Otitis media with effusion in children: Pathophysiology,diagnosis, and treatment. A review

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a frequent paediatric disorder. The condition is often asymptomatic, and so can easily be missed. However, OME can lead to hearing loss that impairs the child's language and behavioural development. The diagnosis is essentially clinical, and is based on otoscopy and (in some cases) tympanometry. Nasal endoscopy is only indicated in cases of unilateral OME or when obstructive adenoid hypertrophy is suspected. Otitis media with effusion is defined as the observation of middle-ear effusion at consultations three months apart. Hearing must be evaluated (using an age-appropriate audiometry technique) before and after treatment, so as not to miss another underlying cause of deafness (e.g. perception deafness). Craniofacial dysmorphism, respiratory allergy and gastro-oesophageal reflux all favour the development of OME. Although a certain number of medications (antibiotics, corticoids, antihistamines, mucokinetic agents, and nasal decongestants) can be used to treat OME, they are not reliably effective and rarely provide long-term relief. The benchmark treatment for OME is placement of tympanostomy tubes (TTs) and (in some cases) adjunct adenoidectomy. The TTs rapidly normalize hearing and effectively prevent the development of cholesteatoma in the middle ear. In contrast, TTs do not prevent progression towards tympanic atrophy or a retraction pocket. Adenoidectomy enhances the effectiveness of TTs. In children with adenoid hypertrophy, adenoidectomy is indicated before the age of 4 but can be performed later when OME is identified by nasal endoscopy. Children must be followed up until OME has disappeared completely, so that any complications are not missed.     

择区性颈清扫术在头颈部鳞状细胞癌颈淋巴转移患者中应用的初步分析

目的 探讨择区性颈清扫术(selective neck dissection)在伴N1、N2期颈淋巴转移头颈部鳞状细胞癌(简称鳞癌)中的疗效.方法 回顾性分析36例伴N1、N2期颈淋巴转移的头颈部鳞癌患者行40侧择区性颈清扫术,16侧行全颈清扫术的临床资料,评价择区性颈清扫术的疗效.KaplanMeier法行累积生存率统计,Log-rank检验比较生存率差异;有无淋巴结包膜外侵犯病例复发率的差异分析采用Fisher精确概率法;采用Cox比例风险模型对可能影响患者生存时间的因素进行分析.结果 36例患者3和5年生存率分别为76.8%和54.3%.N1+N2a组3和5年生存率均为100%,N2b+N2c组3和5年生存率分别为59.4%和32.0%,Log-rank检验两组患者5年生存率差异有统计学意义(P=0.003).有无淋巴结包膜外侵犯分组的复发率分别为36.4%和3.4%,差异有统计学意义(P=0.015);3年生存率分别为45.5%和81.8%,5年生存率分别为39.7%和65.5%,差异均有统计学意义(P值分别为0.0148和0.0423).多因素分析证实淋巴结包膜外侵犯是影响患者生存时间的危险因素(P=0.042,OR=0.328,OR值95%可信限为0.112～0.959).结论 头颈部鳞癌N1期患者采用择区性颈清扫术可有满意的疗效,对N2期病变和伴有淋巴结包膜外侵犯的病例需谨慎处理,必要时扩大清扫范围甚至变更术式为全颈清扫术或改良全颈清扫术以提高术后颈部肿瘤控制率.     

Platinum rechallenge in recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after primary chemoradiation

ObjectiveTo evaluate platinum rechallenge efficacy and tolerance in patients presenting recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) after platinum-based chemoradiation.Materials and methodsWe retrospectively included all patients treated from 2007 to 2016 by platinum-based polychemotherapy for recurrence of HNSCC previously treated by primary or postsurgical platinum-based chemoradiation. The primary end-point was disease control rate (DCR) on platinum rechallenge.ResultsForty-five patients were included. Median disease-free interval (DFI) after chemoradiation was 5.7 months. DCR on platinum rechallenge was 40%. Progression-free survival at recurrence was 3.7 months and overall survival 5.0 months. DCR in patients with recurrence within 6 months of chemoradiotherapy was 47.8%. DFI > 4.5 months was associated with better DCR: 28.5% versus 54.8%; P = 0.0311.ConclusionPlatinum rechallenge provided good DCR in recurrent HNSCC after chemoradiation.