Teflon Granuloma of the Skull Base: A Complication of Endonasal Brain Surgery

Teflon granuloma is an inflammatory giant-cell foreign-body reaction to polytetrafluoroethylene fibers or injection. Tissue augmentation with Teflon has dramatically declined over the past two decades because of its implication in granuloma formation. Nevertheless, Teflon felt is still commonly used in neurosurgical dissection and microvascular decompression. We report a patient with a Teflon granuloma of the skull base discovered 1.5 years after endonasal resection of an olfactory groove meningioma. The case highlights the clinical and radiographic diagnosis as well as the management of this unusual finding

OSA treatment history in an upper airway stimulation trial cohort

Objectives: Analyze the obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment history in a group of participants who enrolled in a hypoglossal nerve stimulation trial. Methods: Moderate-severe OSA patients with difficulty adhering to CPAP presented for enrollment in a multicenter trial. Self-reported history on prior OSA medical therapy was collected at enrollment, including OSA diagnosis date, CPAP start and stop dates, oral appliance trial, and reasons for discontinuation or non-adherence. Results: The cohort consisted of 929 participants, 83% male, with a mean age (53.9 ± 10.5) years. Ninety percent (n = 835) had complete CPAP information including 47% (n = 435) who discontinued therapy prior to enrollment and 43% (n = 400) who were still attempting CPAP but had inadequate adherence. Abandonment rates were 60% at 1-year, 73% at 3-years, and 86% at 5-years. Oral appliance therapy was attempted by 171 patients for mean (1.8 ± 2.3) years, with 81% abandonment at 1 year, 89% at 3-years, and 94% at 5-years. Conclusions: In this CPAP-refractory cohort, high rates of CPAP abandonment were reported in the first several years with approximately half of the participants not receiving any treatment despite being diagnosed for >5 years. Close clinical follow-up and consideration of alternative treatment options is indicated in all OSA patients in order to ensure adequate longitudinal care. Keywords: Upper airway stimulation, Hypoglossal nerve stimulation, STAR trial, Obstructive sleep apnea, CPAP failur

Upper airway stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea: 5-year outcomes

Objective: To present 5-year outcomes from a prospective cohort of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who were treated with upper airway stimulation (UAS) via a unilateral hypoglossal nerve implant. Study Design: A multicenter prospective cohort study. Setting: Industry-supported multicenter academic and clinical trial. Methods: From a cohort of 126 patients, 97 completed protocol, and 71 consented to a voluntary polysomnogram. Those having continuous positive airway pressure failure with moderate to severe OSA, body mass index 50% reduction) was 75% (n = 71). When a last observation carried forward analysis was applied, the responder rate was 63% at 5 years. Serious device-related events all related to lead/device adjustments were reported in 6% of patients. Conclusions: Improvements in sleepiness, quality of life, and respiratory outcomes are observed with 5 years of UAS. Serious adverse events are uncommon. UAS is a nonanatomic surgical treatment with long-term benefit for individuals with moderate to severe OSA who have failed nasal continuous positive airway pressure

Redefining Success by Focusing on Failures After Pediatric Hypoglossal Stimulation in Down Syndrome

Objectives/hypothesisPatients with Down syndrome have a high incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and limited treatment options. Hypoglossal stimulation has shown efficacy but has not yet been approved for pediatric populations. Our objective is to characterize the therapy response of adolescent patients with down syndrome and severe OSA who underwent hypoglossal stimulation.Study designProspective longitudinal trial.MethodsWe are conducting a multicenter single-arm trial of hypoglossal stimulation for adolescent patients with Down syndrome and severe OSA. Interim analysis was performed to compare objective sleep and quality of life outcomes at 12 months postoperatively for the first 20 patients.ResultsThe mean age was 15.5 and baseline AHI 24.2. Of the 20 patients, two patients (10.0%) had an AHI under 1.5 at 12 months; nine patients of 20 (45.0%) under five; and 15 patients of 20 (75.0%) under 10. The mean decrease in AHI was 15.1 (P < .001). Patients with postoperative AHI over five had an average baseline OSA-18 survey score of 3.5 with an average improvement of 1.7 (P = .002); in addition, six of these patients had a relative decrease of apneas compared to hypopneas and seven had an improvement in percentage of time with oxygen saturation below 90%.ConclusionsPatients with persistently elevated AHI 12 months after hypoglossal implantation experienced improvement in polysomnographic and quality of life outcomes. These results suggest the need for a closer look at physiologic markers for success beyond reporting AHI as the gold standard.Level of evidence4 Laryngoscope, 131:1663-1669, 2021

Upper airway stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea : durability of the treatment effect at 18 months

OBJECTIVE: To determine the stability of improvement in polysomnographic measures of sleep disordered breathing, patient reported outcomes, the durability of hypoglossal nerve recruitment and safety at 18 months in the Stimulation Treatment for Apnea Reduction (STAR) trial participants. DESIGN: Prospective multicenter single group trial with participants serving as their own controls. SETTING: Twenty-two community and academic sleep medicine and otolaryngology practices. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome measures were the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and the 4% oxygen desaturation index (ODI). Secondary outcome measures were the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ), and oxygen saturation percent time < 90% during sleep. Stimulation level for each participant was collected at three predefined thresholds during awake testing. Procedure- and/or device-related adverse events were reviewed and coded by the Clinical Events Committee RESULTS: The median AHI was reduced by 67.4% from the baseline of 29.3 to 9.7/h at 18 mo. The median ODI was reduced by 67.5% from 25.4 to 8.6/h at 18 mo. The FOSQ and ESS improved significantly at 18 mo compared to baseline values. The functional threshold was unchanged from baseline at 18 mo. Two participants experienced a serious device-related adverse event requiring neurostimulator repositioning and fixation. No tongue weakness reported at 18 mo. CONCLUSION: Upper airway stimulation via the hypoglossal nerve maintained a durable effect of improving airway stability during sleep and improved patient reported outcomes (Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire) without an increase of the stimulation thresholds or tongue injury at 18 mo of follow-up. CITATION: Strollo PJ, Gillespie MB, Soose RJ, Maurer JT, de Vries N, Cornelius J, Hanson RD, Padhya TA, Steward DL, Woodson BT, Verbraecken J, Vanderveken OM, Goetting MG, Feldman N, Chabolle F, Badr MS, Randerath W, Strohl KP, Stimulation Therapy for Apnea Reduction Trial Group. Upper airway stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea: durability of the treatment effect at 18 months. SLEEP 2015;38(10):1593–1598