Clinical Medicine Insights. Ear, Nose and Throat

The supposed relics of "Mary-Magdalene" are preserved in Provence (France) in an ancient tradition. They consist of a dry skull and a lock of hair. For the first time, they were officially subjected to an extensive medico-surgical examination by photogrammetry, high-magnification binocular lenses, scanning electron microscope, and energy-dispersive X-ray elemental analysis, to propose a full computer-aided facial reconstruction. The preliminary results are presented here.

BACKGROUND: Upper and lower respiratory tract infections are common conditions for which medical advice is sought, and their management relies on the use of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. Ambroxol, bromhexine, carbocysteine, erdosteine, N -acetyl cysteine (NAC), and sobrerol are mucoactive agents for which clinical trials have been conducted, have been awarded well-established status by regulatory authorities, and are available as OTC or prescription products. OBJECTIVE: To briefly review the evidence-based efficacy and safety of these substances in the therapy of upper respiratory airways infections...

Objectives: This study aimed to document and describe a case of a laryngeal pilar cyst and to review the literature. Methods: We describe the case of a 65-year-old woman with a laryngeal pilar cyst presenting with occasional ear pain and positional dyspnea, with imaging studies suggesting external/internal laryngocele. We also review the existing clinical literature. Results: Pilar cysts are adnexal skin lesions most commonly found in the scalp of elderly women...

Chronic suppurative otitis media is an inflammatory condition characterized by disruption of tympanic membrane and aural discharge. It is one of the most incidental conditions in head and neck. There has been a substantial debate about the therapeutic approach for some decades now. From review of past medical literature, it was evident that culture and sensitivity is essential in eradicating the causative organism. However, the cost-effectiveness is a major concern for low-income population. Due to such concern, empirical therapy has proved to be a suitable therapeutic approach since commonly found organisms are highly sensitive to routine antibiotics...

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and HPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) are 2 distinct cancers, with HPV-positivity conferring a better prognosis. Smoking status is a complicating factor for both patient populations. There have been scattered literature that have reported on incomplete information regarding the profiles of their patient population. Details including age and sex distributions, TNM staging, histology grading, recurrence time and types, death rates, and the direct causes of deaths have been reported incompletely in the literature...

Background: Menstruation-related hormonal alteration can be detrimental to the professional singing voice of women. Resonance Voice Therapy (RVT) has been proven to improve vocal production. However, no research to date has been conducted examining the subjective, acoustic, and stroboscopic effects of RVT on professional female singers having premenstrual or postmenopausal voice disorders. Aim: The aim of this study is to compare the vocal effects of RVT with a control cervical-thoracic intervention in healthy female singers during the premenstrual phase as well as in postmenopausal singers and to evaluate which intervention will allow singers to improve vocal performance regardless of changes in hormonal status...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of this unique form of rhinosinusitis. Methods: Ninety-one patients with sinus fungus balls were evaluated for clinical characteristics. Nasal tissues obtained from 38 patients with sinus fungus ball, along with 26 controls were used for histopathological, cytokines/chemokines, western blotting, and genetic analyses. Results: Patients with fungus balls had significantly more females and their age was older...

Schwannoma corresponds to a benign neurogenic tumor, derived from neural crest cells. It accounts for approximately 5% of all benign soft tissue tumors. These are the most common cause of peripheral nerve neoplasms of the oral cavity and oropharynx representing 1%. Isolated or solitary neurofibromas of the oral cavity usually involve the tongue or the labial mucosa. They appear as soft, painless, slow-growing masses that are tender to depression or palpation. The case of a 40-year-old woman is studied because of the presence of painless swelling, slow, and progressive growth of the oral language...

Objective: To assess the role of single and repeated auditory brain stem response (ABR) in predicting mortality and severe neurological injury among children having bacterial meningitis (BM) in Luanda, Angola. Methods: The morphology of ABR traces of 221 children (aged 2 months to 12 years) from admission day was analyzed and compared with age-matched normative data. Absence and delay of traces were compared with mortality and mortality or severe neurological injury in subgroup analyses...

Introduction: Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is a complex procedure used by otorhinolaryngologists to treat a host of nasal sinus pathologies. Due to the involved nasal anatomy and the nature of the procedure, teaching residents to use an endoscope is challenging. Simulation labs have been helpful but intraoperative instruction can still present difficulty in communication between resident and attending physicians during the teaching process. The purpose of this is to hypothesize a method of teaching intraoperatively that can be used supplemental to or independently of virtual reality teaching...

BACKGROUND: One of the prevailing otologic infections in our country is chronic suppurative otitis media, especially the tubotympanic type for which various treatment protocols are followed. Usually, oral and topical antibiotics (mainly quinolones) are given alone or in combination. There is a lack of consensus as to whether topical drops alone are effective or a combined oral and systemic therapy should be prescribed. In our study, we have attempted to observe the efficacy of empirical therapy with combined ciprofloxacin versus topical drops only in patients with tubotympanic chronic suppurative otitis media for control of infection...

Objectives: Benign enlargement of the lingual tonsils due to various causes may cause symptoms that warrant treatment. Conventional lingual tonsillectomy remains a challenging procedure, and there is no established standard procedure. We aimed to review the patients receiving different methods of lingual tonsil surgery for various indications at our institute. Methods: Retrospective clinical data on all patients with an ablative operation of the tongue base during the 8-year period between 2007 and 2014 at the Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland, were reviewed...

Objective: To compare audiometric results between the standard total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP-S) and a new fat interposition total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP-F) in pediatric and adult patients and to assess the complication and the undesirable outcome. Study design: This is a retrospective study. Methods: This study included 104 patients who had undergone titanium implants with TORP-F and 54 patients who had undergone the procedure with TORP-S between 2008 and 2013 in our tertiary care centers...

Background: During speech, larynx is higher in the neck for high-pitched sounds and lower for low-pitched sounds. Patients with different problems in cervical and cervicothoracic spine use cervical orthosis to limit cervical motion. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Minerva orthosis on larynx height in young, healthy volunteers. Subjects and methods: This study included 18 subjects. Acoustic measurement of frequency variability has been assessed in 3 brace conditions: (1) without brace, (2) with brace, and (3) 30 minutes after wearing the brace...

Nasal nitric oxide (nNO) measurement is a diagnostic test for primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Here, we have shown the development of unilateral PCD-like symptoms associated with low nNO. A 60-year-old man had been previously healthy but developed unilateral, severe pansinusitis. He required surgical drainage of all left sinuses, and biopsies showed loss of the ciliated epithelium. At 4 weeks, he had unilateral (left-sided), profuse, clear rhinorrhea characteristic of PCD, and his surgical ostia were all patent endoscopically...

Thyroid storm is a rare, potentially lethal condition involving collapse of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid feedback loop. Thyroid storm carries a significant mortality rate, thus requiring prompt identification and treatment. A 47-year-old woman presented to the emergency department complaining of palpitations, shortness of breath, and emesis for 24 hours after using methamphetamine. Past medical history was significant for untreated hyperthyroidism. Physical examination revealed a prominent, palpable thyroid...

Objectives: The frequency of tinnitus in children and adults is practically the same. However, although adults reveal their symptoms and seek for medical aid, the suffering often remains unrecognized in the young. This is due to both the inability of children to properly describe their symptoms and the lack of recognition. Materials and methods: Among 5768 patients entering our department with complaints of tinnitus between 2010 and 2015, there were only 112 children...

OBJECTIVES: Yellow nail syndrome (YNS) is a rare disease of unknown cause characterized by the triad of yellow nails, respiratory manifestations, and lymphedema. Although several therapies for YNS have been reported, there is no common consensus in the treatment. In this case report, we present a case of 56-year-old woman with YNS, whose nail manifestation was dramatically improved after endoscopic sinus surgery for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis. METHODS: Endoscopic sinus surgery involving middle meatal antrostomy was performed for the case of YNS with chronic rhinosinusitis and bronchiectasis resistant to antibacterial drugs...

Eagle syndrome is characterized by recurrent pain in the oropharynx and face due to an elongated styloid process or calcified stylohyoid ligament. In this article, we experienced a case of an elongated styloid process which is very rare in size and detailed treatment process. The patient was a 53-year-old Chinese woman with a chief complaint of frequent episodes of radiating pain in left preauricular region for 2 years. An intraoral approach was chosen to shorten part of her styloid process, and the chief complaint disappeared immediately after the operation...

Thyroidectomy is a common surgical procedure. Traditionally, surgeons have performed thyroidectomy on an inpatient basis. However, consistent with current trends in surgery, some practices are transitioning thyroidectomy to an outpatient setting. Although concerns for hypocalcemia and postoperative bleeding exist regardless of surgeon experience, multiple studies demonstrate that outpatient thyroidectomy is safe in the hands of high-volume surgeons. Indeed, experienced thyroid surgeons who perform thyroidectomy in an outpatient setting experience excellent patient outcomes and reduced costs...