Sofia Paiva

The Portuguese version of Mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire: brief screening test for assessment of tinnitus-induced stress.

Hypothesis: The Portuguese version of Mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (Mini-TQ) is as valid as the English version to assess tinnitus-associated distress in the Portuguese-speaking population. Background: Tinnitus is a major symptom in ENT practice affecting subjects in all demographic groups. Our objective is to validate a Portuguese version of Mini-TQ (Mini-TQ-pv) to be used in clinical practice and research. Methods: Mini-TQ-pv was administered to 51 patients with chronic tinnitus. Statistical analysis was done to determine the psychometric properties of the instrument. Results: After double translation, face and content validity were confirmed by high internal consistency (Cronbach &agr; = 0.861) and significant correlation between individual items and total score. The questionnaire was easy and quick to administer (2.57 min). Conclusion: We provide a suitable Mini-TQ-pv to be used in the assessment of Portuguese-speaking patients with tinnitus.

The role of tonsillectomy in psoriasis treatment.

Psoriasis is a chronic and immune-mediated skin disease with a considerable negative impact on quality of life. The link between psoriasis, especially guttate psoriasis, and streptococcal infections, namely tonsillitis, has been studied for several years. Some authors have also suggested an association with other types of psoriasis, such as plaque psoriasis, which is the most common. The role of tonsillectomy in the treatment of plaque psoriasis is not consensual. This case report aims to discuss this topic. The authors intend to highlight the growing evidence of a relationship between plaque psoriasis and an infectious pathology of the otolaryngology area. A clinical case of severe chronic plaque psoriasis with exacerbations linked to acute tonsillitis is described. The case was recalcitrant to dermatological treatment and tonsillectomy was included in the treatment options. After surgery, the skin disease was evidently controlled and significant improvement on the patients quality of life was also evident.

Translation of the international outcome inventory for hearing aids into Portuguese from Portugal

Objective To translate the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) Questionnaire from English to Portuguese (from Portugal) and to validate this instrument of study on the Portuguese population. Design In this prospective study, a translation from English into Portuguese of the IOI-HA was performed, and linguistic adaptation and counter translation were also accomplished. The data were analysed for internal consistency testing for correlations between each individual item and the total score of the IOI-HA, assessing the Cronbach α and performing test–retest analysis. Setting and participants 80 hearing aid users aged 18 years or older were recruited from an ear, nose and throat (ENT) appointment in Coimbras hospital, Portugal. 84% of the participants were unilateral hearing aid users, whereas 16% were bilateral users. Interventions The patients volunteered to answer the questionnaire during an ENT appointment. All of the patients had been using the hearing aids for more than 3 years. After the first application of the questionnaire, a new appointment was planned for retesting, within at least 7 days to no more than 60 days. 29 participants answered the questionnaire again according to the same procedure. Results The mean IOI-HA total score in the study population was 27.33±4.93 (9–35). The mean values obtained for each item of the questionnaire ranged from 3.19 to 4.54. The Cronbach α was 0.838 and the Cronbach α values when the item was removed, were also significantly strong. The test–retest analysis revealed no differences between the paired groups. Conclusions In the present study a valid and reliable translation and adaptation of the IOI-HA into Portuguese from Portugal is proposed. This tool will be available for clinical assessment of hearing aid users.

Neck Pain and Acute Dysphagia

The acute tendinitis of the longus colli muscle is an unusual diagnosis in the cases of acute dysphagia with cervical pain. Is a self-limiting condition caused by abnormal calcium hydroxyapatite deposition in the prevertebral space and can cause pharyngeal swelling with impaired swallow. It is absolutely critical to make the differential diagnosis with deep cervical infections in order to avoid invasive treatments.

S293 – Does Tobacco Smoking Influence Smell Function?

Objectives Many diseases with great prevalence in the population occur with disorders of smell funtction. However, assessment of olfactory function in patients with disorders of smell is frequently neglected in the otolaryngology routine consultation. One of the effects of tobacco consumption is a change in the nasal mucosa. It has been hypothesized that tobacco smoke consumption modifies olfactory levels of these people. Methods Prospective clinical study with 56 consecutive healthy volunteers, submitted to a previously validated protocol of olfactometry composed by a quantitative and a threshold test. Our population was constituted of an equal number of tobacco smokers and controls, between 16 and 78 years old (average 38,3 years), age and sex paired. Results The substance more frequently identified was naphthalene (94%), followed by menthol (88%), while the least times correctly identified had been the cinnamon and talcum (65%). The test of butanol showed a statistically significant difference (3.73±0.50 in smokers vs 4.34±1.00 in nonsmoking, p=0.02). This test presented a significant correlation with the smoking habit (r=-0.59, p< 0.01). The supraliminary test showed no significant differences between the 2 groups. There was no significant difference between genders. Conclusions We observed a significant statistical correlation between the tobacco smoking and the test of butanol, which confirms the subjective sense of former smokers when experiencing again the aromas that have been altered. Our study showed the quantitative difference imposed by tobacco smoking. Smokers presented lower olfaction levels than non-smokers, keeping, however, a similar discriminative ability.