Emel Çadallı Tatar

Association of Adenoid Surface Biofilm Formation and Chronic Otitis Media With Effusion

OBJECTIVES To investigate bacterial biofilm formation on the adenoid surface of pediatric patients undergoing adenoidectomy and to reveal whether this formation is associated with chronic otitis media with effusion (COME). DESIGN Prospective, single-blinded study with scanning electron microscopy. SETTING Dişkapi Yildirim Beyazit Research and Educational Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. PATIENTS Thirty-four children between 4 and 15 years of age (mean age, 7.76 years) who had undergone adenoidectomy from June 1 through December 31, 2007, were divided into 2 groups. The first group (17 children) had undergone adenoidectomy alone, whereas the second group (17 children) had undergone adenoidectomy combined with ventilation tube insertion for COME. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Scanning electron microscopy was performed to observe biofilm formation on the surface of adenoid tissues. The biofilm formation was graded according to extension. The roles of adenoid size, age, sex, and duration of COME symptoms were evaluated. RESULTS Biofilm formation was detected on all samples. Adenoids removed from patients with COME had higher-grade biofilm formation than the other group (P = .001). No correlation was found between adenoid size and biofilm formation. CONCLUSION In pediatric patients, adenoid surface biofilm formation may be associated with COME etiopathogenesis.

Prevalence of Biofilms and Their Response to Medical Treatment in Chronic Rhinosinusitis without Polyps

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of biofilms and the effects of medical treatment modalities in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients without nasal polyps. Study Design. Randomized controlled trial. Settings. Tertiary referral hospital. Subjects and Methods. The authors randomly divided 32 adult patients with CRS without nasal polyps into 2 groups. In the first group (n = 16), oral clarithromycin was administered 500 mg/bid for 2 weeks and then 250 mg/d for the following 6 weeks. In the second group (n = 16), an 8-week course of 200-mcg/d topical mometasone furoate was added to the clarithromycin regimen, identical to the first group. The pre- and posttreatment nasal tissue samples were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy for biofilm prevalence and graded from 0 to 3 according to density and extension. Results. Biofilms were detected in 24 of 32 patients (75%) before the treatment (grades 1-3). Biofilms were detected in 14 of 32 patients (43.8%) after the treatment (grades 1-2). When each group was evaluated independently, there was a significant improvement after the treatment in both groups I and II. When the biofilm grades of group I were compared to those of group II, there was no significant difference both in the pre- and posttreatment evaluation. Conclusion. The prevalence of biofilms in CRS without polyps was 75% in our study. Regression of biofilms to 43% was observed under medical treatment. Adding nasal steroids to macrolides gave no further benefit.

Is there any correlation between the results of skin-prick test and the severity of symptoms in allergic rhinitis?

Background This study was designed to determine whether there is any correlation between results of the skin-prick test and the severity of symptoms in allergic rhinitis. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 150 patients with persistent or intermittent allergic rhinitis confirmed by positive skin tests and scaled from 1 to 4 according to the size of the wheal. The symptoms including sneezing, nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and nasal itching were ranked according to their severity (0 for no symptoms, 1 for mild, 2 for moderate, and 3 for severe). We investigated the correlation between the skin tests’ positivity and symptoms score, rhinoconjunctivitis quality-of-life questionnaire (RQLQ), and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Results Of the 150 patients, 98 had persistent and 52 had intermittent allergic rhinitis. Some patient d multiple al en senitivity. Each skin test group was compared with respect to symptom scores, RQLQ, or VAS scores. There was no statistically significant correlation between the size of the wheal and symptoms score, RQLQ, or VAS scores. There was also no correlation between the type of allergen and symptoms score. Conclusion The skin-prick test can be applied to support the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis, but one can not predict the severity of illness by stratifying the size of the skin-prick test result.

Comparison of head rotation versus head elevation methods for vestibular evoked myogenic potentials by using logon stimulus

OBJECTIVES To compare vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) between two different methods, head rotation (HR) with unilateral recording and head elevation (HE) with bilateral simultaneous recording. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Twenty-eight healthy children (56 ears) were involved in the study. The subjects were tested in two different positions: head rotation (HR) method and head elevation (HE) method. Right- and left-side recordings were made separately in HR method and simultaneously in HE method. Logon type stimulus with 120dB Hl intensity was used to trigger VEMPs in both methods. RESULTS The response rate was 80.4% for HR method and 89.3% for HE method (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to P1 latency, N1 latency, and P1-N1 interval. The mean P1-N1 amplitude of HE method was higher than HR method (p<0.05). There were very strong positive correlations between two methods regarding N1 latency and P1-N1 interval (r: 0.849 and 0.841, respectively). CONCLUSION Bilateral simultaneous VEMP recording in head elevation position by using logon stimulus is a practical way to evaluate vestibulocollic reflex in children and it gives superior results than unilateral recording with head rotation position.

Anatomic Derkay Score Is Associated with Voice Handicap in Laryngeal Papillomatosis in Adults

Objective The Derkay staging system quantifies recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) severity based on involvement of laryngeal structures. Despite its broad use in the laryngology literature, the association between Derkay score and voice-related quality of life has not previously been studied. It is hypothesized that Derkay score positively correlates with the Voice Handicap Index–10 (VHI-10). Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary medical center. Subjects and Methods Forty-six adult RRP patients treated from 2007 to 2013 at a tertiary medical center were included. Anatomic Derkay scores at the time of each RRP procedure were calculated. VHI-10 scores obtained within 30 days preceding the procedures were used to assess for correlation between Derkay staging system and VHI-10. Results Ninety-three procedures performed on 46 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean Derkay score was 11.9 (range, 2-28), and mean VHI-10 was 18.0 (range, 0-40). There was a significant positive correlation between Derkay score and VHI-10 (Spearman coefficient r = 0.42, P < .0001). Conclusion The anatomic burden of RRP as assessed by Derkay staging system is positively correlated with voice-related quality of life as quantified by the VHI-10.

The effects of anterior palatoplasty on floppy eyelid syndrome patients with obstructive sleep apnea

To investigate the effects of anterior palatoplasty on the presence and stage of floppy eyelid syndrome (FES) among patients diagnosed with mild or moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) according to the apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI).

Postviral Vagal Neuropathy: What Is the Role of Laryngeal Electromyography in Improving Diagnostic Accuracy?

OBJECTIVES To investigate the convenience of laryngeal electromyography (EMG) findings in patients with chronic cough thought to be postviral vagal neuropathy (PVVN) with the clinical symptoms. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study. METHODS We applied PVVN questionnaire and chronic cough quality of life (QoL) questionnaire, which is for determining the effect of chronic cough on the QoL, to 20 chronic cough applicants who has no explanatory cause in differential diagnosis. We also carried out videolaryngostroboscopy (VLS) and laryngeal needle EMG in these patients. RESULTS The mean duration of persisting cough was 1.875 months (SD ±0.825). The overall mean symptom score of chronic cough questionnaire was 58.80 (SD ±9.89). There was a significant positive correlation between total EMG score and chronic cough score (Spearman r, 0.489, P < 0.05). The correlation between VLS findings and either chronic cough scores or EMG scores did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS Cranial nerves might be affected by inflammatory processes as occur in the PVVN, which must be considered in the etiology of chronic cough. We showed that the laryngeal EMG can be used as an appropriate diagnostic tool for these patients.

Effects of Rhinophototherapy on Quality of Life in Persistant Allergic Rhinitis

Objectives To investigate the effect of rhinophototherapy with medical therapy on quality of life in persistent allergic rhinitis. Methods A prospective, randomized study was being performed between December 2009 and March 2010. The study included 65 patients with persistent allergic rhinitis. The diagnosis was confirmed with positive skin tests. All of the patients had house dust mite allergies. We divided the patients into two groups. First group (n=33) was given topical mometasone furoate 200 mcg/day and levocetirizine 5 mg/day for a month. Rhinophototherapy was applied with the same medical therapy to the second group (n=32), twice a week for three weeks continuously. Rhinophototherapy included visible light, ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B. We evaluated patients before the treatment, at the first month and at the third month after treatment with rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire, nasal symptom scores and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. Results Improvements of all variables of the quality of life questionnaire, nasal symptom scores and VAS were statistically significant in the second group both on the first and the third months when compared with the first group. Conclusion Allergic rhinitis is a social problem and impairs quality of life. Rhinophototherapy with medical therapy improves the quality of life in allergic rhinitis.

Office-Based vs Traditional Operating Room Management of Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis: Impact of Patient Characteristics and Disease Severity

Importance Management of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) in adults has evolved to include office-based laser techniques. Objective To determine whether demographic or disease characteristics differ between patients undergoing office-based (office group) vs traditional operating room (OR group) surgical approaches for RRP. Design, Setting, and Participants This study was a medical record review of adult patients with RRP treated between January 2011 and September 2013 at a tertiary care center. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the setting in which the patient had the most procedures during the past 2 years. Main Outcomes and Measures Demographic and disease characteristics were compared between patients receiving predominantly office-based vs predominantly OR management. Results Of 57 patients (47 male and 10 female, with a mean [SD] age of 53.5 [16.4] years) treated during the 2-year period, 34 patients underwent predominantly office-based management and 23 patients underwent predominantly OR management. Sex, age, and weight were not statistically significantly different between the 2 groups. Patients in the OR group had a younger age at RRP diagnosis (mean [SD], 28.7 [22.0] years in the OR group and 45.5 [20.5] years in the office group), with a mean difference of 16.8 years (95% CI, −28.3 to −5.4 years). Patients in the OR group also had a significantly higher Derkay score (mean [SD], 15.1 [5.7] in the OR group and 10.7 [5.0] in the office group), with a mean difference of 4.4 (95% CI, 1.6-7.3). No statistically significant differences in comorbidities were observed between the 2 groups except for type 1 or 2 diabetes, which was more common in the OR group. There were 5 patients (22%) with diabetes in the OR group and 1 patient (3%) with diabetes in the office group, with a mean difference of 19% (95% CI, 2.7%-35%). In a subanalysis that excluded patients with juvenile-onset RRP, Derkay score (mean [SD], 13.9 [4.5] in the OR group and 10.8 [5.1] in the office group), with a mean difference of 3.1 (95% CI, 0.5-6.1), and the incidence of diabetes (25% [4 of 16] in the OR group and 3% [1 of 31] in the office group), with a mean difference of 22% (95% CI, 3%-40%), remained significantly higher in the OR group, while age at diagnosis of RRP was no longer statistically significant (mean [SD], 40.2 [15.6] years in the OR group and 49.6 [16.4] years in the office group), with a mean difference of 9.4 years (95% CI, −19.4 to −0.7 years). Conclusions and Relevance There were no sex or age differences between patients with RRP treated in the office compared with those treated in the OR. Patients with earlier age at diagnosis of RRP and greater disease severity were more likely to be managed in the OR.

Permanent central diabetes insipidus as a complication of sphenoid sinus mucocele

Although mucocele is a benign lesion, its unavoidable expansions may result in irreversible damages in adjacent organs. In spheno-ethmoid mucoceles which are extremely rare, this condition may cause more severe problems. Central diabetes insipidus, developed secondary to sphenoid sinus mucocele, was detected in a 54-year-old male patient, who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery 2 times due to nasal polyposis. Endoscopic sphenoid mucocele marsupialization was performed to the patient, but despite partial regression in the 1-year follow up, complete recovery was not observed.