Ultrasound provides real-time anatomical information and motion. We used ultrasound to image the cricoarytenoid joint and its rotating, rocking, and gliding movements.

Eosinophilic otitis media (EOM) is a chronic eosinophilic inflammatory disease linked to bronchial asthma and nasal polyps. EOM is often accompanied by tympanic membrane perforation. Although the primary treatment, steroid therapy, is generally effective, its efficacy may be limited in advanced cases, particularly those involving significant thickening of the middle ear mucosa. Despite its clinical importance, details regarding the pathogenesis of EOM have not been elucidated. Our study aimed to characterize the microbiome associated with EOM and explore changes with and without tympanic membrane perforation.

The impacts of earthquakes on the mental health of individuals have been well-documented. Additionally, individuals frequently report experiencing dizziness akin to seasickness or carsickness. This phenomenon, termed "post-earthquake dizziness syndrome" (PEDS), has garnered increasing attention due to its unclear etiology. This study investigates the prevalence and predictors of ongoing PEDS within an adolescent population more than one year after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.

Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) following open thoracic aortic surgery increases pulmonary complications and hospital stays. An intervention protocol with early injection laryngoplasty (IL) and swallowing maneuvers was developed for acute UVFP following thoracic aortic surgery. This study aimed to compare the incidence of complications and length of medical care between the non-VFP and the IL-UVFP group managed under this protocol.

Tracheostomy in the setting of head and neck cancer may be performed either electively for prophylactic airway protection in an ablative procedure, or as an emergency due to impending airway obstruction in the setting of an obstructing upper aerodigestive tract malignancy. Tracheostomy care has biopsychosocial implications, which may require a higher level of care from carers, post-acute care, or placement into care facilities. Existing database studies have largely excluded patients with a history of head and neck cancer. This study aims to examine and compare discharge destinations for head and neck cancer patients requiring either elective or emergency surgical tracheostomies.

Reports of endoscopic surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal cavity and ethmoid sinus are limited. Herein, we present a comprehensive account of the results obtained from performing endoscopic surgery based on the concept of en bloc resection.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Herein, we report two cases of unresectable ATC treated with a combination of BRAF and MEK inhibitors. The patients were initially treated with other therapies but were switched to BRAF and MEK inhibitors after testing positive for BRAF mutations. This resulted in a partial response, tumor shrinkage, and conversion to resectability in one case. The patient experienced manageable adverse events. BRAF mutations are common in thyroid cancers, and studies have demonstrated the efficacy of combining BRAF and MEK inhibitors for treating advanced or recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer or ATC with BRAF mutations. These cases emphasize the importance of BRAF gene testing at the initial diagnosis and the potential of BRAF and MEK inhibitors as treatment options for unresectable ATC with BRAF mutations. The oral administration and manageable adverse event profiles of these medications make them suitable for outpatient treatment. In conclusion, BRAF gene testing should be performed at the initial diagnosis, and the use of BRAF and MEK inhibitors should be considered in patients with ATC.

Symptoms of patulous Eustachian Tube (PET) were first described by Jago in 1858 and reported by Schwartze in 1864, recognizing PET as a clinical entity. This review summarizes the causes, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of PET, with a particular emphasis on diagnosis and treatment, detailing the diagnostic criteria and silicone plug (Kobayashi plug) surgery proposed or developed in Japan. PET is often linked to weight loss from chronic illnesses, dieting, anorexia nervosa, hemodialysis, and bariatric surgery. It is also associated with pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, nasopharyngeal and muscular atrophy or scarring, and neuromuscular diseases. Interestingly, many PET cases lack an identifiable cause. The prevalence of PET ranges from 0.3 % to 7.0 %, with a higher incidence in females and typically occurring in adolescents and adults. Diagnosis relies on a combination of clinical history, physical examination, ET function test, and imaging. The Japan Otological Society (JOS) proposed standardized diagnostic criteria, where a "definite PET" diagnosis requires all three criteria (aural symptoms, tubal obstruction procedures, and objective findings), while "possible PET" requires two. Treatment includes conservative and surgical interventions. For persistent and severe cases that do not improve with conservative treatments, surgical options are explored. These surgical procedures are classified by the type of intervention, which includes tympanic membrane manipulation (such as tympanostomy tube insertion and mass loading of the tympanic membrane), plug surgery, ET injection, shim surgery, tuboplasty, and ET closure. The Kobayashi plug, a 23 mm long silicone plug, is specifically designed for PET treatment. Indications for its use include "definite PET," a PHI-10 score of 26 or higher, and lack of improvement after six months of conservative treatment. Preoperative evaluations include CT scans to assess ET patency and confirm the bony portion. Surgery, mostly performed under local anesthesia, involves inserting the plug into the ET via a myringotomy, ensuring the correct size and position with endoscopic guidance. In conclusion, PET is a challenging condition with diverse etiologies and symptoms. Effective management requires a comprehensive diagnostic approach and tailored treatment plans, with the Kobayashi plug offering a promising solution for refractory cases. Further research and advancements in diagnostic techniques and therapeutic interventions will continue to enhance the management of PET.

Peritracheostomal pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF), a direct connection between the PCF and tracheal stoma due to a skin defect, is among the most problematic complications after total laryngectomy or pharyngolaryngectomy. Peritracheostomal PCFs can cause lethal complications, including severe pneumonia or carotid blowout, secondary to salivary leakage directly into the tracheal stoma, and their management is challenging without early invasive surgical closure. We aimed to evaluate the utility of our novel and minimally invasive combined local skin flap placement and negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) method for the management and conservative closure of peritracheostomal PCFs.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in preventing the exacerbation of asthma.

Endoscopic laryngopharyngeal surgery (ELPS) is a transoral surgery performed for the treatment of early-stage pharyngeal and supralaryngeal cancer. In Japan, ELPS is often chosen for transoral resection of hypopharyngeal cancer. However, in cases of trismus, exposing the hypopharynx even with ELPS using a curved laryngoscope may not be possible. Thus, we developed the percutaneous laryngeal elevation technique (PLET). The PLET is easy to perform because it only requires the addition of a percutaneous suture on the larynx and lifting the larynx ventrally. The PLET could dramatically improve hypopharynx exposure and allow us to perform ELPS on a patient with hypopharyngeal cancer experiencing severe trismus. A 64-year-old man was referred to our hospital for the treatment of hypopharyngeal cancer (cTisN0M0). He had severe trismus because of past surgery and radiotherapy for buccal mucosa cancer. Mouth-opening surgery was performed initially, followed by ELPS. However, the hypopharynx was insufficiently exposed, and the entire tumor could not be visualized. The PLET was performed, which dramatically improved the exposure and allowed us to resect the tumor with sufficient surgical margin. In this case, no intra- and postoperative PLET-related complications were observed. Thus, the PLET is an easy and safe technique for improving hypopharyngeal exposure.

To review the various basic research and treatments available to regenerate the vocal folds and to discuss the direction for future treatments.

In this post hoc analysis, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of 1.5% levofloxacin (LVFX) otic solution for the treatment of acute otitis externa (AOE) in patients with nonintact tympanic membrane (NTM) accompanied by chronic suppurative and acute otitis media.

Oxidative stress damages cochlear hair cells in vitro. However, the effect of systemic inflammation on hearing loss remains unclear. Growing evidence suggests that malnutrition influences the development of hearing loss. In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), which is calculated based on systemic inflammatory responses and malnutrition, on auditory threshold increases in patients with cancer.

Transoral surgery for early-stage pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer provides good local control and is less invasive than external incisions. Postoperative pathological findings are considered the most important indicators for determining postoperative treatment, but detailed criteria have not been established. In this study, we evaluated the impact of postoperative pathological findings on prognosis of patients undergoing transoral surgery.

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is the most serious toxicity in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with induction chemotherapy (IC). Although it is well-known that sarcopenia is a risk factor for severe toxicity of (chemo)radiotherapy, the data on the association between sarcopenia and FN during IC in HNSCC patients is rare. This study determined the impact of sarcopenia on FN during IC.

Multilevel airway surgery for obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSA) has benefits in improving sleep quality, but its effect on polysomnography (PSG) and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) parameters, including walking distance and cardiopulmonary performance, in patients with poor pre-operative cardiopulmonary performance remains understudied, which should be further investigated.

The aim of this multicenter retrospective study was to analyze the impact of prophylactic neck dissection and adjuvant therapy in transoral surgery for hypopharyngeal cancer.

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in syphilis cases in Japan and Western countries. Syphilis, a classic sexually transmitted disease caused by treponemas, presents diagnostic challenges due to its diverse clinical manifestations. This study explores the diagnosis of syphilis in patients treated at our hospital.

NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2) is characterized by bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VS), often causing severe damage to the bilateral auditory function. Auditory brainstem implantation (ABI) provides hearing-impaired patients with an opportunity to reacquire auditory sensation through electrical stimulation of auditory neurons in the cochlear nucleus. However, ABI is not covered by public health insurance in Japan, leading to a large difference in financial burden compared to cochlear implantation (CI). The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of CI as an alternative to ABI for hearing reacquisition in patients with profound hearing loss caused by VS.

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is an uncommon tumour primarily seen in young males. It is characterized by its vascular nature and aggressive growth pattern, presenting a significant surgical challenge. Endoscopic sinonasal surgery has become the treatment of choice, reducing both morbidity and blood loss, as well as recurrence rates. This study aims to present the clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of patients with juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma treated exclusively with endoscopic surgery at our centre.