UNASSIGNED: To translate and validate an Italian version of the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (IT-QOD).
UNASSIGNED: This is a prospective, multicentre study that involved patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD). Both cases and controls underwent administration of the IT-QOD, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) and psychophysical evaluation of orthonasal and retronasal olfactory function.
UNASSIGNED: The IT-QOD was administered to 96 patients and 38 controls. The Cronbach\'s alpha exceeded 0.90, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. The test-retest reliability was found to be high for both parosmia (rs = 0.944) and life quality (rs = 0.969). Patients with OD had significantly higher IT-QOD scores compared to healthy individuals (p < 0.001), indicating strong internal validity. The external validity was also satisfactory, as shown by the significant correlation with SNOT-22 (rs = -0.54) and the threshold, discrimination, and identification score (rs = -0.63).
UNASSIGNED: The IT-QOD was demonstrated to be reliable and valid to assess the impact of OD on the quality of life of Italian-speaking patients.

暂无摘要。

This study aims to compare a relatively novel three-dimensional rendering called Path Tracing (PT) to the Volume Rendering technique (VR) in the post-surgical assessment of head and neck oncologic surgery followed by bone flap reconstruction. This retrospective study included 39 oncologic patients who underwent head and neck surgery with free bone flap reconstructions. All exams were acquired using a 64 Multi-Detector CT (MDCT). PT and VR images were created on a dedicated workstation. Five readers, with different expertise in bone flap reconstructive surgery, independently reviewed the images (two radiologists, one head and neck surgeon and two otorhinolaryngologists, respectively). Every observer evaluated the images according to a 5-point Likert scale. The parameters assessed were image quality, anatomical accuracy, bone flap evaluation, and metal artefact. Mean and median values for all the parameters across the observer were calculated. The scores of both reconstruction methods were compared using a Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. Inter-reader agreement was calculated using Spearman\'s rank correlation coefficient. PT was considered significantly superior to VR 3D reconstructions by all readers (p < 0.05). Inter-reader agreement was moderate to strong across four out of five readers. The agreement was stronger with PT images compared to VR images. In conclusion, PT reconstructions are significantly better than VR ones. Although they did not modify patient outcomes, they may improve the post-surgical evaluation of bone-free flap reconstructions following major head and neck surgery.

The aim of this retrospective study has been to compare the surgical outcomes of patients undergoing superficial parotidectomy with three different instruments: bipolar electrocautery, ultrasound, and mixed energy instruments. The clinical records of 102 patients who had undergone superficial parotidectomy for benign tumors between January 2016 and April 2022 were considered. Based on the tool used during the surgery, the patients were divided into three study groups: classic electrocautery hemostasis group (CH group), ultrasonic instrument group (HA group), and combined energy instrument group (TB group). The duration of surgery, the total post-operative drainage volume, and the intra-operative blood loss were significantly higher in the CH group compared to the HA and the TB group, while the differences were not significant between the latter two groups. Facial nerve weakness was detected in 45.9% of the CH group, 12.5% of the HA group, and 21.2% of the TB group. The rate of facial nerve dysfunction in the CH group was significantly higher than in the HA group (0.011). In the patients who experienced post-operative facial nerve dysfunction, the recovery time was significantly shorter in the HA group compared to the CH and the TB group. The HA and TB groups have demonstrated comparable and significantly better surgical outcomes than bipolar electrocautery. Ultrasound instruments have been shown to cause, in comparison with the other techniques, a lower rate of temporary facial nerve dysfunction and, if this is present, lead to a faster spontaneous recovery time.

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between pre-treatment inflammatory biomarkers and the post-operative depth of invasion (DOI) and worst pattern of invasion (WPOI) in early-stage oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) by means of positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). A retrospective analysis of patients affected by cN0 T1-T2 OTSCC who had undergone an SLNB at the National Cancer Institute of Naples was performed. The patients were studied using an evaluation of the pre-treatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), and a histopathological analysis of the DOI and WPOI. The statistical analysis showed that among the prognostic biomarkers, the NLR was a significant predictor of high WPOI values (p = 0.002). The cut-off NLR value was 2.52 with a probability of developing a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) of 30.3%. In contrast, the DOI value was 5.20 with a probability of developing a positive SLNB of 31.82%. Regarding the WPOI, increasing the WPOI class increased the likelihood of a positive SLNB occurrence, and a positive significant correlation was found between the WPOI and SLNB (Csp = 0.342; p < 0.001). Pre-treatment NLR, together with post-surgical DOI and WPOI, can be a reliable predictor of occult neck metastasis in patients affected by early-stage OTSCC with a clinically negative neck. Further prospective studies with a larger series will be needed to confirm the results obtained and to better define the NLR, WPOI and DOI cut-off values in order for elective neck dissection to be recommended in relation to a clinically negative neck.

暂无摘要。

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous, chronic connective tissue disease, characterized by skin fibrosis as well as vascular and visceral lesions. It can involve the lungs, heart, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and bones. The orofacial manifestations of SSc can cause functional, aesthetic, and social distress, resulting in significant psychological implications for the patients. In recent decades, fat grafting improved the aesthetic outcomes in terms of volume deficiency, contour asymmetry, and skin elasticity of the face thanks to the regenerative action of the stem cells contained within it. We describe five cases of a patient with SSc treated with fat grafting used to correct volume loss and facial elasticity of the lips and perioral region on the middle and lower third of the face. All the patients received regular postoperative checks at weeks 1 and 2. A multiple choice questionnaire was administered to assess the degree of tolerability of the procedure. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated by calculating the Cronbach alpha using the MedCalc Statistical Software version 20.113. The aim of our study is to describe three different types of fat grafting used to correct volume loss and restore facial elasticity of the lips and perioral region on the middle and lower third of the face.

A high number of patients have one or more missing tooth and it is estimated that one in four American subjects over the age of 74 have lost all their natural teeth. Many options exist to replace missing teeth but dental implants have become one of the most used biomaterial to replace one (or more) missing tooth over the last decades. Contemporary dental implants made with titanium have been proven safe and effective in large series of patients. This review considers the main historical facts concerned with dental implants and present the different critical factors that will ensure a good osseo-integration that will ensure a stable prosthesis anchorage.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether distraction-induced regeneration (DR) can be optimized based on consecutive ultrasound findings during the course of compression-distraction osteosynthesis (CDO).
METHODS: Sixty-nine children ranging in age from 2 weeks to 15 years with congenital (37 patients) or acquired (32 patients) microgenia were treated with CDO. Radiological diagnostic studies included orthopantomography (OPG) and ultrasonography (US). The patients were divided into two groups: in group I a standard distraction rate (SDR) (1 mm/day) was used (33 patients, 47.8%); in group II (36 patients, 52.2%) individual distraction rates (IDR) were used based on US findings.
RESULTS: DR was classified as normotrophic, hypertrophic, or hypotrophic based on US findings. In group I, 11 (33.3%) of the patients presented normotrophic DR, 8 (24.2%) had hypertrophic DR, and in 14 (42.4%), the DR was hypotrophic. In group II, all patients presented normotrophic DR at the end of the treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: US offers a unique opportunity to study DR development, and the results can be used to actively manage and optimize the osteogenesis process during mandibular CDO in children.
Sommario OBIETTIVO: Valutazione delle possibilità di ottimizzazione di sviluppo del tessuto di rigenerazione per distrazione (DR) basata sui segni dell\'esame ecografico dinamico (USDE) nel corso dell\'osteosintesi mediante compressione–trazione (CDO). MATERIALI E METODI: Sessantanove bambini, di età compresa tra 2 settimane e 15 anni, affetti da microgenia (ipoplasia) congenita (37 pazienti) o acquisita (32 pazienti) sono stati trattati chirurgicamente con ostesintesi mediante compressione–distrazione (CDO). La diagnostica per immagini comprendeva l\'ortopantomografia (OPG) e l\'ecografia (US). I pazienti sono stati suddivisi in due gruppi: gruppo I – con rapporto di distrazione standard (SDR) pari a 1 mm/g –33 pazienti (47,8%); gruppo II – con rapporto di distrazione individuale (IDR) –36 pazienti (52,2%). RISULTATI: Sono stati rilevati e descritti i segni ecografici equivalenti al tessuto di rigenerazione per distrazione (DR), normotrofico, ipertrofico e ipotrofico. Nel gruppo I il DR normotrofico si è ottenuto in 11 pazienti (33,3%), ipertrofico –8 (24,2%), ipotrofico –14 (42,4%). Nel gruppo II in tutti i pazienti si è sviluppato il DR normotrofico. CONCLUSIONI: L\'esame ecografico dinamico USDE offre la possibilità di studiare lo sviluppo del DR; sulla base dei dati ecografici è possibile un trattamento attivo del processo di ostegenesi durante osteosintesi mediante compressione–distrazione (CDO) nei bambini.