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Aim: The use of upper eyelid lipofilling to prevent ocular complications in patients affected by facial nerve palsy is compared to other treatment options., Case Presentation: Ten patients treated with lipofilling of the upper eyelid, who were indicated for facial rehabilitation were identified from the Maxillo-facial Surgery Unit, Policlinico Umberto I. For all patients, fat harvested from the abdomen was processed with soft and short centrifugation., Results: Satisfactory aesthetical and functional results were obtained in most cases. All patients reported a considerable reduction in the use of artificial tear drops and ointment for corneal lubrication. A second procedure was needed in one case to refill the eyelid, and in another one to correct poor aesthetical results. No patients developed postoperative ocular surface disorders., Conclusions: The lipofilling of the upper eyelid procedure was easy to perform, leading to minimal complications rate. Given the small sample size and variability of samples collected in the current study, future studies involving larger cohorts are required to validate the efficacy of upper eyelid lipofilling in comparison to other treatments.

Background/Objectives : Oral cavity squamous-cell carcinoma is among the most frequent head and neck neoplasms. Early-stage T1/T2N0 accounts for 40/45% of new diagnoses. Of these, about 30% of cases hide occult metastases in the neck. The management of clinically N0 neck is of paramount importance and is still being debated. Methods : The medical records of patients with a clinical diagnosis of early-stage T1-T2N0 carcinoma of the oral cavity between 2011 and 2021 were retrospectively analysed. The inclusion criteria were complete medical and radiological records, pT1-2 pathology staging, and a minimum follow-up of 24 months. Biographical, management, and survival data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics [28.0.1.1]; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results : A total of 121 patients met the inclusion criteria. The tongue was the most affected site, with 52 cases. All patients underwent resection of the primary tumour; for neck management, 47 (38.8%) underwent elective neck dissection, 36 underwent follow-up, and 11 underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy. A total of 59 cases were staged as T1 and 62 as T2; in 97 (80.2%) cases, the neck was confirmed as N0; in 10 (8.3%), N1; in 1 case, N2a; in 8, N2b; in 2, N2c; and in 3, N3b. The mean DOI was 4.8 mm. In a Cox regression, a statistically significant association was shown between overall survival and pN staging ( p < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a statistically significant difference between different regimens of management of the neck in terms of overall survival, disease-free survival, and disease-specific survival in favour of elective neck dissection and sentinel lymph node biopsy compared to watchful policy ( p < 0.05). Conclusions : Elective neck dissection and sentinel lymph node biopsy proved to be safe and oncologically effective in the treatment of clinically N0 early-stage oral carcinoma.

Microsurgery is the gold standard for hard and soft tissue reconstruction in head and neck neoplasia and malformations. Fibular, iliac crest, and scapular free flaps are the main choices for reconstructive surgery of the jaws. Although widely described in the literature, no statistical comparison analysis of the donor site morbidity of these has been performed to our knowledge. Therefore, in this study, the medical records of patients who underwent microsurgical jaw reconstruction at the Maxillofacial Oncological Reconstructive Surgery Unit of Umberto I General Hospital in Rome between 2011 and 2021 were analysed retrospectively. Inclusion criteria were complete clinical and radiological records, microsurgical reconstruction harvesting one of the three flaps, and a minimum follow up of 12 months. Principal donor site complications were recorded and compared among the flaps. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics (28.0.1.1, IBM Corp). The study enrolled 220 patients: 103 with deep circumflex iliac artery (DCIA) flaps, 87 with fibular free flaps (FFF), and 30 with scapular bone flaps (SBF). The main DCIA donor site complications were dysaesthesia (13.6%), abdominal hernia (2.9%), dehiscence (1.9%), infection (1.9%), and anterior superior iliac spinal fracture (1.9%). Similarly, the main FFF complications were dehiscence (8%), skin graft necrosis (6.9%), infection (5.7%), and dysaesthesia (3.4%). Subcutaneous seroma occurred in 13.3% of SBF patients and dehiscence in 6.7%. Regional dysaesthesia occurred significantly (p < 0.05) more often in DCIA than FFF or SBF patients. Dehiscence was significantly (p < 0.05) more frequent in FFF than DCIA or SBF patients. All flaps were safe and associated with low donor site morbidity. The jaws should be reconstructed selecting the flap that best satisfies the reconstructive needs based on the patient's clinical features., (Copyright © 2024 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Skull base pathologies in the paediatric population are rare and require treatment by multiple qualified specialists. The endoscopic endonasal approach has revolutionized surgical treatment because it is less invasive than existing treatments.The goal of this study was to retrospectively review our experience with the reconstruction of paediatric skull middle base defects and associated complications., Materials and Methods: We analysed medical records from patients aged ≤ 18 years who were treated at our centre between 2013 and 2021. Patients treated with an endoscopic skull base approach and reconstruction, and who had complete clinical and radiological documentation and a minimum follow-up of 12 months, were included in the analysis. Personal data, reconstructive techniques, and complications were analysed., Results: A total of 78 patients met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. Of these patients, 32 were male and 46 were female, and the mean age was 11.5 years. The main signs and symptoms were as follows: bitemporal hemianopsia in 53 cases, visual impairment in 23 cases, and headache in 30 cases. The most frequent aetiologies were craniopharyngioma (38 cases), pituitary adenoma (23 cases), and clivus chordoma (4 cases). All patients were treated via a pure endoscopic approach. For reconstruction, a multilayer technique was used in 18 cases, naso-septal flap in 43 cases, Gasket-Seal technique in 12 cases, and heterologous reconstruction in 5 cases. Only six patients presented a major complication: two had a postoperative cerebral spinal fluid leak, one developed a brain abscess, and three had diabetes insipidus.The mean follow-up period was 23.4 months.There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative CSF leak in relation to different reconstructive techniques., Conclusion: Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery is a safe and effective treatment for paediatric middle skull base pathologies. Reconstruction techniques have a high success rate of 96.5-100%, and the rate of associated complications is < 3%.

Orbital fractures are among the most frequent facial injuries. Of the 3 most widely described approaches in the literature, the lower eyelid approach is the authors' preference. This study retrospectively analyzed the patients treated at the Trauma Center of the Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome from January 2010 to December 2020. Inclusion criteria were as follows: diagnosis of pure/impure orbital bone fracture, complete clinical and radiological documentation, and a minimum of 12 months follow-up. Sex, age, etiology, treatment, and associated complications were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. Two internationally validated scales were used for the functional and esthetic long-term evaluation: the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) and the Vancouver one. The scales were compiled by the patient himself and by 3 independent expert observers. Of the 543 patients who underwent surgery in the specified period, 208 fully met the inclusion criteria. One hundred forty-two (68.2%) were males and 66 (31.8%) were females, with a mean age of 40.68 years. The main cause was represented by assaults (33.1%). One hundred seventy-nine patients had a pure orbital fracture (83.8%) and 29 an impure one (16.2%). The most frequent symptoms at the time of diagnosis were diplopia (31.2%), followed by anesthesia of the second trigeminal branch (24.3%). Open reduction with internal fixation was the preferred treatment and proved to be effective in reducing the main signs and symptoms of the fracture in a statistically significant way ( P < 0.05). Long-term esthetic results of the lower eyelid, using the Vancouver and POSASs, were respectively as follows: Vancouver Scar Scale mean total score was 2.41 (range: 0-8), observer POSAS mean total score was 1.83 (range: 1.2-3.9), observer general opinion mean score was 1.66, patient POSAS mean total score was 2.23 (range: 1.33-3.7), and patient general opinion mean score was 2.87. The lower eyelid approach has proven to be reproducible, with a fast-learning curve and a low complication rate. The analysis conducted highlighted an excellent long-term esthetic-functional result. Further studies will be needed to statistically compare the results obtained with other orbital floor surgical approaches., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

Study Design: Description and validation of a surgical technique., Objective: En-bloc maxillectomy with removal of the nasal septum is a rare procedure; preservation of the nasal bones and integrity of the alveolar ridge is even rarer. These procedures traditionally required a combined transfacial-transoral approach based on lateral rhinotomy. We describe a combined endoscopic transnasal-transoral approach for treatment of nasal septal malignancies that involve the hard palate., Methods: Excision of malignant tumours arising from the nasal septum was achieved in 4 patients using a transnasal-transoral endoscopic approach. Using 4-mm optics angled at 0° and 30°, the septum was freed from the ethmoid and removed en-bloc with the hard palate, by pulling the septum down through the hard palate., Results: Of the 4 patients, 2 underwent complete removal of septal chondrosarcomas, one removal of a sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma and one removal of a mucoepidermoid carcinoma. In two cases, the palatal mucosa was spared and repositioned to restore separation between the nose and oral cavity. The remaining two cases underwent complete resection of the hard palate; one palate was reconstructed using a pedicled temporalis muscle flap and the other by employing an obturator. No infection was encountered. Partial ethmoidectomy was performed in all four cases. The mean hospital stay was 5 days. All patients are free of disease after a mean follow-up of 4 years (range: 2-7 years)., Conclusions: Our new approach allows for minimally invasive resection of nasal septal malignancies that extend to the palate. Our maxillary pull-through technique is a valuable new surgical procedure for malignant pathologies of the nasal septum; the only drawback is that endoscopic surgery has a steep learning curve., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Orbital fractures are among the most frequent facial traumas. This study retrospectively analysed patients treated in Umberto I Hospital Trauma-Centre, Sapienza University of Rome from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2020. The inclusion criteria were as follows: diagnosis of pure/impure orbital bone fracture, complete clinical and radiological records, and a minimum 12-month follow up. Gender, age, aetiology, fracture type, treatment, and associated complications were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics, and p values of <0.05 were considered significant. In total, 1393 patients presented with orbital trauma, 543 of whom met the inclusion criteria and underwent surgery (394 males (72.6%) and 149 females (27.4%); mean (range) age 39.2 (7-90) years). Assault (n = 165, 30.4%) was the most common cause of trauma, followed by road traffic accidents and sports-related incidents. Diplopia was the major symptom at diagnosis (n = 183, 33.6%). Open reduction and internal fixation via a sub-eyelid approach was the preferred treatment, achieving a significant reduction in the functional changes induced by fracture (p < 0.05). Our data will aid future studies of maxillofacial traumatology and suggest that education and prevention measures could reduce the incidence of this type of trauma., (Copyright © 2022 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Pharyngocutaneous fistula is one of the most common and serious complications associated with total laryngectomy. Numerous studies tried to evaluate causative and predisposing factors associated with this complication, but data are considerably variable and there is still no international consensus. Incidence rate varies considerably between studies, with reported rates from 3% to 65%. This 4K video presents our T-shaped four-step technique (FST) for closing the pharyngeal mucosa after total laryngectomy in a step-by-step manner. All sutures were performed by braided absorbable 3/0 26 mm 1/2c (Vicryl plus 3.0; Ethicon, Somerville, NJ, USA). Recordings were performed using a Karl Storz 4K 3D VITOM® exoscope (Karl Storz SE & Co. KG, Tuttlingen, Germany). We have been described this technique through a high-definition video, showing each step, and tips from the authors. Our T-shaped pharyngoplasty closure technique can be divided into four steps: 1. "Key Stitches"; 2. "Area Refinement Stitches"; 3. "Modified Connell Suture"; 4. "Modified Purse String Suture." Our T-shaped FST closure technique proved to be an effective and reproducible method, which we feel could be the preferred choice for primary pharyngoplasty closure., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Abstract: The authors sought correlations between harvesting of the scapular bone tip free flap used for head-and-neck reconstruction and any shoulder function deficit, particularly at the level of the rotator cuff. The flap permits reconstruction of large and diverse regions of the head and neck, but long-term harvest morbidity has not been investigated extensively. The authors analyzed the clinical records of all patients who underwent head-and-neck reconstructions using free scapular tip flaps in our department over the past 5 years. The inclusion criteria were complete clinical and radiological documentation and follow-up for at least 12 months. Two populations, a surgical and control population, were analyzed. All patients in both populations underwent the simple shoulder test, an internationally validated self-administered test that highlights functional shoulder deficits, and 3 additional tests at orthopedic visits: the external rotation test, Patte test, and external rotation lag sign test. A head-and-neck cancer-specific questionnaire (University of Washington Quality of Life, version 4) was completed by the surgical patients. All statistical analyses were performed using Software IBM SPSS Statistics (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY).A total of 19 patients met the inclusion criteria: 11 males (57.8%) and 8 females (42.2%) of mean age 60.9 years (range 23-75 years). In addition, 20 age-and sex-matched volunteers with no history of shoulder pathology were evaluated in terms of shoulder functionality. The average score on the simple shoulder test was 10.55 in the healthy population versus 8.31 in the study population ( P < 0.001); in particular, shoulder strength differed between the groups. Similarly, the orthopedic examinations revealed clinically significant differences between the controls and patients on the Patte test and external rotation lag sign test (both P < 0.001), but not the external rotation test ( P > 0.001). The mean University of Washington Quality of Life was 73.39; most patients reported good quality of life (52.6%), followed by very good (15.7%).The free scapular bone tip flap is valuable for reconstruction of head-and-neck defects; the long and reliable vascularpedicle allows rapid patient mobilization. Morbidity was confined to small reductions in shoulder strength and external rotation, which do not affect quality of life., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

The prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia still represents an urgent need for every day clinical practice. In this regard, this prospective single-center study included breast cancer (BC) patients who underwent a scalp cooling device (Dignicap ® ) during (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy with the aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this device in preventing alopecia. One hundred and seventy-eight patients (median age 43 years) were enrolled. The chemotherapy regimen included anthracycline and taxane-based chemotherapy (68.1%), docetaxel and cyclophosphamide (25.8%), anthracycline and taxane-based plus carboplatin (3.9%), and paclitaxel alone (2.2%). In 25.3% of cases, a dose dense schedule was used. Overall, the success rate was 68.0%: 100% in paclitaxel alone, 87.0% in docetaxel-cyclophosphamide, 59.5% in anthracycline and taxane, and 71.4% in the sequential regimen plus carboplatin group (anthracycline and taxane-based chemotherapy versus taxane-based chemotherapy, p ≤ 001. No difference in terms of hair preservation between dose-dense or standard schedule was found ( p = 0.557). Early discontinuation of the scalp cooling was observed in 50 patients (28.1%). Although 138 patients (77.5%) experienced adverse events, 70.2% of patients were satisfied with this device. In conclusion, this large prospective study confirmed the helpful effect of the scalp cooling system in preventing alopecia in BC patients also undergoing sequential anthracyclines and taxane-based chemotherapy.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of maxillofacial trauma in a regional trauma center in L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy, during the first wave of the pandemic and comparted it to an equivalent period from 2015 to 2018. The authorshave retrospectively analyzed personal data, site of trauma, etiology, and mechanism of injury. Statistical analysis has been carried out utilizing IBM SPSS Statistics software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) and significance was accepted for P values of <0.05. From January 2015 to December 2020, a total of 296 were analyzed. In Pre-COVID era, 195 patients were evaluated, 130 males (66.6%) and 65 females (33.4%). Zygomatic-malar complex fractures were the most common site of trauma in both genders (53%), followed by mandibular fractures (23%) and orbital ones (15%). The highest incidences of injuries were recorded between 15 and 34 years (21%) with the most common etiology attributed to road accidents traumas (49%). In COVID19 era, the authors recorded 101 traumas, 58 males (57.4%), 43 females (42.6%). Zygomatic-malar complex fractures were confirmed as the most common ones in both genders (41%). The most common etiology was related to casual domestic accident and assaults (37% and 30%, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of incidence in the comparison of Pre-COVID19 and COVID19 periods (P > 0.05) as opposed to the etiology in which the road traffic accidents decreased in favor of domestic accidents and interpersonal assaults (P < 0.05). Our scientific study represents the first epidemiologic study related to the impact of COVID-19 on maxillo-facial trauma in the Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy. A decrease in the number of Maxillofacial injuries related to road traffic accidents can be demonstrated as the benefit of lockdown, however, a significant increase in the number of physical assaults shows how isolation and restrictions have had a highly negative psychological impact on society., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

Introduction: Cavernous malformations of the ventral brainstem are a challenging disease to treat. From an anatomical perspective, the best surgical options are endoscopic endonasal approaches. The first reports of their usage for this purpose date back to 2012. In this study, we gathered data on the subject, share our experience, and outline technical notes and tips for this surgery., Case Presentation: We report a 14-year-old female with a ventral pons cavernoma, treated using an endoscopic endonasal transclival approach and followed-up for 5.9 years. This is the longest reported follow-up for this condition to date. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and the accompanying images., Discussion: An endoscopic endonasal transclival approach was used. The skull base was reconstructed using the multilayer grafting technique and a nasoseptal flap. There was no postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage. In a literature review, we identified 8 patients who were treated endoscopically: 1 transplanum-transtuberculum, 1 transtuberculum-transclival, and 6 transclival approaches were employed. Skull base closure was achieved using multilayer grafting and a nasoseptal flap in 4 cases, a gasket seal technique combined with nasoseptal flap in 3 cases and a periumbilical fat graft, fibrin sealant patch, and fibrin glue in 1 case. There were 2 cases of leakage, which resolved completely with revision surgery., Conclusion: Endoscopic surgery is a reliable alternative to traditional open surgery. It may be the preferred choice for intra-axial ventral brain cavernomas., (© 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is the standard of care in women with breast cancer (BC) and clinically nonsuspicious axillary lymph nodes (LNs), due to its high negative predictive value (NPV) in the assessment of nodal status. SNB has significantly reduced complications related to the axillary lymph node dissection, such as lymphedema and upper limb dysfunction. The gold standard technique for SNB is the blue dye (BD) and technetium labelled nanocolloid (Tc-99m) double technique. However, nuclear medicine is not available in all Institutions and several new tracers and devices have been proposed, such as indocyanine green (ICG) and superparamagnetic iron oxides (SPIO). All these techniques show an accuracy and detection rate not inferior to that of the standard technique, with different specific pros and cons. The choice of how to perform a SNB primarily depends on the surgeon's confidence with the procedure, the availability of nuclear medicine and the economic resources of the Institutions. In this setting, new tracers, hybrid tracers and imaging techniques are being evaluated in order to improve the detection rate of sentinel lymph nodes (SNs) and minimize the number of unnecessary axillary surgeries through an accurate preoperative assessment of nodal status and to guide new minimally invasive diagnostic procedures of SNs. In particular, the contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is an active field of research but cannot be recommended for clinical use at this time. The ICG fluorescence technique was superior in terms of DR, as well as having the lowest FNR. The DR descending order was SPIO, Tc, dual modality (Tc/BD), CEUS and BD. This paper is a narrative review of the most common SNB techniques in BC with a focus on recent innovations.

The diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) during pregnancy is uncommon. It has varied among different studies from 1:10,000 to 1:3000 of all pregnancies, with a median age of 33 years. Pregnancy-associated BC represents a challenge in terms of clinical management to guarantee both maternal and fetal security in choosing the right treatment. This situation is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach, including the surgeon, anesthesiologist, oncologist, radiotherapist, psychologist, and maternal-fetal medicine specialist. In the present review, we examined the management of pregnancy-associated BC, focusing on pathophysiologic background, risk factors, diagnosis, staging procedures, anesthesia, surgical management, and systemic treatment., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the present study was to analyse the consequences of masseter muscle denervation. In facial palsy surgical treatment, the masseteric nerve constitutes an important nerve source for facial reanimation due to its anatomical position and large amount of available axons. Computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging were performed in 30 control subjects, and three radiologists separately measured the longitudinal diameter (LD), anteroposterior diameter (APD), transverse diameter (TD), and skeletal muscle area (SMA) of the masseter muscles as reference values. Regarding the facial palsy group, from 2009 to 2018, 11 patients (4 men and 7 women) were selected on the following inclusion criteria: diagnosis of unilateral facial paralysis, minimum follow-up of 14 months, absence of temporomandibular dysfunction, presence of complete dentition (to minimise bias of stomatognathic evaluation), complete clinical and radiological records. The mean LD, APD, TD, and SMA values of the healthy and denervated masseter muscles were obtained and compared. Stomatognathic function was clinically examined through mean mouth opening (MMO) and Maximum Bite Force (MBF). Furthermore, facial symmetry analysis (FSA) was carried out using EMOTRICS Software. Reference values obtained were as follows: mean LD = 69 ± 5.9 mm (range: 59-85 mm); mean APD = 40.2 ± 3.3 mm (range: 34-48 mm); mean TD = 15.5 ± 3.1 mm (range: 11-26 mm); and mean SMA = 43.8 ± 13.5 mm 3 (range: 26-85.8 mm 3 ). No statistically significant difference was observed between the healthy facial palsy groups's masseter muscles and reference values. As the latter, in denervated masseter muscles, no statistically significant difference was observed for APD value in contrast to LD, TD and SMA that showed statistically significant difference in comparison with control population (p < 0.05, CI 95%). Moreover fibro-adipose degeneration was consistently observed, with its degree being directly proportional to the denervation time. MMO and MBF mean values were, respectively, 54.75 mm in men, 44.4 mm in women and 705N. None of the latter showed a statistically significant difference with respect to the control population and the parameters present in the literature, indicating that masseter-facial neurorrhaphy is a safe and effective procedure for facial reanimation with good functional and aesthetic outcomes., (Copyright © 2020 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)