Factors Influencing the Delay in Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis in Lebanon.

Objectives: To evaluate factors affecting the delay in head and neck cancer (HNC) diagnosis in Lebanon.

Methods: Patients with HNC presenting between August 1, 2023, and August 1, 2024, to the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) were recruited. A questionnaire was administered to characterize the demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors affecting their cancer diagnosis, and their charts were reviewed retrospectively for their cancer demographics and to account for any discrepancies.

Thyroid angiosarcoma: a rare malignancy - case report and systematic review of the literature.

Background: Thyroid angiosarcoma is a rare, highly aggressive malignancy of endothelial origin, characterized by rapid growth, invasive behavior, and a high metastatic potential. While most cases are reported from the Alpine regions of Europe, its occurrence elsewhere is exceedingly rare. The aim of our review is to report a case of thyroid angiosarcoma and provide a systematic review of the literature, focusing on clinical presentation, diagnostic strategies, and treatment outcomes.

Office-Based Blue Laser Therapy for Vocal Fold Cysts: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Objective: To report a case series of vocal fold cysts treated with the blue laser in an office-setting and to review the literature on office-based laser therapy for vocal fold cysts.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Methods: The medical records and video-recordings of all patients diagnosed with vocal fold cysts who underwent office-based blue laser therapy (OBLT) in a tertiary referral center between December 2023 and October 2024 were reviewed.

Impact of Upper Airway Narrowing on Patient Tolerance in Office-Based Blue Laser Surgery.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of upper airway narrowing on patient tolerance in office-based laser surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Methods: All patients who underwent office-based blue laser surgery for benign and premalignant laryngeal lesions between November 2021 and September 2024 were reviewed.

Exploring Connections Between Weight-Loss Medications and Thyroid Cancer: A Look at the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System Database.

Aims: GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide (Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Monjaro), have gained significant popularity for obesity management, but concerns have arisen about their potential link to thyroid cancer. This study investigates the association between thyroid cancer and weight-loss medications.

Materials And Methods: A disproportionality analysis was conducted using data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from 2004 to Q1 2024.

Correlation Between Self-Perceived Hoarseness, Perceptual Voice Evaluation, and Body Mass Index in Dysphonic Patients: A Study of 120 Cases.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between self-perceived vocal handicap, perceptual voice evaluation, and body mass index (BMI) in a cohort of patients presenting with hoarseness and to examine the correlation between perceptual voice evaluation and the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) score in dysphonic patients with or without obesity.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Methods: The medical records of patients presenting with hoarseness to the voice clinic of a tertiary referral center between September 2023 and September 2024 were reviewed.

The impact of music on patient tolerance during office-based laryngeal surgery.

Objective: To investigate the impact of music on patient tolerance during office-based laryngeal surgery (OBLS).

Methods: All patients undergoing OBLS between February 2024 to June 2024 were invited to participate in this study. They were divided into two subgroups, those with music in the background during surgery and those without.

Office-Based Blue Laser Posterior Cordectomy in Patients with Bilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis: A Novel Approach.

Objective: Bilateral vocal fold paralysis can be a disabling condition with an adverse impact on quality of life. Various glottal widening procedures to secure the airway have been described. These include total or partial arytenoidectomy with or without reinnervation, cordotomy, arytenoidopexy, and others.

Correlation Between Anxiety, Depression and Hemodynamic Changes in Office-Based Laryngeal Surgery.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between anxiety, depression, and hemodynamic changes during office-based laryngeal surgery (OBLS).

Methods: All patients undergoing OBLS between February 2024 until July 2024 were invited to participate in the study. Participants had their vital signs recorded throughout the procedure at a 5-min interval.

Transnasal Endoscopic Injection of Botulinum Toxin in Patients with Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia.

Introduction: Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia (ADSD) is the most common form of spasmodic dysphonia. It encompasses various symptoms affecting voice and speech. The objective of this study is to report the management of patients with ADSD using the transnasal endoscopic approach for laryngeal Botulinum Toxin (Botox) injection.

Laryngeal Neuromas in a 5-Year-Old With MEN2B: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B) syndrome is a rare genetic disorder primarily driven by mutations in the RET proto-oncogene. MEN2B exhibits diverse symptoms affecting multiple organ systems, with mucosal neuromas being a prominent feature. These benign tumors contribute to the syndrome's clinical variability, alongside medullary thyroid carcinoma and pheochromocytoma.

Impact of a bundle of care (intravenous iron, erythropoietin and transfusion metabolic adjustment) on post-operative transfusion incidence in cardiac surgery: a single-centre, randomised, open-label, parallel-group controlled pilot trial.

Background: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are frequent in patients after cardiac surgery. This study assessed whether a bundle of care including pre-operative and post-operative administration of erythropoietin (EPO) with intravenous iron supplementation, and restrictive transfusion adjusted for ScvO could result in reduced postoperative transfusions.

Methods: In this single-centre, randomised, open-label, parallel-group controlled pilot study, patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with high risk of transfusion in a University Hospital were enrolled by the investigator and the randomisation procedure using a central internet-based system was made by the clinical research assistant.

Intramuscular Lipoma of the Sternocleidomastoid Muscle: A Rare Entity Revisited.

Intramuscular lipomas, typically found in subcutaneous tissue, rarely affect deeper muscular planes, especially those of the head and neck region. The following are 3 cases of intramuscular lipomas involving the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The first 2 patients presented with painless, palpable masses confirmed by diagnostic imaging as well-circumscribed intramuscular lipomas.

Office-Based Steroid Injection for Benign Lesions of the Vocal Folds: Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Objectives: To present the authors' experience on intralesional steroid injection (ILSI) for benign lesions of the vocal folds and a review of the literature.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Methods: The medical records of patients with vocal folds nodules, polyps, Reinke's edema, laryngitis/localized edema, and vocal fold granuloma who underwent ILSI were reviewed.

Spontaneous Oropharyngeal Bleeding Caused by Lingual Artery Pseudo-Aneurysm.

Spontaneous oropharyngeal bleeding is an uncommon but serious medical emergency mainly caused by accidental trauma or post-tonsillectomy. In extremely rare cases, it can be attributed to arterial pseudoaneurysm (PA) of head and neck vessels. The authors present the case of a young female patient presenting with recurring spontaneous oropharyngeal bleeding who was found to have a lingual artery PA on angiography.

Effect of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 on Voice: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a growing health concern that affects several systems in the body, among which is the phonatory apparatus. Voice may be affected in view of the high prevalence of myopathy and neuropathy in diseased subjects. The authors aimed to answer the following question: does type 2 diabetes have an effect on voice?

Methods: The systematic review included search terms such as "speech, voice, larynx, glucose, diabetes, and hyperglycemia.

Timing of Active Left Ventricular Unloading in Patients on Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Therapy.

Background: It is currently unclear if active left ventricular (LV) unloading should be used as a primary treatment strategy or as a bailout in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) treated with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO).

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the association between timing of active LV unloading and implantation of VA-ECMO with outcomes of patients with CS.

Methods: Data from 421 patients with CS treated with VA-ECMO and active LV unloading at 18 tertiary care centers in 4 countries were analyzed.

Mania associated olfactory dysfunction: A comparison between bipolar subjects in mania and remission.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the olfactory functions of patients with bipolar disorder in manic phase and to compare them to those of bipolar subjects in remission and healthy controls.

Methods: We recruited 96 participants divided in 3 groups: bipolar mania (MB), euthymic bipolar in remission (EB) and healthy controls (HC). All participants underwent an assessment of their olfactory functions using the Sniffin' sticks threshold and identification tests.

Simplified TAVR Procedure: How Far Is It Possible to Go?

Increasing operators' experience and improvement of the technique have resulted in a drastic reduction in complications following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with lower surgical risk. In parallel, the procedure was considerably simplified, with a routine default approach including local anesthesia in the catheterization laboratory, percutaneous femoral approach, radial artery as the secondary access, prosthesis implantation without predilatation, left ventricle wire pacing and early discharge. Thus, the "simplified" TAVR adopted in most centers nowadays is a real revolution of the technique.

Mental Health of LGBTQ Individuals Who are Arab or of an Arab Descent: A Systematic Review.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals are at a higher risk of mental illness when compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Most research emanates from Western countries, with a paucity of studies in the Arab world. We systematically reviewed studies assessing the mental health of LGBTQ individuals who live in the Arab world or are of Arab descent.

Idarucizumab (Praxbind) for dabigatran reversal in patients undergoing heart transplantation: a cohort of ten patients.

Background: Novel oral anticoagulants are used in atrial fibrillation. Idarucizumab has been approved for reversal of dabigatran in situations of life-threatening hemorrhage or emergency surgery.

Objectives: We report a single center experience of ten patients on dabigatran therapy who were given idarucizumab prior to heart transplantation.