J. Silva

The human olfactory mucosa

Studies of the tissues of the human olfactory mucosa have been performed to investigate olfactory dysfunction and, more recently, olfactory mucosa has attracted a novel interest of investigators because it can be used as an early marker of neurodegenerative conditions of the brain and as a source of multipotent neural stem cells, with applications in regenerative medicine. The olfactory mucosa is readily available to the otolaryngologist, but the harvesting of this tissue must be safe, effective, and reliable, obtaining as little tissue as necessary, while avoiding unnecessary harm to the remaining olfactory tissue and function. The purpose of this review is to summarize the results of the most important studies and knowledge with regard to the human olfactory mucosa and its applications, emphasizing the issue of the distribution of the olfactory mucosa in the nasal cavities.

Cavernous haemangioma of the facial nerve.

Facial nerve haemangiomas are probably the most frequent benign tumours involving the facial nerve in its intratemporal portion. Usually facial nerve dysfunction is present when these tumours are of extremely small size, the average tumour being less than 10 mm. We present a case of a 15 mm diameter cavernous haemangioma of the geniculate region, with histological findings of nerve infiltration, without facial nerve symptoms. The atypical clinical presentation justifies the report and subsequent literature review.

Validation of the SVHI into Portuguese from Portugal

Objective: 1) Evaluate the validity of the translated and culturally adapted version of the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI) into Portuguese from Portugal. 2) Add another language to the list of the translated versions of this widely used voice questionnaire for singers. Method: In a parallel group design, 50 singers with different laryngeal pathologies and 25 singers with no laryngeal pathology completed the Portuguese version of the SVHI. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability and construct validity were assessed as well as group differences. Results: Statistical analyses demonstrated high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach Alpha r = 0.93), test-retest reliability (Spearman correlation = 0.84, P < .01,) and construct validity (Spearman correlation = 0.62, P < .01) values. The control group received significantly lower scores than the pathological group (P < .05). Conclusion: The Portuguese version of the SVHI was shown to be a reliable and valid measure of voice handicap among Portuguese singers and can be added to the list of translated versions of this widely accepted and originally created American English voice evaluation instrument.