In 30% of patients with epilepsy seizure control cannot be achieved with medications. When medical therapy is not effective, and epilepsy surgery cannot be performed, vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) implantation is a therapeutic option. Laryngeal patterns in vagus nerve stimulation have not been extensively studied yet. The objective was to evaluate laryngeal patterns in a cohort of patients affected by drug-resistant epilepsy after implantation and activation of a vagus nerve stimulation therapy device. 14 consecutive patients underwent a systematic otolaryngologic examination between 6 months and 5 years after implantation and activation of a vagus nerve stimulation therapy device. All patients underwent fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation, which was recorded on a portable device allowing a convenient slow-motion analysis of laryngeal patterns. All recordings were blindly evaluated by two of the authors. We observed three different laryngeal patterns. Four patients showed left vocal cord palsy at the baseline and during vagus nerve stimulation; seven showed left vocal cord palsy at the baseline and left vocal cord adduction during vagus nerve stimulation; and three patients showed a symmetric pattern at the baseline and constant left vocal cord adduction during vagus nerve stimulation. These laryngeal findings are here described for the first time in the literature and can be only partially explained by existing knowledge of laryngeal muscles and vagus nerve physiology. This might represent a new starting point for studies concerning laryngeal physiology and phonation, while the vagus nerve stimulation therapy could act as a new and ethical experimental model for human laryngeal physiology.

Improvements in computed tomography and in functional endoscopic sinus surgery have recently increased interest toward paranasal sinus anatomy and anatomic variations that can be observed in patients affected by sinusitis. Isolated sphenoid sinusitis is a relatively rare pathology, often related to nonspecific symptoms, therefore making diagnosis difficult. The correlation between this type of sinusitis and anatomical variants remains unclear. The authors’ aim was to retrospectively revise paranasal sinuses computed tomography scans of patients affected by sphenoid sinusitis, compared with a control group, analyzing the types of sphenoid sinus and the presence of aberrant pneumatization, and performing a segmentation of the sphenoid sinuses to calculate the volumes. Sphenoid sinuses of 60 patients affected by sinus opacification, compared with a control group, were segmented. Type of sinus (sellar, presellar, postsellar) and presence of aberrant pneumatization were assessed as well. Possible statistically significant differences in volumes according to sex and group were assessed through 2-way ANOVA test (P < 0.05). Post-hoc test was assessed through Student t test. χ 2 test was applied in order to verify the statistically significance of differences in frequency of different types of sinus pneumatization variants (P < 0.05). Average volume of sphenoid sinuses in males was of 7.672 cm3 and of 7.751 cm3 in females within the group of patients; statistically significant differences in volume were found according to sex (P: 0.342), but not between the patients and control group (P: 0.0929). Post-hoc test verified that males affected by sinus opacification showed smaller volumes in comparison with the control males (P < 0.05). In addition, patients by affected sinus opacification showed more frequently the postsellar type and were less affected by pneumatization variants of the sphenoid bone than the control group (P < 0.05). This study first suggests the possible protective role of variants of pneumatization in the development of sphenoid sinus opacification.

We present the clinical case of a 51-year-old male patient, affected by common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). In his history recurrent orbital cellulitis, exacerbation of chronic right dacryocystitis, lacrimal sac empyema with periodic episodes of dacryocutaneous fistolization. The coexistence of these particular immunological defects and the lack of literature about similar cases required an accurate evaluation of each step of the diagnostic and therapeutic approach. We performed an endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy with “cold” instruments. No surgical complications were observed in the immediate postsurgical period. We balanced the necessity of a follow-up based on frequent office evaluation and the current pandemic emergency, in order to not expose the patient to an additional infectious risk. The discussion will focus on several aspects: the adequacy of radiological, the “cold” surgical technique, the choice of avoiding endocanalicular prostheses. We will discuss also about the use of oral and topical therapy, avoiding probable post-surgical infectious complications.