Covid-19 negatively impacted on small oncology surgery but none on major procedures: Regional experience.

Aim: To understand the impact of COVID pandemic on the activity and patients' care of the Head and Neck regional Unit, temporary moved in a COVID-free hospital.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the yearly activity of the "Head & Neck Cancer Unit" at the Azienda Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord (Italy) during 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic) and we compared it with the one performed in 2019. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-square.

Metastatic signet ring cell gastric carcinoma bypassing Virchow's node: An unexpected etiology of a painful neck mass.

Metastatic lymph nodes of the head and neck are often associated with locoregional spread of mucosal squamous carcinoma, but in rare instances visceral malignancies may bypass Virchow's node. The possibility of distant metastasis should be considered.

Airway obstruction from tracheostomy balloon cuff herniation during oral cancer removal. Emergency successfully managed and lessons learnt from device malfunction.

Objective: Tracheostomy tube cuff balloon herniation is a rare event and can determine airway obstruction. Sometimes the obstruction is not very evident but, if it is not correctly solved, can determine a severe hypoxia with patient's death.

Material And Methods: We present a 49-year-old male patient, with cT4aN0M0 squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, who was admitted to the hospital for definitive surgical resection.

Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID-19 Patients: Prevalence and Prognosis for Recovering Sense of Smell.

While olfactory dysfunction associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attracted considerable interest, few studies have tracked outcomes at serial time points or beyond 2 weeks. Furthermore, data are conflicting regarding whether COVID-19 severity correlates with degree of olfactory dysfunction. This prospective case-control study analyzed prevalence and severity of subjective loss of smell in outpatients (n = 23) and inpatients (n = 20) with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection vs healthy controls (n = 25).

HPV and EBV Infections in Neck Metastases from Occult Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Another Virus-Related Neoplastic Disease in the Head and Neck Region.

Background: Approximately 1-9 % of all head and neck squamous cell carcinomas are neck metastases from clinically undetectable primary tumors. Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are proven carcinogenic factors that are associated with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, respectively. In the present study, we evaluated the prevalence of these viruses in neck metastases from unknown primary squamous cell carcinoma.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation After Total Laryngectomy: A Multicenter Time-Series Clinical Trial Evaluating the Provox XtraHME in HME-Naïve Patients.

Background: Both the immediate beneficial physiological changes in a laboratory setting and the long-term clinical outcomes of heat and moisture exchanger (HME) use are well described. So far, there has not been any research published that provides detailed insight in the pattern of changes in both respiratory function and patients' experiences with HMEs in the first weeks of use.

Methods: A multicenter time-series study design with a 2-week double baseline period.

Oncologic outcome of hypopharyngeal carcinoma treated with different modalities at 2 different university hospitals.

Background: The hypopharynx is the site with the worst prognosis among head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oncologic outcomes of hypopharyngeal SCCs to identify the major clinical predictive factors and to compare the different primary therapeutic modalities.

Methods: The medical records of 123 consecutive patients diagnosed with primary resectable hypopharyngeal SCC were reviewed.

Management of a rare case of arytenoid mucosa oedema inducing stridor and cough.

Objective: Current guidelines recommend a multidisciplinary systematic integrated approach to patient with chronic cough in which nowadays otolaryngologists play an increasingly valuable role as new procedures are used for evaluation and treatment. Surgery has been never taken into consideration to treat refractory chronic cough.

Method: We present a rare case of arytenoid mucosa oedema inducing stridor and cough, lasting 8 months, that critically affected the quality of life of a 15-year-old adolescent arrived to our emergency department with prominent arytenoid oedema causing paroxysmal cough and laryngeal stridor and that was successfully treated by laryngeal debridement.