Honey, which is a natural, nontoxic, and inexpensive product, is effective in killing SA and PA bacterial biofilms. This intriguing observation may have important clinical implications and could lead to a new approach for treating refractory CRS.

No abstract

No abstract

Background Thyroid nodules have become relatively common in clinical practice, and their prevalence increases with age. The majority of thyroid nodules are benign, with 5-15% being malignant. There are a number of well-established predictors of malignancy in thyroid nodules, but thyroid nodule size has been a cause for concern for many researchers and results of the studies are still controversial about their probability of malignancy. Up to the current knowledge, there is no published study that evaluates if thyroid nodule size is associated with the risk of malignancy in Saudi Arabia, so in this study, we aim to find that. Methods This is a retrospective study of 987 patients who underwent thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and subsequent thyroidectomy for thyroid nodules measuring ≥ 1 cm. Results Thyroid cancer was more prevalent in males than females, and in patients who were older than or equal to 45 years. Nodular size of 1-1.9 cm was more prevalent among cancer patients than in benign cases (p<0.001). Conclusions The highest malignancy risk was observed in nodules <2 cm and no increase in malignancy risk for nodules >2 cm. Nevertheless, when examined by type of thyroid malignancy, the rate of follicular carcinoma and other rare malignancy increased with increasing nodule size.

Objective: Piezosurgery, used in different otolaryngology procedures, was a breakthrough in surgery. We systematically reviewed the differences in outcomes after lateral nasal osteotomy with peizosurgery and conventional osteotome and quantified the differences through a meta-analysis.Methods: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library databases were selected to search for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) published before January 2019 that detailed differences between piezosurgery and conventional osteotomy. The key search terms included "rhinoplasty" and "piezosurgery." Only RCTs in English with patients >18 years who underwent lateral osteotomy by percutaneous or internal approaches were included. PRISMA guidelines were followed in data extraction and study inclusion. Two independent reviewers assessed the relevance of the studies. The point of estimate in the meta-analysis was the standardized mean difference and was pooled with the random-effects model. The measured outcomes were ecchymosis, edema, postoperative pain, and duration of surgery.Results: Five RCTs met our criteria and were analyzed in primary subsequent meta-analyses. Piezosurgery demonstrated significantly lower edema (SMD = -0.75; 95% CI, -1.26, -0.24) and ecchymosis scores (SMD = -0.85; 95% CI, -1.49, -0.20) on postoperative days (POD) 2 or 3 than conventional surgery. They were also significantly lower with piezosurgery than conventional surgery on POD 7 (SMD = -0.64; 95% CI, -1.21, -0.06; and SMD = -0.64; 95% CI, -1.14, -0.14, respectively). Two studies that estimated the degree of pain showed that after piezosurgery, patients experienced lesser pain than after conventional surgery. The mean difference was -0.73 (95% CI, -1.06, -0.39).Conclusions: Piezosurgery causes less ecchymosis, edema, and pain than conventional osteotomy, without extending the duration of surgery.

Problem Biofilms formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Staphylococcus aureus (SA) have been shown to be an important factor in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Growth in biofilms increases bacterial resistance to antibiotics, which may explain why CRS responds poorly to antibiotic therapy. Honey has been used as an effective topical antimicrobial agent in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial wound infections. To our knowledge, no research has studied the effect of honey on biofilms. Methods We used a previously established biofilm model to assess antibacterial activity of Manuka honey from New Zealand and Sidr honey from Yemen. These were tested at a 1 in 2 dilution against 11 isolates of methicillin-susceptible SA (MSSA), 11 methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA), and 11 PA isolates. Honeys were tested against both planktonic (broth) and biofilm-grown bacteria. Results Both honeys were effective in killing 100% of the isolates in the planktonic form. Biofilm-grown bacteria were less susceptible to the honeys, but honey still had significant bactericidal activity. The bactericidal rate for the Sidr and Manuka honeys against MSSA MRSA and PA were 63%, 73%, 91% and 82%, 63% and 91%, respectively. These rates were significantly higher (p<0.001) than those seen with single antibiotics commonly used against MSSA and MRSA (e.g. cloxacillin and vancomycin) in a previous study done on the same bacterial isolates. Conclusion Honey, which is a natural, non-toxic and inexpensive product, is effective in killing SA and PA bacterial biofilms. Significance This intriguing observation may have important clinical implications and could lead to a new approach for treating refractory CRS.

Background: The microdebrider technique was introduced in clinical practice to provide a better outcome in nasal obstruction caused by inferior turbinate hypertrophy. We conducted this systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of this technique, by comparison with the radiofrequency-assisted modality. Methodology: PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched to retrieve relevant randomised studies published prior to November 2019. Randomised Trials in English that studied the difference between the two techniques among adult patients were eligible for the current review. Data extraction and study inclusion were guided by PRISMA guidelines. The outcome measures were visual analogue scale (VAS, 0-10) for nasal obstruction, anterior active rhinomanometry, and acoustic rhinometry. A meta-analysis was carried out to quantify the difference between the two techni- ques, for each measured outcome. Results: Seven randomised trials were included and quantitatively analysed in this meta-analysis. Our analysis revealed that the microdebrider-assisted technique demonstrated significantly better VAS (0-10) for nasal obstruction scores in early and late posto- perative follow-up. Whilst no difference was noted using the objective measurements (rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry) at early follow-up, microdebrider-assisted technique showed superior results in long-term follow-up, as evidenced using anterior active rhinomanometry. Conclusions: The microdebrider-assisted technique results in a better outcome, particularly in long-term follow-up, when compa- red with radiofrequency.

Recurrence of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) is well recognized. However, there is scarcity in the literature describing involvement of the non-diseased sinuses. We aimed to evaluate the recurrence forms of unilateral AFRS as well as to study the possible predictor factors of developing the disease in the contralateral side. Patients with exclusive unilateral AFRS from (2010 to 2015) were enrolled in multi-institutional case-control study. All patients were evaluated after endoscopic sinus surgery for recurrence. Patient's records were reviewed for demographics, medical treatment, and clinical, radiological, and surgical data. A total of 68 patients were identified. Delayed contralateral involvement after the initial surgery was found in 30.8% with mean duration of recurrence 16.9 months. A significant association was found with the presence of pre-operative contralateral symptoms and signs of inflammation (OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.19-10.22, p value 0.02). Post-operative use of budesonide irrigation was associated with less contralateral involvement (OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.01-0.87, p value 0.01). Association of other variables like: comorbidities, perioperative use of systemic steroid, radiological signs, extent of surgery, additional surgery to the contralateral side, and post-operative use of systemic steroids did not show statistical significance. Involvement of the contralateral sinuses in 30% of unilateral AFRS cases is considered significant. The non-diseased sinuses should be involved in the routine endoscopic examination and post-operative treatment. Further studies are necessary to investigate the possibility of prophylactic surgical intervention of the non-diseased sinuses.