Floppy closing door epiglottis treated successfully with an mhealth application based on myofunctional therapy: a case report

We introduce the first case reported to date of a floppy closing door epiglottis in an OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) patient treated successfully with an Mhealth smartphone application based on myofunctional therapy

Surgical anatomy of the lingual nerve for palate surgery: where is located and how to avoid it

Purpose To describe the anatomic relationship of the lingual nerve with the lateral oropharyngeal structures. Methods An anatomic dissection of the lateral oropharyngeal wall was conducted in eight sides from four fresh-frozen cadaveric heads. Small titanium clips were placed along the lingual nerve and the most anterior and medial border of the medial pterygoid muscle. Radiological reconstructions were employed for optimal visualization; the coronal view was preferred to resemble the surgical position. The distance between the lingual nerve and the medial pterygoid muscle at its upper and lower portion was measured radiologically. The trajectory angle of the lingual nerve with respect to the pterygomandibular raphe was obtained from the intersection between the vector generated between the clips connecting the upper and lower portion of the medial pterygoid muscle with the vector generated from the lingual nerve clips. Results The mean distance from the upper portion of the medial pterygoid muscle and superior lingual nerve clips was 10.16±2.18 mm (mean±standard deviation), and the lower area of the medial pterygoid muscle to the lingual nerve was separated 5.05±1.49 mm. The trajectory angle of the lingual nerve concerning to the vector that describes the upper portion of the most anterior and medial border of the medial pterygoid muscle with its lower part was 43.73º±11.29. Conclusions The lingual nerve runs lateral to the lateral oropharyngeal wall, from superiorly–inferiorly and laterally–medially, and it is closer to it at its lower third

Risk of diabetes in patients with sleep apnea: comparison of surgery versus CPAP in a long-term follow-up study

This study aimed to obtain a comprehensive view of the risk of developing diabetes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to compare this risk between patients receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy versus upper airway surgery (UAS). We used local and the global-scale federated data research network TriNetX to obtain access to electronic medical records, including those for patients diagnosed with OSA, from health-care organizations (HCOs) worldwide. Using propensity score matching and the score-matched analyses of data for 5 years of follow-up, we found that patients who had undergone UAS had a lower risk of developing diabetes than those who used CPAP (risk ratio 0.415, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.349-0.493). The risk for newly diagnosed diabetes patients showed a similar pattern (hazard ratio 0.382; 95% CI 0.317-0.459). Both therapies seem to protect against diabetes (Risk 0.081 after UAS vs. 0.195 after CPAP). Analysis of the large data sets collected from HCOs in Europe and globally lead us to conclude that, in patients with OSA, UAS can prevent the development of diabetes better than CPAP