RESS resulted in objective evidence of olfactory improvement in approximately one-half of our cohort over 16 months of follow-up and offers a treatment option for an otherwise poor prognosis condition.

BackgroundStudies suggest an increased risk of peritonsillar abscess (PTA) recurrence in patients with prior tonsillitis. However, this association is inconsistent and could be confounded by different treatment modalities. This study aimed to assess the risk of recurrence among PTA patients with different degrees of prior tonsillitis and treatment modalities, and the role of tonsillectomy in current practice.MethodsAll in-patients with peritonsillar abscess between January 2001 and December 2009 were identified in a nationwide, retrospective cohort study. Recurrence was defined as the first occurrence of PTA ≧30 days from the initial PTA. Factors independently associated with recurrence were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard model after adjusting for demographic and clinical data.ResultsThere were 28,837 patients, with a 5.15% recurrence rate and 4.74 years of follow-up. The recurrence rates were significantly higher among subjects with more than five prior tonsillitis or 1–4 prior tonsillitis compared to those without prior tonsillitis (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.82 [95% confidence interval, 2.39–3.33] and 1.59 [95% CI: 1.38–1.82]). The adjusted HR in patients treated with needle aspiration was 1.08 compared to those treated with incision & drainage (95% CI: 0.85–1.38). After age stratification, the adjusted HRs of more than five prior tonsillitis increased to 2.92 and 3.50 in patients aged ≦18 and 19–29 years respectively. The adjusted HR ofneedle aspiration only increased in patients ≦18 years old (aHR: 1.98 [95% CI: 0.99–3.97]). The overall tonsillectomy rate was 1.48% during our study period.ConclusionsThe risk of PTA recurrence increases with higher degrees of prior tonsillitis in all age groups and management by needle aspiration only in the pediatric population. Patients younger than 30 years old with PTA and more than five prior tonsillitis have the greatest risk of recurrence.

Among patients who had undergone ESS for rhinosinusitis with or without polyps, the incidence of synechiae and excessive granulation tissue in the middle meatus and major postoperative bleeding in the patients who received Vaseline gauze packing was equivalent to the incidence of these complications in the patients who received Merocel. Nasopore was not superior to the other two nonabsorbable packing materials.

Background:The endoscopic modified Lothrop procedure (EMLP) is used to manage ongoing refractory frontal sinusitis a er failed previous endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), but this approach has a significant restenosis rate. We evaluated the potential benefits of mucosal gra s and pedicled flaps on the opening of the newly formed frontal ostium. Methods:Fi y patients with refractory frontal sinusitis or mucoceles a er ESS were randomized to undergo EMLP, either with (n = 27) or without (n = 23) mucosal gra s and pedicled flap reconstruction of the neo-ostium. The frontal neo-ostium was measured with Lindholm distending forceps, and anteroposterior (A-P) and lateral dimensions were measured intraoperatively, and then again at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months postoperatively. Olfaction outcomes were assessed using the Taiwan Smell Identification Test (TWSIT) and a smell visual analog scale (VAS) score preoperatively and at 6 months postsurgery. Results:The initial intraoperative mean lateral and A-P dimensions were 23.2 ± 2.7 mm and 14.8 ± 2.3 mm and were significantly decreased at all time-points postoperatively. The mucosal gra s and pedicled flaps had greater lateral and A-P dimensions, and a greater percentage of intraoperative frontal neo-ostium area at all time-points postoperatively (all p < 0.05). At 6 months postoperatively, TWSIT (p = 0.027), but not the smell VAS score (p = 0.063), was significantly improved compared with baseline. TWSIT and smell VAS score changes did not differ between groups (p = 0.92 and p = 0.85, respectively). Conclusion:The use of mucosal gra s and pedicled flaps reduces stenosis of the frontal neo-ostium postsurgery and should be considered a er EMLP. C 2019 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

DDR2 was differentially upregulated in NPC and modulated by EBV Zta protein. DDR2 may play a role in NPC invasion and serve as a diagnostic and therapeutic target.

BackgroundAlthough the tonsils contribute to first line immunity against foreign pathogens in the upper aero-digestive tract, the association of tonsillectomy with the risk of deep neck infection remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence rate and risk of deep neck infection among patients who had undergone a tonsillectomy.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study evaluated all patients who had undergone tonsillectomy between 2001 and 2009 as identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. For each post-tonsillectomy patient, 10 age-, sex-, and index date-matched controls without a history of tonsillectomy were randomly selected. Cox Proportional hazard model and propensity score model were performed to evaluate the association between tonsillectomy and deep neck infection after adjusting for demographic and clinical data.ResultsThere were 34 (71.6 cases per 100,000 person-years) and 174 (36.6 cases per 100,000 person-years) patients that developed deep neck infection in the tonsillectomized and comparison cohorts, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, patients who had undergone a tonsillectomy had a 1.71-fold greater risk of deep neck infection by both Cox proportional hazard model (95% confidence interval, 1.13-2.59) and propensity score model (95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.66). This association was not altered regardless of the indication for tonsillectomy (i.e. chronic/recurrent tonsillitis or sleep apnea/hypertrophy of tonsil) (p = 0.9797).ConclusionsBased on our review of a nationwide cohort study we identified that the risk of deep neck infection is significantly increased among patients who have undergone a tonsillectomy. Additional research is needed to explore the possible mechanisms behind these findings.

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Overall, the results of our study showed that the ESS complication rate was 7.8%, with risk factors including advanced Lund-Mackay scores (19-24, odds ratio 10.4) and inexperienced surgeon. It was also noted that ESS with a microdebrider had no impact on complication rates, although the presence of a mesenteric type of anterior ethmoid artery proved to be a protective factor.