NAP in the MM for 5 days significantly reduced the extent of adhesions in MM compared with saline irrigation alone. NAP did not cause additional discomfort.

The new palatal implant system is safe and is associated with low morbidity. It is a fast, simple and effective treatment for snoring.

ObjectiveThe main object of this pilot study was to investigate the safety of administering onabotulinumtoxinA (BTA) towards the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) in intractable chronic cluster headache. Efficacy data were also collected to provide indication on whether future placebo-controlled studies should be performed.MethodIn a prospective, open-label, uncontrolled study, we performed a single injection of 25 IU (n = 5) or 50 IU BTA (n = 5) towards the SPG in 10 patients with intractable chronic cluster headache with a follow-up of 24 weeks. The primary outcome was adverse events (AEs) and the main efficacy outcome was attack frequency in weeks 3 and 4 post-treatment.ResultsA total of 11 AEs were registered. There was one severe adverse event (SAE): posterior epistaxis. The number of cluster headache attacks (main efficacy outcome) was statistically significantly reduced in the intention-to-treat analysis from 18 ± 12 per week in baseline to 11 ± 14 (p = 0.038) in weeks 3 and 4, and five out of 10 patients had at least 50% reduction of attack frequency compared to baseline. The cluster attack frequency was significantly reduced for five out of six months post-treatment.ConclusionRandomised, placebo-controlled studies are warranted to establish the potential of this possible novel treatment of cluster headache.

Crusts in the middle meatus after sinus surgery is associated with postoperative adhesions. Debridement of the nasal cavity reduces crusts and postoperative adhesions significantly compared with saline irrigation only. However, the procedure induces more postoperative nasal pain.

BackgroundDiagnostic imaging of the head is used with increasing frequency, and often includes the paranasal sinuses, where incidental opacifications are found. To determine the clinical relevance of such findings can be challenging, and for the patient such incidental findings can give rise to concern if they are over-reported. Studies of incidental findings in the paranasal sinuses have been conducted mostly in patients referred for diagnostic imaging, hence the prevalence in the general population is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and size of incidental opacification in the paranasal sinuses in a non-selected adult population using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without medical indication, and to relate the results to sex and season.MethodsRandomly and independent of medical history, 982 participants (518 women) with a mean age of 58.5 years (range, 50–66) underwent MRI of the head as part of a large public health survey in Norway. The MRIs included 3D T1 weighted volume data and 2D axial T2 weighted image (WI). Opacifications, indicating mucosal thickenings, polyps, retention cysts, or fluid, were recorded if measuring more than 1 mm.ResultsOpacifications were found in 66% of the participants. Mucosal thickenings were found in 49%, commonly in the maxillary sinuses (29%) where 25% had opacifications that were less than 4 mm in size. Other opacifications occurred in the anterior ethmoid (23%), posterior ethmoid (21%), frontal sinus (9%), and sphenoid (8%). Polyps and retention cysts were also found mainly in the maxillary sinuses in 32%. Fluid was observed in 6% of the MRIs. Mucosal thickening was observed more frequently in men than in women (P <0.05). No seasonal variation was found.ConclusionsIn this large non-selected sample, incidental opacification in the paranasal sinuses was seen in two out of three participants, and mucosal thickening was seen in one out of two. Fluid was rare. Knowledge of incidental opacification is important because it can affect clinical practice.

The monoclonal antibody MIB1 recognizing the Ki-67 antigen in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue was used to study the proliferative activity in 44 adenoid cystic carcinomas of the salivary glands. The antigen expression was compared with clinical factors, histopathological grading, and prognosis. The Ki-67 value was significantly higher in tumors from patients suffering from treatment failure than in nonfailures (P<0.001). The Ki-67 expression was also higher in tumors exhibiting areas more than 30% of the solid growth pattern and higher in sinonasal tumors than in other locations. By Cox regression analysis, Ki-67 more than 4% was the strongest prognostic indicator (P<0.005). Clinical stage and violation of surgical margins were also found to be independent significant prognostic indicators. We conclude that Ki-67 expression estimated by the use of MIB1 is a powerful tool for predicting the short-term prognosis for patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma.

To compare the long-term effects of different postoperative treatment regimes after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), we performed a randomized controlled trial. Inclusion criteria were chronic rhinosinusitis with (CRSwNP) or without (CRS-NP) bilateral nasal polyps and acute recurrent rhinosinusitis (ARR). All patients (male/female = 56/65; mean age = 42.8 years; age range 18-73 years) underwent sinus surgery for the first time. The patients included in 2004 were allocated to a packing in middle meatus for 5 days or saline irrigation only postoperatively. The patients included in 2005 were randomized to debridement 6 and 12 days postoperatively or saline irrigation. At baseline and 56 weeks (32-77) postoperatively, the patients reported symptoms such as nasal congestion, facial pain, headache, and change in sense of smell, nasal discharge, sneezing and reduced general condition on visual analogue scale (VAS). We used ANCOVA to compare symptom improvement. Among patients with CRSwNP, nasal congestion and sneezing improved, respectively, 20 mm (P value = 0.041) and 18 mm (P value = 0.011) more in the debridement group than in the saline irrigation group. Although a packing had positive effects on the symptom improvement they were not significant. Patients with CRSwNP, who had undergone debridement after FESS, had significantly larger symptom improvement 56 weeks after surgery than patients who had only done saline irrigation.

BackgroundThe goal of this study is to compare quality of life (Qol) and symptoms in 91 patients with a deviated nasal septum preoperatively and postoperatively with a control group of 93 healthy individuals.MethodsAll patients reported Qol on Sino-Nasal-Outcome-Test-20 (SNOT-20) and symptoms on visual analogue scale (VAS) preoperatively and 6 months after surgery and the results were compared with the controls.ResultsMean SNOT-20 score improved from 1.8(SD0.9) preoperatively to 0.9(SD0.8) postoperatively (p < 0.000) but did not reach the same level as the controls 0.4(SD0.5). Septum surgery leads to a significant symptom improvement for all symptoms investigated (p < 0.000) on VAS. The patients reached the same level as the healthy controls in 6 of 11 symptoms (headache, facial pain, sneezing, trouble with rhinosinusitis, cough and snoring) but the patients group had significantly more trouble with nasal blockage (VAS 29 vs 9), change in sense of smell (VAS 12 vs5), nasal discharge (VAS 22 vs 11), oral breathing (VAS 23 vs 13) and reduced general health (VAS 12 vs 5) also postoperatively (p < 0.01). Sub analyses showed that allergic patients reported a VAS score of 36 (SD30) for nasal blockage and 17 (SD22) for facial pressure postoperatively versus 23(SD22) and 6(SD13) in non-allergic patients (p < 0.03 and p < 0.01). Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) reported more trouble with snoring on VAS postoperatively than other patients, 42(SD28) versus 20(SD23) (p < 0.002).ConclusionSeptoplasty leads to a highly significant improvement in Qol and symptoms. The patients do not reach the same level of Qol as healthy controls. All symptoms are reported as mild on VAS postoperatively.Allergic patients tend to report more nasal blockage and facial pressure postoperatively than other patients and a focus on medical treatment should be kept also postoperatively. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea report more trouble with snoring postoperatively and alterative treatment options for snoring may be considered in these patients.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12901-016-0031-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.