Practice Focus

COSM 2012: Dr. Jonas Johnson Explores the Subtleties of PET/CT for Tumors

PET combined with CT might be one of the most powerful imaging technologies available, but how effective it is in evaluating head and neck tumors and helping with treatment is not a cut-and-dried proposition, said Jonas Johnson, MD, in his State of the Art Lecture at the 115th Annual Meeting of the Triological Society, held here on April 20 as part of the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings.

Parotid Mass Diagnostic Dilemma

A 75-year-old man presented with a left ear lobule melanoma and was found, on examination, to have a concurrent right parotid mass and bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy. A CT scan of the neck confirmed a 2-cm right superficial parotid mass containing both solid and cystic components without any pathognomonic characteristics, as well as bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy with multiple 2- to 3-cm lymph nodes. FNA biopsy of the parotid mass was consistent with carcinoma, whereas FNA samples from the cervical lymph nodes were non-diagnostic.

Conflicting Evidence on Tobacco’s Effect on ESS Outcomes

Does smoking prevent sinus surgery from making patients feel better? Over the years, evidence and expert opinion have varied on this topic. As a result, some surgeons refuse to provide endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for active smokers, while others will operate because they believe surgery improves quality of life.

Decade-Long Progressive Dysphagia with Intermittent Regurgitation

A 78-year-old woman presented with a 10-year history of progressive dysphagia for solid foods and pills, with intermittent regurgitation of pills but not food. No aspiration or weight loss was reported. Her past medical history was significant for breast cancer, hypothyroidism and arthritis. No head and neck masses were appreciated. A modified barium swallow was obtained.