Gabriele Molteni

Selective epitympanic dysventilation syndrome

Although middle ear aeration is certainly related to eustachian tube (ET) function, other anatomic factors may play an important role in ventilation of these spaces, particularly the epitympanum.

Endoscopic tympanoplasty in patients with attic retraction pockets

Patients undergoing endoscopic middle ear surgery require reconstruction procedures that are able to give adequate functional results, with particular attention to ventilation of middle ear routes and mastoid tissue preservation.

Therapy of unilateral vocal fold paralysis with polydimethylsiloxane injection laryngoplasty: our experience.

The objective of this study was to document functional results and to compare objective and subjective voice measures after endoscopic laryngoplasty with injection of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for the treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis, and to verify PDMS biocompatibility in vocal fold. The design used was a longitudinal prospective study. Fifteen patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis underwent endoscopic injection of PDMS in general anesthesia. Accurate voice evaluation protocol (acoustic and aerodynamics analyses, GIRBAS [Grade, Instability, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain] scale, videostrobolaryngoscopy, and Voice Handicap Index test) before, after surgery, and at follow-up time was performed. The median follow-up was 21.7 months (range, 6-35). Data obtained were statistically significant. All acoustic, aerodynamics, perceptive, and subjective evaluations showed a significant improvement. No complications due to PDMS were reported. Functional results were found comparable to framework surgery. Endoscopic injection laryngoplasty with PDMS is a safe and long-term option for treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

The role of early voice therapy in the incidence of motility recovery in unilateral vocal fold paralysis

Abstract Objectives. Vocal fold paralysis can have a significant impact on a patients quality of life. The aim of this study was to analyze, in terms of vocal improvement and motility recovery, the post-vocal treatment results of patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) who underwent early voice therapy. Study design. A 7 years prospective study of patients with an UVFP who underwent our multidimensional diagnostic-therapeutic assessment. Material and Methods. Seventy-four patients with UVFP were included in the study. All patients underwent a voice therapy based on forcible exercises supplemented by manipulations and maneuvers. A pre and post-treatment objective voice evaluation and self-assessment was made. Results: Out of 74 patients with UVFP, 51 (68.9%) recovered vocal fold motility. In 23 (31.1%), UVFP persisted after voice therapy. In this group of patients, a complete glottal closure was seen in 5 before voice therapy and in 13 after; An important and significant (p <0.0001) reduction in fundamental frequency (Fo) was found; a manifest improvement was seen for the mean values of Jitter (Jitt%; p = 0.001), Shimmer (Shim%; p <0.0001) and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR) (p <0.0001). The same statistical comparisons calculated for male patients alone was not significant for Jitt% (0.102), Shim% (0.112) and NHR (0.155), as a result of the reduced number of patients in this group. Voice Handicap Index (VHI) values showed a clear and significant improvement and mean maximum phonation time (MPT) increased significantly. Conclusion. Early voice therapy based on an energetic approach, combined with patient co-operation, motivation and understanding through educated participation in the voice restoration process, strengthen the idea that patients with UVFP have a good chance of recovering vocal fold motility or improving their voice quality.

Auto-crosslinked hyaluronan gel injections in phonosurgery

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical performance of an auto-crosslinked gel obtained from hyaluronic acid (ACP-based gel) as an anti-adhesive agent and/or augmentative agent in vocal cord surgery for the treatment of vocal fold (VF) atrophy, sulcus vocalis, and postsurgery scarring as well as its tolerability at short- and long-term follow-up. Study Design: This was a prospective multicenter trial conducted between 2007 and 2009. Setting: Academic center. Subjects and Methods: Inclusion criteria were patients with glottic gap due to previous endoscopic phonosurgery, VF scars, vocal cord atrophy, and sulcus vocalis. Forty patients who underwent endoscopic injection of hyaluronic acid under general anesthesia were enrolled. Two different injections sites were used: the thyroarytenoid muscle in cases of glottic gap for augmentative purposes, and the lamina propria for treatment of scars and sulcus vocalis. A voice-evaluation protocol was performed before surgery, at the first follow-up visit (3 mo), and at the final follow-up (12 mo). Results: Follow-up data at three months were available for 38 patients, while data at 12 months follow-up were available for 27 patients. No side effects, hematoma, or infection and allergic reactions were reported in either the perioperative or postoperative period. Patients had statistically significant improvement in voice parameters compared with the baseline data at the first follow-up visit and at the 12-month follow-up. Conclusion: ACP-based gel seems to be a new tool in the challenging treatment of VF scarring, functioning as both an anti-adhesive product and an augmentation agent. Improvements in all glottal parameters and in both objective and subjective evaluation of voice performance were observed.

Endoscopic evaluation of middle ear ventilation route blockage

OBJECTIVES To describe middle ear ventilation route blockage, relieved during middle ear endoscopic surgery, and to analyze its association with mastoid hypopneumatization/sclerotization. STUDY DESIGN Prospective case series with intraoperative analyses, and with a case-control computed tomographic scan comparison. METHODS Intraoperative findings during endoscopic middle ear surgery are described. Patients with middle ear ventilation route blockage were included in the study group (22 patients), while patients without middle ear ventilation route blockage were included in the control group (16 patients). An intra-patient and inter-group comparison of evaluated mastoid pneumatization was performed from the preoperative computed tomographic scans. RESULTS Middle ear ventilation route blockage was classified into three types (A, B, C) according to intraoperative findings. Intrapatient and intergroup comparisons showed that the presence of blockages of middle ear ventilation trajectories is associated with a statistically significantly higher prevalence of hypopneumatization/sclerotization of the mastoid in the study group, a typical sign of middle ear dysventilation pathologies. CONCLUSIONS Intraoperative evaluation of the middle ear anatomy during endoscopic surgery for inflammatory pathology allows us to clearly visualize the presence of anatomic blockages of the middle ear ventilation trajectories. These blockages might provoke a sectorial dysventilation of the middle ear, with consequent reduction of pneumatization of the mastoid. Further studies will be able to clarify to what extent selective dysventilation phenomena could be a principal factor in influencing middle ear pressure homeostasis.

Ossicular Chain Preservation After Exclusive Endoscopic Transcanal Tympanoplasty: Preliminary Experience

Objectives: The aim of the present study is to document and analyze the ossicular chain preservation rate in patients affected by acquired primary cholesteatoma with epitympanic involvement and with preoperative intact ossicular chain. Study Design: A retrospective case series in a tertiary university referral center. Methods: From January 2006 to February 2010, at the Otolaryngology Department of the University Hospital of Modena, 68 patients affected by acquired primary cholesteatoma with attic involvement underwent exclusive endoscopic transcanal tympanoplasty. In April 2010, we performed a retrospective chart and video review of these patients. Patients in whom the ossicular chain was found to be intact and not involved by the pathology at the beginning of the operation were included in the study. A cholesteatoma staging was introduced based on tympanic subsite involvement by pathology. Results: Out of 68 patients affected by acquired primary cholesteatoma and who underwent exclusive endoscopic transcanal tympanoplasty, 23 had intraoperative integrity of the ossicular chain (17 male and 6 female subjects; mean age, 40 yr) and were included in the study. An inverse correlation was found between number of subsites involved and chain preservation (Spearman rank correlation coefficient, r = -1; p = 0.017). Medial attic involvement was the factor that most negatively influenced the likelihood of chain preservation. Conclusion: Middle ear endoscopic techniques may increase the likelihood of ossicular chain preservation during cholesteatoma surgery. Medial attic involvement and a high number of subsites involved represent the most significant negative factors for chain preservation. The rate of residual disease requires more thorough evaluation in the future to validate the results.

Endoscopic Anatomy of the Middle Ear

Good knowledge of anatomy is fundamental for every surgeon. Middle ear anatomy is really complex and sometimes is challenging for otologists, who need to explore every single compartment for a radical removal of pathology. With introduction of the endoscope in middle ear surgery, anatomy of middle ear spaces has become wider and clearer due to a better magnification and to the possibility to look “behind the corner”. This article is a review of the state-of-art of endoscopic middle ear anatomy with description of every compartment, with particular attention to ventilation pathways and middle ear folds.

REHABILITATION OF SWALLOWING WITH POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE INJECTIONS IN PATIENTS WHO UNDERWENT PARTIAL LARYNGECTOMY

We conducted this longitudinal prospective study to illustrate a surgical technique for swallowing rehabilitation of patients after partial laryngectomy.

Nipple trauma in infants? Bednar aphthae.

INTRODUCTION Bednar aphthae are infected wounds caused by trauma, localized to the hard palate in infants. They do not require specific treatment because they regress spontaneously in a few days. They often remain undiagnosed; other times, because of the pain they caused, they may worsen the nursing. CASE REPORT We describe the clinical case of a healthy infant of 2 months, fed with formula, who has 2 aphthous lesions in the oral cavity associated with irritability and inconsolable crying during feeding. We excluded the influence of infectious factors or underlying diseases. The hypothesis of a traumatic factor was supported by the anatomical features of aphthae and then confirmed by the gradual resolution of lesions after some advices on breastfeeding. CONCLUSIONS Our intent is to provide a photographic record of Bednar aphthae, which are quite common but often misdiagnosed also because of lacking of photographic material. Improved knowledge of this condition helps physicians in the differential diagnosis of a traumatic condition that is not as unusual as it seems in newborns.