Anaïs Grégoire, Philippe Rombaux, Monique Decat, Caroline Huart, Daniele De Siati, Caroline De Toeuf, Sandra Schmitz, Sara Castelein, Valérie HoxPublished in the journal : February 2024Category : Otorhinolaryngology
The year 2023 saw new reimbursements from RIZIV-INAMI for implantable ear-nose-throat (ENT) devices, thereby improving our patients’ access to specific care. For children with unilateral deafness, a cochlear implant is now being reimbursed, on account of conducted studies demonstrating an improvement in several aspects of hearing and learning, following cochlear implantation. For patients with sleep apnea syndrome not responding to CPAP, the hypoglossal nerve stimulator is now being reimbursed under certain conditions, after many years of procedural usage within clinical studies. In addition, an automated process has been introduced for skin allergy testing, improving both the reliability and reproducibility of our examinations. All these elements are certainly instrumental in improving patient care from diagnosis to treatment.
Valerie Hox, Caroline Huart, Philippe Rombaux, Caroline de Toeuf, Sandra Schmitz, Alexandre Biermans, William Renwart, Marc Hamoir, Monique Decat, Daniele Desiati, Anaïs GregoirePublished in the journal : February 2023Category : Otorhinolaryngology
During 2022, the ENT department focused on the well-being of the patients in all sub-disciplines of our specialty. First, we were pleased to obtain reimbursement of long-awaited biological products for the treatment of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. These new therapies are able to help a significant number of patients whose disease cannot be controlled by standard medical and surgical treatments. Second, we were able to review a series of more than 250 patients who underwent parotidectomy with intraoperative neuromonitoring. We found that preservation of facial nerve function was significantly better compared with previously reported data on parotidectomies without neuromonitoring. Finally, in the field of cochlear implantation for patients with severe hearing loss, we are currently preparing for the future. New techniques have been developed in order to maintain residual hearing during the implant’s insertion into the cochlea, such as robotic surgery and intraoperative electrocochleography. These techniques will allow us to increase the indications for implantation, which will lead to more patients being able to benefit from this life-changing technology.
Caroline Huart, Karl Le Bras, Caroline de Toeuf, Naima Deggouj, Philippe RombauxPublished in the journal : May 2020Category : Otorhinolaryngology
Although fever, respiratory symptoms, cough, and fatigue were initially considered as the leading symptoms of COVID-19 infection, it has now become evident that patients often report ear, nose, and throat (ENT) symptoms. Notably, we are currently facing an outbreak of olfactory dysfunction along with the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the World Health Organization states that this symptom is less common, several studies have demonstrated that this symptom is often observed, and that anosmia may even constitute the only complaint of SARS-CoV-2 carriers in some cases. Consequently, it is now admitted that patients with isolated sudden anosmia and no nasal obstruction should be considered as potential COVID-19 patients. Hence, this symptom should motivate the initiation of quarantine and use of appropriate personal protective equipment for attending medical teams.
As SARS-CoV-2 has a tropism for ENT mucosa and given that ENT procedures may generate aerosolization, ENT examination is a procedure with a particularly high risk of transmission for medical doctors. Therefore, adequate personal protective equipment should be employed when performing ENT examination. Moreover, it is advised to limit procedures leading to aerosolization as much as possible, as well as to adapt ENT surgical techniques during the pandemic.
This paper has reviewed the ENT symptoms possibly related to COVID-19 infection, with a particular focus on anosmia. We have also provided a reminder concerning good clinical practice recommendations in the ENT setting.
The differential diagnosis of nasopharyngeal masses is vast and mainly comprises three categories of lesions: benign masses corresponding to benign tumors and inflammatory lesions, malignant tumors, and congenital lesions. The age of the patient, clinical context, symptoms associated with the mass, as well as iconographic data are essential to orientate professionals towards the various possible etiologies. In a context of hypothalamic-pituitary axis malformation, and with reference to the embryological origins of the pituitary gland, the hypothesis of extracranial ectopic pituitary tissue is, although rare, an etiology that must be evoked when confronted to a nasopharyngeal mass. However, biopsy with an anatomopathological examination proved to be the only technique able to confirm the lesion’s histological origin.