Faculty Bibliography

INTRODUCTION: We expanded upon our previous experience using involved-field fractionated radiotherapy (IFRT) as an alternative to whole brain radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with surgically resected brain metastases (BM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with single BM who underwent surgical resection followed by IFRT at our institution from 2006 to 2013 were evaluated. Local recurrence (LR)-free survival, distant failure (DF)-free survival, and overall survival (OS) were determined. Analyses were performed associating clinical variables with LR and DF. Salvage approaches and toxicity of treatment for each patient were also assessed. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 19.1 months. Fifty-six patients were treated with a median dose of 40.05 Gy/15 fractions with IFRT to the resection cavity. LR-free survival was 91.4%, DF-free survival was 68.4%, and OS was 77.7% at 12 months. No variables were associated with increased LR; however, melanoma histopathology and infratentorial location were associated with DF on multivariate analysis. LRs were salvaged in 5/8 patients, and DFs were salvaged in 24/29 patients. Two patients developed radionecrosis. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant IFRT is feasible and safe for well-selected patients with surgically resected single BM. Acceptable rates of local control and salvage of distal intracranial recurrences continue to be achieved with continued follow-up.

This article provides the reader with basic knowledge regarding the measurement tools needed to assess hearing in children. The test batteries described here are adaptable and interchangeable to meet the needs of the entire pediatric population no matter what the age or developmental stage. It is meant to provide the team of professionals involved in the treatment of pediatric hearing disorders with a framework from which the process of diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation can begin at an early age.

OBJECTIVE: To validate a method of measuring angular depth of insertion (aDOI) as well as positional depth of each electrode contact in a cochlear implant by using intraoperative postinsertion skull radiographs. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Intraoperative postinsertion radiographs obtained from 18 cochlear implant recipients were chosen for analysis. One high-resolution computer tomography scan of the head with the electrode in place was also analyzed. One cadaveric temporal bone with an inserted electrode provided additional data for analysis. INTERVENTION: aDOI and position of each electrode contact were measured from the radiographs using readily available software. High-resolution computer tomography imaging of the cochlea and electrode were reconstructed in three dimensions and used to simulate head rotation during intraoperative radiographs. The cadaveric temporal bone was imaged by x-ray at various acquisition angles. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We evaluated the error introduced in measuring aDOI by assessing intra- and inter-rater variability. We also evaluated the error introduced by x-ray acquisition at nonstandardized angles by analyzing the three-dimensional construct and the cadaveric temporal bone. RESULTS: The concordance correlation coefficients for intrarater (0.991) and inter-rater (0.996) variability in aDOI measurement were excellent. The error introduced by nonstandardized x-ray acquisition angles was only -12.5 degrees to +15.8 degrees even at the limits of clinically relevant head rotation. CONCLUSIONS: The intraoperative postinsertion radiograph is sufficient for estimating positional depth of electrode contacts and the aDOI. This measure is robust in the face of nonstandardized x-ray acquisition angles, and shows good intra- and inter-rater variability.

BACKGROUND: Several recent analyses of indeterminate thyroid nodules classified as Bethesda III (follicular lesion of undetermined significance) have reported considerably greater rates of malignancy than those initially reported by the Bethesda System for Reporting Cytopathology (BSRTC). These values, however, may be overestimates owing to several sources of bias, such as referral, selection, and publication biases. Our aim was to analyze the prevalence of malignancy in Bethesda III and IV thyroid nodules in a comprehensive health system less prone to institutional referral bias, excluding incidental carcinomas, and we examine the literature for publication bias. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis with pathologic re-review of 119 patients with Bethesda III/IV cytology undergoing surgery in a comprehensive health system by examining patient and nodule characteristics. A review of the literature was performed and analyzed for publication bias. RESULTS: The malignancy rate in resected thyroid nodules was 13% (6/48) for Bethesda III and 28% (20/71) for Bethesda IV. There were 9 of 119 patients (8%) with incidental microcarcinomas. Age <30 years was associated with an increased risk of malignancy (odds ratio, 25.8; P = .005). Sex, nodule size, and ultrasonographic features were not associated with risk of malignancy. Analysis of the literature was indicative of publication bias for Bethesda III cohorts, with reported rates positively skewed (P = .039). CONCLUSION: In a comprehensive health system, the rate of malignancy in Bethesda III nodules was similar to the range reported by the BSRTC. Recent reports of greater rates of malignancy may be attributable to institutional referral patterns, operative selection, inclusion of incidental microcarcinomas, and publication bias.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) revisits and 30-day readmissions have been proposed as markers for quality of ED care for sickle cell disease (SCD). OBJECTIVE: To create a scoring system that quantifies the risk of 30-day revisit after ED discharge for SCD vaso-occlusive pain METHODS: This was a dual-center retrospective derivation and validation cohort study. The derivation was performed at an academic, tertiary care center and the validation at an urban community hospital. The primary outcome was revisit to the ED within 30 days after an ED discharge for SCD pain. Recursive partitioning was used to derive a scoring system to predict 30-day revisits. RESULTS: Of a total of 1456 ED visits for SCD pain, there were 680 ED discharges (admission rate of 53%) in 193 unique individuals included in the derivation cohort. There were 240 (35.3%) 30-day revisits. Of a total of 126 ED visits for SCD, there were 79 ED discharges in 41 unique individuals in the validation cohort. The final risk score included 4 variables: (1) age, (2) insurance status, (3) triage pain score, and (4) amount of opioids administered during the ED visit. Possible scores range from 0 to 6. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.746 (95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.78-derivation cohort) and 0.753 (95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.86-validation cohort). A cutoff of 4 or greater identified 60% of 30-day ED revisits in the derivation cohort and 80% of revisits in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: A risk score can identify ED visits for SCD pain with high risk of 30-day revisit.

Micro-Electrocorticography (muECoG) offers a minimally invasive, high resolution interface

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether bilateral loudness balancing during mapping of bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) produces fused, punctate, and centered auditory images that facilitate lateralization with stimulation on single-electrode pairs. DESIGN: Adopting procedures similar to those that are practiced clinically, direct stimulation was used to obtain most-comfortable levels (C levels) in recipients of bilateral CIs. Three pairs of electrodes, located in the base, middle, and apex of the electrode array, were tested. These electrode pairs were loudness-balanced by playing right-left electrode pairs sequentially. In experiment 1, the authors measured the location, number, and compactness of auditory images in 11 participants in a subjective fusion experiment. In experiment 2, the authors measured the location and number of the auditory images while imposing a range of interaural level differences (ILDs) in 13 participants in a lateralization experiment. Six of these participants repeated the mapping process and lateralization experiment over three separate days to determine the variability in the procedure. RESULTS: In approximately 80% of instances, bilateral loudness balancing was achieved from relatively small adjustments to the C levels (