Chronic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis (CR and CRS) can lead to impairment of the health-related quality of life (HRQL) with higher psychological perceived distress, resulting in disease worsening and poor treatment outcomes. W aimed to evaluate the p...

Background: Adenotonsillectomy and myringotomy are common otorhinolaryngological procedures, primarily performed in children and young adults. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare systems worldwide, affecting the frequency and distribution of these surgeries. Methods: To investigate trends in adenotonsillectomies, myringotomies, and ventilation tube insertions over a 5-year period, including the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and postpandemic stages, at the University Hospital Center in Zagreb, Croatia. A retrospective cohort study reviewing the records of 1340 patients was conducted. Of these, 691 patients underwent relevant surgical procedures during 3 defined periods (pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic) and were included in the final analysis. Descriptive and comparative statistical analysis was used to assess surgical volume, age, and gender distributions across periods. Results: Pre-pandemic, 344 procedures were conducted, decreasing to 53 during the pandemic, and rebounding to 294 post-pandemic. The average patient age increased from 11.8 years pre-pandemic to 19.66 years during the pandemic (P=.00017), and decreased to 9.2 years post-pandemic (P < .00001). Gender ratios shifted slightly, becoming more balanced during and after the pandemic. Adenotonsillectomies and tonsillectomies were the most performed procedures pre- and post-pandemic, with a significant reduction during the pandemic. Myringotomies with ventilation tube insertions followed a similar trend but showed slower recovery post-pandemic. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a reduction in otolaryngological surgeries in children and young adults, a temporary rise in patient age, and a shift in gender distribution. While surgical volumes have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, some procedures remain below baseline. These findings underscore the pandemic’s lasting impact on elective surgical care and the importance of planning in healthcare systems.Cite this article as: Laba! N, Obrovac A, Baudoin T. Trends in adenotonsillectomy and myringotomy before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Balkan ORL-HNS 2025;2(3):59-63.

Background/Objectives: The study aims to analyse the factors associated with positive margins and endoscopic understaging in laryngeal carcinoma. It also aims to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) in comparison to White Light Endoscopy (WLE) and other diagnostic methods. Methods: In this retrospective comparative cohort analysis, 206 patients who underwent endoscopic laser surgery for T1 and T2a glottic squamous cell carcinoma between 1 January 2016 and 30 April 2023 were included. The data were collected from endoscopy, CT, histopathology, and NBI images. Statistical analysis was performed and associations between variables were analysed using binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: The types of cordectomy performed included type III (51 patients), type IV (40 patients), and type VI (23 patients). Positive margins were found in 14.01% of patients, with significant correlations observed between positive margins and bilateral laryngeal carcinoma, right-sided laryngeal carcinoma, higher clinical and histopathologic T categories, and higher NBI grade. Endoscopic understaging versus histopathologic T category correlated with various factors, including cordectomy type, tumour size, and clinical T category. The NBI findings correlated with positive margins but did not correlate with endoscopic understaging. Conclusions: The study highlights several clinical and pathological factors associated with positive margins and endoscopic understaging in laryngeal carcinoma. NBI demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy, correlating with histopathological results and serving as an independent predictive factor for positive margins. Recognizing these factors is crucial for improving preoperative assessments, refining treatment strategies, and enhancing patient care.