Marble impaction in the nasopharynx following oral ingestion

Foreign body ingestion is an important emergency occurring in childhood. In this article, we report the case of a 5-year-old girl with marble impaction in the nasopharynx, which had not been discovered by routine X-rays of the chest and abdomen at the time of ingestion. The patient presented 4months after the event with typical symptoms of adenoid hypertrophy and sinusitis, and the diagnosis was established on the basis of a plain film of the nasopharynx. This rare situation is potentially dangerous, since the foreign body may descend and cause sudden airway obstruction. Therefore, in all cases with vanishing foreign bodies in the aerodigestive system, nasopharyngeal impaction and its fatal consequences should be kept in mind and endoscopic examination of the region should be considere

Effects of the acute exposure to the electromagnetic field of mobile phones on human auditory brainstem responses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of the electromagnetic fields (EMF) of mobile phones on human auditory brainstem responses. This prospective study of healthy adults evaluated the influence of EMF. Eighteen healthy adult volunteers participated in this study. Mobile telephones emitting signals in the region of 900MHz and with the highest SAR value of 0.82W/kg were positioned in direct contact to the right ear, which was exposed to the phone signal for 15min before and after ABR testing with click stimuli of 60 and 80dB nHL intensities. The latencies of the waves and interwave latencies were measured on screen by an experienced audiologist. The differences of the mean latencies of waves I, III and IV were not significant in initial and post-exposure ABR measurements at both 60 and 80dB nHL stimulus levels ( P >0.05). Similarly, differences of the mean interwave intervals I-III, I-V and III-V remained insignificant at the initial and postexposure ABR measurements at stimulus levels of both 60 and 80dB nHL ( P >0.05). Acute exposure to the EMF of mobile phones does not cause perturbations in ABR latencies. However, these negative results should not encourage excessive mobile communication, because minor biological and neurophysiological influences may not be detectable by the current technolog

Laryngeal involvement in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of laryngeal tuberculosis (LT) among patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. A total of 319 patients under treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis were subjected to laryngoscopy. Five patients (1.5%) with LT were identified. Odynophagia was the most common complaint, followed by alteration in voice. The larynx returned to its normal appearance in 3-8months (average 18weeks) by antituberculous medication. Physicians dealing with pulmonary tuberculosis should keep in mind that symptoms of laryngeal involvement may be minor, and laryngoscopy should always be performed when laryngeal involvement is suspected in order to isolate highly infectious patients. Response to antituberculous medication is usually late in LT and diagnosis by "wait and watch” policy will cause a significant delay in the diagnosis of a possible larynx carcinom

Cricohyoidoepiglottopexy vs near-total laryngectomy with epiglottic reconstruction in the treatment of early glottic carcinoma

Objective: To compare functional and oncological outcomes of cricohyoidoepiglottopexy ( CHEP) and near-total laryngectomy with epiglottic reconstruction ( NTLER) techniques in early glottic carcinoma

Prediction of outcome of radiofrequency ablation of the inferior turbinates

Background Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the turbinates is used commonly for nasal obstruction; however, there is no consensus on patient selection for this surgery. Methods In a prospective clinical study, 53 adult subjects with bilateral turbinate hypertrophy were evaluated subjectively and objectively with anterior rhinomanometry at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months post-RFA of turbinates. Results RFA of the turbinates resulted in a significant decrease in predecongestant and postdecongestant visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and resistance measurements at postoperative months 1, 3, and 6 (p < 0.001 for all). Preoperative baseline subjective response to the decongestant showed a positive correlation with postoperative first month subjective and objective outcome (p < 0.05). Preoperative baseline objective response to the decongestant showed a highly significant correlation with postoperative 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month objective outcomes of surgery (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusion Objective measures do not correlate with long-term subjective satisfaction even when the nose is objectively patent in subjects who underwent inferior turbinate RFA. The patients' long-term subjective benefit from RFA surgery cannot be estimated after a rhinomanometry with topical decongestion is performed. Performing a rhinomanometry with topical decongestion may help only to estimate the patients' objective benefit from RFA surgery

Significance of the Counteracting Oxidative and Antioxidative Systems in the Pathogenesis of Laryngeal Carcinoma

Objective: To evaluate the parameters of oxidative and antioxidative systems in laryngeal carcinoma for their effects on pathogenesis

A Rare Tumor of Nasal Cavity: Glomangiopericytoma

Glomangiopericytoma is a rare vascular neoplasm characterized by a pattern of prominent perivascular growth. A 72-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic complaining of nasal obstruction, frequent epistaxis, and facial pain. A reddish tumor filling the left nasal cavity was observed on endoscopy and treated with endoscopic excision. Microscopically, closely packed cells interspersed with numerous thin-walled, branching staghorn vessels were seen. Glomangiopericytoma is categorized as a borderline low malignancy tumor by WHO classification. Long-term follow-up with systemic examination is necessary due to high risk of recurrence

Change in Nasal Congestion Index after Treatment in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyposis

Background The management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) involves both surgical and medical approaches, and remains a controversial subject. Objective The objective of this prospective, randomized, controlled trial was to compare the medical and surgical treatments of CRSwNP in terms of their effect on the nasal congestion index (NCI). Methods Forty-eight patients with CRSwNP were randomized either to medical or surgical therapy. Pretreatment and 3-and 6-month posttreatment assessments of the visual analog scale score, the 20-Item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test, saccharine clearance time, nasal endoscopy, and NCI measurement with acoustic rhinometry were performed. Forty-one subjects were included in the analysis. Results Both the medical and surgical interventions for CRSwNP resulted in significant improvement in the visual analog scale score, 20-Item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test, saccharine clearance time, and nasal endoscopic examination scores. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of the percentage change from baseline for any of the parameters at the 6-month posttreatment assessment. NCI showed no significant difference from baseline. Similarly, no significant difference was found between the medical and surgical groups in terms of their effect on the NCI (p > 0.05). Conclusion Because NCI does not correlate with standard subjective measures in outcomes for this group of patients, it cannot be used as an outcome measurement of treatment of subjects with CRSwNP. Results of this prospective randomized study did not find any additional benefit of surgical therapy over medical therapy in subjects with CRSwNP