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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Association of neck pain, disability and neck pain during maximal effort with neck muscle strength and range of movement in women with chronic non-specific neck pain.

Several studies have reported lower neck muscle strength in patients with chronic neck pain compared to healthy controls. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between the severity of neck pain and disability with neck strength and range of movement in women suffering from chronic neck pain. One hundred and seventy-nine female office workers with chronic neck pain were selected to the study. The outcome was assessed by the self-rating questionnaires on neck pain (visual analogue scale, Vernon's disability index, Neck pain and disability index) and by measures of the passive range of movement (ROM) and maximal isometric neck muscle strength. No statistically significant correlation was found between perceived neck pain and the disability indices and the maximal isometric neck strength and ROM measures. However, the pain values reported during the strength tests were inversely correlated with the results of strength tests (r=-0.24 to -0.46), showing that pain was associated with decreased force production. About two-thirds of the patients felt pain during test efforts. Pain may prevent full effort during strength tests and hence the production of maximal force. Thus in patients with chronic neck pain the results do not always describe true maximal strength, but rather the patients' ability to bear strain, which may be considerably influenced by their painful condition. The results of the present study suggest that rehabilitation in cases of chronic neck pain should aim at raising tolerance to mechanical strain.

Adult↗

Are neck flexion, neck rotation, and sitting at work risk factors for neck pain? Results of a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relation between neck pain and work related neck flexion, neck rotation, and sitting. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed with a follow up of 3 years among 1334 workers from 34 companies. Work related physical load was assessed by analysing objectively measured exposure data (video recordings) of neck flexion, neck rotation, and sitting posture. Neck pain was assessed by a questionnaire. Adjustments were made for various physical factors that were related or not related to work, psychosocial factors, and individual characteristics. RESULTS: A significant positive relation was found between the percentage of the working time in a sitting position and neck pain, implying an increased risk of neck pain for workers who were sitting for more than 95% of the working time (crude relative risk (RR) 2.01, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.04 to 3.88; adjusted RR 2.34, 95% CI 1.05 to 5.21). A trend for a positive relation between neck flexion and neck pain was found, suggesting an increased risk of neck pain for people working with the neck at a minimum of 20 degrees of flexion for more than 70% of the working time (crude RR 2.01, 95% CI 0.98 to 4.11; adjusted RR 1.63, 95% CI 0.70 to 3.82). No clear relation was found between neck rotation and neck pain. CONCLUSION: Sitting at work for more than 95% of the working time seems to be a risk factor for neck pain and there is a trend for a positive relation between neck flexion and neck pain. No clear relation was found between neck rotation and neck pain.

Cohort Studies↗

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with radiation therapy: the role of neck dissection for clinically positive neck nodes.

This is an analysis of 161 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with irradiation to the primary site and neck followed by a neck dissection(s) for clinically positive neck nodes. Patients were treated between October 1964 and December 1982; there was a minimum 2-year follow-up. Fifty-two patients were deleted from analysis of neck disease control because they died of intercurrent disease or cancer less than 2 years from treatment with the neck continuously disease-free. All patients are included in the analysis of complications. Neck disease control rate was the same for radiation plus neck dissection or radiation therapy alone for solitary nodes less than 3 cm. As the size and number of nodes increased, there was a higher rate of neck disease control for combined treatment as compared with irradiation alone. The neck disease control rate, size for size, was lower for patients with fixed nodes and for those with residual tumor in the pathologic specimen. There was no difference in neck disease control as a function of the interval between irradiation and neck dissection. For nodes less than or equal to 6 cm, a minimum node dose of 5000 rad appeared to be sufficient for control, whereas for nodes greater than 6 cm, at least 6000 rad appeared to be required for optimal control. Fixed nodes required a higher dose compared to mobile masses. The incidence of postoperative complications was increased with maximum subcutaneous doses of greater than or equal to 6000 rad. There was also an increased incidence of postoperative complications for patients undergoing simultaneous, as compared with staged, bilateral neck dissection.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

Elective neck dissection for carcinomas of the oral cavity: occult metastases, neck recurrences, and adjuvant treatment of pathologically positive necks.

BACKGROUND: Supraomohyoid neck dissection (SOHND) is currently performed in patients with carcinoma of the oral cavity with clinically negative neck. Most investigators consider SOHND as a staging procedure. METHODS: Records of 100 patients with cancer of the oral cavity and clinically negative neck undergoing SOHND were reviewed. The rate and significance of occult metastases are evaluated, the neck recurrences are analyzed and the indication of adjuvant radiation of pN+ necks is discussed. RESULTS: In 34 of 1814 of analyzed lymph nodes, metastatic disease was detected as follows: 30 macrometastases and 4 micrometastases. In 13 of 34 metastases (38%), extracapsular spread was observed. Twenty of 100 patients (20%) had to be upstaged. In 9 of 87 (10%) patients without local recurrence and with a minimal follow-up of 24 months, 5 ipsilateral (4 within the dissection field) and 5 contralateral neck recurrences were observed. Regional recurrence developed in 4% and 35% of patients with pN0 and pN+ necks, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In 20% of patients with oral cavity tumors and pN0 neck, occult metastases were disclosed. Neck recurrences developed significantly more often in patients with pN+ than in those with pN0 necks. To evaluate the exact indication for an adjuvant treatment of patients with cN0/pN+ necks, prospective studies should be performed.

Adult↗

Salvage treatment for neck recurrence after irradiation alone for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with clinically positive neck nodes.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the likelihood of salvage for patients with recurrence in the neck after radiotherapy. METHOD: Recurrent disease developed in the neck of 51 patients after primary irradiation for head and neck carcinoma. Salvage was defined as no recurrence of cancer anywhere for at least 1 year after initial salvage treatment and continuously thereafter. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients (65%) did not undergo a salvage attempt: 18 had unresectable disease; 9 were medically unfit, 4 had distant metastasis; and 2 refused treatment. Eighteen patients (35%) underwent salvage treatment with chemotherapy alone (4 patients), chemotherapy and neck dissection (1 patient), neck dissection alone (11 patients), or surgery with radiotherapy (2 patients). After the initial salvage treatment, recurrent local-regional and/or distant disease developed in all patients. Recurrence was in the neck alone in 10 patients (55%); neck and distant sites in 3 patients (17%); neck, primary site, and distant sites in 2 patients (11%); and with distant metastasis alone in 3 patients (17%). Control of neck disease at 5 years was 9% for the 18 patients who underwent a salvage attempt, as well as for all 51 patients. For the overall group, absolute and cause-specific survival rates were both 10% at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: The likelihood of successful salvage treatment after a neck recurrence following radiotherapy is remote.

Adult↗

Decreased isometric neck strength in women with chronic neck pain and the repeatability of neck strength measurements.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate neck flexion, extension, and, especially, rotation strength in women with chronic neck pain compared with healthy controls and to evaluate the repeatability of peak isometric neck strength measurements in patients with neck pain. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTINGS: Rehabilitation center and physical and rehabilitation medicine department at a Finnish hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one women with chronic neck pain and healthy controls matched for sex, age, anthropometric measures, and occupation. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Peak isometric strength of the cervical muscles was tested in rotation, flexion, and extension. RESULTS: Significantly lower flexion (29%), extension (29%), and rotation forces (23%) were produced by the chronic neck pain group compared with controls. When the repeated test results were compared pairwise against their mean, considerable variation was observed in the measures on the individual level. Intratester repeatability of the neck muscle strength measurements was good in all the 4 directions tested in the chronic neck pain group (intraclass correlation coefficient range,.74-.94). The coefficient of repeatability was 15N, both in flexion and extension, and 1.8 Nm in rotation. On the group level, improvement up to 10% due to repeated testing was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The group with neck pain had lower neck muscle strength in all the directions tested than the control group. This factor should be considered when planning rehabilitation programs. Strength tests may be useful in monitoring training progress in clinical settings, but training programs should be planned so that the improvement in results is well above biologic variation, measurement error, and learning effect because of repeated testing.

Adult↗

Postradiotherapy neck dissection for lymph node-positive head and neck cancer: the use of computed tomography to manage the neck.

PURPOSE: To determine how to use node response on computed tomography (CT) to indicate the need for neck dissection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five hundred fifty patients with lymph node-positive head and neck cancer were treated between 1990 and 2002 with radiotherapy (RT) at a median dose of 74.4 Gy; 24% of these patients (n = 133) were treated with chemotherapy. Three hundred forty-one patients (62%) underwent planned post-RT neck dissection. Physical examination and contrast-enhanced CT were performed 30 days after completion of RT. CT images were reviewed in 211 patients for lymph node size (largest axial dimension) and presence of a focal abnormality (lucency, enhancement, or calcification). By correlating post-RT CT to neck dissection pathology, criteria associated with a low likelihood of residual disease were identified. A subset of patients who fit these criteria of radiographic response who did not undergo post-RT neck dissection was observed for recurrence. RESULTS: Radiographic complete response (rCR) was defined as the absence of any large (> 1.5 cm) or focally abnormal lymph node. Correlation of response with neck dissection pathology indicated a negative predictive value of 77% for complete clinical response and 94% for rCR. In 32 patients (median follow-up time, 3.2 years) with rCR who did not undergo post-RT neck dissection, the 5-year ultimate neck control rate (100%) and cause-specific survival rate (72%) were not significantly different from the rates of patients with a negative post-RT neck dissection. CONCLUSION: Patients with rCR 4 weeks after RT can be spared from a post-RT neck dissection regardless of initial node stage.

Adult↗

[Overloading to neck extensor muscles is an aggravating factor to induce further neck drop in isolated neck extensor myopathy (Katz). A case report].

A 78-year-old woman was hospitalized because of progressive anterior neck drop over 4 months prior to admission. She was normal except for mild weakness of her neck, trapezius and biceps brachii muscles. EMG revealed mild myopathic changes in the neck extensors, trapezius, deltoid and sternocleidomastoid muscles. Bilateral splenius capitis muscles had high intensities on T2-weighted and STIR pulse-sequenced MRI. However, there were no inflammatory changes in the right splenius muscle biopsy. Accordingly, the abnormal MRI finding seems not to result from an inflammatory process but from an physiological increase of intracellular water content due to sustained muscle contraction. Because apparent neuromuscular diseases responsible for neck drop were excluded, her clinical features met the criteria of isolated neck extensor myopathy (INEM, Katz). After strict bed-rest for one month, her neck drop improved dramatically. When she returned to the previous life style after discharge, her symptoms of the neck drop reappeared. Although the cause of INEM remains unclear, the present case indicates that the condition is reversible at least in the early stage of the disease, and the overloading to the neck extensor muscles is an aggravating factor of the neck drop in INEM.

Aged↗

Selective neck dissection for the treatment of neck metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the proportion of patients disease free in the neck, with the primary site controlled, who have been treated with a selective neck dissection (SND) for squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa) of the upper aerodigestive tract, and who had cervical metastasis less than 3 cm. STUDY DESIGN: A cohort of patients who fit the inclusion/exclusion criteria was identified retrospectively. Then all surviving patients were followed for a minimum of 2 years. METHODS: A group of 52 patients who had 58 selective neck dissections for cervical metastases from SCCa of the upper aerodigestive tract were identified. The mean age was 56 years (range, 20-85 y), there were 40 males and 12 females, and mean follow-up was 24.5 months (range, 1-64 mo). Twenty-six patients had clinically negative (cNo) neck examinations and 26 had clinically positive neck examinations. Postoperative radiation was given for extracapsular spread, greater than 2 positive nodes, T3, T4, or recurrent disease if the patient had not received radiation before surgery. These radiation criteria excluded 18 patients from postoperative radiation treatment. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the regional control rate with the primary site controlled was 0.94. Six patients developed recurrent neck disease. Three of these 6 patientswere surgically salvaged. Four recurrences were in the dissected field and 2 were out of the dissected field (level V). CONCLUSIONS: With similar indications for radiation therapy, the regional control rate in this cohort is comparable to control rates obtained with modified radical neck dissection.

Adult↗

[Efficacy of selective neck dissection: a review of 123 cases of elective and therapeutic treatment of the neck in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of selective neck dissection (SND) in elective and therapeutic treatment of the neck in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck. METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken of 123 patients undergoing 157 SNDs as a part of initial therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck from January 1997 to September 2001 at this institute. The primary site included larynx(n = 77), oral cavity(n = 29), oropharynx(n = 2), and hypopharynx(n = 15). Lymph nodes were pathologically negative (pN0) in 99 and positive (pN+) in 24 patients. Peri-operative radiotherapy was given to 30.3% of pN0 and 50.0% of pN+ patients. The median follow-up interval was 25 months. RESULTS: 101 patients received elective neck dissection, 14 of them (13.9%) found to be pN+, while 22 patients received therapeutic neck dissection, 10 of them (45.5%) found to be pN+. A total of 52 positive nodes were found in 157 SNDs. The distribution of the positive nodes were as follows: Level I 25%; Level II 48%; Level III 25%; Level IV 2%. The 5-year regional recurrence rates estimated according to Kaplan-Meier were 5.87% (95% CI: 0.8%, 10.9%) for the pN0 and 9.2% (95% CI: 0.0%, 21.5%) for pN+ patients. CONCLUSION: The SND, when carefully indicated, a contribution to the concept of less invasive surgery, offers functional and esthetic advantages without oncologic compromise.

Adult↗

Molecular assessment of neck dissections supports preserving level IIB lymph nodes in selective neck dissection for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma with a clinically negative neck.

OBJECTIVES: It was the aim of this study to determine whether level IIB lymph nodes can be saved in elective neck dissection as a treatment for patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx. We present a prospective analysis of a case series. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with SCC of the larynx and without palpable lymph nodes at the neck who underwent an elective neck dissection were prospectively studied. The incidence of micrometastasis to level IIB lymph nodes after performing elective neck dissection was evaluated by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for cytokeratin (CK)19 and CK20 as well as by pathological examination. RESULTS: Nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for CK19 and CK20 mRNA presented similar results but differed from the pathological examination. Of the 31 patients, 6 (19%) by pathological analysis and 9 (29%) by molecular analysis had lymph nodes positive for metastatic SCC. By molecular analysis, only 1 of the 31 patients had involvement of level IIB lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: This region may be preserved in elective neck dissection in patients with SCC of the larynx, so that accessory nerve dysfunction can be minimized and operative time can be saved.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

Selective neck dissection for node-positive necks in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a word of caution.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the regional recurrence (RR) rate in a consecutive series of patients with node-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (N(+) HNSCC) who underwent selective neck dissection (SND) as part of their treatment in a single institution. DESIGN: Retrospective case series with 2 years of follow-up. SETTING: Tertiary care university hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred ninety-one patients with N(+) HNSCC underwent 256 neck dissections (NDs) between 1999 and 2002. Of these, 17 had unilateral SNDs and 11 had bilateral NDs (6 patients, bilateral SND; 5 patients, radical ND and SND). There were 22 men and 6 women, ranging in age from 37 to 79 years (median age, 53 years), with 17 laryngeal, 5 hypopharyngeal, 4 oral cavity, 1 oropharyngeal, and 1 nasopharyngeal primary tumors, which were classified as follows: T1 (n=2 [7.1%]), T2 (n=2 [7.1%]), T3 (n=7 [25.0%]), and T4 (n=17 [60.8%]). The neck stages were N1 (n=8 [28.6%]), N2a (n=2 [7.1%]), N2b (n=7 [25.0%]), and N2c (n=11 [39.3%]). Most patients had tumors that were stage III (14.3%) or stage IV (85.7%) and had undergone postoperative radiotherapy. The minimum follow-up period was 2 years (median follow-up period, 36 months). Two patients (7.1%) died of postoperative complications, and 2 became unavailable for follow-up before 12 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The RR rate. RESULTS: There were 4 RRs (11.8%) among 34 patients who underwent SND, and 2 RRs (40%) among 5 patients who underwent radical ND. None of the patients with T1 or T2 tumors had recurrences; 1 (14.3%) of 7 patients with T3 tumors and 3 (17.6%) of 17 patients with T4 disease had RRs. One (12.5%) of 8 patients with N1 stage cancer, none of 2 patients with N2a stage cancer, 2 (28.6%) of 7 patients with N2b stage cancer, and 1 (9.1%) of 11 patients with N2c stage cancer had RRs. CONCLUSIONS: The RR rate was acceptable in patients with T1/T2 tumors and N1 nodal stage disease. However, it was higher in those with advanced T tumors and/or N2b stage cancer.

Adult↗

Sentinel node in head and neck cancer: use of size criterion to upstage the no neck in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Anatomical imaging tools demonstrate poor sensitivity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with clinically node-negative necks (cN0). This study evaluates nodal size as a staging criterion for detection of cervical metastases, utilizing sentinel node biopsy (SNB) and additional pathology (step-serial sectioning, SSS; and immunohistochemistry, IHC). METHODS: Sixty-five patients with clinically N0 disease underwent SNB, with a mean of 2.4 nodes excised per patient. Nodes were fixed in formalin, bisected, and measured in 3 axes before hematoxylin-eosin staining. Negative nodes were subjected to SSS and IHC. SNB-positive patients underwent modified radical neck dissection. RESULTS: Maximum diameter was larger in levels II and III (13.1 and 13.2 mm) when compared with level I (10.5 mm; p = .004, p = .018), while minimum diameter was constant. Positive nodes were larger than negative nodes (p = .007), but nodes found positive by SSS/IHC were not significantly larger than negative nodes for either measurement (p = .433). Sensitivity and specificity were poor for all measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Nodal size is an inaccurate predictor of nodal metastases and should not be regarded as an accurate means of staging the clinically N0 neck.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

New equations for matching a low neck field to oblique upper neck fields with collimator rotation in a 3-field monoisocentric setup for head-and-neck cancers.

With a monoisocentric 3-field technique for treating head-and-neck cancer, collimator rotation may be needed for the upper lateral fields to avoid cephalad-positioned shoulders or to avoid unnecessary arytenoid irradiation while maintaining more anterior coverage. For patients with unilateral lymphadenopathy, lateral oblique-opposed boost fields can be used to encompass the primary tumor and ipsilateral lymph nodes without junctioning through gross disease. When initial collimated lateral fields are also rotated with a gantry angle to produce oblique boost fields, however, the resulting matchline with a low anterior neck (LAN) boost field is no longer nondivergent. This can be corrected by manual adjustment of collimator and gantry angles for the LAN field using 3D treatment planning software. The goal of this study was to derive mathematical formulas to simplify this process. We used a transformation matrix to define formulas that could predict the appropriate modifications to the LAN boost field. Output from the formulas was (1) visually tested within 3D treatment planning software and (2) verified using a solid water head-and-neck phantom and radiographic film dosimetry to confirm that a nondivergent matchline was obtained in several clinical scenarios. When evaluated with 3D treatment planning software, the formulas accurately predicted the appropriate gantry and collimator angles of the LAN boost field for a variety of possible beam combinations. When evaluated with film dosimetry, the formulas were shown to accurately predict the appropriate gantry and collimator angles of the LAN boost field to within the +/- 2 mm/1 degrees tolerance specifications of the linear accelerator and acceptable for routine clinical use. The presented formulas are simple and geometrically precise. They predict the necessary manipulations of the LAN boost field to maintain a geometrically precise matchline, as verified by 3D treatment planning software, phantom dosimetry, and actual patient setups.

Algorithms↗

Head and neck sarcoma: report of the Head and Neck Sarcoma Registry. Society of Head and Neck Surgeons Committee on Research.

A Head and Neck Sarcoma Registry was established by the Society of Head and Neck Surgeons to review treatment results of a rare tumor by surgeons with special interest in this anatomic site. Two hundred fourteen patients were analyzed. There were 194 adult tumors and 20 pediatric tumors. The major sites included parotid and neck, 20%; face and forehead, 18%; maxilla and palate, 13%; scalp, 12%; mandible, 11%; paranasal sinuses, 7%; larynx, 2%; and oral cavity, 5%. Eighty-four percent were resectable. The disease-free survival was 56%; overall survival was 70% at 5 years. Major determinants of survival were adequacy of resection (margins free of tumor) and tumor type. Survival differed according to tumor cell type (tumor grade was not available). Patients with chondrosarcoma and dermatofibrosarcoma had survival approaching 100%. Patients with malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) and fibrosarcoma (FSA) had intermediate survival of 60% to 70%. The worst survival, less than 50% at 5 years, occurred in patients with osteosarcoma, angiosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma in decreasing order. This suggests a rationale for identifying high-risk patients for prospective adjuvant protocols. This study emphasizes the value of recording uncommon tumors to provide relevant information for future study and possibly therapy.

Adolescent↗

Performance and standards for the process of head and neck cancer care: South and West audit of head and neck cancer 1996-1997 (SWAHN I). South and West Regional Cancer Organisation Tumour Panel for Head and Neck Cancer.

Evidence suggests wide variation in cancer care between different hospitals in the UK. To establish bench-marking data, we designed a prospective, 1 year regional study comparing key performance measures with established standards for the 28 hospital Trusts in the South and West of England involved in head and neck cancer care. 566 sequential patients with a newly-diagnosed head and neck cancer were included. Numbers referred and treated per hospital Trust were 1-58 and 1-65 respectively. 59% of patients received a pretreatment chest X-ray (standard 95%). 45% of patients were seen in a multidisciplinary clinic pretreatment (standard 95%), and this was proportional to the frequency of clinics held (P<0.0001). Median number of cases treated per surgeon was 4 (1-26), and by radiotherapist was 10 (1-51). Times between parts of the process of oral cancer care were closer to the standards than those for laryngeal cancer. Two patients were entered into a clinical trial. One had a quality-of-life score. Thus, in 1996-1997, in the South and West of England, there were major discrepancies between actual performance and established standards in many fundamental aspects of head and neck cancer care. Re-audit is essential to determine if the implementation of the Calman-Hine report has resulted in improvements.

Female↗