Several studies have highlighted the diagnostic potential of salivary microRNA (miRNA) in head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). The purpose of this meta-analysis was to summarize published studies and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of salivary miRNA in HNSCC detection. In this meta-analysis, we systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases for studies on miRNA and HNSCC diagnosis. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) with a summary receiver-operating characteristic curve were calculated using a bivariate random-effect meta-analysis model. Furthermore, subgroup analyses were conducted to explore the main sources of heterogeneity. Seventeen studies from ten articles, including 23 miRNA and a total of 759 subjects, were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of salivary miRNA in the diagnosis of HNSCC were 0.697 (95% CI: 0.644–0.744) and 0.868 (95% CI: 0.811–0.910), respectively. The overall area under the curve was 0.803 with a DOR of 12.915 (95% CI: 9.512–17.534). Salivary miRNAs are a promising non-invasive diagnostic biomarker with moderate accuracy for HNSCC. These results must be verified by large-scale prospective studies.

Research about the epidemiology of olfactory dysfunction in Asians was not enough. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and incidence rate of olfactory disorders in Koreans and to evaluate demographic risk factors. We analyzed clinical data of patients with anosmia using Korean National Health Insurance Service data from 2006 to 2016. The data includes medical insurance claim data and medical records of almost 50,000,000 people in Korea. The 30-39 age group showed the highest prevalence (19.25 per 10,000 per year). Their incidence rate was also high comparing other age groups (13.30 per 10,000 per year). The prevalence and the incidence increased from 7.10 to 13.74 and from 5.66 to 9.54 between 2006 and 2016. In the seasonal analysis, the incidence rate was high in spring and autumn. The high-income population showed about 1.4-folds higher incidence rate than the low-income population. We thought that the socioeconomic status could generally affect the rate of hospital visit in the anosmia population. Anosmia can be frequently underdiagnosed in the clinical environment because the elderly and the low-income people easily underestimate their anosmia symptom and ignore the severity due to their economic problem. Therefore careful attention and further studies for anosmia are needed.

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between metabolic diseases and the risk of head and neck cancer (HNC) using nationwide population-based big data. This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Korean National Health Insurance Service health checkup database. A total of 4,575,818 participants aged >40 years who received a health checkup in 2008 were enrolled, and we studied the incidence of HNC until 2019. We analyzed the risk of HNC according to the presence of metabolic diseases, such as obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Although metabolic syndrome itself was not associated with HNC, each component of metabolic syndrome was associated with HNC. Underweight and diabetes were risk factors for HNC (HR: 1.694). High total cholesterol and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were factors that decreased the risk (HR 0.910 and 0.839). When we analyzed men and women separately, low total cholesterol level, low low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, and hypertension were risk factors only in men. In addition, pre-obesity, obesity, and central obesity decreased the risk only in men. Each metabolic disease affects HNC in different ways. Underweight and diabetes increased the risk of HNC, whereas high total cholesterol and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased the risk of HNC.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and anxiety in patients with LPR.Design: Prospective, case–control study.Setting: This study was conducted at a tertiary care center.Participants: Sixty‐four patients with LPR and 60 healthy controls.Methods: Patients with LPR and healthy individuals (N = 64 and N = 60) were enrolled in this study. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and reflux symptom index (RSI) were used to evaluate anxiety and reflux‐related symptoms, respectively. The BAI can be classified into somatic and subjective symptom scales. The prevalence of anxiety was compared between patients with LPR and healthy individuals. This study evaluated the relationship between BAI and RSI scores.Results: No statistical difference was found in the prevalence of anxiety between patients with LPR and healthy individuals (42.2% vs. 33.3%). However, the somatic anxiety symptom score was statistically higher in patients with LPR than in healthy individuals (p = .047). We observed a correlation between RSI and somatic anxiety scores of BAI in patients with LPR (rho = 0.286, p = .021).Conclusion: Patients with LPR had more severe somatic anxiety symptoms, and somatic anxiety was associated with their LPR‐related symptoms.

Objectives. This study aimed to compare the oncological outcomes of partial versus superficial or total parotidectomy for superficial T1 or T2 primary parotid cancers and investigate their prognostic factors and recurrence patterns.Methods. The medical records of 77 patients with T1–2 primary parotid malignancies between May 2003 and March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic factors associated with overall survival, disease-free survival, and local and distant recurrence.Results. The average follow-up duration was 70.2 months (range, 12–202 months). The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 88.7% and 77.1%, respectively. Twenty-two patients underwent partial parotidectomy, and 55 underwent superficial or total parotidectomy. There were no significant differences in the disease recurrence (P=0.320) and mortality rates (P=0.884) of the partial and superficial or total parotidectomy groups. The mean duration of surgery was shorter and the overall complication rates were significantly lower in the partial group than in the superficial or total parotidectomy group (P=0.049). Sixteen cases of recurrence occurred during the study period (20.8%). Univariate analyses showed that high-grade tumors (P=0.006), lymphovascular invasion (P=0.046), and regional lymph node metastasis (P=0.010) were significant risk factors for disease recurrence. Multivariate analysis identified regional lymph node metastasis as an independent prognostic factor for disease recurrence (P=0.027), and lymphovascular invasion as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (P=0.033).Conclusion. The conservative surgical approach of partial parotidectomy can yield oncological outcomes comparable to those of superficial or total parotidectomy with careful patient selection in T1-2 parotid cancers.