Purpose The aim of the present study was to estimate the 1 year prevalence and recovery rate of self-reported chemosensory dysfunction in a series of subjects with previous mild-to-moderate symptomatic COVID-19. Methods Prospective study based on the SNOT-22, item “sense of smell or taste” and additional outcomes. Results 268/315 patients (85.1%) completing the survey at baseline also completed the follow-up interview. The 12 months prevalence of self-reported COVID-19 associated chemosensory dysfunction was 21.3% (95% CI 16.5–26.7%) . Of the 187 patients who complained of COVID-19 associated chemosensory dysfunction at baseline, 130 (69.5%; 95% CI 62.4–76.0%) reported complete resolution of smell or taste impairment, 41 (21.9%) reported a decrease in the severity, and 16 (8.6%) reported the symptom was unchanged or worse 1 year after onset. The risk of persistence was higher for patients reporting a baseline SNOT-22 score ≥ 4 (OR = 3.32; 95% CI 1.32–8.36) as well as for those requiring ≥ 22 days for a negative swab (OR = 2.18; 95% CI 1.12–4.27). Conclusion A substantial proportion of patients with previous mild-to-moderate symptomatic COVID-19 characterized by new onset of chemosensory dysfunction still complained on altered sense of smell or taste 1 year after the onset.

We conducted a prospective study on mild-to-moderate symptomatic patients consecutively assessed between March 1 and March 31, 2020, who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on nasopharyngeal and throat swabs performed according to World Health Organization recommendation. An interdisciplinary task force of medical doctors and nurses was created in our region in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to monitor all isolated patients with PCRconfirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The task force provided us with the names and telephone contacts of the homeisolated COVID-19 patients. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region

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The proposed classification could serve as a guide for clinicians approaching narrowband imaging, especially at early stages of the learning curve, to differentiate normal mucosa from malignant lesions and possibly reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies.

Bacterial resistance is a growing phenomenon which led the scientific community to search for new therapeutic targets, such as biofilm. A bacterial biofilm is a surface-associated agglomerate of microorganisms embedded in a self-produced extracellular polymeric matrix made of polysaccharides, nucleic acids, and proteins. Scientific literature offers several reports on a biofilm's role in infections regarding various body districts. The presence of a bacterial biofilm is responsible for poor efficacy of antibiotic therapies along with bacterial infections in ear, nose, and throat (ENT) districts such as the oral cavity, ear, nasal cavities, and nasal sinuses. In particular, bacterial biofilms are associated with recalcitrant and symptomatically more severe forms of chronic rhinosinusitis. As of today, there are no therapeutic options for the eradication of bacterial biofilm in ENT districts. Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan composed of glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine disaccharide units. Its efficacy in treating rhinosinusitis, whether or not associated with polyposis, is well documented, as well as results from its effects on mucociliary clearance, free radical production and mucosal repair. This review's aim is to evaluate the role of bacterial biofilms and the action exerted on it by hyaluronic acid in ENT pathology, with particular attention to the rhinosinusal district. In conclusion, this paper underlines how the efficacy of hyaluronate as an anti-bacterial biofilm agent is well demonstrated by in vitro studies; it is, however, only preliminarily demonstrated by clinical studies.

Objective To provide an anatomic description of submandibular nodes at risk of being left undissected during neck dissection (ND) and to assess whether the Hayes Martin maneuver is a safe procedure in oncologic surgery of level IB nodes. Study Design Prospective study. Setting Academic medical center. Subjects and Methods We recruited 62 patients who were candidates for level IB ND. Perifacial nodes (PFNs) were identified and their characteristics noted. The Hayes Martin maneuver was simulated, and its oncologic safety was tested. Results The study included 63 NDs. PFNs were identified in 84% of cases: their number ranged from 0 to 5, and their mean greatest diameter was 12.45 mm. Anterior PFNs were found to be in direct contact with the marginal mandibular nerve. In 59% of NDs, the Hayes Martin maneuver would have failed to remove all PFNs. Conclusions The PFNs were identified in 84% of cases and ranged in number from 0 to 5. In some cases, the distinction between retro- and preglandular nodes and PFNs is not useful. The Hayes Martin maneuver may not be oncologically sound for complete treatment of level IB nodes.

The high number of marginal mandibular nerve (MMN) anatomical variants have a well‐known clinical significance due to the risk of nerve injury in several surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to find and systematize the available anatomical data concerning this nerve. The PubMed and Scopus databases were investigated in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses guidelines. All studies reporting extractable data on the origin, course, splitting, anastomosis and relationship of the MMN with the mandible or the facial vessels were included. We included 28 studies analyzing 1861 halves. The MMN had one (PP = 35% 95% CI:18–54%), two (PP =35% 95% CI:18–54%), three (PP = 18% 95% CI:0–35%), or four branches (PP = 2% 95% CI:0–8%). Anastomosis with the great auricular nerve, transverse cervical nerve, mental nerve, and other branches of the facial nerve were defined. The origin of the MMN in relation to the parotid and the mandible was variable. The MMN nearly always crossed the anterior facial vein laterally (PP = 38% 95% CI:9–72% if single, PP = 57% 95% CI:22–90% when multiple); its relation with other vessels was less constant. At least one branch of the MMN was found below the inferior border of the mandible (IBM), with a PP of 39% (95% CI:30–50%). The MMN has high anatomical variability and it is more often represented by one or two branches; its origin is frequently described at the parotid apex and above the IBM, although in its course at least one branch often runs below the IBM. Its most frequent anastomosis is with the buccal branch of the facial nerve. Clin. Anat., 33:739–750, 2020. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.