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Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) occurs due to upper airway obstruction resulting from anatomical and functional abnormalities. Upper airway collapsibility, particularly those involving the lateral pharyngeal wall (LPW), is known to be one of the main factors contributing to the pathogenesis of OSAS, leading the authors of the present study to propose different strategies in order to stiffen the pharyngeal walls to try to restore normal airflow., Methods: An exhaustive review of the English literature on lateral pharyngeal wall surgery for the treatment of OSAS was performed using the PubMed electronic database., Results: The research was performed in April 2020 and yielded approximately 2000 articles. However, considering the inclusion criteria, only 17 studies were included in the present study., Conclusions: The analyzed surgical techniques propose different parts of LPW on which to focus and a variable degree of invasivity. Despite the very promising results, no gold standard for the treatment of pharyngeal wall collapsibility has been proposed. However, thanks to progressive technological innovations and increasingly precise data analysis, the role of LPW surgery seems to be crucial in the treatment of OSAS patients.

The aim of the present study was to compare the posterior tympanotomy (PT) technique to the endomeatal approach. The endomeatal approach (EMA) for Cochlear Implant (CI) surgery was performed on 98 patients with procident lateral sinus or a small mastoid cavity, on 103 ears (Group A). Conventional mastoidectomy and PT was performed on the other 104 patients, on 107 ears (Group B). Data on all patients were then collected for the following: intra- and post-operative complications, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS), duration of surgery, and postoperative discomfort. The difference in the total number of major and minor complications between the case group and the control group was not statistically significant. There was a statistically significant difference in discomfort between the two groups using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), both immediately postsurgery ( p = 0.02) and after one month ( p = 0.04). The mean duration of surgery was 102 ± 29 min for EMA and 118 ± 15 min for the PT technique ( p = 0.008). EMA is a faster technique resulting in reduced postoperative patient discomfort in comparison to the PT method. The experience of the surgeon as well as the correct choice of surgical technique are fundamental to successful outcomes for cochlear implant surgery., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Pneumoparotid is a rare condition of parotid swelling. The presence of the air in gland parenchyma is caused by an incompetent Stensen's duct with high pressure may cause the acini's rupture. We reviewed 49 manuscripts, from 1987 to today, that enrolled a total of 54 patients with pneumoparotid. Our review evaluated the following evaluation parameters: gender, age, etiology, clinical presentation, treatment, days of resolution after diagnosis, relapse and complications. The most frequent etiology is self-induction by swelling the cheeks (53.7%). This cause mainly involves children (74%), for conflicts with parents, excuses for not going to school, nervous tics or adults (16%) with psychiatric disorders. Iatrogenic causes are also frequent (16.6%), for dental treatments (55.5%) or use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) (33.4%). Medical therapy is the most practiced (53.7%), in most cases it is combined with behavioral therapy (25.9%) or psychotherapy (25.9%). Surgery is rarely used (9.2%) as a definitive solution through parotidectomy (50%) or ligation of the duct (50%). The most common complication is subcutaneous emphysema (24.1%), sometimes associated with pneumomediastinum (5.5%). Careful treatment and management are necessary to ensure the resolution of the pathology and counteract the onset of complications., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.