BACKGROUND Reinnerveration of free flaps used in oral and oropharyngeal reconstruction may provide a high level of sensory return. Spontaneous recovery of sensation in noninnervated flaps may also occur. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the extent of spontaneous sensory return among patients who underwent radial forearm free flap reconstruction in the oral cavity and oropharynx. METHODS A total of 40 ...

BACKGROUND Treatment for tumors of the oral cavity and the oropharynx disrupts normal swallow function. The ability for oral diet postoperatively varies and may be influenced by surgery and patient-related factors. METHODS In all, 114 patients treated with surgery with and without chemoradiotherapy for advanced oral/oropharyngeal cancer were recruited. Clinicopathologic tumor parameters and r...

Transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) is an important option in the treatment plan for tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx. For properly selected patients, TLM provides equivalent oncologic outcomes when compared to traditional therapies, while improving the functional aspects of postoperative speech, voice and swallowing.

The anterior two thirds of the tongue lie in the oral cavity (mobile tongue). The posterior third (base of tongue) is in the oropharynx and the junction between the two is at the insertion of the anterior faucial pillar and the line of the circumvallate papillae. Eighty-five per cent of tumours arise on the lateral border of the oral tongue, 10 to 15% on the ventral surface and 5% or less from ...

This study measured dose-response of a range of commercially available liquid barium materials designed for use in videofluoroscopic oropharyngeal swallowing assessments, particularly as they relate to the necessity of adding a thickening agent for swallow safety. A group of 25 adult males representing various medical diagnoses consented to participate, with 16 qualifying to complete a videoflu...

OBJECTIVES There is still debate concerning the reason for the high initial failure rate of positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment. The objective of this study is to investigate the factors of the initial adherence to PAP, with an emphasis on the role of upper airway narrowing. METHODS The patients were divided into two groups according to the continuation of therapy within the first three ...

Our mouth is the gateway to our body. Food, allergens, the air we breathe everything finds its way through our mouth into our body. Our immune system in this area defends us against some of the seasonally occurring cold pathogens. Lymphoid cells located just under the epithelial mucous membranes, which line the oral cavity and oropharynx, serve this purpose. What is the function of these cells ...

BACKGROUND A lower lip-splitting incision has traditionally been performed with different types of mandibulotomy approaches for obtaining wide access to oral and oropharyngeal cancers. However, lip splitting can be associated with unfavorable aesthetic results. We describe our new modification of a traditional mandibulotomy approach without lip splitting to avoid these morbidities. This is a ca...

BACKGROUND Human papilloma virus (HPV) is emerging as the primary cause for some head and neck cancers. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between head and neck cancer (HNC) survival and socioeconomic status (SES) in Canada, and to investigate changes in the relationship between HNC survival and SES from 1992 to 2005. METHODS Cases were drawn from the Canadian Canc...