Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital 2021 May 6. Epub 2021 May 6.

ENT Clinic and Regional Center for Head and Neck Cancer, University of Padova Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Neurosciences, Treviso Regional Hospital, Treviso, Italy.

Objective: Interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and pharyngeal associated lymphoid tissue are thought to influence the manifestations of COVID-19. We aimed to determine whether a previous history of tonsillectomy, as a surrogate indicator of a dysfunctional pharyngeal associated lymphoid tissue, could predict the presentation and course of COVID-19.

Methods: Multicentric cross-sectional observational study involving seven hospitals in Northern and Central Italy. Read More

Orthod Craniofac Res 2021 May 9. Epub 2021 May 9.

Melbourne Dental School, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia. Formerly: Section of Orthodontics, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University.

Objective: The interaction between skeletal class and upper airway has been extensively studied. Nevertheless, this relationship has not been clearly elucidated, with the heterogeneity of results suggesting the existence of different patterns for patients' classification, which has been elusive so far, probably due to oversimplified approaches. Hence, a network analysis was applied to test whether different patterns in patients' grouping exist. Read More

J Clin Sleep Med 2021 May 7. Epub 2021 May 7.

Sleep Disorders Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic.

Abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of acute ischemic cerebrovascular accidents in adults. However, this association has not been well established in the pediatric population. We report a case of acute right internal capsule lacunar infarct manifesting as left-sided hemiplegia in an adolescent with severe obesity. Read More

J Int Med Res 2021 May;49(5):3000605211011930

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Affiliated Children's Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710003, China.

Objective: To investigate the effect and prognosis of subtotal intracapsular tonsillectomy.

Methods: All children (n=162) with tonsillar hypertrophy and chronic tonsillitis were randomly divided into two groups: tonsillectomy (n=75) and subtotal intracapsular tonsillectomy (n=87). Tonsillectomy: the tonsillar tissue was completely removed along with the tonsillar capsule. Read More

Saudi J Biol Sci 2021 Apr 24. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Otorhinolaryngology, Head& Neck Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

To date, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to be considered a pandemic worldwide, with a mild to severe disease presentation that is sometimes associated with serious complications that are concerning to global health authorities. Scientists are working hard to understand the pathogenicity of this novel virus, and a great deal of attention and effort has been focused on identifying therapeutics and vaccines to control this pandemic.

Methods: This study used tonsils removed from twelve patients who underwent an elective tonsillectomy in the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) department at Saudi Germany Hospital, Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Read More

Sisli Etfal Hastan Tip Bul 2021 17;55(1):101-107. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of Health Sciences Turkey, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Teaching and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Objectives: Adenotonsillectomy is one of most common surgeries performed in childhood. Post-operative pain associated particularly with tonsillectomy is still a problem for many physicians. Despite advances in surgical techniques, analgesics, or anti-inflammatory drugs, no unique strategy for post-tonsillectomy pain management has been suggested. Read More

Healthcare (Basel) 2021 Apr 1;9(4). Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Escuela de Osteopatía de Madrid, 28002 Madrid, Spain.

This study aimed to determine whether osteopathic manipulation of the T9-T10 vertebrae improves the evolution of tonsillitis. A randomized, stratified, controlled clinical trial with blinded patients, evaluator and data analyst was performed. The patients in the control group (CG) underwent a "sham" manipulation. Read More

J Laryngol Otol 2021 Apr 29:1-6. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

ENT Department, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.

Objectives: This study aimed to review the funding policies of clinical commissioning groups for treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea in England.

Methods: Published policies from a randomly selected sample of 60 out of 190 clinical commissioning groups were reviewed.

Results: Continuous positive airway pressure was funded based on a clinical assessment or according to criteria that were in line with national guidelines in most clinical commissioning groups (49 of 60), with 11 clinical commissioning groups offering no policy. Read More

Clin Otolaryngol 2021 Apr 27. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

Evelina London Children's Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, Guy's and St Thomas, London, UK.

Objectives: Intracapsular tonsillectomy (ICT) is increasingly adopted by paediatric centres worldwide due to its association with reduced pain, fast recovery and low risks of post-operative complications. Questions still surround its role in patients with recurrent tonsillitis, as well as tonsillar regrowth requiring revision surgery.

Design: Prospective consecutive case series from March 2013 to April 2020. Read More

Auris Nasus Larynx 2021 Apr 24. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, Waldstrasse 1, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.

Objective: To identify the appropriate treatment in the tonsillar region's infections, a distinction between tonsillitis with or without abscess formation is essential. Ultrasound proved to be a valuable method in identifying abscess formation in the head and neck region. However, no report described the assessment of the tonsil region. Read More

Oral Oncol 2021 Apr 24;117:105302. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Sorbonne University, Tenon Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux Paris (APHP), Paris, France; Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery, Rothschild Foundation, 75019 Paris, France.

Objective: To investigate whether palatine tonsillectomy in youth influences the risk of oropharyngeal cancers (OPC) by assessing the association between history of tonsillectomy and risk of tonsillar, base of tongue (BOT) cancer, and other head and neck cancers (HNC).

Materials And Methods: RACKAM was a case-case study comparing frequency of tonsillectomy history in individuals diagnosed with HNC from 2013 to 2018 in 15 centers across France. History of tonsillectomy was defined using combined assessment of patients' recollections and surgeons' visualizations of tonsil area. Read More

Oral Oncol 2021 Apr 23;117:105305. Epub 2021 Apr 23.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.

Background: Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has now surpassed cervical cancer as the most common site of HPV-related cancer in the United States. HPV-positive OPSCCs behave differently from HPV-negative tumors and often present with early lymph node involvement. The bacterial microbiome of HPV-associated OPSCC may contribute to carcinogenesis, and certain bacteria may influence the spread of cancer from the primary site to regional lymphatics. Read More

J Clin Anesth 2021 Apr 24;72:110306. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Anesthesia Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Study Objective: It is unclear what the body mass index (BMI) should be when performing surgery involving the airway at an outpatient surgery facility. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of Class 3 obesity versus a composite cohort of Class 1 and 2 obesity with same-day hospital admission following outpatient tonsillectomy in adults.

Design: Retrospective cohort study. Read More

Laryngoscope 2021 Apr 27. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

Dr Bing Zhang Department of Statistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A.

Objectives/hypothesis: To compare rates of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) between a very-low energy transfer monopolar technique (VLET) and standard energy techniques.

Study Design: Retrospective controlled cohort study.

Methods: All tonsillectomies performed by practice physicians during the period January 1, 2010 to August 31, 2019 were identified. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2021 Apr 18;145:110721. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, USA; School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University, USA. Electronic address:

Objective: To systematically review the incidence of cardiac abnormalities in pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in order to assess the utility of preoperative echocardiographic evaluation for patients undergoing surgery.

Study Design: A systematic literature review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines. Data sources were searched from January 1, 1980 to March 25, 2020. Read More

ANZ J Surg 2021 Apr 23. Epub 2021 Apr 23.

Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

Background: The use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as both a necessary and significant tool in the provision of safe and timely healthcare in the field of otolaryngology. Increased access to specialist care in a regional setting is an additional benefit. Variation in diagnostic accuracy of telehealth consultations may affect diagnosis and management. Read More

Am J Otolaryngol 2021 Apr 18;42(5):103063. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Department of Pathology, Pamukkale University, School of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of oropharyngeal high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) in patients undergoing tonsillectomy by detection of high-risk HPV in tonsil tissues using the in situ hybridization (ISH) technique.

Materials And Methods: The patients who underwent tonsillectomy between 2014 and 2018 were examined retrospectively. The pediatric cases and patients who underwent tonsillectomy due to malignancy were excluded. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2021 Apr 9;145:110707. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinical effect of situational adaptation training combined with child-friendly nursing in relieving the preoperative anxiety of children undergoing tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy.

Methods: A total of 160 children undergoing tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy were randomly divided into two groups: a control group and a test group. In addition to the routine operating room nursing in the control group, children in the test group underwent situational adaptation training one day before surgery and child-friendly nursing on the day of surgery. Read More

Oral Oncol 2021 Apr 17;117:105294. Epub 2021 Apr 17.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.

Objective: To determine the impact of diagnostic TORS lingual tonsillectomy (DTLT) on objective swallowing measures for carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP).

Methods: Between 10/2016-1/2020, 27 patients with p16+ squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) level 2a nodal disease underwent DTLT and ipsilateral neck dissection for CUP. No patient had a history of cutaneous SCC. Read More

Am J Otolaryngol 2021 Apr 15;42(5):103038. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Objectives: Opioids are highly addictive medications and otolaryngologists have a responsibility to practice opioid stewardship. We investigated postoperative opioid prescribing patterns among resident and attending physicians as an educational platform to underscore the importance of conscientious opioid prescribing.

Methods: This quality improvement study was designed as a cross-sectional electronic survey. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2021 Apr 17. Epub 2021 Apr 17.

Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Laboratory of Cutaneous Aging and Hair Research, Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Institute of Human Environment Interface Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Integrated Major in Innovative Medical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. Electronic address:

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2021 Apr 20:1945998211006933. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of high-deductible health plans on elective surgery (tonsillectomy) in the pediatric population.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Health claims database from a third-party payer. Read More

Inquiry 2021 Jan-Dec;58:469580211005193

Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Michael Garron Hospital, The Toronto East Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

In several publicly funded health care systems, including Ontario, Canada, adult tonsillectomies and septoplasties have been suggested to be removed or "delisted" from the government health insurance plan. Thus, the objective of this study was to explore patient perspectives regarding out of pocket (OOP) payment for these procedures. An anonymous survey was administered to patients consented to undergo a tonsillectomy or septoplasty at a community otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) practice. Read More

Sleep Med 2021 May 26;81:463-465. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Division of Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Objectives: To assess sleep positions in children with both Down syndrome (DS) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and determine if there is a preferred sleep position by severity of apnea.

Methods: A single-center retrospective review of patients with both DS and OSA was performed. Caregivers reported sleep position utilized greater than 50% of observed sleep time. Read More

Am J Otolaryngol 2021 Apr 5;42(5):103015. Epub 2021 Apr 5.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address:

Purpose: To examine the potential benefit of reevaluation of original slides and p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) of tonsillectomy specimens for primary tumor identification in cases of human papillomavirus (HPV) positive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck of unknown primary.

Materials And Methods: Through a retrospective review, we identified all patients 18 or older who presented at our institution from 2003 to 2015 with histologically confirmed HPV-positive SCC in a cervical lymph node with unidentified primary tumor after initial workup. For patients for whom specimens were available, an expert head and neck pathologist re-reviewed original hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides to confirm absence of tumor and performed p16 IHC and deep sectioning of tissue blocks to identify potential tumor foci. Read More

Ear Nose Throat J 2021 Apr 13:1455613211007946. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

ENT Department, 472601Degli Infermi Hospital, Biella, Italy.

Second primary cancer (SPC) is a term used to describe a new primary cancer occurring in patients who had formerly been diagnosed with tumor. Even though SPCs appear to be related to primary cancers, they are actually entities that have arisen independently and not as a result of recurrence. This report is of the first case in literature of a patient hospitalized for the surgical treatment of 3 synchronous Head and Neck Cancers. Read More

Value Health Reg Issues 2021 Apr 9;24:193-198. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Health Human Resources Research Center, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address:

Objectives: Day case tonsillectomy compared with inpatient tonsillectomy has increasingly become a trend for many patients undergoing elective surgeries. Unjustified stays of tonsillectomy can be avoided by day case surgery, which consequently reduces treatment costs. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the cost and effectiveness of day case tonsillectomy compared with inpatient tonsillectomy. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Apr;100(14):e22541

Department of Pediatrics, The First People's Hospital of Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.

Introduction: The comparison of ketamine with tramadol for pain control remains controversial in pediatric adenotonsillectomy or tonsillectomy. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the efficacy of ketamine vs tramadol for pain relief in children following adenotonsillectomy or tonsillectomy.

Methods: We have searched PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases through October 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of ketamine vs tramadol for pediatric adenotonsillectomy or tonsillectomy. Read More

Laryngoscope 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Hallym Data Science Laboratory, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, South Korea.

Objectives/hypothesis: This study investigated the impacts of air pollution and meteorological factors on the occurrence of epiglottitis.

Study Design: A nested case-control study.

Methods: Participants ≥40 years old in the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort were analyzed. Read More

Mil Med 2021 Apr 7. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA 92134, USA.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine if short-term, high-quantity opioid use following adult tonsillectomy in active duty military members results in opioid misuse, using a proxy measure of referrals to substance abuse rehabilitation programs.

Materials And Methods: An Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective chart review was performed of 741 active duty patients who underwent tonsillectomy between 2012 and 2017. Data collection included preoperative medications within 60 days of surgery, all postoperative opioid prescriptions up to 12 months following surgery, and referrals to substance abuse rehabilitation within a year of surgery. Read More