Acta Oto-laryngologica

BACKGROUND: ABO blood type associated with differentiated onset of infectious diseases. AIMS/OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether people with different blood types were vulnerable in developing chronic otitis media (CSOM) and if the risk and protective factors varied among them. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was a case-control study that included 206 participants in the case group and 210 in the control group. Stratified analysis for blood type was adopted...

BACKGROUND: A high number of patients seek health information online, and large language models (LLMs) may produce a rising amount of it. AIM: This study evaluates the performance regarding health information provided by ChatGPT, a LLM developed by OpenAI, focusing on its utility as a source for otolaryngology-related patient information. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A variety of doctors from a tertiary otorhinolaryngology department used a Likert scale to assess the chatbot's responses in terms of accuracy, relevance, and depth...

BACKGROUND: Manières disease (MD) is a chronic inner ear disease characterized by recurrent vertigo and fluctuation in auditory symptoms. Vertigo spells have a sudden onset and are difficult for patients to handle. Therefore, treating a patient with MD is still a challenge for clinicians. AIMS: This study aims to analyse the short-term effects of intratympanic dexamethasone (ITD) on the various symptoms of unilateral MD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study comprised 27 patients with unilateral MD and severe vertigo who failed medication therapy...

BACKGROUND: Chronic unsteadiness is a common complaint at vestibular clinics. Bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) is a major cause of chronic unsteadiness but is often overlooked. Although diagnostic criteria for BVP have been established by the Barany Society, isolated vertical canal hypofunction can remain undiagnosed. Recently, the video head-impulse test has enabled clinicians to assess vertical semicircular canal function at clinics. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the features of isolated bilateral posterior semicircular canal hypofunction (IBPH) with those of BVP diagnosed based on the Barany criteria...

BACKGROUND: Cholesteatoma is a formation of epithelium mass in the middle ear. Surgery aims to prevent complications while maintain or improve hearing. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: To determine if waiting time until cholesteatoma surgery affects hearing outcome and patients' satisfaction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study performed at the only Ear Nose Throat clinic in one county in Sweden. Sixty concomitant surgeries, both first time and revisions, were included...

BACKGROUND: The Provox Vega High Performance (PVHP) is a newly developed voice prosthesis (VP) with an aim to achieve a longer and more predictable lifetime. OBJECTIVES: This feasibility study aims to assess patient acceptance of the PVHP VP, evaluate adverse events, voice quality, and device lifetime. METHODS: Laryngectomized patients previously using a Provox Vega or ActiValve Light were included. Acceptance and voice outcomes were evaluated at two-time points with a 2-week interval...

BACKGROUND: The cochlea contains a robust biological clock associated with auditory function, exhibiting diurnal sensitivity to noise or ototoxicity. OBJECTIVES: We examined the relationship between disrupted circadian rhythm and altered expression of circadian clock genes in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and explored whether the circadian clock genes serve as prognostic biomarkers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve patients with SSNHL were enrolled study group...

BACKGROUND: The plasma atherogenic index (AIP) is used as an indicator of cardiovascular risk. Abnormal lipid levels have been shown to potentially contribute to facial nerve inflammation observed in Bell's palsy. This study sought to investigate the association of AIP with the severity and prognosis of Bell's palsy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: AIP is calculated using the equation Log (triglyceride [mg/dL]/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [mg/dL]). The study was conducted prospectively on 79 patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy...

BACKGROUND: Diazepam, a gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor agonist, is classified as a vestibular suppressant and is effective in treating acute vertigo. However, its effects on vestibular compensation (VC) remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: We examined the effects of continuous administration of diazepam on the frequency of spontaneous nystagmus (SN) after unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) as an index of the initial process of VC in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diazepam was continuously administered at doses of 3...

Background: Short array cochlear implant is indicated as rehabilitation in patients with severe to profound deafness, especially when there is cochlear ossification. In these cases, with reduced intracochlear patency, total insertion becomes more difficult, requiring the use of this type of electrode (15 mm). Few studies have been published to evaluate auditory performance, presenting controversial audiological results. Aims/Objectives: To report the speech perception of users of cochlear implants (CI) with short array...

BACKGROUND: Systemically administered steroids are widely utilised for hearing preservation therapies. More recently, steroids have been administered to achieve hearing protection after cochlear implant surgery. Currently there is a lack of understanding as to which administration route offers most therapeutic efficacy, local or systemic administration. Paramount to this are observations in animal studies that systemic administration following implantation offers hearing protection and reduced cochlear fibrosis, despite observations that perilymphatic levels are up to 10-fold higher after local administration in non-implanted cochleae...

BACKGROUND: Ménière's disease (MD) mainly refers to the endolymphatic hydrops in membranous labyrinth of the inner ear. Application of the mass spectrometry-based proteomics techniques has not been applied in the field of MD. OBJECTIVES: To search for potential differential proteins to identify the disease biomarkers and reveal disease bioinformatics-related mechanisms through applying protein technology to analyze the expression changes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in sporadic MD patients...

BACKGROUND: Lymphomas constitute 2% of all salivary gland tumors and are the second most common group of malignancies in the head and neck region. OBJECTIVES: In this systematic review, the demographics and characteristics of salivary gland lymphomas are presented. METHODS: All types of studies that involve data of salivary gland lymphomas between 1990 and 2020 were identified and screened. RESULTS: A total of 169 articles with 1640 patients were identified...

BACKGROUND: As a low-cost, portable, handheld air pressure generation tool not requiring a ventilation tube, the EFET01 device has shown clinical effectiveness for intractable Ménière's disease (MD) patients in Japan. However, no animal studies have investigated changes in inner ear pressure (PI ) when applying this device. OBJECTIVE: To determine the PI properties in response to middle ear pressure therapy (MEPT) induced by the EFET01 in guinea pigs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In seven healthy guinea pigs, bi-phasic pressure pulses from -5 to 12 cm H2 O were delivered to the external ear canal and transmitted to the middle and inner ear cavities with an intact tympanic membrane...

BACKGROUND: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are approved for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC), the response to ICIs remains unclear. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: To summarize the clinical outcomes of patients with HNSCC treated with nivolumab (Nivo) in our institution, and provide a basis for research on biomarkers that can predict the efficacy of ICIs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-four patients with R/M HNSCC who received Nivo (2017-2022) were retrospectively analysed...

BACKGROUND: Orthostatic dizziness/vertigo (ODV) is characterized by lightheadedness owing to postural changes. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: To measure the endolymphatic space (ELS)/total fluid space (TFS) volume ratio and the distribution rate of endolymphatic fluid (ELF) of patients with ODV and compare them with those of control subjects (CS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 22 patients (44 ears) with ODV and 52 controls (104 ears, CS). The ELS/TFS volume ratio (%) and distribution rate (%) of the inner ear components were measured using 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging...

BACKGROUND: The treatment of refractory hypopharyngeal corrosive strictures remains challenging nowadays. OBJECTIVES: To introduce a designed ladder-shaped stent for the treatment of refractory hypopharyngeal corrosive strictures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with refractory hypopharyngeal corrosive strictures treated in our hospital between 2018 to 2022 were recruited in this study. All the patients had a dysphasia score of 4 and four patients had a tracheostomy preoperatively...

BACKGROUND: Salivary gland cancer is a rare disease, and approximately 20% of tumors in the salivary glands are malignant. Reliable biomarkers may have a role in monitoring salivary gland cancer. AIM: To review the current literature on the role of biomarkers in liquid biopsies and saliva samples in the monitoring of salivary gland cancer. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This study systematically reviewed the literature on studies detecting salivary gland cancer by biomarkers in liquid biopsies and saliva samples by systematically searching PubMed and Embase between 1 January 2013 and 7 March 2023...

BACKGROUND: Early detection of head and neck cancer recurrence after curative treatment is crucial for effective salvage treatment. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the timing and method that allowed early detection of recurrence in each primary and recurrence site. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 440 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx who underwent curative treatment focusing on surgery at our hospital between 2009 and 2018...

BACKGROUND: 3D Virtual Reality (VR) offers new opportunities in vestibular science. It also presents new challenges and problems. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to evaluate the effective factors in the 3D VR Subjective Visual Vertical (SVV) test and the impact of cybersickness on the test results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The effect of the foam surface, head position in the yaw axis, moving background, and arm position holding the controller was tested...