Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has induced a prioritization of acute care and telehealth, affecting the quantity of patients seen and the modality of their care. Study Design Retrospective review. Setting Single-institution study conducted within the Division of Otolaryngology at the Yale School of Medicine. Subjects and Methods Data on all outpatient appointments within the Division of Otolaryngology were obtained from administrative records of billing and scheduling from March 16 to April 10, 2020. For comparison, a corresponding period from 2019 was also utilized. Results Of 5913 scheduled visits, 3665 (62.0%) were seen between March 18 and April 12, 2019, in comparison with 649 of 5044 (12.9%) during the corresponding COVID-19–affected period. The majority of completed visits performed in weeks 1 and 2 were in person, while the majority in weeks 3 and 4 were via telehealth. Among subspecialties, a larger proportion of completed visits in 2020 were performed by pediatric and head and neck oncology otolaryngologists as compared with general/specialty otolaryngologists ( P < .001). Older adults (≥65 years) were less likely to have telehealth visits than younger adults (18-64 years; 45.6% vs 59.6%, P = .003). Conclusions A major decrease in the completion rates of scheduled visits was seen in the COVID-19–affected period, though this was not proportional among subspecialties. An associated increase in telehealth visits was observed. After COVID-19–related hospital policy changes, approximately 2 weeks passed before telehealth visits surpassed in-person visits, though this was not true among older adults.

The possibility of an ectopic thyroid cancer should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a pathological mass in the neck. Treatment of ectopic cervical thyroid cancer is based predominantly on the surgical excision of the malignant lesion. Management strategies, including performance of total thyroidectomy, neck dissection, and treatment with radioiodine, should be based on individualized risk stratification.

Objectives: To capture the perspectives of candidates applying for otolaryngology residency positions in the 2020-21 cycle, in the context of disruption caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Subjects and methods: Candidates planning to apply to the otolaryngology 2020-21 match were invited to complete a cross-sectional online survey. Distribution was via otomatch.com and word of mouth. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results: Of 85 eligible responses (estimated 18.9% of all applicants), many have had at least one board examination (71.8%) disrupted. A majority (85.9%) believe evaluation of candidates will change due to the pandemic, and 54.1% report they were now less confident in matching. Female applicants (37.6% of respondents) were found to have significantly higher odds of decreased confidence in matching (OR 2.781 [95% CI 1.045-7.4044]; P = .041). Many report a move to virtual interviews would increase the number of applications submitted (45.9%) and the number of interviews attended (77.6%). Some applicants (36.5%) did not believe residency programs would gather sufficient information about their candidacy to make an informed decision, and most (62.4%) did not believe that they would gather sufficient information to inform their own rank list. Conclusions: We find that candidates believe their candidacy will be assessed differently in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, are largely less confident in successfully matching, and are planning to apply and interview more broadly. These data are relevant to otolaryngology residency leadership to inform clear dialogue and a smooth transition into an unprecedented application cycle.

Background The purpose of this work was to perform a systematic review regarding ossifying fibroma and its multiple variants of the paranasal sinuses, and to identify any clinical differences between the multiple variants. A search of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed) database was performed for the non–Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) search term “ossifying fibroma.” The bibliographies of the retrieved manuscripts were searched to identify additional potentially relevant articles. Finally, textbooks of head and neck pathology were searched to identify peer‐reviewed literature that addresses the histopathology of ossifying fibroma and its variants. Abstracts were screened by 2 of the authors to identify reports of ossifying fibroma lesions (and its variants) that involved the paranasal sinuses. Extracted data from case reports or case series included the clinical presentation, age, gender, site of involvement, surgical approach, treatment outcome, follow‐up period, and recurrence rate. Information derived from cases is summarized in tables, and simple descriptive statistics were applied to the data. A total of 137 distinct patients were identified in 103 reports. Extracted data did not show any appreciable difference in clinical presentation or outcomes. Data on recurrence of these lesions was often limited by a lack of follow‐up. Although differentiation between the subtypes of ossifying fibroma can be made histologically, and a diverse nomenclature exists, there does not appear to be any overriding clinical significance to the histopathologic differentiation of OF variants. Methods A search of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed) database was performed for the non–Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) search term “ossifying fibroma.” The bibliographies of the retrieved manuscripts were searched to identify additional potentially relevant articles. Finally, textbooks of head and neck pathology were searched to identify peer‐reviewed literature that addresses the histopathology of ossifying fibroma and its variants. Abstracts were screened by 2 of the authors to identify reports of ossifying fibroma lesions (and its variants) that involved the paranasal sinuses. Extracted data from case reports or case series included the clinical presentation, age, gender, site of involvement, surgical approach, treatment outcome, follow‐up period, and recurrence rate. Information derived from cases is summarized in tables, and simple descriptive statistics were applied to the data. A total of 137 distinct patients were identified in 103 reports. Extracted data did not show any appreciable difference in clinical presentation or outcomes. Data on recurrence of these lesions was often limited by a lack of follow‐up. Although differentiation between the subtypes of ossifying fibroma can be made histologically, and a diverse nomenclature exists, there does not appear to be any overriding clinical significance to the histopathologic differentiation of OF variants. Results A total of 137 distinct patients were identified ...

Objective: To determine the impact coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) will have on the 2020-2021 otolaryngology (OTO-HNS) resident application cycle. Methods: A cross-sectional survey targeting OTO-HNS program directors (PD) was created and disseminated via email to PDs on May 28th 2020. Descriptive analyses of the 19-question survey was performed, and free text responses for certain suitable questions were thematically categorized into groups determined to be relevant during analysis. Results: Twenty-nine of 123 solicited PDs (23.6%) completed the survey. Nineteen (65.5%) respondents indicated they would not host away rotations (AR) in 2020, and 9 (31.0%) reported that they would consider away rotators without home programs. Regarding the historical importance of AR, 21 (72.4%) PDs stated they were either “extremely” or “very” important in evaluating candidates. Sixteen (55.2%) PDs stated that virtual interviews would impact their ability to properly gauge candidates and 12 (41.4%) were unsure. Eight PDs (27.6%) stated their evaluation of candidates will likely change, with a shift toward an increased reliance on letters of recommendation, research involvement, and clerkship grades. The large majority of PDs—25 (86.2%)—were not worried that the COVID-19 pandemic would affect the abilities of new interns beginning in 2021. Conclusion: Virtual interviews and engagement activities will mostly supplant sub-Is and AR for the 2020-2021 OTO-HNS application cycle. Surveyed PDs largely believe these will be insufficient in providing a comprehensive assessment of candidates, and will similarly limit applicants’ ability to gauge residency programs. Criteria utilized to evaluate students is expected to change.