Acoustic pharyngometry: clinical and instrumental correlations in sleep disorders

Summary Matteo Gelardi 1 , Alessandro Maselli del Giudice 2 , Francesco Cariti 3 , Michele Cassano 4 , Aline Castelante Farras 5 , Maria Luisa Fiorella 6 , Pasquale Cassano 7 1 ENT specialist (Physician of the Bari University Otorhinolaryngology Department - Italy) 2 Physician (ENT Resident - Bari University - Italy) 3 Physician (ENT Resident - Bari University - Italy) 4 ENT specialist (Researcher of the Foggia University Otorhinolaryngology Department - Italy) 5 ENT specialist (Fellow of the Foggia University Otorhinolaryngology Department - Italy) 6 ENT specialist (Researcher of the Bari University Otorhinolaryngology Department - Italy) 7 ENT and Audiology specialist (Head of the Foggia University Otorhinolaryngology Department and Full Professor of Otorhinolaryngology at Foggia University - Italy)Bari University - Italy; Foggia University - ItalyDr. Michele Cassano Via: Crispi 34/C CEP: 70123 Bari - Italy. Telephone: 00xx39-080-5235508/ 00xx39-3388105268 Fax: 00xx39-080-5211318. Dra. Aline Castelante Farras Rua Sete de Setembro, 676 Centro Vila Velha - ES Telefone: 27-32393661 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Paper submitted to the ABORL-CCF SGP (Management Publications System) on July 29th, 2005 and accepted for publication on November 3th, 2006. cod. 567

A faringometria acústica: correlações clínico-instrumentais nos distúrbios do sono

A faringometria acústica representa um método atual baseado no principio físico da reflexão acústica, útil à análise volumétrica do espaço orofaringolaringotraqueal. OBJETIVO: Este estudo se propõe a avaliar as variações dos parâmetros faringométricos em indivíduos portadores de distúrbios respiratórios do sono (DRS), para estabelecer uma relação entre as variações morfovolumétricas do espaço orofaringolaríngeo e a existência e gravidade da patologia. FORMA DE ESTUDO: Clínico e experimental. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Foram examinados 110 pacientes, 70 com DRS e 40 normais, durante o período de Junho/04 a Junho/05. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos à faringometria acústica que permitiu uma avaliação da área oro e hipofaríngea através de um gráfico explicativo. RESULTADOS: Os parâmetros obtidos nos pacientes com DRS mostraram uma importante diferença com respeito ao grupo controle, principalmente na amplitude da I onda (significantemente menor nos pacientes com macroglossia), na extensão do segmento OF, na amplitude do segmento OF e na área hipofaríngea. COLCLUSÃO: A faringometria acústica, mesmo não sendo uma técnica padronizada, pode auxiliar no diagnóstico das síndromes obstrutivas do sono, na localização dos possíveis pontos de obstrução e da gravidade da patologia, e no monitoramento dos pacientes submetidos a cirurgias desobstrutivas das vias aéreas superiores

Sense of smell in chronic rhinosinusitis: A multicentric study on 811 patients

Introduction: The impairment of the sense of smell is often related to chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with or without nasal polyps (CRSwNP, CRSsNP). CRSwNP is a frequent condition that drastically worsens the quality of life of those affected; it has a higher prevalence than CRSsNP. CRSwNP patients experience severe loss of smell with earlier presentation and are more likely to experience recurrence of their symptoms, often requiring revision surgery. Methods: The present study performed a multicentric data collection, enrolling 811 patients with CRS divided according to the inflammatory endotype (Type 2 and non-Type 2). All patients were referred for nasal endoscopy for the assessment of nasal polyposis using nasal polyp score (NPS); Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test were performed to measure olfactory function, and SNOT-22 (22-item sinonasal outcome test) questionnaire was used to assess patients' quality of life; allergic status was evaluated with skin prick test and nasal cytology completed the evaluation when available. Results: Data showed that Type 2 inflammation is more common than non-type 2 (656 patients versus 155) and patients suffer from worse quality of life and nasal polyp score. Moreover, 86.1% of patients with Type 2 CRSwNP were affected by a dysfunction of the sense of smell while it involved a lesser percentage of non-Type 2 patients. Indeed, these data give us new information about type-2 inflammation patients' characteristics. Discussion: The present study confirms that olfactory function weights on patients' QoL and it represents an important therapeutic goal that can also improve patients' compliance when achieved. In a future - and present - perspective of rhinological precision medicine, an impairment of the sense of smell could help the clinician to characterize patients better and to choose the best treatment available

Effectiveness and Safety of Biosimilars in Pediatric Non-infectious Uveitis: Real-Life Data from the International AIDA Network Uveitis Registry

IntroductionSince many biological drug patents have expired, biosimilar agents (BIOs) have been developed; however, there are still some reservations in their use, especially in childhood. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors BIOs as treatment for pediatric non-infectious uveitis (NIU).MethodsData from pediatric patients with NIU treated with TNF inhibitors BIOs were drawn from the international AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) registries dedicated to uveitis and Behcet's disease. The effectiveness and safety of BIOs were assessed in terms of frequency of relapses, risk for developing ocular flares, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), glucocorticoids (GCs)-sparing effect, drug survival, frequency of ocular complications, and adverse drug event (AE).ResultsForty-seven patients (77 affected eyes) were enrolled. The BIOs employed were adalimumab (ADA) (89.4%), etanercept (ETA) (5.3%), and infliximab (IFX) (5.3%). The number of relapses 12 months prior to BIOs and at last follow-up was 282.14 and 52.43 per 100 patients/year. The relative risk of developing ocular flares before BIOs introduction compared to the period following the start of BIOs was 4.49 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.38-5.98, p = 0.004). The number needed to treat (NNT) for ocular flares was 3.53. Median BCVA was maintained during the whole BIOs treatment (p = 0.92). A significant GCs-sparing effect was observed throughout the treatment period (p = 0.002). The estimated drug retention rate (DRR) at 12-, 24-, and 36-month follow-up were 92.7, 83.3, and 70.8%, respectively. The risk rate for developing structural ocular complications was 89.9/100 patients/year before starting BIOs and 12.7/100 patients/year during BIOs treatment, with a risk ratio of new ocular complications without BIOs of 7.1 (CI 3.4-14.9, p = 0.0003). Three minor AEs were reported.ConclusionsTNF inhibitors BIOs are effective in reducing the number of ocular uveitis relapses, preserving visual acuity, allowing a significant GCs-sparing effect, and preventing structural ocular complications.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT05200715

CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

Peer reviewe

Cell-mediated non-allergic rhinitis in children

OBJECTIVE: Non-allergic rhinitis is a heterogeneous disease whose etiology is largely unknown. Nasal cytology only allows us to recognize different non-allergic rhinitis forms on the basis of the prevalent inflammatory cell infiltrate: non-allergic rhinitis with eosinophils, with neutrophils, with mast-cells and with both eosinophils and mast-cells. The aim of this study is to define the incidence, clinical features and comorbidity of the different types of cell-mediated non-allergic rhinitis in a pediatric age group. METHODS: One hundred and fourteen non-allergic children with chronic nasal obstruction and associated symptoms (rhinorrhea, sneezing and nasal itchiness) were retrospectively selected. All patients had been submitted to a clinical history, pediatric evaluation, anterior rhinoscopy and fiberendoscopy, rhinomanometry and nasal cytology. RESULTS: Non-allergic rhinitis with neutrophils was present in 46 (40.4%) children, non-allergic rhinitis with eosinophils in 53 (46.5%), non-allergic rhinitis with mast-cells in 12 (10.5%) and non-allergic rhinitis with both eosinophils and mast-cells in 3 (2.6%). Nasal obstruction was prevalent in non-allergic rhinitis with eosinophils and in non-allergic rhinitis with mast-cells patients (P<0.001) whereas rhinorrea and sneezing only in the form with eosinophils (P<0.0001). Nasal itching on the other hand was prevalent in the form with mast-cells (P<0.0003). Non-allergic rhinitis with eosinophils group showed a higher probability of asthma (P<0.02) and respiratory sleep disorders (P<0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In the pediatric age group the most frequent forms of non-allergic rhinitis are those with eosinophils or with neutrophils. A diagnosis of non-allergic rhinitis with eosinophils in children presumes more severe symptoms and a higher incidence of pulmonary disease and roncopathy

Use of Nutraceuticals in Elderly to Fight Inflammation and Immuno-Senescence: A Randomized Case-Control Study

Elderly people are at high risk of suffering from infection and being affected by severe forms of disease because their immunosystem suffers from aging. The alteration of normal immune functions causes the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines which can expose these people to increased risk of developing pathologies as cancer, diabetes, and/or arthritis. Some supplements could be helpful for restoring normal immune functions. We conducted a case-control study to evaluate the efficacy of a supplement containing Sambucus nigra, zinc, tyndallized Lactobacillus acidophilus (HA122), arabinogalactans, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin C to improve the inflammatory levels (IL-6 and CRP) and to modulate the lymphocytes growth. Additionally, we analyzed wellness by self-questionnaire. This study had two control group: a young group and an elderly one. Our study showed that treating elderly patients with the supplement for 30 days improved IL-6, CRP, and lymphocytes levels; the result was independent from the dosage of the supplements used. Elderly patients, despite the improvement, were not able to reach the same conditions of young patients; however, most of the patients (&gt;70%) claimed to &ldquo;feel better&rdquo; after the use of the supplement. The use of this supplement should be considered at a low dosage for a prolonged period to reduce inflammation and modulate immune senescence in patients over 60 years old