Αρχειοθήκη ιστολογίου

Κυριακή 28 Νοεμβρίου 2021

Unilateral Choanal Atresia: Indications of Long-Term Olfactory Deficits and Volumetric Brain Changes Postsurgically

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Background: Very few studies have investigated whether unilateral choanal atresia is associated with permanent olfactory deficits. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the olfactory performance of patients with unilateral choanal atresia postsurgically. Methods: Three patients with unilateral atresia were examined in terms of olfactory performance with the Sniffin' Sticks test (odor identification, threshold, and discrimination), size of the olfactory bulb, and volumetric brain changes. Results: All p atients demonstrated significantly lower olfactory performance in terms of odor threshold on the same side with the choanal atresia. Grey matter reductions were found ipsilaterally in the hippocampus. Conclusions: This pilot study indicates that persistent olfactory deficits and volumetric brain changes are present in patients with unilateral choanal atresia.
ORL
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Trends in Nasal Spray Prescribing Patterns by Otolaryngologists

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Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2021 Nov 26:34894211060902. doi: 10.1177/00034894211060902. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To quantify national and state-level prescribing and cost trends for the 3 most prescribed nasal sprays by otolaryngologists in the Medicare population.

METHODS: Through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) database and the Kaiser Family Foundation, we retrieved data on Medicare enrollment and on claims and costs of fluticaso ne propionate, azelastine HCl, and ipratropium bromide prescribed by otolaryngologists from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017.

RESULTS: From 2013 to 2017, CMS reimbursed $128.8 million for 5.2 million claims of fluticasone propionate, azelastine HCl, and ipratropium bromide prescribed by otolaryngologists. The national claim rate for fluticasone propionate increased 6.5% per year from 2013 to 2015 and then decreased 4.3% per year from 2015 to 2017 while azelastine HCl and ipratropium bromide consistently increased annually (19.0% and 12.2% respectively) from 2013 to 2017. The cost for fluticasone propionate decreased 33.0% a year from 2013 to 2015 and then increased 5.4% annually to $13.60 per claim in 2017. Azelastine HCl decreased 14.8% annually from $91.30 to $50.23 per claim and ipratropium bromide increased 5.2% annually to $34.78 in 2017. Variations in the claim rate and cost for all 3 nasal sprays were observed in some states.

CONCLUSIONS: Otolaryngologists are prescribing azelastine HCl and ipratropium at an increasingly higher rate in the Medicare population, while the rate for fluticasone propionate has been decreasing nationally. Utilization and costs of nasal sprays also vary geographically across the United States.

PMID:34823366 | DOI:10.1177/00034894211060902

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Submental Island Flap After Prior Contralateral Neck Dissection: A Case Series and Technical Considerations

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Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2021 Nov 26:34894211059307. doi: 10.1177/00034894211059307. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The submental island flap is a dependable workhorse in head and neck reconstruction. However, the viability of this flap has not been established for oral cavity reconstruction when a contralateral neck dissection has already been performed in an earlier surgical setting. The aim of this study is to highlight technical considerations and outcomes of this approach with a small case series.

METHODS: Three cases of oral cavity reconstruction with a submental island flap elevated in the context of a prior contralateral neck dissection are presented.

RESULTS: In all cases, a doppler was used to identify the maintenance of the submental perforator in the neck opposite the previous neck dissection. In 2 cases, level IA was included within the dissection field of the previous neck dissection. Additionally, the old neck scar was included within the skin paddle of the submental island flap in 2 cases. In all cases, excellent healing of the flap was observed without partial or complete loss.

CONCLUSIONS: The submental island flap appears to be a reliable reconstruction when a previous contralateral neck dissection has been performed, even when level IA was included in the prior dissection.

PMID:34823369 | DOI:10.1177/00034894211059307

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Early diagnosis and management of maternal ureterohydronephrosis during pregnancy

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Exp Ther Med. 2022 Jan;23(1):27. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10949. Epub 2021 Nov 5.

ABSTRACT

Maternal ureterohydronephrosis (UHN) is a common anatomical change during the evolution of pregnancy, diagnosed especially after the 20th week of pregnancy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the stages of UHN during pregnancy, depending on the gestational age, and to monitor the symptomatology and the adequate management. A total of 58 pregnant women with UHN, hospitalized in the Constanta County Emergency Hospital, were included in the present study, and had nephrological monitoring using ultrasound examination. Right UHN was observed in all cases and left UHN was observed in only 67.24% of the cases. Regarding the gestational age, right UHN grade III was most commonly seen between 27 and 31 weeks of pregnancy (48.6% of total right UHN grade III from the studied group). The data showed that gestational age and grade of UHN had a highly d ependent association in the studied group. The majority of our patients (67.24%) were symptomatic, and the most common complaint on presentation was lumbar pain. According to the visual analog scale (VAS) of the lumbar pain, the group could be distributed as follows: 17.24% with severe pain, 36.21% with moderate pain and 13.79% with mild pain. Eight pregnant women (13.79%) from the present study developed UHN due to passage of a ureteral stone, although the majority of the patients experienced complications with urinary tract infection and acute kidney injury. In addition, 97% of the symptomatic UHN responded to conservatory treatment and only 2 patients (3.45%) with severe symptomatic UHN needed ureteral stent insertion. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 23. The study highlighted the existence of an association between gestational age and UHN grading.

PMID:34824635 | PMC:PMC8611492 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10949

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Effects of noni on cellular viability and osteogenic differentiation of gingiva-derived stem cells demonstrated by RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR

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Exp Ther Med. 2022 Jan;23(1):32. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10954. Epub 2021 Nov 8.

ABSTRACT

Noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia) has been widely used in traditional medicine across tropical and subtropical regions, and is now being paid more attention in Western medicine. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of noni extract on the change in the cellular morphology, maintenance of cellular viability and enhancement of osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. Stem cells obtained from gingiva were cultured where noni extracts existed at concentrations ranging from 10-200 ng/ml. Evaluations of cell morphology and cellular viability were performed. Alkaline phosphatase activity assays were performed to assess the osteogenic differentiation. Alizarin Red S staining was performed to evaluate the calcium deposits in the culture, with the addition of noni extract. Global gene expression was analyzed via next-generation mRNA sequenc ing. Gene ontology and pathway analyses were performed to determine the associated mechanisms. Validation procedures were performed via quantitative (q)PCR analysis. The addition of noni at concentrations ranging from 10-200 ng/ml did not produce significant morphological changes. There were significantly higher values of cellular viability, with the highest value at 100 ng/ml compared with the control (P<0.05). Furthermore, significantly higher values of alkaline phosphatase activity was noted in the 10 and 100 ng/ml groups compared with the 0 ng/ml group on day 7 (P<0.05). Alizarin Red S staining revealed calcium deposits in each group. In addition, the highest value for Alizarin Red S staining was observed at 100 ng/ml compared with the unloaded control (P<0.05). qPCR analysis demonstrated that the mRNA expression levels of RUNX2, BSP, OCN and COL1A1 increased following treatment with noni. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that noni extract has en hancing effects on gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells, by enhancing cellular viability and osteogenic differentiation.

PMID:34824640 | PMC:PMC8611496 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10954

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Morphological classification and changes in dementia (Review)

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Exp Ther Med. 2022 Jan;23(1):33. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10955. Epub 2021 Nov 9.

ABSTRACT

The progressive functional decline that involves both cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms characteristic to dementia is one of the leading research topics. The risk for dementia is an intertwined mix between aging, genetic risk factors, and environmental influences. APOEε4, which is one of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) alleles, is the major genetic risk factor for late-onset of the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's. Advances in machine learning have led to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to help diagnose dementia by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in order to detect it in the preclinical stage. The basis of the determinations starts from the morphometry of cerebral atrophies. The present review focused on MRI techniques which are a leading tool in identifying cortical atrophy, white matter dysfunctionalities, c erebral vessel quality (as a factor for cognitive impairment) and metabolic asymmetries. In addition, a brief overview of Alzheimer's disease was presented and recent neuroimaging in the field of dementia with an emphasis on structural MR imaging and more powerful methods such as diffusion tensor imaging, quantitative susceptibility mapping, and magnetic transfer imaging were explored in order to propose a simple systematic approach for the diagnosis and treatment of dementia.

PMID:34824641 | PMC:PMC8611489 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10955

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Neoadjuvant immunotherapy prior to surgery for mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Systematic review

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Abstract

Given the recent successes of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, many clinical trials have sought to assess the safety and efficacy of this treatment modality in the neoadjuvant setting. This systematic review provides a comprehensive summary of findings from neoadjuvant head and neck cancer immunotherapy clinical trials with a focus on PD-1/PD-L1 axis blockade. Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and clinicaltrials.gov were systematically searched for all eligible neoadjuvant head and neck cancer immunotherapy clinical trials. Eight clinical trials met the inclusion criteria comprising a total of 260 patients. Study drugs included nivolumab, pembrolizumab, ipilimumab, durvalumab, and tremelimumab. The overall mean objective response rate (ORR) was 45.9 ± 5.7% with a 41.5 ± 5.6% single agent mean ORR. There were no deaths due to immune-related toxicities. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy for mucosal head and neck squamous cell cancer has demonstrated favorable response rates with no unexpected immune-related toxicities in phase I/II clinical trials.

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Identifying Barriers in Access to Care for Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Field Study in Dakar

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Objectives/Hypothesis

To identify barriers in access to care for head and neck cancer (H&NC) patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), specifically within Dakar, Senegal, using both quantitative and qualitative data.

Study Design

Descriptive observational study.

Methods

Patients with H&NC were selected from two independent university hospitals in Dakar, Senegal. A mixed-methods descriptive study was performed using a specifically tailored questionnaire and a focused ethnographic qualitative approach to identify factors that delay patient presentation, referral, and treatment. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative using a deductive approach based on a systematic review of the literature.

Results

Thirty-three patients with a mean age of 57.8 years were included. Presentation delay was 5.7 months, mainly attributed to cost of consultation (39%), waiting time at doctor's office (15%), and distance to healthcare facility (12%). Referral delay greater than 3 months was observed in 60% of participants, secondary to misdiagnosis and lack of appropriate referral. Treatment delay was associated with limited local treatment capacity and securing cost of treatment. Cost of transportation impacted all delays.

Conclusions

This work used an evidence-based approach to identify barriers in access to care for H&NC patients in sub-Saharan Africa. It suggests the feasibility and transferability of this methodology which combined a quantitative approach based on the literature with a qualitative analysis. Insight provided by this study will be used to guide development of implementation strategies for early detection of H&NC in LMICs.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 2021

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Introducing a modified algorithm for enhanced operator independency in auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) testing

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Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2021 Nov 26. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-N1640. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:34825670 | DOI:10.14639/0392-100X-N1640

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Relationship between Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics and Hearing Loss: A 10‐Year Retrospective Cohort Study

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ABSTRACT

Objective

The role of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics in developing hearing loss remains uncertain. Thus, our objective was to analyze the connection between hearing loss and ideal CVH metrics in a 10-year retrospective cohort.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

A health management center in Taiwan.

Participants

Participants who underwent the first annual health check-up between 2000 and 2006 and with a follow-up check-up more than ten years later.

Main outcome measures

Hearing thresholds were measured at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 4000 Hz. Individuals with a best ear pure-tone audiometry four-frequency average of >25 dB HL were defined as having hearing loss. The ideal CVH metrics were classified into 7 categories based on the American Heart Association's definition. The associations of hearing loss with the sum of the ideal CVH metrics and each ideal CVH metric were examined by multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results

The present study consisted of 6,974 participants. The 10-year follow-up showed that the odds ratio (OR) of hearing loss was 0.74 for participants with 5-7 ideal CVH metrics (95% CI, 0.59-0.93, p=0.01) compared to those with 0-2 ideal CVH metrics. Among the CVH metrics, participants with an ideal smoking status might have reduced odds of developing hearing loss; the OR was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.58-0.89, p=0.003).

Conclusions

Participants with an increased number of ideal CVH metrics and better performance on the smoking metric had a significantly protective effect regarding hearing loss development.

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Cochleovestibular involvement in patients with Fabry disease: data from the multicenter cohort FFABRY

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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2021 Nov 26. doi: 10.1007/s00405-021-07173-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Fabry disease (FD) is a lysosomal storage disease responsible for cochleovestibular involvement. Exact prevalence and pathophysiological mechanisms behind ENT affections are still poorly known. Treating FD with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) does not seem to significantly improve the ENT symptoms, while the impact of migalastat has yet to be determined.

METHODS: We carried out a retrospective multi-centre study on 47 patients from the FFABRY cohort who had an ENT consultation in the context of their FD. The information collected were as follows: clinical examination, videonystagmoscopy, pure-tone speech audiometry, videonystagmography or VHIT (Video Head Impulse Test). Severe hearing loss was defined as greater than 70 dB.

RESULTS: The median age of our cohort was 52 years with a non-negligible proportion of n on-classic variants and female carriers. 72.3% of the patients complained of at least one of the following symptoms: hearing loss, tinnitus or vertigo. Pure-tone audiometry was abnormal in 61.7% of the patients (29/47), while speech audiometry was abnormal for 41.7% of the patients. The age of the patients and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were significantly associated with the existence of an anomaly in pure-tone audiometry results. Severe hearing loss (> 70 dB) was significantly more common in male patients.

DISCUSSION: Hearing loss is particularly frequent in FD and is not limited to classic phenotypes. Close ENT follow-up is essential for Fabry patients to detect those who might benefit from hearing aid. Further studies are needed to define the impact of migalastat on cochleovestibular symptoms.

PMID:34825971 | DOI:10.1007/s00405-021-07173-x

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