Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE:To describe outcomes with cochlear implantation (CI) for rehabilitation of hearing loss in patients with sporadic vestibular schwannomas (VS) and other retrocochlear pathologies. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:Retrospective review. SETTING/METHODS:Tertiary-care center. PATIENTS/METHODS:Twenty three cases in 19 patients (53% men, mean age 55.8 yr) with non-neurofibromatosis type 2 related retrocochlear pathology. INTERVENTIONS/METHODS:Unilateral or bilateral CI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES/METHODS:Word recognition score, device usage. RESULTS:Etiology of deafness included sporadic VS (n = 9, 39%), radiation after head and neck or central nervous system (CNS) malignancy (n = 8, 35%), superficial siderosis (n = 3, 13%), neurosarcoidosis (n = 2, 9%), and pontine stroke (n = 1, 4%). Mean follow-up duration was 2.3 years (standard deviation [SD] 3.0; range, 0.2-9.4). Auditory perception was achieved in 20 out of 22 patients (91%) who have been activated. Mean WRS in patients with sporadic VS was 18% (SD 20; range, 0-44). Mean WRS in patients with non-VS retrocochlear pathology was 55% (SD 30; range, 0-94). Data logs showed 7.0 h/d of average use (SD 4.3; range, 0-13). CONCLUSIONS:Appropriately selected patients with retrocochlear pathology may benefit from CI so long as the patient has a cochlear fluid signal and an intact cochlear nerve. Patients with sporadic VS patients and normal contralateral hearing exhibited guarded outcomes with CI, whereas most patients with non-VS retrocochlear pathologies demonstrated open-set speech understanding scores comparable to or slightly worse than conventional CI candidates. Since variable performance benefit is observed with CI in patients with retrocochlear pathology, counseling is imperative to align patient expectations with realistic outcomes.

OBJECTIVE:To describe our institutional experience with cochlear implantation (CI) for rehabilitation of hearing loss in Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) patients. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:Retrospective review between 1989 and 2019. SETTING/METHODS:Tertiary-care center. PATIENTS/METHODS:Twenty-four patients (67% female, mean age 45.6years) with NF2. Management of their ipsilateral vestibular schwannoma included microsurgery (n=12), stereotactic radiation (n=5), and observation (n=7). INTERVENTIONS/METHODS:Cochlear implantation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES/METHODS:Ability to obtain open-set speech, daily device usage and long-term device benefit. RESULTS:All patients achieved some degree of sound awareness with CI. Nineteen patients (79%) achieved open-set speech understanding with a mean word-recognition score of 43% (range 0-88%). Patients with tumors 1.5 cm or less demonstrated the better speech understanding, without significant differences among treatment modalities. For tumors greater than 1.5 cm, patients who underwent microsurgery had a lower rate of open-set speech understanding compared to those treated with radiation or observation. Regular daily device use in 83% of patients was found. Long-term use (>10years) was observed in several patients, though some ultimately required reimplantation with an auditory brainstem implant due to progressive tumor growth. Mean follow-up duration was 4.1 years (range 0.4-15). CONCLUSIONS:Cochlear implantation can be an effective treatment for hearing loss in NF2 patients provided the cochlear nerve is intact, regardless of prior management for the ipsilateral tumor. The degree of benefit varies and is influenced by tumor size. Management strategies that preserve the cochlear nerve maximize the interval during which a CI could be of benefit to NF2 patients.

Importance/UNASSIGNED:Decision-making in the timing of tracheostomy in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has centered on the intersection of long-standing debates on the benefits of early vs late tracheostomy, assumptions about timelines of infectivity of the novel coronavirus, and concern over risk to surgeons performing tracheostomy. Multiple consensus guidelines recommend avoiding or delaying tracheostomy, without evidence to indicate anticipated improvement in outcomes as a result. Objective/UNASSIGNED:To assess outcomes from early tracheostomy in the airway management of patients with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation. Design, Setting, and Participants/UNASSIGNED:A retrospective medical record review was completed of 148 patients with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation at a single tertiary-care medical center in New York City from March 1 to May 7, 2020. Interventions/UNASSIGNED:Open or percutaneous tracheostomy. Main Outcomes and Measures/UNASSIGNED:The primary outcomes were time from symptom onset to (1) endotracheal intubation, (2) tracheostomy; time from endotracheal intubation to tracheostomy; time from tracheostomy to (1) tracheostomy tube downsizing, (2) decannulation; total time on mechanical ventilation; and total length of stay. Results/UNASSIGNED:Participants included 148 patients, 120 men and 28 women, with an overall mean (SD) age of 58.1 (15.8) years. Mean (SD; median) time from symptom onset to intubation was 10.57 (6.58; 9) days; from symptom onset to tracheostomy, 22.76 (8.84; 21) days; and from endotracheal intubation to tracheostomy, 12.23 (6.82; 12) days. The mean (SD; median) time to discontinuation of mechanical ventilation was 33.49 (18.82; 27) days; from tracheostomy to first downsize, 23.02 (13.76; 19) days; and from tracheostomy to decannulation, 30.16 (16.00; 26) days. The mean (SD; median) length of stay for all patients was 51.29 (23.66; 45) days. Timing of tracheostomy was significantly associated with length of stay: median length of stay was 40 days in those who underwent early tracheostomy (within 10 days of endotracheal intubation) and 49 days in those who underwent late tracheostomy (median difference, -8; 95% CI, -15 to -1). In a competing risks model with death as the competing risk, the late tracheostomy group was 16% less likely to discontinue mechanical ventilation (hazard ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.55 to 1.28). Conclusions and Relevance/UNASSIGNED:This cohort study from the first 2 months of the pandemic in New York City provides an opportunity to reconsider guidelines for tracheostomy for patients with COVID-19. Findings demonstrated noninferiority of early tracheostomy and challenges recommendations to categorically delay or avoid tracheostomy in this patient population. When aligned with emerging evidence about the timeline of infectivity of the novel coronavirus, this approach may optimize outcomes from tracheostomy while keeping clinicians safe.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) launched DataDermâ„¢ in 2016 as the clinical data registry platform of AAD. DataDerm is approved by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). The ultimate purpose of DataDerm is to provide dermatologists with a registry and database that will serve as a vehicle to advance the specialty in the domains of science, discovery, education, quality assessment, quality improvement, advocacy, and practice management. DataDerm is currently the largest clinical registry and database of patients receiving dermatological care in the world. As of December 31, 2019, DataDerm contained data from 10,618,879 unique patients and 32,309,389 unique patient visits. Depending on the reporting period, 800-900 practices (representing 2,400-2,600 clinicians) actively participate in DataDerm by submitting data. This manuscript provides the first of a planned series of annual updates of the status of DataDerm. The purpose of this article is to present the rationale for the creation, maintenance, history, and current status of DataDerm, as well as the future plans for DataDerm.

BACKGROUND:There have been few investigations examining the benefits, consequences, and patterns of use for prophylactic antibiotics for nasal packing in the emergency department setting. Given the frequency of epistaxis in the emergency department, it is an ideal setting to study the efficacy and utilization patterns of prophylactic antibiotics in nasal packing. OBJECTIVE:Our aim was to assess both rates of utilization and evidence of benefit for prophylactic antibiotics in patients with nasal packing for epistaxis. METHODS:A single-institution retrospective review of 275 cases of anterior nasal packing in an urban emergency department between September 2013 and April 2017 was performed. Chi-square statistical analysis was used to evaluate results. RESULTS:Among 275 cases studied, there were no instances of toxic shock syndrome. Roughly 73% of patients with nonabsorbable packing received prophylactic antibiotics. Only one (1.1%) case of sinusitis was noted among the nonabsorbable packing with prophylaxis group, with no such complication in the nonprophylaxis group. In contrast, 95% of patients with absorbable nasal packing were not given prophylactic antibiotics. Analysis of all cases given prophylactic antibiotics vs. no prophylaxis, regardless of packing type, revealed no statistically significant difference in the development of acute sinusitis (1% vs. 0.56%; p = 0.6793). CONCLUSIONS:There was no observed advantage or disadvantage to using prophylactic antibiotics in anterior nasal packing in the emergency department, regardless of whether patients received absorbable or nonabsorbable packing. However, patients who receive nonabsorbable nasal packing were more likely to receive antibiotic prophylaxis.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE:Singers have high vocal demands and are at increased risk of developing voice disorders. Different singing genres place different technical demands on the voice. However, differences in laryngeal pathology based on genre have not been well-researched. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of laryngeal pathology in different genres of professional and amateur singers who present with a voice complaint. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:Retrospective review. METHODS:Retrospective review of patients seen at a tertiary laryngology practice. Self-identified singers who reported their primary singing genre and categorized their singing as a full-time job, part-time job, or amateur involvement were included. Type and prevalence of pathology were calculated based on genre and professional status. RESULTS:Of the 302 self-identified singers, 54% (n = 164) had laryngeal pathology. Among those with pathology, the most common finding was fibrotic lesion (38.4%, 63/164). Genres in which a majority of singers had pathology were other (69.2%, 9/13), choral (64.7%, 11/17), pop (63.2%, 12/19), musical theater (61.4%, 43/70), country (100%, 4/4), and Latin (100%, 2/2). The highest prevalence of pathology was seen in part-time professional singers (62.2%, 41/66) and full-time professionals (60.8%, 62/102), compared to amateurs (45.1%, 60/133). CONCLUSIONS:Laryngeal pathology is prevalent in singers presenting with a voice complaint. Regardless of genre or professional status, fibrotic lesions were the most common pathological finding. This study provides preliminary data on the prevalence of different laryngeal pathologies found in singers by genre and degree of professional involvement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:4 Laryngoscope, 2020.

Chronic pain is a hallmark of functional disorders, inflammatory diseases and cancer of the digestive system. The mechanisms that initiate and sustain chronic pain are incompletely understood, and available therapies are inadequate. This review highlights recent advances in the structure and function of pronociceptive and antinociceptive G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that provide insights into the mechanisms and treatment of chronic pain. This knowledge, derived from studies of somatic pain, can guide research into visceral pain. Mediators from injured tissues transiently activate GPCRs at the plasma membrane of neurons, leading to sensitisation of ion channels and acute hyperexcitability and nociception. Sustained agonist release evokes GPCR redistribution to endosomes, where persistent signalling regulates activity of channels and genes that control chronic hyperexcitability and nociception. Endosomally targeted GPCR antagonists provide superior pain relief in preclinical models. Biased agonists stabilise GPCR conformations that favour signalling of beneficial actions at the expense of detrimental side effects. Biased agonists of µ-opioid receptors (MOPrs) can provide analgesia without addiction, respiratory depression and constipation. Opioids that preferentially bind to MOPrs in the acidic microenvironment of diseased tissues produce analgesia without side effects. Allosteric modulators of GPCRs fine-tune actions of endogenous ligands, offering the prospect of refined pain control. GPCR dimers might function as distinct therapeutic targets for nociception. The discovery that GPCRs that control itch also mediate irritant sensation in the colon has revealed new targets. A deeper understanding of GPCR structure and function in different microenvironments offers the potential of developing superior treatments for GI pain.

Epilepsy is a heterogenous group of disorders defined by recurrent seizure activity due to abnormal synchronized activity of neurons. A growing number of epilepsy cases are believed to be caused by genetic factors and copy number variants (CNV) contribute to up to 5% of epilepsy cases. However, CNVs in epilepsy are usually large deletions or duplications involving multiple neurodevelopmental genes. In patients who underwent seizure focus resection for treatment-resistant epilepsy, whole genome DNA methylation profiling identified 3 main clusters of which one showed strong association with receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) genes. We identified focal copy number gains involving epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and PDGFRA loci. The dysplastic neurons of cases with amplifications showed marked overexpression of EGFR and PDGFRA, while glial and endothelial cells were negative. Targeted sequencing of regulatory regions and DNA methylation analysis revealed that only enhancer regions of EGFR and gene promoter of PDGFRA were amplified, while coding regions did not show copy number abnormalities or somatic mutations. Somatic focal copy number gains of noncoding regulatory represent a previously unrecognized genetic driver in epilepsy and a mechanism of abnormal activation of RTK genes. Upregulated RTKs provide a potential avenue for therapy in seizure disorders.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), American Academy of Otolaryngology-Heand and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), and the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) commissioned the multi-disciplinary Rhinoplasty Performance Measure Development Work Group to identify and draft quality measures for the care of patients undergoing both functional and aesthetic rhinoplasty. 1 outcome measures and 3 process measures were identified. The outcome looked at patient satisfaction with patient satisfaction with rhinoplasty procedures. The process measures look at motivations and expectations of the procedure, airway assessment, and non-narcotic shared decision-making strategies for pain management. All measures in this report were approved by the ASPS Quality and Performance Measures Work Group and Executive Committee, as well as the AAO-HNS Foundation, the AAFPRS, the Rhinoplasty Society, and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. The Work Group recommends the use of these measures for quality initiatives, Continuing Medical Education, Maintenance of Certification, Qualified Clinical Data Registry reporting, and national quality reporting programs.

BACKGROUND: Collaboration has been shown to be beneficial when we have complex problems and highly specialized groups, such as in head and neck reconstruction. Otolaryngology, plastic surgery, and oral maxillofacial surgeons perform head and neck reconstruction research. While the specialties represent unique backgrounds, the degree of interdisciplinary collaboration and subtopic focus is unknown. We sought to describe the frequency of interinstitutional interdisciplinary collaboration and examine the association of specialty with research subtopics. METHODS: Oral presentations from 2014 to 2018 focused on head and neck reconstruction or associated principles at the main reconstructive academic meetings in otolaryngology (American Head and Neck Society), plastic surgery (American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery), and oral maxillofacial surgery (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons) were reviewed. Author specialty and institution data were recorded. All abstracts were assigned a research subtopic, chosen based on identified themes. Subtopic frequencies among the specialties were compared. RESULTS: Thirteen of 88 (15%) US institutions participate in interdisciplinary collaboration in head and neck reconstruction research. Of the remaining institutions, 23 (31%) have researchers performing parallel work and not collaborating. Certain research subtopics were more often presented by each specialty, representing differing interests. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS: Collaboration among head and neck reconstruction research at the US institutions is low compared with the potential. Specialties focus on different research subtopics, and therefore can benefit from working together.