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Clinics and Practice
Special Issues
Clinical Outcome Research in the Head and Neck: 2nd Edition
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Clinical Outcome Research in the Head and Neck: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Clinics and Practice (ISSN 2039-7283).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 7536

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Athanassios A. Kyrgidis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: skin cancer; head and neck cancer; melanoma; clinical pharmacology; patient-reported outcome measures; clinical biomarkers; prognostic factors; epidemiology; oral and maxillofacial surgery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ioannis Tilaveridis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, R.G.H. "George Papanikolaou", Exohi, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: oral maxillofacial surgery; head and neck surgery; reconstructive surgery; free flap surgery; head and neck oncology; quality of life research; outcome research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, entitled “Clinical Outcome Research in the Head and Neck: 2nd Edition”. This is the second volume of this Special Issue; we published 16 papers in the first. More details can be found at the following webpage:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/clinpract/special_issues/Q2IXR5XT71

Head and neck diseases have a profound impact on quality of life, healthcare worker burnout, and healthcare burden. Patients grappling with head and neck diseases often experience a multitude of physical and psychological challenges, including pain, difficulty in swallowing and speaking, disfigurement, and impaired social interactions. These struggles can lead to a diminished quality of life, affecting their emotional well-being and overall satisfaction. Additionally, healthcare professionals involved in the care of these patients face unique challenges that contribute to burnout. The complex nature of head and neck diseases requires extensive expertise and coordination among various specialists, resulting in heavy workloads, high stress levels, and emotional strain. Moreover, the healthcare burden associated with these diseases is substantial, encompassing diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management. It places a significant strain on healthcare resources, including hospital facilities, medical equipment, and financial resources. Addressing quality of life, healthcare worker burnout, and healthcare burden related to head and neck diseases necessitates a holistic approach that emphasizes patient support, caregiver well-being, and investment in healthcare infrastructure and resources. Efforts to improve patient outcomes and alleviate the burden on healthcare workers should focus on education, early intervention, multidisciplinary care, and the development of sustainable healthcare systems.

We welcome submissions of original research articles and systematic reviews that investigate quality-of-life measures in the head and neck region, healthcare costs and demands, and burnout in professionals in this area. Studies examining clinical, prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic predictors and related outcomes will also be considered.

Dr. Athanassios A. Kyrgidis
Dr. Ioannis Tilaveridis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Clinics and Practice is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • head and neck
  • head and neck cancer
  • professional burnout
  • healthcare cost
  • biomarkers
  • predictors
  • quality of life

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2505 KB  
Article
Performance Validation of ORTHOSEG, a Novel Artificial Intelligence Tool for the Segmentation of Orthopantomographs and Intra-Oral X-Rays
by Giuseppe Cota, Gaetano Scaramozzino, Marco Chiesa, Lelio Gennaro, Maurizio Pascadopoli, Andrea Scribante and Marco Colombo
Clin. Pract. 2026, 16(3), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract16030054 - 4 Mar 2026
Viewed by 754
Abstract
Background: Dental radiographs are essential for diagnosis and treatment planning in modern dentistry. However, their manual interpretation is time-consuming and subject to variability, highlighting the need for automated tools to improve efficiency and consistency. This study aims to validate ORTHOSEG, a deep learning-based [...] Read more.
Background: Dental radiographs are essential for diagnosis and treatment planning in modern dentistry. However, their manual interpretation is time-consuming and subject to variability, highlighting the need for automated tools to improve efficiency and consistency. This study aims to validate ORTHOSEG, a deep learning-based system designed to automate the segmentation of anatomical, pathological, and non-pathological elements in radiographs, including orthopantomograms, bitewings, and periapical images. Methods: ORTHOSEG’s performance was evaluated using a rigorously curated dataset of 150 dental radiographs, including 50 orthopantomograms, 50 bitewings, and 50 periapical images, with manual annotations by expert clinicians serving as the ground truth. The system’s segmentation performance was assessed using standard evaluation metrics, including mean Dice Similarity Coefficient (mDSC) and mean Intersection over Union (mIoU), and inference time was also recorded. Results: The system achieved high accuracy, with mDSC and mIoU values of 0.635 ± 0.233 and 0.576 ± 0.214, respectively. In particular for orthopantomograms, it achieved an mDSC of 0.756 ± 0.174 and an mIoU of 0.684 ± 0.172, surpassing existing benchmarks. Its segmentation capabilities extend to approximately 70 distinct elements, underscoring its comprehensive utility. The system demonstrated efficient computational performance, with processing times of 19.745 ± 3.625 s for orthopantomograms, 8.467 ± 0.903 s for bitewings, and 5.653 ± 0.897 s for periapical radiographs on standard clinical hardware. Conclusions: ORTHOSEG demonstrates efficiency suitable for integration into routine workflows. This study confirms ORTHOSEG’s reliability and potential to improve diagnostic workflows, offering clinicians a valuable tool for faster and more detailed radiograph analysis. Future research will focus on extending validation across diverse clinical scenarios to ensure broader applicability. However, this study has limitations, including the use of a dataset derived from a European population and the absence of usability and clinical workflow evaluation, which should be addressed in future studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Outcome Research in the Head and Neck: 2nd Edition)
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24 pages, 9596 KB  
Article
Benign Epithelial Salivary Neoplasms: Single-Centered Histopathologic and Clinicodemographic Romanian Retrospective Study
by Constantin Aleodor Costin, Adriana Grigoraș, Elena Corina Andriescu and Cornelia Amalinei
Clin. Pract. 2025, 15(12), 235; https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract15120235 - 15 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 706
Abstract
Background: Epidemiological studies on benign epithelial salivary gland tumors are challenging due to their rarity, pathological heterogeneity, variable tumor locations, and the limited national data collection in Romania. Our study aimed at the evaluation of benign epithelial salivary gland tumors collected over [...] Read more.
Background: Epidemiological studies on benign epithelial salivary gland tumors are challenging due to their rarity, pathological heterogeneity, variable tumor locations, and the limited national data collection in Romania. Our study aimed at the evaluation of benign epithelial salivary gland tumors collected over fifteen years in a tertiary center, in order to characterize their demographic and histopathological profiles and to contribute to their diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 404 cases of benign epithelial salivary gland tumors diagnosed in “Sf. Spiridon” County Hospital, Iasi, from 2010 to 2024, has been performed. Results: The analyzed cases showed a slight female predominance (52.97%) and a mean patient age of 54.55 ± 14.207 years. Tumor frequency increased progressively with age, peaking in the sixth and seventh decades of life. The most common histological types were pleomorphic adenoma (62.62%) and Warthin tumor (29.95%), both types showing a predominant parotid gland involvement (88.51%). The recurrences were rare, being registered only in 1.58% of pleomorphic adenomas. A significant association between tumor histological type and both gender (p < 0.001) and age group (p < 0.001) was registered, while no significant correlation between gender and age group (p = 0.288) or between tumor location and gender or age group (p = 0.382; p = 0.383) was found. Conclusions: The frequency of pleomorphic adenoma is increasing, showing an age-related distribution and parotid gland propensity. Key morphological features in each histological type support a better preoperative stratification, a more confident margin assessment, and an individualized extent of excision with function preservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Outcome Research in the Head and Neck: 2nd Edition)
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Other

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10 pages, 2218 KB  
Case Report
Mustardé Cheek Rotation-Advancement Flap: A Case-Based Experience in Reconstruction of a Large Defect of the Lower Eyelid Due to Squamous Cell Carcinoma
by Kostadin Gigov, Ivan Ginev and Petra Kavradzhieva
Clin. Pract. 2025, 15(9), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract15090165 - 15 Sep 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2716
Abstract
Background: Restoring the integrity of the lower eyelid presents a complex surgical challenge due to its lamellar structure and the high risk of complications. Among these, ectropion is the most frequent and troublesome outcome. Objective: This study aims to present a [...] Read more.
Background: Restoring the integrity of the lower eyelid presents a complex surgical challenge due to its lamellar structure and the high risk of complications. Among these, ectropion is the most frequent and troublesome outcome. Objective: This study aims to present a case of lower eyelid reconstruction following the excision of squamous cell carcinoma using Mohs micrographic surgery combined with the Mustardé cheek rotation flap technique, highlighting its advantages, limitations, and applicability in elderly patients. Case presentation: A 93-year-old female patient with right lower eyelid squamous cell carcinoma underwent Mohs micrographic surgery. The resulting defect was reconstructed using a Mustardé cheek rotation flap, chosen for its suitability in patients with adequate skin laxity. Patient-specific risk factors, including advanced age, a history of ischemic stroke, and class II heart failure (NYHA classification), were considered in the surgical planning stage. Results: The Mustardé cheek rotation flap provided a reliable closure with a favorable esthetic outcome and inconspicuous scarring, aligned with natural anatomical margins. The technique was technically straightforward in this patient owing to age-related skin laxity. No major postoperative complications were observed. Conclusions: The Mustardé cheek rotation flap represents a safe and effective reconstructive option for elderly patients with lower eyelid defects following tumor excision. This case illustrates the esthetic and functional benefits of the technique while emphasizing the need to tailor reconstruction strategies to patient comorbidities and defect characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Outcome Research in the Head and Neck: 2nd Edition)
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10 pages, 793 KB  
Systematic Review
Prevalence of Free Flap Failure in Patients Undergoing Reconstruction for Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Evangelos Kostares, Georgia Kostare, Michael Kostares, Fani Pitsigavdaki, Athanassios Kyrgidis, Christos Perisanidis and Maria Kantzanou
Clin. Pract. 2025, 15(8), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract15080151 - 14 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2338
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a serious complication in patients treated with antiresorptive or antiangiogenic agents, particularly those with cancer-related comorbidities. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of free flap failure in patients undergoing microvascular [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a serious complication in patients treated with antiresorptive or antiangiogenic agents, particularly those with cancer-related comorbidities. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of free flap failure in patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction for MRONJ. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to 30 January 2025. Inclusion criteria were observational studies involving MRONJ patients treated with free flap reconstruction. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. The pooled prevalence of free flap failure was calculated using a random-effects model with Freeman–Tukey double arcsine transformation. Results: Twelve studies were included in the quantitative analysis. The fibula free flap was the most frequently used flap. The pooled prevalence of free flap failure was 0.1% (95% CI: 0–2.3%), with no significant associations observed in meta-regression analyses for publication year, patient age, or sex. All included studies were of moderate methodological quality. Conclusions: These findings suggest that free flap reconstruction is a reliable and effective surgical option for managing advanced MRONJ in well-resourced and specialized healthcare settings; however, limitations such as small sample sizes and heterogeneity in protocols must be considered. Further high-quality, multicenter studies are needed to evaluate long-term outcomes and refine perioperative management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Outcome Research in the Head and Neck: 2nd Edition)
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