In this study, 21% of patients diagnosed with SCCHN were found to be infected with HCV. These patients presented at an earlier age but had similar presentation with respect to site and stage. More research is needed to determine the significance of HCV infection in this patient population.

No abstract

A review of surgical therapy for pediatric cholesteatoma at the Arkansas Children's Hospital was performed. Fifty-three children treated surgically for cholesteatoma were studied over a 10-year period. Primary acquired, or attic retraction cholesteatomas, were generally treated with a canal up tympanomastoidectomy; there were very few complications or secondary procedures in this group. Middle ear or secondary acquired cholesteatomas were initially treated by both canal up and canal down procedures; however, a large percentage of these patients eventually required an open cavity procedure. The presence of cholesteatoma in the sinus tympani strongly predicted failure to control disease with a canal up procedure (P < .05); conversely, the absence of matrix in the sinus tympani was predictive for success when a canal up procedure was used for attic cholesteatoma (P < .05). Finally, it was determined that follow-up was not adequate in our patient population. With this in mind, guidelines for the management of pediatric cholesteatoma will be presented.

Co-infection with HCV, although prevalent in the Veterans Administration Hospital population, did not affect patient outcome as defined by disease-free survival. Patients who were seropositive for HCV had comparable serum albumin levels as well as serum hematocrit when compared with HCV negative patients.