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Biomedical subjects

Roland Giger

Publications and source records attributed to Roland Giger.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Toward a Better Paradigm for Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Applying AI (HNC-TACTIC): Protocol for an International Cohort Study of Electronic Health Records.

BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) cause considerable morbidity and mortality. Multimodal treatment strategies can cause significant toxicity, and therapy options are limited for recurrent disease. Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach. However, patient response variability underscores the need for better predictive markers. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to use artificial intelligence to develop two predictive models in patients with HNSCC to assess (1) progression or recurrence following primary curative treatment and (2) long-term survival after immunotherapy schemes in recurrent and metastatic disease. This study will also describe the characteristics of patients with early, locally advanced, and recurrent or metastatic cancers. METHODS: This is a retrospective, observational study of data captured in electronic health records (EHRs) from participating hospitals between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2021. This study's population comprises adults diagnosed with HNSCC at any stage. Study variables, including demographics, comorbidities, clinical variables, treatments, and outcomes, will be extracted using EHRead, a technology that applies natural language processing and machine learning to extract and analyze structured and unstructured clinical information in deidentified EHRs. Predictive models based on dynamic risk stratification for treatment response and progression or recurrence will be developed using multivariable logistic regressions, decision tree classifiers, and random forest approaches. Descriptive and outcome analyses will be shown for different anatomic subsites and stratified by stage and treatment. RESULTS: This study began enrolling sites in July 2021 and is currently ongoing. By December 2025, data from 10 centers has been collected, comprising a total of 151,934,990 EHRs from 2,159,719 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Development of predictive models using artificial intelligence will advance clinical understanding of HNSCC to improve patient outcomes.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

An unusual foreign body migrating through time and tissues.

BACKGROUND: Beside infections, foreign body incidences are amongst the most frequently encountered pathologies in pediatric otolaryngology. While inhaled foreign bodies represent an acute emergency, symptoms of ingested foreign bodies sometimes appear with some delay. Typically fishbones tend to go unnoticed in a first examination and become symptomatic by fever, odynodysphagia and torticollis. Exceptionally, foreign bodies migrate and become manifest with a considerable delay. CASE REPORT: We present a case of a young girl who presented with an unusual foreign body which migrated through the cervical tissues causing repeated cervical tumescence's before being diagnosed. CONCLUSION: Repeated cervical abscesses or tumescence's in children or young patients should alert the treating physician to seek for an underlying pathology such as unnoticed foreign bodies or malformations (e.g. cysts). Further the scarce literature on these migrating foreign bodies is discussed.

Abscess↗
PubMed2006

Anterior cervical osteophytes causing dysphagia and dyspnea: an uncommon entity revisited.

Large anterior cervical osteophytes can occur in degeneration of the cervical spine or in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). We present the case of an 83-year-old patient with progressive dysphagia and acute dyspnea, necessitating emergency tracheotomy. Voluminous anterior cervical osteophytes extending from C3 to C7 and narrowing the pharyngoesophageal segment by external compression and bilateral vocal fold immobility were diagnosed radiologically and by fiberoptic laryngoscopy. Surgical removal of all osteophytes led to the resolution of symptoms. Dyspnea with or without dysphagia caused by hypertrophic anterior cervical osteophytes is an uncommon entity. The exhaustive diagnostic workup proposed in the literature could be simplified by using fiberoptic laryngoscopy and dynamic videofluoroscopy. The causes, treatment, and outcome are discussed.

Aged, 80 and over↗
PubMed2005

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of Stensen's duct: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of Stensen's duct is a rare neoplasm, with only five cases reported in the literature. METHODS: We report another case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of Stensen's duct and review the literature. RESULTS: Stensen's duct neoplasms tend to be symptomatic at an early stage by causing an obstruction of the parotid duct. New imaging techniques such as MR sialography and sialoendoscopy are very helpful in diagnosis and patient management. CONCLUSIONS: Although the rarity of this condition prevents definitive conclusions about the optimal treatment, we propose that Stensen's duct neoplasms should be treated like similar neoplasms occurring in the parotid gland tissue, taking into consideration clinical stage, tumor grade, and surgical margins.

Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid↗
PubMed2005

Hemorrhage risk after quinsy tonsillectomy.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the study was to evaluate the incidence and possible predictive factors of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) in patients with peritonsillar abscess, treated by acute abscess tonsillectomy. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on 205 patients who underwent bilateral abscess tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. Age, sex, smoking habits, history of recurrent tonsillitis or prior peritonsillar abscess, current medical treatment, side of the peritonsillar abscess, initial treatment, surgeon's experience, procedure duration, intra- and postoperative anti-inflammatory medications, and side of bleeding were analyzed. RESULTS: Bleeding occurred in 27 patients (13%). Ipsilateral hemorrhage was observed in 8 patients (4%) and contralateral hemorrhage in 19 patients (9%). The higher incidence of PTH in the side contralateral to the abscess was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.02). Male gender (P = 0.042), smoking (P = 0.009), and aspirin intake (P = 0.008) were statistically significant factors associated with an increased PTH risk. CONCLUSION: The risk of bleeding following abscess tonsillectomy seems higher than reported in elective tonsillectomy. This high incidence is mainly due to patients with prior aspirin intake or to bleeding in the side contralateral to the abscess. Postoperative bleeding could be reduced by performing a unilateral acute abscess tonsillectomy in selected patients. An algorithm is proposed for the management of peritonsillar abscess based on age, prior history of pharyngo-tonsillar infections, aspirin intake, and clinical improvement after initial drainage and antibiotherapy. EBM RATING: C.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Chronic panrhinosinusitis without nasal polyps: long-term outcome after functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcome after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) for chronic panrhinosinusitis without nasal polyps by using symptom scoring and an endoscopic outcome evaluation. STUDY DESIGN: Seventy-seven patients with chronic panrhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (Kennedy computed tomography [CT] scan stages I to III) were followed up for at least 3 years after FESS. Preoperative evaluation included a CT scan and an immunoallergologic evaluation. Three years after FESS, all patients were interviewed and scored endoscopically. RESULTS: Ninety-two percent of the patients showed a marked global improvement after FESS. The endoscopic control showed normal findings in 54% of all ethmoidal cavities. The postoperative endoscopic score correlated significantly with the subjective satisfaction ratings (P < 0.001). The preoperative CT staging proposed by Kennedy was predictive for necessity of revision surgery in 15% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that FESS for chronic panrhinosinusitis without nasal polyps has a good long-term outcome on subjective symptoms and endoscopic findings. SIGNIFICANCE: According to this study, subjective improvement correlates significantly with the postoperative endoscopic findings in the ethmoidal cavities of patients with chronic panrhinosinusitis without polyps at a long-term follow-up.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Retronasal olfactory function in nasal polyposis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the question of whether there is a difference in retronasal olfactory function between patients suffering from chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (NP) and healthy controls. This question was based on the clinical observation that many of these patients present with smell loss without complaining about loss of the appreciation of foods. STUDY DESIGN: Open prospective study comparing symptomatic patients with healthy controls. METHODS: A total of 56 healthy volunteers and 42 NP patients were tested for orthonasal and retronasal odor identification. All subjects received detailed nasal endoscopy; NP was staged according to the Malm classification. Patients rated their olfactory function on visual analogue scales. Orthonasal testing was performed using the "Sniffin' Sticks" test kit. Retronasal testing was evaluated with odorized powders applied to the oral cavity. In both tests, subjects were asked to identify 10 items using a forced choice paradigm. RESULTS: Overall, odor identification was better in controls compared with NP patients (P <.001). Although controls exhibited no difference between orthonasal and retronasal smelling (P =.26), in NP patients, olfactory function was significantly better when odors were applied through the retronasal route (P <.001). Ratings of general olfactory abilities correlated with retronasal and orthonasal olfactory function in NP patients (P <.001) but not in healthy controls (P =.34). CONCLUSION: Better retronasal than orthonasal olfactory function seems to be associated with the presence of mechanical obstruction in the anterior portion of the olfactory cleft. In turn, these data indicate that olfactory loss in NP seems to be caused by regional mechanical or inflammatory factors.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Loss of dipeptidylpeptidase IV activity in chronic rhinosinusitis contributes to the neurogenic inflammation induced by substance P in the nasal mucosa.

In this study, we have found that dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPPIV) plays in vivo an active role in the modulation of the inflammatory response of chronic rhinosinusitis. Human nasal mucosa expresses DPPIV-like immunoreactivity in submucosal seromucus glands, leukocytes, and endothelial cells of blood vessels. DPPIV enzymatic activity in nasal tissue biopsies taken from patients suffering from chronic rhinosinusitis was correlated inversely with the density of inflammatory cells in the nasal mucosa, and the DPPIV activity rose when chronic rhinosinusitis was treated. By using a pig animal model, we have shown that the intranasal administration of recombinant DPPIV decreased the vasodilatation induced by exogenous substance P (SP), a proinflammatory peptide released by sensory nerves. In contrast, an inhibitor of DPPIV enhanced the vasodilatatory effect at low doses of SP. SP5-11 was 100- to 1000-fold less potent than SP as a vasodilator of the nasal mucosa. The vasodilatatory effect of SP was abolished by a NK1 receptor antagonist. In conclusion, these results suggest a new pathophysiological pathway for rhinitis based on clinical observations in humans, indicating the involvement of an enzyme to modulate non-adrenergic and non-cholinergic substrate that occurred during nasal dysfunctions.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Effect of anti-fungal nasal lavage with amphotericin B on nasal polyposis.

Recent studies have suggested that allergic fungal rhino-sinusitis could be involved in the development of nasal polyposis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of anti-fungal nasal lavages. Patients performed nasal lavage with 20 ml of a one per one thousand amphotericin B suspension in each nostril, twice a day, for four weeks. In addition, all patients continued their saline nasal lavage and their conventional topical corticosteroid spray. This study included 74 patients, with a mean age of 46 years (range from 19 to 73). Before anti-fungal treatment, the distribution of nasal polyposis, according to Malm, was: 13 patients in stage I (17.5 per cent), 48 patients in stage II (65 per cent) and 13 patients in stage III (17.5 per cent). After anti-fungal nasal lavages, the total disappearance of nasal polyposis was observed in 29 patients (39 per cent). Eight patients were stage I, 21 stage II, and none stage III. In patients who have had previous endoscopic polypectomy and functional endoscopic sinus surgery, total disappearance of nasal polyposis was seen in 24 patients (47 per cent). Hyper-reactivity to fungal organisms could be one of the mechanisms underlying the development of nasal polyposis. A direct effect of amphotericin B suspension on the integrity of the cell membrane of the polyps' epithelium could not be excluded.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Endoscopic removal of a nasal septum chondrosarcoma.

We describe an alternative, endoscopical technique for the surgical removal of a rare chondrosarcoma on the nasal septum. The technique requires a resection of the whole tumour within margins in healthy osteocartilaginous nasal septum under endoscopic guidance and includes bilateral middle turbinectomy and ethmoidectomy. We present the case of a 57-year-old woman with a well-differentiated chondrosarcoma (Grade I) of the nasal septum. Endoscopical surgery resulted without any cosmetic deformity problems, and the functional result was favourable. No recurrence was evidenced after a follow-up of 3 years. The main advantages of this technique are the excellent functional and cosmetic results without any surgical reconstructive techniques. This approach may provide a minimally invasive method to remove well-differentiated, low-grade (Grade I) and size limited malignant cartilaginous tumours of the nasal septum.

Chondrosarcoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ganglion cyst of the spinal anterior longitudinal ligament presenting as a retropharyngeal mass.

Cervical spinal synovial and/or ganglion cysts can occur at various periarticular sites and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intraspinal-extradural or paraspinal masses of the cervical spine. The first report of a ganglion cyst of the cervical anterior longitudinal ligament presenting as a retropharyngeal mass, is presented. The histopathology, etiology, and clinical aspects of synovial and ganglion cysts of the cervical spine are briefly reviewed.

Cervical Vertebrae↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Objective and subjective evaluation of endoscopic nasal surgery outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) symptoms include nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and facial pain associated with rhinosinusitis disability. When resistance to medical treatment is associated with endonasal anomalies, endoscopic nasal surgery (ENS) can be proposed. However, objective and subjective assessment criteria regarding the evaluation of ENS outcomes remain unclear. The aims of this study were to evaluate the correlation between the inflammation in the nasal mucosa, objective recordings of nasal airway resistance (NAR), subjective evaluation of symptom intensity, and the impact of ENS on patient-perceived rhinosinusitis disability. METHODS: Sixty-one consecutive patients (35 men and 26 women; mean age, 37.5 years) suffering from CRS were monitored at 4 months and 2 years after ENS. All middle turbinate mucosa were analyzed for the density of nonspecific inflammatory cells. All patients scored their own subjective rhinosinusitis symptoms and complaints of rhinosinusitis disability. An active anterior rhinomanometry was performed. RESULTS: A good correlation was observed between subjective and objective NAR (p < 0.001). We found a significant correlation between the density of inflammatory cells in the nasal mucosa, subjective nasal obstruction, and the rhinosinusitis disability score (p < 0.001). Recurrent CRS was seen only in subjects with moderate to severe inflammation of the middle turbinate mucosa sampled at the first surgical intervention. Subjective rhinosinusitis symptoms, objective NAR, and rhinosinusitis disability improved significantly after ENS. CONCLUSION: The degree of inflammation seems to be a good prognostic indicator regarding CRS recurrence. Long-term outcome after ENS for CRS showed significant improvement in subjective rhinosinusitis-specific symptoms, objective NAR, and rhinosinusitis disability.

Adolescent↗