Objective: To design inexpensive, easily fabricated stoma buttons for post-laryngectomy patients with stomal stenosis and patients who require prolonged tracheotomy. Methods: Design: Surgical Instrumentation Setting: Tertiary Government Hospital Subjects: Tracheostoma buttons fabricated from 3 or 5 cc disposable plastic syringe were tested on two post-laryngectomy patients with stomal stenosis and a tracheotomized patient with bilateral vocal cord paralysis. Results: The tracheostoma buttons were inexpensive and relatively easy to fabricate. They were easily inserted and well tolerated by all three patients, compared to previously-used commerciallyavailable tracheotomy tubes. Conclusion: In a developing country setting, improvised tracheostoma buttons made from disposable plastic syringes may be viable alternatives to commercially-available stoma buttons or tracheotomy tubes. Clinical trials on more subjects should be conducted to assess parameters for use and long-term efficacy and safety issues.

Objective: To determine the quality of life among SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) positive patients with anosmia using the Short Version Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders - Negative Statements translated in Filipino (sQOD-NS Ph).

Methods: Design: Cross-Sectional Study

                 Setting: Tertiary Government Training Hospital

                 Participants: SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR positive patients aged 18 years old and above with COVID-19 symptoms and anosmia in a tertiary government hospital who consulted from March 2020 to August 2021 answered the short version of sQOD-NS Ph.

Results: Out of 108 participants with positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR test, 72 (66%) presented with anosmia, and sQOD-NS Ph scores ranged from 1 to 21 with a mean of 14.78. Thirty two (44%) encountered problems in eating while 21 (29%) had feelings of isolation due to loss of smell. There was an inverse correlation of -0.478 between recovery time of olfaction and QoL score, hence the longer the recovery time, the lower the QoL score, while the shorter the recovery time, the higher the QoL score (p < .0001).

Conclusion: Majority of COVID-19 patients with anosmia had mild or negligible impairment, while a small percentage had impaired quality of life. The low percentage may be due to high number of patients who may have recovered their sense of smell along the course of the disease.

Human ; Smell ; Olfaction Disorders ; Quality Of Life

Objective: To determine the association of anosmia and positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR test results among patients in a tertiary government hospital in Metro Manila. Methods: Design: Cross-Sectional Study. Setting: Tertiary Government Hospital. Participants: Patients aged 18 years old and above who consulted or were admitted with COVID-19 symptoms at the Quezon City General Hospital in the Philippines from July to September 2020 answered an offline version of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery AAO-HNS COVID-19 Anosmia Reporting Tool prior to undergoing (COVID-19) RT-PCR testing. Results: Out of 172 participants, 63 (36.6%) presented with anosmia. Sixty (95.2%) out of 63 of those with anosmia had a positive COVID-19 RT-PCR test result. Forty-one (65%) participants reported anosmia as the first symptom while the most common associated symptoms were fever (59%), cough (50%), and rhinorrhea (31%). There was a significant association between anosmia and positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR tests (X2 =33.85, df=1, p<.0001). Conclusion Anosmia was associated with a positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR test in more than 95% of those who reported the symptom. Anosmia should be considered as a red flag sign which should be included in the screening of persons suspected of being infected with COVID-19 to help mitigate further spread of the virus.
Anosmia ; Coronavirus ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Pandemics ; COVID-19

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of thyroid malignancy and the following ultrasonographic findings: presence of solid hypoechoic nodule, irregular margins (infiltrative, microlobulated, or speculated), microcalcifications or disrupted rim calcifications with small extrusive hypoechoic soft tissue component, taller than wide shape of the thyroid nodule, and evidence of extrathyroidal extension.

METHODS:

Design:           Cross-Sectional Study

Setting:           Tertiary Government Training Hospital

Participants: Records of patients admitted to the Otorhinolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery ward with a diagnosis of nodular non-toxic goiter, multinodular non-toxic goiter, and thyroid malignancy who underwent thyroid surgery between January 2017 and June 2018 were considered for inclusion.

RESULTS: A total of 33 patients, 7 males and 26 females, were included in this study. Patients' age ranged from 26 to 69 years with an average of 46 years. Thirteen (39.4%) had malignant while 20 (60.6%) had benign histopathologic results. There was a significant association between presence of solid hypoechoic nodule (Fisher exact, n = 33, p = .0047), irregular margins and microcalcifications with malignant histopathology results (X2 (df = 1, N = 33) = 8.57, p = .003). No significant difference was noted in the proportion of subjects with malignancy according to taller than wide nodules (Fisher exact, n = 33, p = 1.000) or presence of extrathyroidal extension nodules or presence of extrathyroidal extension (Fisher exact, n = 33, p = .276). On multivariate analysis using logistic regression, only microcalcification was found to be a significant predictor of malignancy (OR = 8.96, 95% CI:  1.02 - 87.19, p = .05).

Conclusion: There was a significant association between presence of solid hypoechoic nodule, margins and microcalcifications with thyroid carcinoma. Only microcalcification was found to be a significant predictor of thyroid malignancy on ultrasound, although our confidence interval was broad.

KEYWORDS: calcifications; thyroid; thyroid carcinoma; thyroid nodule; ultrasonography

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged (a Person 65 Through 79 Years Of Age) ; Middle Aged (a Person 45-64 Years Of Age) ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between the laterality of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) and the laterality of sinonasal disease, based on temporal bone CT scan results and Lund-Mackay Scoring system, among patients admitted for ear surgery in a tertiary government hospital in Metro Manila.
METHODS:
Design: Retrospective review of records
Setting: Tertiary Government Hospital
Participants: Ninety-eight (98) patients diagnosed with chronic suppurative otitis media admitted for otologic surgery in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery from January 2011 to June 2014 were considered for inclusion. Hospital charts and temporal bone CT scan results were retrieved and analyzed for ear and sinonasal radiographic abnormalities and laterality. Excluded were those without CT scan plates, who underwent temporal bone surgery for reasons other than chronic suppurative otitis media, and those with incomplete records. the Lund-Mackay Scoring System was used to grade sinonasal findings which were compared to CSOM complications. Data was analyzed using t-test, ANOVA for homogenous numerical data, Kruskal-Wallis for heterogenous numerical data, and chi-square test for nominal type of data.
RESULTS: Of the 64 patients included in the study, 12 or 18.75% had radiographic sinonasal abnormalities. There was no significant association between the laterality of ear disease and the laterality of sinonasal pathology as there was no significant difference in the proportion of subjects with sinonasal disease according to laterality of CSOM (p=.32). When site of nose pathology was compared to Lund-Mackay graded scores, it was found that bilateral nose pathology generally had a higher Lund-Mackay score of 8.60 ± 5.60. However, there was no significant difference in the Lund-Mackay score according to the nose pathology site (p=.20). An association was seen between total LMS and patients with ear pathologies, but no significant difference was noted (p=.44). Although patients with ear complications had higher LM scores, this was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSION: Laterality of ear disease was not associated with the laterality of sinonasal disease, although CSOM complications were associated with high Lund-Mackay scores. Future, better-designed studies may shed more light on these associations.

 

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child Preschool ; Infection ; Nasal Septum ; Sinusitis ; Nasal Polyps ; Temporal Bone ; General Surgery

Objective: To determine the efficacy of carragelose® nasal spray versus mupirocin ointment impregnated nasal packs on postoperative mucosal healing among chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) patients after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Methods: Design: Double-Blind, Non-Randomized, Right-Left Side Comparison Setting: Tertiary Government Training Hospital Participants: Fifteen (15) patients diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) who had ESS were included in the study. Nasal packs (Netcell®) impregnated with carragelose® nasal spray or mupirocin ointment were respectively applied in right and left nostrils. Postoperative mucosal healing was graded by a blinded consultant using the Lund-Kennedy Endoscopic Scoring System and Perioperative Sinus Endoscopy (POSE) scoring system. Results: Six patients (12 nasal sides) completed the study. Comparing nasal packs impregnated with carragelose® nasal spray mupirocin ointment, the carragelose® group had lower Lund- Kennedy median scores than the mupirocin group on the 7th post-operative day; and this was statistically significant (p = .027). There were no significant differences in Lund-Kennedy postoperative scores on days 4 (p = .217), 14 (p = .171) and 28 (p = .151). Conclusion: Carragelose® nasal spray impregnated nasal packs may be comparable with, and may be an alternative to mupirocin ointment impregnated nasal packs in terms of postoperative mucosal healing among ESS patients with CRSwNP.

Objective: To report a case of chronic suppurative otitis media with complications of lateral sinus thrombosis and otitic hydrocephalus and to discuss its clinical manifestations, clinical course, ancillary procedures and management. Methods: Study Design: Case Report. Setting: Tertiary Government Training Hospital. Patient: One. Results: A 35-year-old man was admitted due to intermittent right otorrhea for 20 years and headache for a month. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 12, and mastoidectomy performed on the second hospital day showed cholesteatoma with erosion of the bony covering of the sigmoid sinus with scanty purulent discharge. The GCS improved to 15 few hours post- operatively, however, 24 hours post-operatively, GCS decreased from 15 to 10 and a CT scan showed dilatation of cerebral ventricles and lateral sinus thrombosis which persisted on subsequent imaging studies. His condition deteriorated irreversibly despite a ventriculostomy, and he eventually expired after 3 weeks in the ward. Conclusion Otitic hydrocephalus due to lateral sinus thrombosis is a serious complication of chronic suppurative otitis media seldom encountered nowadays. In this case, otitic hydrocephalus developed and progressed despite broad spectrum antibiotics, mastoidectomy and a ventricular shunt. This case report underscores the importance of early recognition of warning signs of intracranial complications to institute prompt management.
Lateral Sinus Thrombosis ; Mastoidectomy ; Ventriculostomy

Objective: To determine the otorhinolaryngologic manifestations of long COVID-19 infection among patients consulting at the Quezon City General Hospital. : Methods Design: Cross-Sectional Study Setting: Tertiary Government Hospital Participants: Patients aged 18 years old and above, who previously tested positive for the SARS-COV-2 Test, and consulted with otolaryngologic problems at the Outpatient department, Emergency Room, or were dmitted, or referred from other services to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, from October 2022 to January 2023 were considered for inclusion. Results: Out of 150 participants, 127 (84.67%) reported having otorhinolaryngologic symptoms. Five percent (5%) had ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 (4 to 12 weeks) and 11% had post COVID-19 syndrome (>12 weeks). Patients with long COVID-19 had rhinorrhea (54.51%), hyposmia (51.47%), dysgeusia (48.9%), anosmia (48.53%), sore throat (47.8%), ageusia (29.78%), tinnitus (23.53%), ear pain (23.53%), phantosmia (21.33%), and dizziness (11.76%). Out of 25 patients with long COVID, only 2 had pneumonia and 1 was hospitalized and eventually recovered. Conclusion This study showed a prevalence rate of 16% of long COVID-19 with rhinorrhea as the most prominent symptom. Long-term monitoring is essential and patients who had COVID should be advised to report any lingering illness which may subsequently develop. Physicians should be vigilant and aware of the clinical manifestations of long COVID in order to institute proper intervention.
COVID-19 ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Long COVID ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Long Haul COVID-19 ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Rhinorrhea

OBJECTIVES: To present a case of vocal cord paralysis and dysphagia developing in Gradenigo syndrome and to discuss its clinical presentation, differential diagnosis and therapeutic approach.

METHODS:
Design: Case Report
Setting: Tertiary Government Hospital
Patient: One

RESULTS: A 54-year-old lady was admitted with a six-month history of left-sided otorrhea, cheek and jaw pain, three months otalgia, and recent-onset hoarseness, dysphagia and diplopia on a background of mastoidectomy at age six. Otoscopy revealed granulation tissue and chlolesteatoma occupying the left external auditory canal. There was left vocal cord paralysis with pooling of saliva in the pyriform sinus, left lateral gaze paralysis and left facial nerve paralysis. CT scan revealed sclerosis of the left petrous apex and leptomeningeal enhancement on the left temporal lobe. Chronic suppurative otitis media with cholesteatoma and Gradenigo syndrome was diagnosed, and canal wall down mastoidectomy was performed. Postoperatively, the otalgia and pain over the left jaw diminished in intensity while hoarseness and left lateral gaze palsy remained.

CONCLUSION: Gradenigo syndrome is known for its triad of retro-orbital pain, lateral gaze paralysis, and chronic middle ear infection due to petrous apicitis. Although rare, vocal cord paralysis and dysphagia may develop when infection traverses and encroaches on the jugular foramen where cranial nerves IX, X, and XI are lodged. Knowledge of the syndrome should not be limited or confined to the classic triad. Practicing ear specialists should be vigilant and cognizant of the clinical manifestations and sequelae of chronic middle ear infection. Prompt surgical intervention is crucial while resolution of the disease may vary for different individuals.

Human ; Female ; Middle Aged ; paralysis ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diagnosis, Differential ; therapy ; Otitis Media

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of life before, and after Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) among patients with nasal obstruction due to nasal polyposis using the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) questionnaire translated in Filipino (NOSE-Ph) in a tertiary government hospital in Metro Manila.

METHODS:

Design:Cross-Sectional QOL Study

Setting:Tertiary Government Hospital

Participants:  40 patients with nasal polyposis who underwent FESS from April 2014 to June 2015 were included in the study. Patients who underwent FESS due to other nasal tumors other than nasal polyp were excluded. The subjects answered the previously-validated NOSE-Ph questionnaire pre- and post-operatively and the scores were gathered and analyzed.

RESULTS:Based on the pre and post-operative scores, there was a statistically significant improvement in all 5 parameters (1. nasal congestion, 2. nasal obstruction, 3. trouble breathing, 4.  trouble sleeping, and 5. inability to get enough air through the nose during exercise).

CONCLUSION:There was a statistically significant improvement in the quality of life of patients who underwent FESS based on the pre and post-operative scores using the NOSE-Ph questionnaire translated in Filipino.  

Human ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Nasal Obstruction