Pawel Krzysztof Burduk

Introduction: Carotid body tumors are rare neoplasms originating from paraganglionic cells, located near the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. These lesions are usually benign and asymptomatic, but when carotid body tumors increase in size they may begin to cause symptoms. Carotid body paragangliomas are treated surgically, with preoperative embolization performed in some cases. There is ongoing debate as to whether preoperative embolization provides benefits for patients.Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of preoperative carotid body paraganglioma embolization on surgical safety, operative time, and overall treatment outcome.Materials and methods: A cohort of 36 patients (26 women, 10 men) with a mean age of 51 years, treated at three clinical centers over the past 15 years, was included. Operative times, lengths of hospital stay, postoperative complications, perioperative blood loss, and treatment outcomes were compared. Additionally, demographic and clinical data were collected from medical history and physical examination.Conclusions: Preoperative embolization offers benefits compared with surgery alone, including fewer complications and a shorter mean operative time. The mean length of hospital stay was comparable between the two groups. No reduction in blood loss was observed among patients who underwent embolization prior to surgery.

Introduction: Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a standard preoperative diagnostic tool for salivary gland tumors, yet its sensitivity is widely debated.Aim: This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC compared to final histopathology, with a specific focus on institutional variability and the influence of tumor size on diagnostic yield.Methods: A retrospective, multicenter analysis was conducted on 1331 patients who underwent surgical resection for salivary gland tumors across five tertiary centers. After excluding incomplete records, 1031 patients with informative FNAC results were analyzed. Diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and likelihood ratios) was calculated by comparing preoperative cytology with final histopathology. Statistical evaluations (Chi-square, Welch’s t-test) assessed the impact of patient demographics, tumor dimensions (4 cm), and institutional location on diagnostic concordance.Results: The overall diagnostic accuracy of FNAC was 94.1%. The procedure demonstrated excellent specificity (98.4%) but suboptimal sensitivity (50.0%), confirming a high false-negative rate. Significant institutional variability was observed (p < 0.001), with local sensitivities ranging from 16.7% to 69.2%. Tumor size significantly impacted diagnostic accuracy (p = 0.0258), peaking in intermediate lesions (2–4 cm; 95.0%) but declining in both smaller (4 cm; 91.9%). An independent review of 298 initially non-diagnostic aspirates revealed a substantial subset of histologically confirmed malignancies, demonstrating that non-informative cytological smears cannot be assumed benign.Conclusions: While FNAC provides highly specific evidence for salivary gland malignancies, its low sensitivity and susceptibility to institutional and size-dependent variables limit its reliability in ruling out cancer. High false-negative rates, particularly in tumors exceeding 4 cm, necessitate a multimodal diagnostic approach. Integrating core needle biopsy for challenging lesions and intraoperative frozen section analysis is crucial to mitigate cytopathological limitations and ensure appropriate surgical management.

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a multifactorial inflammatory disease characterized by heterogeneous phenotypes and endotypes, necessitating personalized therapeutic strategies. Precision medicine approaches integrating molecular biomarkers may improve treatment selection and disease stratification. In this prospective controlled study, we investigated the tissue-level immunohistochemical effects of oral corticosteroids (OCSs) and topical steroids on the expression of periostin, eotaxin, interleukin-4 (IL-4), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in nasal polyp tissue. Sixty-five patients eligible for endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) were enrolled and divided into two groups: Group 1 (n = 42) received topical steroids combined with oral prednisone (40 mg/day for 7 days preoperatively), whereas Group 2 (n = 23) received topical steroids alone. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in periostin and eotaxin expression in both epithelial and stromal compartments following OCS therapy, accompanied by increased TGF-β expression. No significant differences were observed in IL-4 or TNF-α expression. These findings indicate that short-term OCSs selectively modulate molecular pathways associated with eosinophilic inflammation and tissue remodeling in CRSwNP, supporting biomarker-driven precision medicine strategies.

Introduction: Multi-centre datasets are becoming essential for evidence-based decision-making in geriatric otolaryngology, yet their reliability depends on a transparent and reproducible process of data preparation.Aim: To present the complete “engine-room” workflow of the ENT Geriatric Database – a harmonised, anonymised multi-centre dataset – and to demonstrate how systematic data curation supports trustworthy analyses of perioperative risk and outcomes in elderly patients.Methods: The study integrated 16 Excel files from eight tertiary ENT centres into a unified dataset of 888 patients aged 65 years and older. The scripted pipeline standardised 97 canonical variables using positional and keyword-based mapping, removed personally identifiable information, harmonised heterogeneous coding schemes across 44 variables, and performed a multilevel data-quality audit.Results: The workflow revealed major structural and clinical data-quality issues: five variables exceeded 50% overall missingness, 44 had coded-missing categories, and 99 potential duplicates were detected. Five centre-specific block patterns indicated how procedural differences influence data completeness. All cleaned data, missingness matrices, and anomaly logs were exported for independent review.Conclusions: A scripted, auditable curation pipeline can transform heterogeneous spreadsheets into a more reliable multicentre dataset. Investing in this “engine-room” infrastructure strengthens data validity and provides a more robust basis for perioperative risk estimation and meaningful inter-centre comparisons in geriatric otolaryngology.

Background: The upper lip plays a central role in facial harmony and youthful appearance. Aging‐related changes include elongation of the philtrum, thinning of the vermilion, and reduced maxillary incisor show. Surgical lip lift shortens the cutaneous upper lip and enhances vermilion exposure, yet patient selection and outcome assessment remain non‐standardized. Objectives: To critically evaluate current evidence on surgical lip lift techniques, including the classical subnasal bullhorn approach and its modifications, and to provide evidence‐based recommendations for anatomy‐driven technique selection. Methods: A PRISMA 2020–compliant systematic review was conducted, with protocol registration in PROSPERO. Studies included adult patients (≥ 18 years) undergoing lip lift for aesthetic or aesthetic‐functional indications. Prospective and retrospective clinical studies and case series (≥ 5 patients) published between 2017 and 2025 were identified through database searches. Data extraction focused on surgical technique, morphometric outcomes, patient satisfaction, and complications. Meta‐analysis was not feasible due to heterogeneity. Methodological quality was assessed using the MINORS instrument and JBI checklists. Results: Seven studies comprising 1754 patients were included. Subnasal bullhorn techniques and their modifications reduced philtral length from 14.0–14.5 mm to 10.8–12.0 mm, increased vermilion height from 5.0–6.0 mm to 7.0–9.0 mm, and improved maxillary incisor show from 1.5–2.0 mm to 3.5–5.0 mm. Patient satisfaction was high (mean GAIS score 4.4/5). Complications were predominantly mild and transient, with revision rates of 0.6%–6.7%. Overall study quality was moderate. Conclusions: Surgical lip lift is a safe and effective procedure for restoring upper‐lip proportions. Technique selection should be individualized, and further prospective studies with standardized outcome measures are needed. Trial Registration: CRD420251232005

Introduction: Salivary gland tumours (SGTs) remain poorly represented in large-scale research due to low incidence and anatomical heterogeneity. Biobanking and data integration for SGTs remain particularly limited, as these tumours are often excluded from malignant tumour registries; even when data are collected centrally, they frequently lack sufficient detail and standardization, hindering harmonization and meaningful analysis.Aim: To present the design and early implementation of the Polish Salivary Gland Network (PSGN), a multicentre initiative linking standardized clinical data with ISO 20387-compliant biobanking infrastructure for SGTs.Materials and methods: The PSGN collects harmonized clinical, surgical, and pathological data from eight academic university departments across Poland (2017–2025). The data are managed using NorayBanks software, ensuring full traceability, regulatory compliance, and standardized data governance. This infrastructure lays the foundation for future digital integration, image-based research, and AI-supported analyses. Additional efforts focus on data quality assurance, process mapping, and dataset harmonization to enable multicentre interoperability and research scalability.Results: As of 2025, the PSGN holds data on 3,654 patients with SGT (mean age: 58.3 years; 62% female), including >70 clinicopathological variables per case. While parotid tumours dominate, ~3.7% involve rare sites such as the parapharyngeal space. The registry includes treatment details and key outcomes such as DFS, OS, and recurrence. Early findings suggest potential to inform clinical decision-making and uncover diagnostic challenges.Conclusions: The PSGN is the first structured platform for SGT biobanking. It provides a foundation for data-driven research and sets the stage for future digital and molecular advancements in rare cancer studies.

Background/Objectives: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a common malignancy with unsatisfactory survival rates, highlighting the need for reliable biomarkers to improve its diagnosis and prognosis. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), a protein implicated in various cancers, has not been thoroughly investigated in LSCC. This study aimed to evaluate the significance of GDF15 expression in LSCC by integrating immunohistochemical analysis of archival tissue samples with RNA sequencing data from public databases (TCGA and GEO) to provide comprehensive clinical insights. Methods: We analyzed archival tissue samples from 65 patients with LSCC using immunohistochemistry and evaluated GDF15 expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Statistical analyses included Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the correlation between GDF15 expression, clinicopathological variables, and survival outcomes. Results: GDF15 expression did not significantly differ between tumor and adjacent normal tissues. However, in the tissue macroarray (TMA) cohort, high GDF15 expression was significantly associated with a lower TNM stage and less advanced pT status. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that high GDF15 expression correlated with reduced overall survival in the TMA cohort, suggesting its utility in risk stratification. Multivariate analysis identified GDF15 as an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival in LSCC. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that GDF15 may serve as a prognostic biomarker for LSCC, particularly in early-stage disease. Elevated GDF15 levels, which are associated with poorer overall survival, could be integrated into diagnostic panels to enhance risk stratification and inform treatment decisions. Furthermore, GDF15 may be a promising target for therapeutic intervention. Further research is warranted to validate these results and explore their potential in clinical practice.

Objectives: This study aimed to endoscopically assess nasal patency in terms of adenoid obstruction and its mucous coverage, as well as nasal obstruction caused by the inferior nasal turbinate in children with vocal fold nodules. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted involving 54 children admitted to an ENT clinic due to hoarseness caused by vocal fold nodules from 2022 to 2024. The study analyzed medical history, the results of performed flexible nasofiberoscopy and tympanometry. Results: Children with vocal fold nodules snored and slept with open mouths less frequently than the control group of other patients admitted to the ENT outpatient clinic without voice disorders (p = 0.003 and 0.004, respectively). Pathological mucous coverage of the adenoid was observed more often (p = 0.02). The mean adenoid size in the A/C ratio was 52.1% compared to 63.4% in the control group (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Children with vocal fold nodules typically have smaller adenoids, fewer incidents of snoring and open-mouth breathing, but more frequent pathological nasal mucus. It was not possible to prove that the incorrect breathing path through the mouth, causing reduced humidity of the inhaled air, affects the formation of vocal fold nodules.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyse the results of the mastoid obliteration technique with sticky bone (SB) and compare them with those obtained using bioactive glass S53P4 (BAG). Methods: This prospective preliminary study comprised 28 adults who underwent canal wall down (CWD) surgery using two mastoid obliterative techniques: SB (n = 21) or BAG (n = 7). The SB group was treated with the patients’ own bone dust and injectable platelet rich fibrin (IPRF) (n = 13%) or bone dust, IPRF, and additionally allogenic lyophilised demineralised bone (n = 9%). Results: Nine months after the surgery, in the SB group, retroauricular depression was observed in three (14%) patients, temporary retroauricular fistula in one (5%), and a conical and smooth external auditory canal (EAC) was achieved in 15 (71%). Mean EAC capacity was 0.6 mL higher than in the contralateral ear. In the SB group, the tympanic membrane (TM) of nineteen (91%) patients was fully healed, one (5%) had TM perforation, and one (5%) developed a retraction pocket. In the BAG group, retroauricular depression was observed in four (57%) patients, temporary retroauricular fistula was present in one (14%), and a conical and smooth EAC was achieved in five (71%). Mean EAC capacity was 0.3 mL higher than on the opposite side. In the BAG group, we stated six (86%) patients with fully healed TM and one (14%) with a retraction pocket. One cholesteatoma was found in the BAG group and two in SB, (14% vs. 10%). After 9 months, all patients in both groups achieved a dry and self-cleaning cavity. Conclusions: Mastoid obliteration in CWD surgery using SB or BAG allows for reconstruction of the conical shape of the EAC with a volume similar to that of a healthy ear. Both techniques seem to have a minimal risk of complications and result in a dry, self-cleaning cavity. Further studies concerning a larger series of cases are necessary to confirm the findings of this preliminary analysis.