Background and Objectives: Sore throat is a common symptom that, due to its heterogeneous etiology and diverse clinical presentation, poses challenges for both accurate diagnosis and etiological treatment, making symptomatic therapy essential. Our review aims to provide an overview of the literature on locally applied flurbiprofen in the treatment of sore throat of both infectious and non-infectious etiologies. Materials and Methods: The database PubMed was searched for studies evaluating the effect of flurbiprofen on sore throat in the last ten years (28 August 2025), and 15 studies were selected for the analysis based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. We analyzed the effect of flurbiprofen in acute pharyngitis on relief of pain, difficulty swallowing, throat swelling, the Qualities of Sore Throat Index, overall satisfaction scores and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Questionnaire, stratified by single or multiple doses and concomitant antibiotics. Efficacy in postoperative sore throat treatment and safety profile were also analyzed. The results are demonstrated in tables and forest plots. Results: Topical flurbiprofen is shown to be effective in pain relief, relief of difficult swallowing and throat swelling in acute pharyngitis in both single and multiple doses, regardless of the formulations. The same effect is noted when analyzed by the Qualities of Sore Throat Index questionnaire and overall satisfaction scores. The data shows that flurbiprofen reduces related upper respiratory tract infection symptoms. It is also shown to be effective in reducing the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat. No serious adverse effects were reported in the included studies. Conclusions: Topical flurbiprofen seems to be an effective and safe symptomatic treatment option for sore throat in both infectious and non-infectious etiologies.
Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare long-term postoperative nasal airflow and symptom improvement using both subjective and objective nasal patency outcomes after three common different types of surgical interventions in patients with nasal obstruction, aimed at reducing nasal obstruction. Methods: This is a single-center prospective cohort study on 105 patients performed in a tertiary rhinology center, who underwent one of three interventions: septoplasty with radiofrequency turbinate reduction, septoplasty with turbinectomy, or septoplasty with valvuloplasty, aimed at improving nasal patency. Results: All three groups showed statically significant postoperative improvement of the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scale (NOSE) and Peak Nasal Inspiratory Flow measurement (PNIF) values that increased in time, with a markedly increased effect sustained during the six months of follow-up compared to baseline measurements (p = 0.001, Friedman’s two-way test). Intergroup analysis showed that septoplasty combined with radiofrequency turbinate reduction showed superior nasal patency results after three months (p = 0.001, Kruskal–Wallis test); however, all three groups had a similar result at the six-month follow-up. Conclusions: All surgical techniques in patients with anatomic nasal obstruction led to favorable postoperative subjective and objective nasal patency outcomes. However, the impact of any specific additional procedure alongside septoplasty may be limited in long-term follow-up.
Histopathological grading of oral squamous cell carcinoma is currently based on differentiation of cells, while additional histological parameters, such as the tumor–stroma ratio (TSR), tumor budding (TB), or the combined TSR/tumor budding model could better assess tumor biological behavior and monitoring of patients. Background/Objectives: To integrate risk factors associated with tumor progression: the TSR, TB and TSR/tumor budding model, whose prognostic significance in oral cancer has not yet been evaluated. Methods: An observational cohort retrospective study assembled according to STROBE guidelines on histological materials from 196 patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. The goal of the analysis was to evaluate the association between the tumor stroma ratio, tumor budding, and the combined model of TSR/TB with the clinical and pathologic features of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and to determine the prognostic value of this model in relation to disease-free survival (DFS) Results: The analysis did not show that the tumor stroma ratio (TSR), tumor budding, and the combined model of TSR/tumor budding were statistically significantly associated with the occurrence of metastatic disease at the start of treatment or during postoperative follow-up, but confirmed the value of depth-of-invasion (DOI) as a negative prognostic factor (HR 15.3, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The TSR, TB, and the combined TSR/TB model were not found to be statistically significant predictors for the disease progression in the Cox regression survival analysis but were found to have a significant correlation with known negative prognostic factors: DOI, neural invasion, and T category.
Background and Objectives: Quality of life is significantly impacted by patients’ diagnosis perceptions, and self-assessment of quality of life is increasingly used in medicine. With this study, we aim to provide an overview of the differences in self-assessed quality of life among patients in different diagnostic categories in otorhinolaryngology, focusing on physical health, physical pain, and social and emotional well-being. We hypothesize that these differences are substantial and can further improve patient care. Methods: The research was carried out from 1 May to 30 June 2024 with 127 otorhinolaryngology patients scheduled for a follow-up appointment at an otorhinolaryngology clinic. The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, adequately completed by 114 patients, was used to determine the differences in self-reported quality of life between patients with different otorhinolaryngological diagnoses, classified by the International Classification of Diseases. Results: The results showed significant differences in the self-assessed quality of life for patients with different otorhinolaryngology diagnoses. Patients with oncological diagnoses had lower scores for emotional (p ≤ 0.001) and social functioning (p ≤ 0.038) compared with patients with other diagnoses but scored similarly to patients with chronic inflammation of the nose and patients with impaired communication due to ear or voice diseases. Conclusions: Self-assessment of quality of life is significantly different across diagnostic categories in otorhinolaryngology. These findings underscore the necessity of tailoring healthcare communication strategies to the specific needs of individual patients, addressing not only their physical but also emotional well-being.