Cancer rate of Bethesda category II thyroid nodules

Aim Thyroid nodules are very common and may be found in more than 50% of the population. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of thyroid nodules is a very useful diagnostic tool with high sensitivity and predictive value for diagnosis. The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC) uses six categories for thyroid cytology reporting (I-nondiagnostic, IIbenign, III-atypia of undetermined significance (AUS)/ follicular lesion of undetermined significance (FLUS), IV-follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm (SFN), V-suspicious for malignancy, and VI-malignant. Our objective was to determine the malignancy rate in Bethesda II nodules. Methods From June 2010 to May 2020 a retrospective analysis was performed among 1166 patients who underwent thyroid surgery for benign thyroid diseases in our institution. Thyroid cytopathological slides and Ultrasound (US) reports were reviewed and classified according to the BSRTC. Data collected included age, gender, cytological features, and histological type of thyroid cancer. Results During the study period, 44.77% (522/1166) of patients with an FNA categorized as Bethesda II underwent thyroid surgery. Incidental malignancy was found in 1.53% (8/522) cases of Bethesda II. The most common malignant tumour type was papillary thyroid carcinoma. Conclusion The current study demonstrates that incidental thyroid carcinoma can be diagnosed after thyroidectomy even in patients with an FNA categorized as Bethesda II

Can Multifrequency Tympanometry Be Used in the Diagnosis of Meniere’s Disease? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

(1) Background: Ménière’s disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear, presenting with episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus.The aim of this study is to examine the role of multifrequency tympanometry (MFT) in the diagnosis of MD. (2) Methods: A systematic review of MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library was performed, aligned with the PRISMA guidelines. Only studies that directly compare ears affected by Ménière’s disease with unaffected or control ears were included. Random-effects model meta-analyses were performed. (3) Results: Seven prospective case-control studies reported a total of 899 ears, 282 of which were affected by Ménière’s disease (affected ears—AE), 197 unaffected ears in patients with MD (UE), and 420 control ears (CE) in healthy controls. No statistically significant differences between the groups were observed regarding resonant frequency (RF). The pure tone audiometry average of the lower frequencies (PTA basic) was significantly greater in affected ears when compared with unaffected ears. The conductance tympanogram at 2 kHz revealed a statistically significantly greater G width of 2 kHz in the affected ears when compared to both unaffected and control ears, while control ears had a statistically significant lesser G width of 2 kHz compared to both the other two groups. (4) Conclusions: MFT, and specifically G width at 2 kHz, could be an important tool in the diagnosis of MD

Comparison of postoperative complications using Harmonic scalpel and LigaSure in thyroid surgery

Background: Thyroid surgery is the most common operation in the field of endocrine surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the use of LigaSure vessel (LS) and Harmonic scalpel (HS) in 1599 total thyroid surgeries between January 2008 and December of 2022, with regards of analysis of surgical complications, duration of hospital stay and operative surgical time. Methods: In this retrospective study patients have been categorized into two groups: Group A included 718 patients from January 2008 to May 2013 when LigaSure vessel was used, and the Group B included 881 patients from June 2013 to December 2022 when Harmonic scalpel was used. A summary of the total number of postoperative complications cases, surgical time and the duration of hospital stay between the two groups is presented. Results: There was no significant difference in the sex, age, and mean operating time between the two groups (P>0.05). Either major bleeding or wound infection occurred in 4 (0.6%) or 14 (1.9%) of the patients undergoing thyroidectomy when LS was used compared to 4 (0.5%) or 15 (1.7%) of the patients undergoing thyroid surgery when HS was used (P> 0.05 and P> 0.05, respectively). In addition, either hypoparathyroidism or temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was observed in 91 (12.7%) or 39 (5.4%) of the Group A patients compared with 98 (11.1%) or 44 (5%) of the Group B patients (P> 0.05 and P> 0.05, respectively). Conclusion:  The current study demonstrates that thyroidectomy can be safely performed with both devices without increasing the risk of complications

Deep Learning Techniques and Imaging in Otorhinolaryngology—A State-of-the-Art Review

Over the last decades, the field of medicine has witnessed significant progress in artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and deep learning (DL) systems. Otorhinolaryngology, and imaging in its various subspecialties, has not remained untouched by this transformative trend. As the medical landscape evolves, the integration of these technologies becomes imperative in augmenting patient care, fostering innovation, and actively participating in the ever-evolving synergy between computer vision techniques in otorhinolaryngology and AI. To that end, we conducted a thorough search on MEDLINE for papers published until June 2023, utilizing the keywords ‘otorhinolaryngology’, ‘imaging’, ‘computer vision’, ‘artificial intelligence’, and ‘deep learning’, and at the same time conducted manual searching in the references section of the articles included in our manuscript. Our search culminated in the retrieval of 121 related articles, which were subsequently subdivided into the following categories: imaging in head and neck, otology, and rhinology. Our objective is to provide a comprehensive introduction to this burgeoning field, tailored for both experienced specialists and aspiring residents in the domain of deep learning algorithms in imaging techniques in otorhinolaryngology