Purpose Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare is huge. We intended to demonstrate how COVID-19 pandemic affected primary head and neck oncology patient’s referral and admission to a tertiary center by comparing the retrospective patient data in March–September 2020 and the same period in 2019. Methods In this cross-sectional study, from March 15th, 2020 to September 15th, 2020, medical records of 61 patients (Group 1) diagnosed and scheduled for surgery for head and neck cancer in our tertiary care center were revised and compared with 64 head and neck cancer patients treated in the same institution in the same time period of the previous year (Group2). Surgical site, TNM stages, need for reconstruction with flap, time from first symptom occurrence to first admission to our institution, and time to surgery were noted. Results In Group 1, out of 56 patients, 26 were diagnosed with T1-2 tumor, while 30 had T3-4 tumor. In Group 2, 43 of 60 patients had T1-2 tumor, while only 17 of them were diagnosed with T3-4 tumor. The rate of T3-4 tumors had significantly increased in 2020 when compared to 2019 ( p = 0.049). In oral cavity cancer patients, N stage was significantly increased in Group 1 when compared to Group 2 ( p = 0.024). Need for reconstruction with regional or free flaps were significantly increased in oral cavity cancer patients ( p = 0,022). The mean time from the beginning of the first symptom to the admission was 19.01 ± 4.6 weeks (ranging between 11 and 32 weeks) in Group 1, while it was 16.6 ± 5.9 weeks in Group 2 (ranging between 6 and18 weeks); with significant increase ( p = 0,02). The time to surgery from first admission was 3.4 ± 2.5 and 2.9 ± 1.2 weeks in Group 1 and 2, respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( p = 0.06). Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has caused delay in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases as such in head and neck cancers. Admission with advanced stage disease and the need for more complex reconstructive procedures were increased. During the pandemic, the management of other diseases that cause mortality and morbidity should not be neglected and priorities should be determined.

Objective: Olfactory dysfunction is relatively high in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence of olfactory disorder objectively in patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection. Material and Method: The study included 31 healthy controls and 59 COVID-19 patients who were diagnosed and treated in the COVID departments in a tertiary hospital. The patients with corona virus infection were screened by a questionnaire and were classified into 2 groups as either group 2 (patients without self-reported smell loss) or group 3 (patients with self-reported smell loss). Age and gender matched healthy controls who do not have chronic nasal condition or nasal surgery history comprised the control group (group 1). All of the patients and subjects in the control group were tested by the Sniffin’ Sticks test. All of the answers and scores were recorded, and the comparisons were made. Results: The rate of self-reported smell and taste loss in all COVID-19 patients in this study was 52.5% and 42%, respectively. There was a significant difference in threshold, discrimination, identification, and Threshold, Discrimination, Identification (TDI) scores between groups 1 and 2. When the comparisons between group 1 and 3 were made, again threshold, discrimination, identification, and TDI scores were significantly different. The comparison between groups 2 and 3 demonstrated a significant difference in discrimination, identification, and TDI scores, but threshold score was not different statistically. With questionnaire, the rate of olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 patients was 52.5%, but with objective test, the rate was calculated as 83%. Conclusion: Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are common in COVID-19 patients. According to findings with the objective test method in this study, smell disorder in COVID-19 patients was much higher than those detected by questionnaires.

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The Journal of International Advanced Otology (J Int Adv Otol) is an international, peer reviewed, open access publication that is fully sponsored and owned by the European Academy of Otology and Neurotology and the Politzer Society. The journal is published triannually in April, August, and December and its publication language is English. The scope of the Journal is limited with otology, neurotology, audiology (excluding linguistics) and skull base medicine. The Journal of International Advanced Otology aims to publish manuscripts at the highest clinical and scientific level. J Int Adv Otol publishes original articles in the form of clinical and basic research, review articles, short reports and a limited number of case reports. Controversial patient discussions, communications on emerging technology, and historical issues will also be considered for publication. Target audience of J Int Adv Otol includes physicians and academics who work in the fields of otology, neurotology, audiology and skull base medicine.

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate whether preoperative embolization is a useful procedure to decrease blood loss and neurovascular complications for carotid body tumor (CBT) surgery or not. Methods: Medical records of our tertiary care center from 2012 to 2019 were scanned for patients who underwent surgery for CBT, retrospectively. Age, gender, complaint and head and neck examination findings at the time of presentation, preoperative complete blood count parameters, imaging records (cervical magnetic resonance imaging and carotid artery angiography), Shamblin classification, tumor size, intraoperative findings, and postoperative complications were noted. Results: A total of 26 patients were operated due to CBT between 2012 and 2019 in our clinic; preoperative arterial embolization was performed to 15 (57.7%) patients, and 11 (42.3%) patients were operated without embolization. Youngest patient was 24 years old, while oldest was 69 years and mean age was 44.35 ± 12.73. (embolization group: ages ranging between 24 and 64 with a mean of 41.5 ± 11.02 years; in nonembolization group: ages ranging between 26 and 69 with a mean of 48.1 ± 14.3). Embolization status was not significantly related to cranial nerve injury, vascular injury, overall complications, and hematocrit decrease. Arterial injury is more likely to occur with increasing Shamblin class ( r = .39; P = .04). Tumor size is not found to be significantly related to cranial nerve injury, vascular injury, overall complications, and hematocrit decrease, but cranial nerve injury and vascular injury were more likely to occur in large tumors ( r = .34; P = .089 and r = .34; P = .087, respectively). Age was significantly and negatively correlated to vascular injury ( r = −.51; P = .05). Vascular injury was significantly correlated with gender (male predominance: r = −.64; P = .000). Conclusion: Although preoperative arterial embolization is considered to attenuate the complication risk, we found that there was no significant difference among the patients with or without embolization.

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Introduction Septoplasty is one of the most common surgical procedures in rhinology practice. Two major problems encountered after septoplasty are pain and bleeding. Preoperative administration of analgesics before the surgical stimulus, which is the main concept of preemptive analgesia, decreases postoperative pain. Objective The present study was designed to investigate whether preincisional lidocaine infiltration to the subperichondrial area during septoplasty surgery reduced or not postoperative pain and analgesic use. Methods The present prospective, randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind trial was conducted on 64 consecutive patients with nasal septum deviation. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups; the study group received 2% 20 mg lidocaine/cc (n = 31), and the control group received 6 cc 0.9% NaCl (n = 33). A standard questionnaire was given to each patient to mark his or her pain score between 0 and 10 at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, and 24th hours. Results The mean and the range of visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of the patients in the study group at the 1st, 3rd, 12th, and 24th hours were 4.03 ± 3.08 (0–10); 3.42 ± 2.39 (0–8); 2.97 ± 2.22 (0–8); 2.87 ± 2.61 (0–9); and 1.94 ± 2.06 (0–9) respectively. The mean and the range of VAS scores of the patients in the control group at the 1st, 3rd, 12th, and 24th hours were 4.12 ± 2.7 (0–10); 3.45 ± 2.4 (0–10); 2.94 ± 2.7 (0–10); 2.79 ± 2.34 (0–10); and 1.5 ± 1.8 (0–6), respectively. The statistical analysis revealed no significant difference among the groups. Conclusion The preemptive local anesthetic administration to the incision area and under the mucoperichondrial flap before septoplasty does not decrease the level of postoperative pain.

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