Comparative Analysis of Mechanical and Water Absorption Properties of Nano/micro-sized Alumina Filler Based Glass-Jute Hybrid Composites

In recent years, the addition of nano and micro size filler material for fabricating composite materials are emerging concept through which mechanical properties of the composite can be enhanced. Filler based hybrid polymer composite materials are substituting metallic materials because of their low specific wear rate, high specific strength modulus, and less water absorption. In current work, nano and micro Al2O3 filler based Glass-Jute hybrid composite have been fabricated to study the mechanical properties like hardness, impact test, specific wear rate, and flexural strength for each type of composite sample. Water absorption analysis is also carried under three different fluid media namely normal water, river water and de-ionized water-based Al2O3 nanofluid. Nano filler enriched composite attributed the higher magnitudes of hardness, impact strength, flexural strength and lower value of specific wear rate and water absorption compared to micro and normal composites. However, a nanofiller based composite is more suitable for automotive, aerospace and ship manufacturing industries

Chronic Draining Ear and Cholesteatoma Recidivism: A Retrospection from Clinical, Imaging, and Surgical Perspectives

Objective:To evaluate the reasons for persistent draining ear and cholesteatoma recidivism following canal wall down (CWD) tympanomastoidectomy by studying the sensitivity of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scanning in different potential etiologies, corroborating through appropriate surgical intervention, and thereby, to suggest proper preventive measures.Methods:In this observational study, 32 chronic, refractory draining ears were subjected to revision surgery following a radical or a modified radical mastoidectomy. Besides disease (cholesteatoma/granulations) eradication, pitfalls of the primary surgeries were addressed. Data were interpreted for studying the epidemiologic profile, the clinical presentation at recurrence, the type of primary surgery, the sites of recidivism, the probable causes, and the best possible management at revision.Results:Of the 32 patients/ears, 23 had residual/recurrent cholesteatoma. Major reasons were inadequate disease clearance, contracted/inadequate conchomeatoplasty, no cavity obliteration, and inappropriate bone work. HRCT predicted persistent bridge and lateral semicircular canal dehiscence with 100%, and ossicular integrity and bony overhang with >80% sensitivity. Sinus tympani and oval window niche were the commonest sites of recurrence. At revision, radical/modified radical mastoidectomies were associated with cavity obliteration and appropriate revision of conchomeatoplasty in 28 patients.Conclusion:Recurrence of cholesteatoma/granulations is an important cause for chronic drainage from post-CWD cavities. Revision surgery explores the surgical pitfalls, and ensures clearance of disease from hidden areas, adequate bone work, and optimum conchomeatoplasty following cavity obliteration to provide a safe, dry ear with hearing improvement whenever feasible

Asymptomatic Middle Ear Dysfunction in Children with Upper Respiratory Infection – Analytical Cross Sectional Study

Introduction Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) is the commonest cause of hearing difficulty and one of the most frequent reasons for elective admission to the hospital for surgery during childhood. The condition starts with dysfunction of middle ear due to poor ventilation through Eustachian tube or extension of the inflammatory process from nasopharynx. In the natural history of the disease, there may be a period of the pre-clinical stage without symptoms or signs of OME. If the disease is identified in this stage, the further sequel of it (like persistent hearing difficulty or retraction pocket formation) may be prevented. Materials and Methods A hospital based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among the children below 12 years of age to assess the middle ear function (by tympanometry) in children having upper respiratory tract infection (but no ear related complaints) and comparing them with the middle ear function in children not having such infection or any recent history of the same. Age and sex matched control group having no such symptoms was constructed. There were 25 children in both study and control group selected from Otorhinolaryngology and Pediatrics outpatient department (OPD). So total numbers of children were 50. Results  There was no statistically significant difference in background characteristics (age, sex) of the of study and control groups. There was no statistically significant difference when the tympanic membrane retraction or middle ear pressure is taken into account. But significant difference found in the parameters like middle ear compliance (68% children have low compliance in the study group vs 20% in control, with df= 1, ϰ2 = 11.688 and p value was 0.001) and tympanogram curve type (48% in study group have B or C type and 8% have such in control group). Conclusion Early diagnosis of the middle ear dysfunction among the children with upper respiratory infection, by clinical examination and suitable audiological investigation in the pre-clinical stage with appropriate intervention can prevent further progression of the disease, causing hearing loss as well as retraction pocket formation

Non-malignant Oral Ulcer: A Diagnostic Challenge to Otorhinolaryngologists

Introduction Apart from the malignant ulcers a wide variety of dermatological and other systemic conditions can affect oral cavity and often be a diagnostic challenge due to their similar presenting features and appearance. Despite being benign, some of them may be fatal if not diagnosed and treated timely. This study aims to assess the incidence of different non malignant ulcers in oral cavity and to estimate the need for histopathological examination for confirmation of the condition for proper management. Materials and Methods  An institution based observational study was conducted over a time period of 16 months at a tertiary care institute. Total 172 cases were included in the present study irrespective of age, sex and duration. Malignant lesions were excluded from the study. Results The present study shows a slight male preponderance (M:F = 1.48:1) with majority of cases were in age group 20-40 years of age (43.02%). Most commonly encountered were recurrent aphthous stomatitis (27.9%) followed by erosive lichen planus (16.28%), oral candidiasis, angular stomatitis, traumatic ulcers and others. 78.5% were treated successfully on the basis of clinical diagnosis while 21.5% cases needed further histopathological or other investigation for confirmation of diagnosis. Conclusion Though the otolaryngologists are more concerned about malignant ulcer, there are many non malignant ulcers which can cause significant morbidity and can even be fatal and should be given similar importance like malignant lesions. Majority of them can be treated successfully on the basis of clinical diagnosis but histopathological examination may be required in some cases for proper diagnosis and appropriate management

Clinico-demographic study of otitis media with effusion in different age groups

Background: Otitis Media with Effusion is mainly a disease of childhood. But it can also occur in adults. It can present with various symptoms like difficulty in hearing, blocked sensation in the ear, earache, tinnitus etc. Young children are often diagnosed late due to their inability to express hearing difficulty, and are often diagnosed accidentally. Appearance of the tympanic membrane can also be varying among patients. There may be retraction, dull appearance and change in colour, or reduced mobility. Fluid level or air bubble can also be present in the middle ear behind the tympanic membrane.Aim: To study the demographic profile of the patients diagnosed with OME and to determine the variations in the signs and symptoms of OME in different age groups.Method: This is an observational study. It was conducted on all the patients attending the OPD at a tertiary hospital, and diagnosed with OME over the course of one year. The diagnosis was made after proper history taking and clinical examination and with the aid of audiometry and tympanometry. An effort was made to map out the demographic profile of all the patients diagnosed with OME, and to study the variations in the signs and symptoms of OME across different age groups.Result:In the analysis of parameters it was found that statistically significant higher number of cases were children (< 10 years of age). Number of male was more than female in children but it was equal in adult. Significantly more number of children in the study had bilateral involvement, but in adolescent and adult there was no statistical difference between the incidence of bilateral and unilateral involvement. Difficulty in hearing and heaviness in ears were the two most common presenting symptoms with addition of tinnitus in adult group. Most common appearance of the tympanic membrane was dull in all the ages.Conclusion:In the present study it is evident that the Otitis media with media (OME) is much more common in pediatric population and has a little male preponderance, which corroborates the consensus of the word literature. The present study also corroborates the existing knowledge on some aspect the disease like presenting symptoms (difficulty in hearing and block sensation being the commonest) appearance of tympanic membrane or degree of hearing loss.An effort was made in the present study to compare some aspect of the disease among the patients of different age group.While corroborating most of the issues regarding OME with the existing literature, present study indicates some differences in presentation and diagnostic features in different age groups

Extensive Mucosal Erosion and Sloughing of Tongue: A Hitherto Unknown Complication of Topical Clotrimazole Preparation

Clotrimazole, a broad-spectrum imidazole antimycotic, is a widely-used prescription as well as an over-the-counter drug for treatment of mucosal (oral, vulvovaginal) candidiasis and dermatophytes. An extremely safe and well-tolerated drug, its safety profile has been well-explored in researches and trials. The commonest complaints are almost always non-serious-pruritus, rashes, paraesthesia (stinging/burning sensation) and erythema on topical applications, and nausea, vomiting, unpleasant taste sensation and elevated liver enzymes on oral preparations (troches). However, mucosal ulceration on topical clotrimazole preparation has not been reported in literature before. We present here the first documentation of extensive bilateral erosions and necrosis of tongue involving the mucosa, submucosa and musculature on application of one percent weight/volume clotrimazole mouth paint in a 27-year-old immunocompetent woman who presented with oral candidiasis. Keywords: extensive bilateral ulceration and necrosis; oral candidiasis; side effect; topical clotrimazole

Oncogenous osteomalacia

Oncogenous osteomalacia is a rare paraneoplastic renal phosphaturic condition, often associated with highly vascular benign mesenchymal tumors. We report a case of a 48-year-old male who presented with debilitating osteomalacia unresponsive to standard therapy. Two years later, sinonasal hemangiopericytoma was diagnosed; the patient underwent complete surgical excision with rapid symptomatic improvement

Oncogenous osteomalacia

Oncogenous osteomalacia is a rare paraneoplastic renal phosphaturic condition, often associated with highly vascular benign mesenchymal tumors. We report a case of a 48-year-old male who presented with debilitating osteomalacia unresponsive to standard therapy. Two years later, sinonasal hemangiopericytoma was diagnosed; the patient underwent complete surgical excision with rapid symptomatic improvement

Large Neurilemmoma of Buccal Mucosa in a Child – A Rare Entity

Abstract: Introduction: Neurilemmoma or Schwannomas are benign tumour arising from the nerve sheath of myelinated nerve. Head neck neurilemmomas are not uncommon but intraoral region is very uncommon for this type of tumour. Case Report: A very rare case of buccal neurilemmoma in an eleven year old child, but much larger than other reported case is reported in the present article with review of literature. Discussion: Among the intraoral subsites, very few cases of neurilemmoma are reported to be situated in the buccal mucosa. Diagnostic dilemmas due to Fine needle aspiration cytology with features often resembling that of pleomorphic salivary adenomas are reported. The size of the tumour was larger than the cases reported in literature till date. The age of the patient was also much younger than the other reported cases, which made the present case unique

Venous Malformation in the Neck

Introduction Venous malformation is a benign vascular lesion. Approximately 40% of such cases occur in head and neck. Case Report Venous malformation in a 19 year old man is reported, which presented as a lateral neck swelling. Discussion The venous malformation in the head and neck region may confuse the surgeon in distinguishing it from its other common congeners e.g. hemangioma, lymphangioma etc. and may also cause dilemma regarding its treatment modality. Treatment options include surgery, laser therapy, sclerotherapy or a combination depending upon the complexity of the lesion