVES

Quantify the extent of lymphadenectomy achieved by the various modifications of neck dissection based on microscopic pathologic analysis.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review of neck specimens of patients who underwent neck dissection for head and neck malignancies at our institution over a 5-year period.

METHODS

Charts and pathology report findings on patients who underwent neck dissection were reviewed. Patients who received preoperative chemotherapy or radiation therapy to the neck were excluded. The number of lymph nodes documented by pathologic microscopic examination for each specimen was recorded.

RESULTS

There were 164 neck specimens on 135 patients (29 patient had simultaneous bilateral neck dissection). Those were divided into four groups based on the nonlymphatic structures preserved. There were 58 radical neck dissections (radical neck dissections) (group 1), 50 modified radical neck dissections sparing the eleventh cranial nerve (group 2), 15 modified radical neck dissections sparing the eleventh cranial nerve and internal jugular vein (group 3), and 33 modified radical neck dissections sparing the eleventh cranial nerve, internal jugular vein, and sternocleidomastoid muscle (group 4). The remaining 8 had other modifications of radical neck dissection. The mean number of lymph nodes found per specimen was 34 in group 1, 27 in group 2, 31 in group 3, and 22 in group 4. We performed one-way between-group analysis of variance (ANOVA). Pair-wise comparisons of means were carried out subsequent to ANOVA utilizing the Fisher Exact Test. Group 4 was significantly different from all other groups. Additionally, group 2 significantly differed from group 1.

CONCLUSIONS

The extent of lymphadenectomy achieved by neck dissection decreases as the number of nonlymphatic structures preserved in the neck increases. The impact of this finding on the pathologic staging or prognosis needs further analysis.

Teflon granuloma presenting as an enlarging, gadolinium enhancing, posterior fossa mass with progressive hearing loss following microvascular decompression

Deleterious effects of Teflon strand placement during microvascular decompression (MVD) for hemifacial spasm are rare. In this report, a patient who had previously undergone suboccipital MVD for hemifacial spasm presented 3 years postoperatively with a progressive asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss and magnetic resonance imaging evidence of an enlarging ipsilateral gadolinium enhancing 1-cm cerebellopontine angle lesion. At surgery a granuloma was found displacing the structures of the internal auditory canal. Histologically, evidence of a Teflon fiber-induced giant cell granuloma was identified. This paper reviews the literature of Teflon-induced histopathology as it relates to posterior fossa MVD surgery, as well as its relation to this previously unreported complication.

Significance of auditory brain stem response and gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Previous studies tried to correlate prognosis and response to oral corticosteroids in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss to such factors as the age of the patient, presence of vertigo, shape of the audiogram, or severity of the hearing loss. However, temporal bone histopathologic evidence shows that idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss may be caused by cochleitis or cochlear nerve neuritis. Herein we report results of a retrospective study of 96 consecutive patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss who were evaluated with auditory brain stem responses and gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Results of the auditory brain stem response and magnetic resonance imaging were correlated with hearing outcome. Follow-up was available for 65 patients: 14 with abnormal and 51 with normal auditory brain stem responses. The overall rate of hearing recovery or improvement was 65% in the normal auditory brain stem response group compared with 43% in the abnormal auditory brain stem response group (p = 0.07). Among the 38 patients treated with a tapering course of oral corticosteroids, the recovery or improvement rate was 83% for those with normal auditory brain stem responses and 56% for those with abnormal auditory brain stem responses (p < 0.05). Of the 27 patients who did not receive steroid therapy, the improvement rate was 41% in those with normal auditory brain stem responses and 20% in those with abnormal auditory brain stem responses (p = 0.09). Magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium was obtained on all 14 patients with abnormal auditory brain stem responses but on none with normal auditory brain stem responses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Primary localized amyloidosis of the nose and paranasal sinuses. A case report with immunohistochemical observations and a review of the literature

Primary localized amyloidosis of the nose and nasopharynx is a rare disease. We present a case and review seven additional cases from the English literature. The ages of the patients ranged from 8 to 86 years; there was no sex predominance. Symptoms were nasal obstruction, epistaxis, and impaired hearing. Physical examination revealed a nasal mass or glue ears. The lesions were composed of amyloid and chronic inflammatory cells, mainly plasma cells. Ours is the first case of nasal amyloidosis in which the type of amyloid was determined immunohistochemically to be amyloid light chain (AL) lambda. The main treatment was surgical. Recurrences developed. Determination of the biochemical nature of this amyloid clarified its pathogenesis and may influence treatment. Amyloidosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of nasal obstruction, epistaxis, and glue ears, even in the pediatric age group.