Masayuki Karaki

Removal of an Orbital Apex Hemangioma using an Endoscopic Transethmoidal Approach: Technical Note

OBJECTIVE: The posterior orbit contains a number of important and vulnerable structures, including the optic nerve, the ophthalmic artery and vein, and the ocular muscles and their motor nerves, which makes surgical access to the lesion in this region quite difficult. Transfrontal, transfrontal-ethmoidal, and transmaxillary procedures have the disadvantage of possible injuries to a number of nontumor structures, whereas an endoscopic transethmoidal approach is a minimally invasive surgery for the retrobulbar lesions. Retrobulbar cavernous hemangioma was successfully removed by a transethmoidal approach. METHODS: Tumor removal was performed in a patient with an intraconal cavernous hemangioma of approximately 15 mm in diameter. By a transethmoidal approach, the medial-inferior part of the orbit, as well as the apex of the orbit, were clearly visualized after endonasal ethmoidectomy. After the removal of the medial orbital bone, the orbital periosteum was incised and elevated. By elevating the orbital fat, the tumor could be identified separately from the orbital contents. RESULTS: Cavernous hemangioma at the orbital apex was removed without complications. CONCLUSION: An endoscopic transethmoidal approach, which requires no skin incision, is a minimally invasive surgery for retrobulbar orbital tumor, leading to excellent cosmetic results with less bleeding.

Evaluation of adult pott's puffy tumor: Our five cases and 27 literature cases†

Potts puffy tumor (PPT) is defined as one or more subperiosteal abscesses of the frontal bone based on osteomyelitis. PPT is observed predominantly in the adolescent age group and rarely in adults. Some parameters affecting prognosis and an appropriate surgical approach for antecedent frontal sinusitis have not been elucidated due to the rarity of patients with adult PPT.

Functional Optical Hemodynamic Imaging of the Olfactory Cortex

Objective: We used multichannel near‐infrared spectroscopy (MNIRS) to monitor the activity of the frontal cortex as mirrored by hemodynamic responses subjected to olfactory stimulation. The aim of this study was to clarify the functional brain imaging of olfactory activity.

Measurement of nasal resistance by rhinomanometry in 892 Japanese elementary school children

OBJECTIVE The normal value of nasal resistance in adults has been reported (0.25 Pa/cm³/s), but that in children has not. In this study, we measured nasal resistance in Japanese school children by employing rhinomanometry. METHODS An otolaryngologist examined 939 Japanese school children with regard to the presence or absence of nasal diseases and tonsil size. Nasal resistance was measured by rhinomanometry employing the active anterior method in 892 children. A questionnaire concerning the condition during sleep, such as the presence or absence of snoring and sleep apnea syndrome, was performed. RESULTS The mean nasal resistance was 0.43 ± 0.50 Pa/cm³/s: 0.46 ± 0.65 and 0.39 ± 0.22 Pa/cm³/s in boys and girls, respectively. Of the 892 children, Grade 3 and 4 tonsil hypertrophy was noted in 84 (9%), but the presence of tonsil hypertrophy did not influence nasal resistance. Nasal diseases were noted in 335 children (38%) and the nasal condition was normal (the normal group) in 557 (62%). Nasal resistance was 0.56 ± 0.75 Pa/cm³/s in the nasal disease group and 0.36 ± 0.21 Pa/cm³/s in the normal group, showing that the resistance was significantly higher in the nasal disease group. The resistance tended to decrease as the school grade increased. In the normal group, 290 children (33%) experienced no problem regarding the upper airway, such as snoring and sleep apnea syndrome, based on a questionnaire, and nasal resistance was 0.35 ± 0.17 Pa/cm³/s. CONCLUSION This normal nasal resistance value may be adopted for the objective evaluation of nasal obstruction and effects of treatment in pediatric nasal diseases.

Expression of interleukin-16 in allergic rhinitis.

Background: Interleukin-16 (IL-16) has been characterized as a chemoattractant for a variety of CD4+ T cells. Several inflammatory diseases, including allergic disorders, have been reported to correlate with IL-16. We first examined the IL-16 expression of serum and mucosal tissue in patients with allergic rhinitis. Methods: Forty-eight patients with a clinical history of house dust mite (HDM) or pollen-sensitive allergic rhinitis were included in this study. Serum IL-16 was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IL-16 expression of nasal mucosa was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: IL-16 levels were elevated in the serum of patients with allergic rhinitis compared with normal controls. In particular, serum IL-16 levels in HDM-sensitive patients were higher than those in pollen-sensitive patients. IL-16 was significantly correlated with eosinophils in the peripheral blood of allergic rhinitis patients. Histologically, IL-16 was expressed in infiltrated lymphocytes and nasal gland cells. Conclusions: Our data indicate that one of the sources of elevated serum IL-16 in allergic patients may be gland cells and lymphocytes in allergic nasal mucosa. This IL-16 cytokine may be strongly associated with the developmental mechanism of allergic rhinitis.

Efficacy of intranasal steroid spray (mometasone furoate) on treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: Comparison with oral corticosteroids

OBJECTIVE Intranasal corticosteroids are effective for allergic rhinitis and broadly used in daily clinical practice. Systemic oral corticosteroids are also known to be effective for treatment of allergic rhinitis. These topical and systemic corticosteroids are both effective formulations for allergic rhinitis, and both drugs have some side effects. When treatment formulations for allergic rhinitis are selected based on side effects, topical corticosteroids are more commonly selected than systemic steroids. Systemic corticosteroids, on the other hand, have traditionally been believed to have higher and more instantaneous therapeutic effects than those of topical corticosteroids. However, there have been few reports of direct comparisons between topical corticosteroid and systemic corticosteroid efficacy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the subjective outcomes of nasal symptom management using topical intranasal corticosteroid therapy or systemic oral corticosteroid therapy in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. We compared the efficacy of mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) to betamethasone oral tablets (BOT) for the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. METHODS In an open label study, patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis who had intermediate-to-severe symptoms and who visited the hospital without prior treatment were allocated to 1 of 3 treatment groups (noncorticosteroid group, topical corticosteroid group, and oral corticosteroid group). Evaluation was conducted using allergy diaries that consisted of patient questionnaires. The Japanese Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (JRQLQ) was used in this study. RESULTS Compared to only loratazine nonsteroid therapy, both MFNS 200μg once daily and BOT 0.25mg twice daily significantly reduced the total and individual symptom scores for sneezing, nasal obstruction, watery nasal discharge, and nasal itching (P<0.05). Scores for itching of the eyes were reduced slightly more in the MFNS group than in the noncorticosteriod treatment group, but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSION MFNS and BOT have virtually equivalent effects on nasal symptoms in patients with seasonal allergies. Our study was the first direct comparison between an intranasal corticosteroid spray and a systemic oral corticosteroid for seasonal allergic rhinitis. No significant differences were found in the therapeutic effects of the topical and systemic corticosteroids tested, suggesting that topical corticosteroids are expected to sufficiently improve nasal symptoms without administration of oral corticosteroids. Treatment with intranasal corticosteroid spray is more strongly recommended than treatment with systemic corticoid steroids, due to the side effects associated with each treatment.

Evaluation of adenotonsillectomy and tonsillectomy for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea by rhinomanometry and the OSA-18 questionnaire

Abstract Conclusion: Nasal resistance and the OSA-18 score were useful for evaluating surgical treatments. The sleep disturbance score may also be useful for predicting the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. Objective: We evaluated the effect of surgery on children with OSA using polysomnography (PSG) parameters, nasal resistance, and the OSA-18 questionnaire, and also investigated the cut-off OSA-18 score to screen for pediatric OSA. Methods: This was a retrospective study in which PSG parameters and nasal resistance were measured using a rhinomanometer and the OSA-18 score was obtained from the OSA-18 questionnaire before and after surgery in 45 children with OSA. Results: The mean age of the 45 patients was 5.7 ± 2.0 years. The mean value of the obstructive apnea hypopnea index (O-AHI) improved from 16.2 ± 14.3/h before surgery to 1.1 ± 1.7/h after surgery, the mean nasal resistance improved from 0.44 ± 0.19 to 0.32 ± 0.10 Pa/cm3/s, and the mean OSA-18 score improved from 61.1 ± 13.7 to 30.4 ± 5.8, and all these improvements were significant. The O-AHI value was lower than 1/h after surgery in 64.4% of patients (29/45). The O-AHI value was significantly correlated with the sleep disturbance score (r = 0.352, p = 0.018). When the cut-off OSA-18 score for screening was set at 40, sensitivity was 100%.

Blindness caused by septic superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis in a Lemierre Syndrome variant

A 65-year-old man presented with right facial cellulitis and right blindness. Enhanced CT and MRI showed right facial cellulitis involved with pterigopalatine fossa. Additionally, orbital cellulitis, superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis, and pulmonary multiple nodules were observed. (18)F-FDG PET/CT supported these findings. He was diagnosed with septic superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis accompanied with Lemierre Syndrome variant and was treated mainly by the administration of intravenous antibiotics. His symptoms and image findings improved after a few days of treatment, but the right visual loss has not recovered. Since septic superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis and Lemierre Syndrome both have life-threatening potential, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important and may contribute to reduce the incidence of severe complications. Septic superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis accompanied with Lemierre Syndrome is exceeding rare, and this case is the first report of blindness in Lemierre Syndrome. A literature review and discussion of septic superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis and Lemierre Syndrome are included.

IL-16 Variability and Modulation by Antiallergic Drugs in a Murine Experimental Allergic Rhinitis Model

Background: Interleukin-16 (IL-16) is a cytokine that induces selective migration of CD4+ cells and participates in inflammatory diseases including allergic rhinitis. Histamine and prostaglandin D2 are important chemical mediators of allergic inflammation, and antiallergic drugs are commonly used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. It remains unknown whether treatment with the drugs affects IL-16. Objective: We evaluated the variability of IL-16 and the effects of the antiallergic drugs fexofenadine (40 mg/kg/day) and ramatroban (30 mg/kg/day) on IL-16 in an OVA-sensitized BALB/c murine experimental allergic rhinitis model. Methods: We measured the expression level of IL-16 protein in the mouse nasal septal mucosa by immunohistochemistry, and the serum level of IL-16 by ELISA. Several other parameters associated with allergic rhinitis (nasal symptoms, OVA-specific IgE, eosinophil and T cell infiltration) were also measured. Results: Local and systemic expressions of IL-16 were significantly increased in OVA-sensitized mice when compared to the nonsensitized group. Fexofenadine and ramatroban significantly inhibited the following OVA-induced allergic features when compared to the nontreated sensitized group: sneezing, nasal rubbing, eosinophil infiltration, IL-16 expressions in nasal tissue, and serum IL-16 level. Serum OVA-specific IgE and local T cell infiltration were reduced, but they did not reach significant values. Conclusions: These results suggest that IL-16 was both systemically and locally upregulated in the murine allergic rhinitis model and that IL-16 changed in parallel to allergic state by treatment with the drugs.

Functional optical hemodynamic imaging of the olfactory cortex in normosmia subjects and dysosmia subjects.

Objectives. Objective olfactory testing is not common. NIRS has been used before to study functional activations in various areas of the brain, but we wanted to investigate the difference in brain olfactory activity in normosmia subjects and dysosmia subjects using multi-channel NIRS (MNIRS). Subjects and methods. This study was conducted on eight normosmia subjects and five dysosmia subjects. We employed a 22-channel near-infrared spectroscopy device with eight light incident fibers and seven light detector fibers, each with an inter-optode distance of 2.5 cm on the frontal head. Isovaleric acid was used as the odor stimulant. We measured the change in oxyhemoglobin concentrations [oxyHb], deoxyhemoglobin concentrations [deoxyHb], and total hemoglobin concentrations [totalHb] from pre-baseline values. Furthermore, we divided the frontal cortex into four areas (right upper, left upper, right lower, left lower) and measured the activity in each area. Then, the changes in [oxyHb], [deoxyHb], and [totalHb] of normosmia subjects and dysosmia subjects were compared in each area. Results. In all normosmia subjects, isovaleric acid caused remarkable changes, especially in the lower areas of the frontal cortex. However, in all dysosmia subjects, isovaleric acid caused no changes. Conclusion. These activated areas may be related to the orbitofrontal cortex, corresponding to olfactory cortices. This study shows that multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) enables the evaluation of brain activity of normosmia subjects and dysosmia subjects by olfactory stimulation.