Marcos Mocellin

Cognitive evoked potentials and central auditory processing in children with reading and writing disorders

UNLABELLED Learning disorders are often magnified by auditory processing disorders (APD). OBJECTIVE This paper aims to verify whether individuals with reading and writing disorders and P300 latencies above the average also present altered Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) and speech-in-noise test results suggestive of APD. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a cross-sectional cohort study. Twenty-one individuals with reading and writing disorders aged between 7 and 14 years were enrolled. RESULTS All subjects had normal findings on ENT examination, audiological tests, and brainstem auditory evoked potentials. The average P300 latency (334,25 ms) of all patients was picked as a cutoff point to divide the subjects into two groups: group A with latencies above 335 ms, and group B with latencies below 335 ms. Individuals in group A underwent SSW and speech-in-noise testing. CONCLUSION Altered results in the SSW and speech-in-noise tests suggestive of APD were found in the group of individuals with reading and writing disorders with P300 latencies above 335 ms.

Local anesthesia for cochlear implant surgery: a possible alternative

UNLABELLED The aim of this paper is to illustrate the possibility of performing a cochlear implant surgery with local anesthesia and sedation, the anesthetic technique and the advantages of that in comparison to a general anesthesia. AIMS prospective study demonstrating the possibility of doing cochlear implant surgery under local anesthesia and sedation. MATERIALS AND METHODS we describe three successful cases operated under local anesthesia, including neural telemetry and the conditions the patient presented after the surgery, with a very good recovery and no complications during and after the procedure. RESULTS these three surgeries show the possibility of doing the cochlear implant surgery with this kind of anesthesia, with a fast recovery, no symptoms of dizziness and vomiting after the surgery, and very few complaints from the patient. CONCLUSION local anesthesia with sedation for cochlear implant surgery in adults is a very good alternative for lowering the morbidity for the patient. It bears fewer risks, low costs for the hospital, with a very good procedure control, being very useful for older patients or the ones that have contraindications for general anesthesia.

Assimetria de tonsilas palatinas: experiência de 10 anos do serviço de otorrinolaringologia do hospital de clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná

INTRODUCTION: A few patients with asymmetric palatine tonsils have lymphoma; but most lymphomas in palatine tonsils evolve with tonsillar asymmetry. OBJECTIVE: To report the profile of patients and histopathological changes in patients submitted to adenotonsillectomy/tonsillectomy with disproportional palatine tonsils. METHOD: Retrospective study based on data analysis from the Pathologic Anatomy Service Database and in the review of reports of patients submitted to adenotonsillectomy and tonsillectomy with palatine tonsils asymmetry during the period from October 1999 through October 2009 at the Clinical Hospital (HC) of the Federal University of Parana (UFPR). RESULTS: 50 patients took part, aged between 3 to 53 years old, mean age of 14.05 years. The anatomopathological exam confirmed 48 patients (96%) with lymphoid hyperplasia and 2 cases of lymphoma (4%). These included men aged from 40 to 53 yeas with complaint of unilateral increase of the tonsil, one of whom had other symptoms (asthenia and weight loss). Upon physical examination: tonsils disproportion without involvement of other organs or lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: Our study is according to the literature as regards the fact the lymphomas are more common in men, the patient is the first one to notice the increase in volume and the asymmetry is larger than 2 degrees between palatine tonsils in cases of lymphoma. Although it is rare, even in the presence of differences, there are chances for the asymmetry to evolve to a malignant profile. The need for anatomopathological evaluation of a part must be considered along with other clinical data that suggests a malignant profile.

Avaliação auditiva central com BERA e P300 na Doença de Parkinson

Introduction: The Parkinson Disease (PD) is one of the disturbance of movement, that attain elderly people. It promotes the progressive and irreversible loss of cells of black substance (locus niger) from the mesencephalon, as a result it will have a reduction of dopamine production leading the syntomatology of PD. Aim: Analyzing the electrophysiologic tests, able to control the functional integrity of the cerebral ways, in the diagnosis and/or prognosis of patients with PD, once these not-invasive tests of easy management, fast and simple understanding, whom have participation in the management. Study form: Random clinical prospective. Material and method: group of 32 patients with previous diagnosis of PD, undertaken to the evoked potential Bera and P300. Male and female patients, among 44 and 85 years old, time of disease variation from 8 to 21 years old of evolution. Results: The Bera and P 300 values found in the patients with PD will not indicate different limits of normality to the age. Conclusion: it was noticed integrity of auditive ways in patients with PD. Once the latency of P300 rises in a linear form with the age after 45 years, accepting a rise of 1-1,5ms a year1; it was observed integrity in the cerebral ways to reflect the ability of cognitive performance in patients with PD without important dementing compromise.

Hydroxyapatite granules used in the obliteration of mastoid cavities in rats.

UNLABELLED Prospective experimental study in which we created a bony defect in the mastoids of rats and filled it up with hydroxyapatite to evaluate bone regeneration, to solve the problems of open cavities after mastoidectomies that frequently present with otorrhea, infection, granulation tissue and hearing loss. OBJECTIVE The aim was to evaluate bone regeneration in defects created in the mastoids of rats, using hydroxyapatite, to see how much of the cavity we could reduce. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twelve rats Wistar-Furth were used. A 0.5 x 0.5 cm bone defect was created in both temporal bones of the rats, and filled with 15 micrograms of hydroxyapatite. The left side was used as control. The animals were slaughtered 40 days afterwards and histology analyses were carried out. RESULTS In the hydroxyapatite group, the new bone growth involved an area of 68.53% of the total; and in the control group it was only of 15.97%. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION It was observed a very good hydroxyapatite integration to the temporal bone in this experimental model. The microscopic results were superior with the use of hydroxyapatite when compared to the control group. It is a safe method and easy to apply to solve the problems of open cavities with chronic discharge and difficult to clean.

Rhinoplasty and facial asymmetry: Analysis of subjective and anthropometric factors in the Caucasian nose

Summary Introduction: Anthropometric proportions and symmetry are considered determinants of beauty. These parameters have significant importance in facial plastic surgery, particularly in rhinoplasty. As the central organ of the face, the nose is especially important in determining facial symmetry, both through the perception of a crooked nose and through the determination of facial growth. The evaluation of the presence of facial asymmetry has great relevance preoperatively, both for surgical planning and counseling. Aim/Objective: To evaluate and document the presence of facial asymmetry in patients during rhinoplasty planning and to correlate the anthropometric measures with the perception of facial symmetry or asymmetry, assessing whether there is a higher prevalence of facial asymmetry in these patients compared to volunteers without nasal complaints. Methods: This prospective study was performed by comparing photographs of patients with rhinoplasty planning and volunteers (controls), n = 201, and by evaluating of anthropometric measurements taken from a line passing through the center of the face, until tragus, medial canthus, corner side wing margin, and oral commissure of each side, by statistical analysis (Z test and odds ratio). Results: None of the patients or volunteers had completely symmetric values. Subjectively, 59% of patients were perceived as asymmetric, against 54% of volunteers. Objectively, more than 89% of respondents had asymmetrical measures. Patients had greater RLMTr (MidLine Tragus Ratio) asymmetry than volunteers, which was statistically significant. Discussion/Conclusion: Facial asymmetries are very common in patients seeking rhinoplasty, and special attention should be paid to these aspects both for surgical planning and for counseling of patients.

Futura study: evaluation of efficacy and safety of rupatadine fumarate in the treatment of persistent allergic rhinitis

UNLABELLED Allergic rhinitis affects 10-30% of the population, negatively impacting ones quality of life and productivity. It has been associated with sinusitis, otitis media, sleep disorders, and asthma. Rupatadine is a second generation antihistamine with increased affinity to histamine receptor H1; it is also a potent PAF (platelet-activating factor) antagonist. It starts acting quite quickly, offers long lasting effect, and reduces the chronic effects of rhinitis. AIM this study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of rupatadine in the treatment of persistent allergic rhinitis. MATERIALS AND METHOD this is a multi-centric open prospective study. This study included 241 patients from 13 centers in Brazil and was held between October of 2004 and August of 2005. Signs and symptoms of rhinitis and tolerance to medication were analyzed after one and two weeks of treatment. RESULTS reduction on general scores from 8.65 to 3.21 on week 2 (p<0.001). All signs and symptoms improved significantly in the first day of treatment (p<0.001), except for nasal congestion and secretion, which improved from the second day of treatment (p<0.001). Adverse events occurred in 19.9% of the cases, 27.7% on week 1. CONCLUSION rupatadine effectively controls persistent allergic rhinitis; it is safe and presents low incidence of side effects.

Stapes surgery in residency: the ufpr clinical hospital experience

UNLABELLED Surgery of the stapedius remains the established treatment for otosclerosis. Recent publications have showed that success in surgeries done by residents have decreased and hearing results are worse than those obtained by experienced otologic surgeons. AIM To evaluate the experience of the otorhinolaryngology unit, Parana University, relative to stapes surgery done in the residency training program. MATERIAL AND METHOD A retrospective study of 114 stapes surgeries done in the past 9 years in 96 patients. Audiometric results were analysed according to the Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium guidelines and the Amsterdam Hearing Evaluation Plots. The improvement of the airway postoperative gap and thresholds were taken into account. RESULTS 96 patients were included, most of them female adults (67.7%) and white (93.7%). Stapedectomy was done in 50.9% of cases, mostly under local anesthesia and sedation (96.5%), using mostly the Teflon prosthesis (37.7%). The surgical success rate was 50.88%, there was an 11.4% complication rate. CONCLUSION Postoperative hearing gains considered as surgical success were inferior to published results in the literature, done by experienced surgeons.

Eficácia e segurança de Sultamicilina (Ampicilina/Sulbactam) e Amoxacilina/Clavulanato no tratamento das infecções de via aéreas superiores em adultos: um estudo multicêntrico, aberto e randomizado

Upper respiratory tract infections are the most common causes of medical visits in children and adults, demanding massive use of antibiotics. Bacterial resistance caused by beta-lactamase is one of the most serious problems in this matter. Sultamicillin, a double pro-drug of Ampicillin/Sulbactan, is a potent beta-lactamase inhibitor which can face this challenge. AIM: evaluate efficacy, safety and tolerability of Ampicillin/Sulbactan compared to Amoxicillin/Clavulanate in upper respiratory tract infections in adults. METHODS: 102 patients were enrolled and randomized to receive Ampicillin/Sulbactan or Amoxicillin/Clavulanate during 10 days. They were evaluated 10 and 30 days after treatment to learn about the therapeutic response. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups respecting cure at the end of treatment (visit 2) or at the end of the study (visit 3). Cure ratio was 61.7% and 93.2% (visits 2 and 3) in the Amoxicillin/Clavulanate group compared to 64.4% and 97.4%, respectively, in Ampicillin/Sulbactan group. The adverse events ratio for the two groups was the same (p=0.940). The number of patients with diarrhea was greater in the group of patients receiving Amoxicillin/Clavulanate (70.6%) than in the group receiving Ampicillin/Sulbactan (29.4%) (p=0.0164). CONCLUSIONS: Ampicillin/Sulbactan is as safe and efficient as Amoxicillin/Clavulanate in the empiric treatment of upper respiratory infections in adults. The low occurrence of diarrhea in the group receiving Ampicillin/Sulbactan needs confirmation in other studies.

Efficacy and safety of Sultamicillin (Ampicillin/Sulbactan) and Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections in adults: an open-label, multicentric, randomized trial

UNLABELLED Upper respiratory tract infections are the most common causes of medical visits in children and adults, demanding massive use of antibiotics. Bacterial resistance caused by beta-lactamase is one of the most serious problems in this matter. Sultamicillin, a double pro-drug of Ampicillin/Sulbactan, is a potent beta-lactamase inhibitor which can face this challenge. AIM Evaluate efficacy, safety and tolerability of Ampicillin/Sulbactan compared to Amoxicillin/Clavulanate in upper respiratory tract infections in adults. METHODS 102 patients were enrolled and randomized to receive Ampicillin/Sulbactan or Amoxicillin/Clavulanate during 10 days. They were evaluated 10 and 30 days after treatment to learn about the therapeutic response. RESULTS There were no differences between the two groups respecting cure at the end of treatment (visit 2) or at the end of the study (visit 3). Cure ratio was 61.7% and 93.2% (visits 2 and 3) in the Amoxicillin/Clavulanate group compared to 64.4% and 97.4%, respectively, in Ampicillin/Sulbactan group. The adverse events ratio for the two groups was the same (p=0.940). The number of patients with diarrhea was greater in the group of patients receiving Amoxicillin/Clavulanate (70.6%) than in the group receiving Ampicillin/Sulbactan (29.4%) (p=0.0164). CONCLUSIONS Ampicillin/Sulbactan is as safe and efficient as Amoxicillin/Clavulanate in the empiric treatment of upper respiratory infections in adults. The low occurrence of diarrhea in the group receiving Ampicillin/Sulbactan needs confirmation in other studies.