All Publications

  • Artificial Intelligence in Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery. Otolaryngologic clinics of North America Park, K. W., Diop, M., Willens, S. H., Pepper, J. P. 2024

    Abstract

    Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly computer vision and large language models, will impact facial plastic and reconstructive surgery (FPRS) by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, refining surgical planning, and improving post-operative evaluations. These advancements can address subjective limitations of aesthetic surgery by providing objective tools for patient evaluation. Despite these advancements, AI in FPRS has yet to be fully integrated in the clinic setting and faces numerous challenges including algorithmic bias, ethical considerations, and need for validation. This article discusses current and emerging AI technologies in FPRS for the clinic setting, providing a glimpse of its future potential.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.otc.2024.05.002

    View details for PubMedID 38971626

  • Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Non-melanoma Skin Cancers of the Head and Neck. Current treatment options in oncology Ezzibdeh, R., Diop, M., Divi, V. 2024

    Abstract

    Neoadjuvant immunotherapy will change the standard of care for advanced resectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and possibly other non-melanoma skin cancers. With pathological complete response rates around 50% for cSCC in early studies, neoadjuvant therapy allows patients the possibility of significant reduction in tumor size, de-escalation of adjuvant therapy, and improved long-term outcomes. Patients must be carefully selected to ensure that there is a margin of safety with respect to resectability, such that if a tumor progresses on neoadjuvant therapy, there remains a curative surgical option that is acceptable to the patient. The optimal treatment paradigm is an area of active research, with many researchers questioning whether adjuvant therapy, or even local therapy, is necessary in patients who seem to have a complete response. The ability to predict who will respond will become even more critical to answer, as a significant number of patients do not want to risk their disease progressing, especially in cosmetically sensitive areas of the head and neck. Recent studies in melanoma show promise for improved response rates using combination therapies, and these strategies may apply to cSCC as well. The use of LAG-3 inhibitors or mRNA vaccine technology may further improve the utility of neoadjuvant strategies.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s11864-024-01197-1

    View details for PubMedID 38916713

    View details for PubMedCentralID 7900109

  • Neonatal Nasal Obstruction CURRENT OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY REPORTS Diop, M., Balakrishnan, K. 2021

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s40136-021-00375-1

    View details for Web of Science ID 000717920900002

  • Time-domain and frequency-domain effects of tensor tympani contraction on middle ear sound transmission in gerbil. Hearing research Gallagher, L., Diop, M., Olson, E. S. 2021; 405: 108231

    Abstract

    The middle ear is a high-fidelity, broadband impedance transformer that transmits acoustic stimuli at the eardrum to the inner ear. It is home to the two smallest muscles in mammalian species, which modulate middle ear transmission. Of this pair, the function of the tensor tympani muscle (TTM) has remained obscure. We investigated the acoustic effects of this muscle in young adult gerbils. We measured changes in middle ear vibration produced by pulse-train-elicited TTM contraction - in the time-domain with a click stimulus and in the frequency-domain with multitone zwuis stimuli. In our click experiments, there was generally a small reduction in the primary peak of the response and a slight increase in the subsequent ringing, but there was essentially no change in the delay of the click response at the umbo (less than 1 µs change). In our multitone experiments, there were consistent patterns of attenuation and enhancement in the velocity responses at the umbo and ossicles. TTM contraction produced a narrow band of enhancement around 6 kHz (maximally ~5 dB) that can be modeled with an increased stiffness of an overdamped spring-mass resonance. At frequencies below 2 kHz and above 35 kHz, TTM contraction attenuated middle ear vibrations by as much as fivefold.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108231

    View details for PubMedID 33915400

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8113157