Background
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (CSCC‐HN) appears to behave more aggressively in immunosuppressed patients. We aimed to investigate this hypothesis by comparing solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR) with CSCC‐HN to immunocompetent patients.
Methods
A retrospective comparative study was conducted for SOTR and immunocompetent patients who were treated for CSCC‐HN.
Results
A total of 177 SOTR and 157 immunocompetent patients with CSCC‐HN were included. Lymph node metastases were more common in the SOTR group (9% vs 3%), and distant metastases occurred only in SOTR (3% of patients). SOTR had a higher rate of recurrences (19% vs 10%), which were mostly regional (7%) and distant (3%). The 2‐year disease‐specific survival of SOTR was lower (93% vs 100%).
Conclusions
SOTR with CSCC‐HN has significantly worse outcomes compared to immunocompetent patients. Solid‐organ transplantation should be regarded as a negative prognostic factor in patients with CSCC‐HN.
Objectives Orbital complications are the most common complication of acute rhinosinusitis, especially among pediatric patients. While most cases are treated with antibiotics alone, severe presentation may demand surgical intervention. Our goal was to determine which factors predict the need for surgery and to investigate the role of computerized tomography in the decision process. Methods A retrospective review of all children hospitalized between 2001–2018 with orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis in a university-affiliated children's hospital. Results A total of 156 children were included. Mean age was 7.9 years (1–18 years). Twenty-three children (14.7%) were surgically treated, and the rest were conservatively treated. High fever, ophthalmoplegia and diplopia in association with minimal or no response to conservative treatment were predictive for surgical intervention, as well as higher inflammatory indices. Eighty-nine children (57%) underwent imaging during hospitalization. Presence of a subperiosteal abscess, as well as its size and its location were not found to be predictors for surgery. Conclusion Clinical and laboratory findings in association with minimal or no response to conservative treatment predict the need for surgical intervention in cases of orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis. As Computerized Tomography scans can have long-term implications in the pediatric population, caution and patience should be practiced when deciding on the timing of imaging in this population. Thus, close clinical and laboratory monitoring should lead the decision-making process in these cases and imaging should be reserved for when the decision for surgery has been made.
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