IMPORTANCE Surgical treatment comparisons in rare diseases are difficult secondary to the geographic distribution of patients. Fortunately, emerging technologies offer promise to reduce these barriers for research. OBJECTIVE To prospectively compare the outcomes of the 3 most common surgical approaches for idiopathic subglottic stenosis (iSGS), a rare airway disease. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this international, prospective, 3-year multicenter cohort study, 810 patients with untreated, newly diagnosed, or previously treated iSGS were enrolled after undergoing a surgical procedure (endoscopic dilation [ED], endoscopic resection with adjuvant medical therapy [ERMT], or cricotracheal resection [CTR]). Patients were recruited from clinician practices in the North American Airway Collaborative and an online iSGS community on Facebook. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary end point was days from initial surgical procedure to recurrent surgical procedure. Secondary end points included quality of life using the Clinical COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) Questionnaire (CCQ), Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), Eating Assessment Test-10 (EAT-10), the 12-Item Short-Form Version 2 (SF-12v2), and postoperative complications. RESULTS Of 810 patients in this cohort, 798 (98.5%) were female and 787 (97.2%) were white, with a median age of 50 years (interquartile range, 43-58 years). Index surgical procedures were ED (n = 603; 74.4%), ERMT (n = 121; 14.9%), and CTR (n = 86; 10.6%). Overall, 185 patients (22.8%) had a recurrent surgical procedure during the 3-year study, but recurrence differed by modality (CTR, 1 patient [1.2%]; ERMT, 15 [12.4%]; and ED, 169 [28.0%]). Weighted, propensity score-matched, Cox proportional hazards regression models showed ED was inferior to ERMT (hazard ratio [HR], 3.16; 95% CI, 1.8-5.5). Among successfully treated patients without recurrence, those treated with CTR had the best CCQ (0.75 points) and SF-12v2 (54 points) scores and worst VHI-10 score (13 points) 360 days after enrollment as well as the greatest perioperative risk. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study of 810 patients with iSGS, endoscopic dilation, the most popular surgical approach for iSGS, was associated with a higher recurrence rate compared with other procedures. Cricotracheal resection offered the most durable results but showed the greatest perioperative risk and the worst long-term voice outcomes. Endoscopic resection with medical therapy was associated with better disease control compared with ED and had minimal association with vocal function. These results may be used to inform individual patient treatment decision-making.

ObjectivesRecurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a chronic disease of the respiratory tract that occurs in both children and adults. It is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), in particular low‐risk HPV6 and HPV11, and aggressiveness varies among patients. RRP remains a chronic disease that is difficult to manage. This review provides perspectives on current and future management of RRP.ResultsThe current standard of care is surgical excision, with adjuvant therapies as needed. Surgical management of RRP has evolved with the introduction of microdebriders and photoangiolytic lasers; the latter can now be used in the office setting. Numerous adjuvant pharmacologic therapies have been utilized with some success. Also, exciting preliminary data show that HPV vaccines may prolong the time to recurrence in the RRP population. There is also optimism that wide‐spread HPV vaccination could reduce RRP incidence indirectly by preventing vertical HPV transmission to newborns.ConclusionTo date, the biology of RRP is not well understood, although it has been noted to become more aggressive in the setting of immune suppression. Additional research is needed to better understand immune system dysfunction in RRP such that immunomodulatory approaches may be developed for RRP management.Level of Evidence4

2c. Laryngoscope, 128:1068-1074, 2018.

Objective To determine the incidence of posttracheostomy tracheal stenosis and to investigate variables related to the patient, hospitalization, or operation that may affect stenosis rates. Study Design A combined retrospective cohort and case-control study. Setting Tertiary care academic medical center. Subjects and Methods A total of 1656 patients who underwent tracheostomy at a tertiary care medical center from January 2011 to November 2016 were reviewed for evidence of subsequent tracheal stenosis on airway endoscopy or computed tomography. Forty-three confirmed cases of posttracheostomy tracheal stenosis (PTTS) were compared with a subgroup of 319 controls. Factors including medical comorbidity, type and setting of tracheostomy, and hospitalization details were analyzed. Results Five-year incidence of PTTS was 2.6%. Obesity was the sole demographic factor associated with stenosis. Hospitalization-related variables associated with stenosis included tracheostomy after 10 days of orotracheal intubation and endotracheal tube cuff pressure ≥30 mm HO. The surgical variables associated with higher rates of stenosis included percutaneous technique and insertion of an initial tracheostomy tube size >6. Bjork flap creation was negatively associated with stenosis. In multivariable analysis, obesity and insertion of tracheostomy tube size >6 were identified as risk factors. Conclusion Greater than 10 days of orotracheal intubation prior to tracheostomy and endotracheal tube cuff pressure ≥30 mm HO were associated with greater rates of subsequent tracheal stenosis. The only patient-related factor associated with tracheal stenosis was obesity. Surgical variables associated with increased rates of subsequent stenosis included placement of a tracheostomy tube size >6, use of percutaneous technique, and failure to create a Bjork flap.