Endoscopic sinus surgery for maxillary sinus mucoceles

BACKGROUND: Maxillary sinus mucoceles are relatively rare among all paranasal sinus mucoceles. With the introduction of endoscopic sinus surgical techniques, rhinologic surgeons prefer transnasal endoscopic management of sinus mucoceles. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical presentation of maxillary sinus mucoceles and to establish the efficacy of endoscopic management of sinus mucoceles. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2005, 14 patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery for maxillary sinus mucocele. The presenting sign and symptoms, radiological findings, surgical management and need for revision surgery were reviewed. RESULTS: There were eight males and six females with an age range of 14 to 65. Ten patients complained of nasal obstruction, five of nasal drainage, five of cheek pressure or pain and one of proptosis of the eye and cheek swelling. The maxillary sinus and ipsilateral ethmoid sinus involvement on computed tomographic studies was seen in 4 patients. Four patients had history of endoscopic ethmoidectomy surgery for ethmoid sinusitis and one had Caldwell-Luc operation in the past. Ethmoidectomy with middle meatal antrostomy and marsupialization of the mucocele was performed in all patients. Postoperative follow-up ranged between 8 to 48 months. All patients had a patent middle meatal antrostomy and healthy maxillary sinus mucosa. No patients need revision surgery. CONCLUSION: The most common causes of mucoceles are chronic infection, allergic sinonasal disease, trauma and previous surgery. In 64% of the patients of our study cause remains uncertain. Endoscopic sinus surgery is an effective treatment for maxillary sinus mucoceles with a favorable long-term outcome

Audio-Vestibular Findings in Increased Intracranial Hypertension Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) can be manifested by audiological and vestibular complaints. The aim of the present study is to determine the audio-vestibular pathologies and their pathophysiologies in this syndrome by performing current audio-vestibular tests. MATERIALS and METHODS: The study was performed prospectively on 40 individuals (20 IIH patients, 20 healthy volunteers). Pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, and electronystagmography tests were performed in both groups and the results were compared. RESULTS: The mean age of both groups was found to be 30.2 +/- 18.7. There were 11 females and 9 males in each group. The study group patients had significantly worse hearing levels. Pure tone averages were significantly higher in both ears of the study group (p<0.05). Ten patients (50%) in the study group and one healthy volunteer (5%) had pathologic ENG, possibly related to central pathologies (p=0.008). Eight patients (40%) and one (5%) control had variable abnormal VEMP records (p=0008). CONCLUSION: Many IIH patients initially visit otolaryngology clinics since cochlear and vestibular systems are frequently affected in this condition. Our test results suggest inner ear pathologies in these patients. Higher incidence of inferior vestibular nerve and/or saccule dysfunction is detected as a novelty. Increased intracranial pressure may affect the inner ear with similar mechanisms as in hydrops

Effects of Glycerol Test on Resonance Frequency in Patients with Meniere's Disease

Objective: To evaluate resonance frequency (RF) values via dehydration effects in the inner ear caused by the glycerol test, which is used as a diagnostic method for Meniere's disease (MD). Methods: Twenty adult patients with unilateral MD were included in the study. Before, and then at 1, 2, and 3 h after administration of glycerol (1 g/kg), pure-tone hearing levels (125-8,000 kHz) and multifrequency tympanometry tests were performed. As a control, the RF values of the ears of 25 healthy subjects (i.e., 50 ears) were compared to the affected and unaffected ears in the 20 MD patients. Results: There was a significant difference between the RF values of affected and healthy ears before glycerol administration (p = 0.047). The RF values before and after glycerol administration into affected ears were compared. The average RF values decreased significantly from 748.0 +/- 402.1 to 808.0 +/- 410.1 Hz at 1 h after glycerol intake, and this value increased during the subsequent hours. There were no statistically significant differences between the pure-tone levels before and 1 h after glycerol administration, but a significant decrease was observed at 3 h. Conclusion: We suggest that MD has different inner-ear dynamics and normal RF values when compared to healthy ears. Furthermore, decreased inner ear pressure causes reduction of the mass effect and a stiffening of the annular ligament. We conclude that pre- and post-RF tests should be added to the test battery for diagnosis of MD

Submandibular Gland Surgery: Our Clinical Experience

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the demographic findings and surgical results of patients who underwent submandibular gland excision at a tertiary care center. Methods: The clinical characteristics and histopathological results of 45 patients who had undergone submandibular gland excision between 1997 and 2014 were evaluated in detail. Results: Twenty-eight (62.2%) and 17 (37.8%) patients presented with a complaint of a painful mass and painless mass, respectively. Histopathologic investigation of the surgical specimen revealed sialolithiasis in 14 patients (31.1%), chronic sialadenitis in 16 (35.6%), benign tumor in 12 (26.7%), malignant tumor in two (4.4%), and mucocele extravasation in one. As complications, permanent paralysis of the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve was seen in one patient (2.2%), temporary paralysis of the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve was seen in seven (15.6%), orocutaneous fistula was seen in one (2.2%), and temporary paralysis of the hypoglossal nerve was seen in one (2.2%). Conclusion: This study revealed that in patients presenting with complaints of a submandibular gland mass, sialolithiasis, sialadenitis, and benign masses were the mostly diagnosed pathologies. Transcervical submandibular gland excision is a satisfactory procedure with low complication and recurrence rates when it is performed on selected patients and obeyed to surgical techniques

Effects of Various Densities of Middle Ear Fluids on Acoustic Immittance: Experimental Study

Objective: To study the effects of various densities of middle ear fluids on acoustic immittance and elucidate the characteristics of this study that might be beneficial for clinical use in otitis media with effusion

Intratympanic methylprednisolone for sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Kaytez, Selda Kargin/0000-0002-8683-7076; OZLUOGLU, LEVENT NACI/0000-0002-2150-0237WOS: 000245401500004PubMed: 17414035Objective: Corticosteroids are commonly used for the treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). In this study, the effectiveness of intratympanic (IT) corticosteroid injection was studied and compared with a control group on patients with SSHL who failed systemic corticosteroid treatment. Materials and Methods: A total of 19 patients as a retreatment group (RG) and 18 patients as a control group (CG), all failed high-dose intravenous and oral corticosteroid treatments, were included in this study. These patients were invited back, and IT methylprednisolone was injected five times via 3-day intervals in RG and followed-up for a mean period of 24.9 months (range, 7-30 mo). Audiological evaluations were performed initially, a week after the completion of the injections, monthly in the following first 3 months, and at the end of follow-up period in RG. The CG was followed-up for 3 months after the completion of systemic corticosteroid treatment without any additional drug administration. Results: The mean age was 52.6 years (range, 20-79 yr) in RG and 59.9 years in CG. The mean pure-tone average for speech frequencies (500-4,000 Hz) at baseline audiogram and at the first month, at the third month, and at last controls were 65.2 (range, 43-102 dB), 45.4 (range, 23-77 dB), 43.6 (range, 30-77 dB), and 44.5 (range, 33-77 dB) dB, respectively, in RG. The mean pure-tone averages for speech frequencies (500-4,000 Hz) at the end of systemic treatment and at third-month control were 63.5 (range, 44-98 dB) and 59.0 (range, 40-100 dB) dB, respectively, in CG. The hearing gain that is equal to or more than 10 dB was achieved in 14 patients (73.6%) at the last control in RG. No hearing gain could be detected in the CG. No serious side effect was observed with IT treatment. Conclusion: We conclude that IT methylprednisolone injection provides more significant hearing improvement for patients that failed with previous high-dose systemic corticosteroid administration than systemic corticosteroid treatment alone. So it may be the first-step medical treatment of idiopathic SSHL alone or at least may be combined with the systemic corticosteroid administration