Trans-oral robotic surgery versus coblation tongue base reduction for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

[[abstract]]Objectives To compare the efficacy of trans-oral robotic surgery (TORS) with that of coblation assisted tongue base reduction surgery in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Subjects and Methods The medical charts were retrospectively reviewed for all OSAS patients admitted to one institution for surgical intervention between 2012 and 2017. We analyzed 33 cases; 16 patients received TORS and 17 received coblation surgery for tongue base reduction. Both groups received concomitant uvulopalatoplasty. Surgical outcomes were evaluated by comparing the initial polysomnography (PSG) parameters with the follow-up PSG data (at least 3 months after the surgery). Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and complications were also compared between the 2 groups. Results The success rate (≥50% reduction of pre-operative AHI and post-operative AHI <20) in the TORS group and coblation group were 50% and 58%, respectively, and there was no significant difference (p = .611). The AHI (mean ± SD) reduction in the TORS and coblation groups were 24.9 ± 26.5 events/h and 19.4 ± 24.8 events/h, respectively; the between-group difference was not significant (p = .631). ESS improvement did not differ significantly between the TORS and coblation groups (3.8 ± 6.6 and 3.1 ± 9.2, respectively, p = .873). The rates of minor complication were higher in the TORS group (50%) than that of the coblation group (35.3%) without statistical significance (p = .393). Conclusion TORS achieved comparable surgical outcomes compared to coblation assisted tongue base reduction surgery in OSAS patients. Multilevel surgery using either TORS or coblation tongue base reduction combined with uvulopalatoplasty is an effective approach for the management of OSAS

Clinical Features of Head and Neck Solitary Extramedullary Plasmacytoma in Taiwan

[[abstract]]Background/aim: Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma (SEP) is a rare, malignant plasma-cell tumor, which mainly occurs in the head and neck regions. Globally the disease has been rarely happening up to 2019, with only about ten papers focused on SEP cases reported in English. Thus, a literature collectively reviewing the characteristics of the patients would be valuable. Patients and methods: We enrolled 10 SEP patients, and recorded their primary sites and the treatment modality, and analyzed their survival rates and outcomes. We also reviewed previous studies and compared their findings with ours. Results: No gender or age disparity has been observed, and younger patients had a better local control with RT compared to surgery among our patients. Conclusion: Further investigations with more patients and long-time follow-up may provide more information for treatment determination and the recurrence and progression from SEP to MM