Endoscopic Endonasal Resection of a Schwannoma of the Anterior Cranial Fossa.

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Alteration of Smell and Taste in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic COVID-19 Patients in Sicily, Italy.

Objectives: Alteration of smell and taste has been reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The incidence and clinical-symptomatic manifestation of COVID-19 is different between northern and southern Italy. This study aims to evaluate the onset of alteration of smell and taste in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients in Sicily (extreme south of Italy). Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was performed on asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 patients tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) from May 1 to May 15, 2020. A questionnaire was used for evaluating the prevalence of smell and taste disorders in COVID-19 patients before performing nasopharyngeal swab. Results: Of the total 292 patients, 242 (83.2%) were negative for SARS-CoV-2 and 50 were positive (16.8%). Twenty-six of the 50 (52%) SARS-CoV-2 positive patients reported smell/taste disorders. Twenty-eight of the 50 (57.1%) SARS-CoV-2 positive patients were hospitalized (group A), and 22 (42.9%) were nonhospitalized (group B). The mean age in group A and group B was 45.4 ± 13.7 years and 57.0 ± 15.0, respectively ( P = .007). The symptoms reported by hospitalized patients were fever (71.4%), cough (64.2%), fatigue (82.1%), and dyspnea (100%), while in nonhospitalized patients, the most reported symptoms were sore throat (72.7%), rhinorrhea (77.2%), and altered smell (81.8%). Anosmia/hyposmia reported in group A and group B was 28.5% and 81.8%, respectively ( P = .001). Conclusion: These preliminary results indicate that the majority of SARS-Cov-2 positive patients in southern Italy did not require hospitalization and presented with milder symptoms or no symptoms and the alterations in smell and taste occurred

The Role of Probiotics in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Treatment: An Update of the Current Literature

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a significant health problem. It affects 5–12% of the general population. The causes that underlie the onset of CRS are not yet well known. However, many factors may contribute to its onset, such as environmental factors and the host’s general condition. Medical treatment mainly uses local corticosteroids, nasal irrigation, and antibiotics. In recent years, a new therapeutic approach that employs the use of probiotics emerged. Probiotics have been extensively studied as a therapy for dysbiosis and inflammatory pathologies of various parts of the body. We aimed to examine the studies in vivo and in vitro and clinicals reports in the existing literature to update probiotics’ role in rhinosinusitis chronic medical treatment

Robotic-Assisted Neck Dissection: Our Experience

Introduction Robotic neck dissection surgery allows less invasiveness to significantly improve the aesthetic impact even though it does not compromise the principles of radical cancer procedure. Objective The aim of our work is to describe our personal experience with robotic neck dissection surgery. Methods A retrospective study was conducted by analyzing 10 patients subjected to a robotic neck dissection surgery. In the period from August 2012 to December 2018, these patients have been treated exclusively with robotic lateral-cervical dissection. Five of them were subjected to robotic-assisted transaxillary neck dissection (RATAND) and the other 5 treated with robotic-assisted retroauricular neck dissection (RARAND), then the surgical results have been compared with 5 similar dissections performed by open neck dissection (OND). Results The average surgical time of RATAND was estimated in 166minutes, the average surgical time of RARAND was estimated in 153minutes and the average surgical time of OND was estimated in 48minutes. Both robotic techniques are valid from the oncological and aesthetic point of view, but in terms of surgical time, they are much longer than the open technique. Conclusions In terms of the post-operative decree, in our opinion, the retroauricular technique is more rapid for the purposes of recovery

Politica in Italia. I fatti dell'anno e le interpretazioni. Edizione 2013.

Il 2012 \ue8 stato l\u2019anno di Monti, il \uabpodest\ue0 forestiero\ubb al quale il presidente Giorgio Napolitano aveva affidato il compito di salvare l\u2019Italia dal baratro finanziario e di restituire credibilit\ue0 al paese nell\u2019arena internazionale. Misurato sull\u2019arco dell\u2019intero anno, il bilancio del governo tecnico presenta luci e ombre: allontanato il pericolo del default, sono mancati invece risultati concreti sul versante della crescita economica. La \uabstrana maggioranza\ubb che ha sostenuto il governo Monti in Parlamento \u2013 Pdl, Pd e Udc \u2013 non ha fatto meglio. Nonostante la moral suasion di Napolitano, i partiti hanno perso un\u2019altra occasione \u2013 l\u2019ultima? \u2013 per attuare riforme istituzionali improrogabili e per mettere mano seriamente ai costi e ai privilegi della politica. Chi ha beneficiato di questa situazione \ue8 stato il Movimento 5 stelle, che mira a un rovesciamento di tutti gli equilibri politici. A fine 2012 le condizioni dell\u2019Italia restano difficili. Lo sforzo di risanamento avviato a caro prezzo dal governo Monti pu\uf2 essere vanificato in poco tempo e il rischio che l\u2019orologio del paese torni alle drammatiche settimane dell\u2019autunno 2011 non \ue8 scongiurato