Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus has a significant impact on quality of life and causes considerable psychological distress. Cannabis is known to modulate neuron hyperexcitability, provide protection against auditory damage, and has been used for treatment for many diseases which have physiological similarities with tinnitus. The objective of this study was to survey patients presenting with tinnitus regarding their perspectives and usage patterns of cannabis. METHODS: Patients with a primary presenting complaint of tinnitus in a tertiary neuro-otology clinic completed a 18-item questionnaire assessing perception, attitudes, and cannabis usage patterns...

BACKGROUND: Otolaryngology-head and neck surgical (OHNS) trainees' operating exposure is supplemented by a combination of didactic teaching, textbook reading, and cadaveric dissections. Conventional teaching, however, may not adequately equip trainees with an understanding of complex visuospatial relationships of the middle ear. Both face and content validation were assessed of a novel three-dimensional (3D) photorealistic virtual ear simulation tool underwent face and content validation as an educational tool for OHNS trainees...

BACKGROUND: The advancement of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) as a specialty relies on excellence in research. The Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is an open access, peer-reviewed journal publishing on all aspects and subspecialities of OHNS. It is the official journal of the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. This study aims to analyze bibliometric trends in authorships and institutional contributions within the Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery over a 9-year period...

This study aimed to obtain a comprehensive view of the risk of developing diabetes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to compare this risk between patients receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy versus upper airway surgery (UAS). We used local and the global-scale federated data research network TriNetX to obtain access to electronic medical records, including those for patients diagnosed with OSA, from health-care organizations (HCOs) worldwide. Using propensity score matching and the score-matched analyses of data for 5 years of follow-up, we found that patients who had undergone UAS had a lower risk of developing diabetes than those who used CPAP (risk ratio 0...

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic placed considerable strain on the healthcare system, leading to the re-allocation of resources and implementation of new practice guidelines. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 guideline modifications on head and neck cancer (HNC) care at two tertiary care centers in Canada. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. HNC patients seen at two tertiary care centers before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (pre-pandemic: July 1st, 2019, to February 29th, 2020; pandemic: March 1st, 2020, to October 31st, 2020) were included...

PURPOSE: No large-scale prospective randomized study with a long-term follow-up period has evaluated the survival outcomes of preconcurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18 FDG PET-CT) in patients with non-human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included patients with stage I-IVA p16-negative OPSCC receiving definitive CCRT and categorized them into two groups according to pre-CCRT 18 FDG PET-CT and compared their outcomes: the case group consisted of patients who underwent pre-CCRT 18 FDG PET-CT, whereas the comparison group consisted of patients who did not receive pre-CCRT 18 FDG PET-CT...

BACKGROUND: The glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) encodes the receptor to which cortisol and other glucocorticoids bind. Steroids in either oral, intratympanic, or intravascular forms are the treatment of choice for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), but the outcome varies. The outcomes of SSNHL have been investigated for related factors, including age, initial hearing loss severity and pattern, vertigo, genetic variations, and the time between onset and treatment. The objective of the present study was to analyze the association of genetic polymorphisms of NR3C1 with the outcomes of SSNHL...

BACKGROUND: Genomic testing has enhanced pre-surgical decision making for cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules, but there remains uncertainty regarding RAS mutations. The addition of extra genetic alterations to previous driver mutation panels has been shown to improve predictive value. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the mutant allele frequency (AF) and likelihood of malignancy in thyroid nodules with RAS mutations. METHODS: A retrospective cohort review was performed evaluating patients with indeterminate cytology (Bethesda categories III, IV and V) and ThyroSeq® v3 testing demonstrating a RAS mutation, who underwent surgery...

BACKGROUND: Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a significant aspect that compromises patient satisfaction after rhinoplasty. BDDQ-AS (Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire-Aesthetic Surgery) is a validated, simple, reliable patient-reported outcome measure. It is a screening tool to detect body dysmorphic disorder in rhinoplasty patients. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate BDDQ-AS to Arabic as a novel tool for screening and detecting BDD in Arabic rhinoplasty individuals...

BACKGROUND: Evaluating gender differences in publication rates after conference presentations is an avenue to assess women's contributions to academic medicine. The objective of this study was to assess gender differences in publication rates, time to publication, and subspeciality of publication of abstracts presented at Canadian otolaryngology conferences over an 11-year period. METHODS: Cross-sectional data was obtained from online conference schedules of annual Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery national meetings between 2009 and 2020...

BACKGROUND: Knowledge dissemination is paramount so physicians may practice the most up-to-date, evidence-based medicine to best serve their patients. Medical conferences are a commonly employed method of facilitating this. By determining the publication rate of research presented at a conference, the quality of the conference is indirectly assessed. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the publication rate, along with other conference metrics, of abstracts presented at the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (CSOHNS) meetings from 2008 to 2018...

BACKGROUND: Reprocessing of nasopharyngoscopes represents a large financial burden to community physicians. The aim of this study was to perform a cost analysis of nasopharyngoscope reprocessing methods at the community level. METHODS: Electronic surveys were distributed by email to community otolaryngologists. Surveys were comprised of 14 questions assessing clinic size, nasopharyngoscope volume, scope reprocessing method and maintenance. Four manual techniques were evaluated: (1) soak with ortho-phthalaldehyde solution (Cidex-OPA; Advanced Sterilization Products, Johnson and Johnson Inc...

BACKGROUND: The first-line and most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is nasal continuous positive airway pressure, which serves as a pneumatic splint to stabilize the upper airway and is effective when used with appropriate adherence. Continuous positive airway pressure compliance rates remain significantly low despite machine improvements and compliance intervention. Other treatment options include oral appliances, myofunctional therapy, and surgery. The aim of this project is to elucidate the role of artificial intelligence within improving the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea...

BACKGROUND: Stage T4a cancers are associated with a 5-year survival of 21.6-59.0%. Adequate resection of these tumors is a critical factor in maximizing survival. Tumors invading bone pose a unique challenge to intraoperative bone margin assessment. Due to processing limitations, there had been no formal standardized protocol for intraoperative bone sampling at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. These resections often involve extensive reconstruction, making salvage surgery difficult if positive margins are detected post-surgically...

BACKGROUND: Giant cell arteritis is an inflammatory disease of the large- and medium-sized vessels. It is the most common primary vasculitis, with lifetime incidences of 0.5% and 1% in men and women, respectively. Its diagnosis is based upon clinical criteria, which may include temporal artery biopsy. Expected positivity rates of temporal artery biopsies and patient selection remain controversial topics in the literature. METHODS: A cross-sectional retrospective study of 127 patients referred for temporal artery biopsy with a diagnosis of suspected giant cell arteritis between January 2014 and December 2018 was performed...

BACKGROUND: This study aims to develop and validate, a clinically useful modified index of fragility (mIFG) to identify patients at risk of fragility and to predict postoperative adverse events. METHOD: An observational study was performed using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, from 2006 to 2018. All patients undergoing nonemergency head and neck cancer surgery were included. A seven-item index (mIFG) was developed using variables associated with frailty, cachexia, and sarcopenia, drawn from the literature (weight loss, low body mass index, dyspnea, diabetes, serum albumin, hematocrit, and creatinine)...

BACKGROUND: There is a growing concern with inappropriate, excessive perioperative blood transfusions. Understanding the influence of low preoperative hemoglobin (Hgb) on perioperative blood transfusion (PBT) in head and neck cancer (HNC) surgery with free flap reconstruction may help guide clinical practice to reduce inappropriate treatment among these patients. The objective is to synthesize evidence regarding the association between preoperative Hgb and PBT among major HNC free flap surgeries...

BACKGROUND: Otolaryngology is a surgical speciality well suited for the application of intraoperative video recording as an educational tool considering the number procedures within the speciality that utilize digital technology. Intraoperative recording has been utilized in endoscopic surgeries and in evaluating technique in mastoidectomy, myringotomy and grommet insertion. The impact of intra-operative video recording in otolaryngology education is vast in creating access to surgical videos for preparation outside the operating room to individualized coaching and assessment...

BACKGROUND: Hyperparathyroid crisis, or "parathyroid storm" is a rare manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism, characterized by sudden onset of symptomatic, severe hypercalcemia (> 3.5 mmol/L). Hemorrhage into a parathyroid adenoma has rarely been reported as an inciting or associated event. We present a case of hemorrhage into a longstanding adenoma presenting with acute onset of profound hypercalcemia and associated complications. CASE PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old male presented to hospital with sudden onset of confusion, muscle weakness, and ataxia...

BACKGROUND: Risk of contralateral nodal metastases in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is relatively low, however, many OPSCC patients receive bilateral neck treatment. This study evaluates the oncological outcomes with management of the contralateral cN0 neck based on lymphatic mapping with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT-CT). METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of patients with lateralized cT1-2 and contralateral cN0 OPSCC treated with primary surgery between December 2017 and October 2019...