Retrospective analysis of 110 cases of ear cerumen under the hard ear endoscope / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To approach new and simple method in treatment of ear cerumen. Methods Retrospective analysis of 110 cases of cerumen embolization from March 2015 to March 2017. Results The outer ear canal cerumen was removed in one time without perforation of the eardrum. 12 cases of external auditory canal injury. Conclusion Cerumen under the hard ear endoscope is a safe, simple and effective method.

Presença de cerume impactado em deficientes mentais: análise de 400 pacientes / Presence of cerumen impaction in inttellectually disabled persons: analysis of 400 cases

Introdução: Cerume impactado pode causar sintomas como zumbidos, tontura, plenitude auricular e hipoacusia. Estima-se que de 2% a 6% da população adulta apresente cerume impactado ou em excesso, sendo maior a incidência em pacientes com deficiência mental. Este estudo visa avaliar a incidência de cerume impactado em 400 indivíduos com deficiência mental. Métodos: estudo de coorte, longitudinal e prospectivo. Fizeram parte desse estudo 400 pacientes com idade entre 13 e 51 anos, com diagnóstico de deficiência mental, associada ou não à deficiência física; considerando sexo, idade, grau de deficiência mental, deficiência física, presença de cerume e associação com alterações do meato acústico externo como otite externa aguda. Resultados: a presença de cerume impactado em orelha esquerda foi encontrada em 33,0% da amostra e em 32,75% em orelha direita. Em 31% dos indivíduos encontrou-se deficiência física e a paralisia espástica foi a de maior incidência (15,5%). Em relação ao grau de deficiência mental, a grave foi a mais incidente (41,5%). Entre os 165 pacientes com cerume impactado na orelha direita, 25,5% tinha deficiência física e 7,5% com otite externa aguda; e entre os 161 pacientes com cerume impactado na orelha esquerda, 27,3% e otite externa aguda em 8,25%. Conclusão: os indivíduos com deficiência mental possuem uma incidência de cerume impactado significativamente maior. Em ambas as orelhas, notou-se que quanto maior o grau de deficiência mental, maior a chance de cerume impactado e otite externa aguda.

Introduction: cerumen impaction can cause symptoms such as tinnitus, dizziness, ear fullness and hearing loss. It is estimated that from 2% to 6% of the adult population has impacted or excess cerumen, with a higher incidence in patients with mental deficiency. Objective: this study aims to evaluate the incidence of impaction cerumen in 400 individuals with mental disabilities. Methods: longitudinal and prospective cohort study. This study included 400 patients aged 13 to 51 years, with a diagnosis of mental disability, associated or not with physical disability; considering gender, age, degree of mental deficiency, physical disability, presence of earwax and association with external auditory canal alterations such as acute external otitis. Results: the presence of impacted earwax in the left ear was found in 33.0% of the sample and in 32.75% in the right ear. In 31% of the individuals found physical disability, spastic paralysis was the one with the highest incidence (15.5%). In relation to the degree of mental deficiency, the severe one was the most incident (41.5%). Among the 165 patients with impacted earwax in the right ear, 25.5% had physical disability and 7.5% had acute external otitis; and among the 161 patients with impacted earwax in the left ear, 27.3% and acute external otitis in 8.25%. Conclusion: mentally handicapped individuals have a significantly higher impact incidence of cerumen than the population. In both ears, it was noted that the higher the degree of mental deficiency, the greater the chance of impacted earwax and acute external otitis.

Potential Risk of Respiratory Secretions in the Transmission of HBV Infection: A Review of the Literature.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant health problem around the world and may cause serious morbidity and mortality. The most common transmission routes are parenteral, sexual, perinatal and horizontal way. Identification of the risk factors for viral hepatitis transmission is the main rule to reduce the spread of this infection. The aim of this study was to review the possible occupational risk factors for nanparenteral transmission of Hepatitis B virus for health care workers, especially for otorhinolaryngologists. The Medline / PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases were searched by using different combinations of MeSH terms for HBV, transmission routes, and risk factors. The results were collected from articles published between January 2000 and July 2015. There were no language restriction during searching the data, whether the abstracts of the studies contain sufficient data were analysed. All searchable relevant data was evaluated and reviewed. The presence of viral particles, including HBsAg and / or HBV DNA in body secretions such as saliva, tears and cerumen may suggest the possibility of horizontal transmission of HBV infection. Therefore, the healthcare workers, particularly otorhinolaryngologists, ophthalmologists or other surgeons, audiologists, dentists, pulmonologists, intensive care specialists and nurses should pay special attention while applying the standard infection control precautions in order to prevent HBV infection in themselves and their patients.

Prevalence and Trend of Geriatric Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases at University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of otorhinolaryngologic diseases and the trend in the elderly people at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Study Design: Retrospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, between July 2001 and June 2015. Methodology: The clinical records of 421 elderly patients [202 (48%) males; 219 (52%) females; age range 65 – 103 years] with ear, nose, throat, head and neck symptoms were reviewed for all essential data which included demographics (age and sex) and clinical diagnoses. These were categorised into otologic, rhinologic, pharyngolaryngeal and face & neck cases. The results were presented in tabular forms and descriptive analysis performed. Results: The geriatrics otorhinolaryngologic cases constituted 4.1% of all the total new cases of otorhinolaryngologic diseases managed during the study period. Otorhinolaryngologic diagnoses made included otologic, rhinologic, pharyngolaryngeal and face & neck cases in 282 (67.0%), 64 (15.2%), 62 (14.7%), and 13 (3.1%) respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence and trend of geriatric otorhinolaryngologic diseases in Nigeria have not really changed despite the increase in life expectancy. Policy makers on health should be aware of this information and use it in planning health care programme for the elderly persons in Nigeria.

Does Hearing Aid Use Increase the Likelihood of Cerumen Impaction?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Impacted cerumen is a common condition in adults. It is commonly believed that wearing hearing aids may increase the cerumen impaction, although no empirical evidence exist. The current study was aimed at studying if the use of hearing aids increase the likelihood of impaction of cerumen. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study used retrospective design. The study sample included 164 consecutive patients who were referred to cerumen clinic from Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Wales. Audiologist classified the cerumen impaction into four categories (i.e., no cerumen; non-occluding cerumen; occluding cerumen; and fully non-occluding cerumen and debris). Chi-square analysis was performed to study the association between hearing aid use and cerumen impaction. RESULTS: The current study results showed no association between hearing aid use and cerumen impaction. Also, there was no association between right/left ear and cerumen impaction. CONCLUSIONS: These results interesting and contrary to our assumption that hearing aid use increases the likelihood of cerumen impaction. More well-controlled studies with prospective designs are needed to confirm if these results are accurate.

Anti-microbial properties of human wax.

Background: Human wax is a mixture of desquamated keratinocytes secreted in outer third of the wall of external auditory canal. The wax produced forms a physiological barrier between the external environment and deep external auditory canal. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of human wax due to its chemical composition have raised considerable debate. Different authors have different views regarding the antimicrobial property of human wax. Aims & Objective: Present study was undertaken to study the antimicrobial property of human wax and to assess its preventive actions against some common flora. Material and Methods: A prospective study of healthy individuals, both males and females, of all age groups, without any pathology in the external and middle auditory canal who presented at outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in this region and few other private hospitals. Samples were collected from patients and studied for their antimicrobial effect. Results were recorded and analysed. Results: A total of 100 cases were included in the study, of which 52 sterile samples were tested with some common microbial flora. Data obtained was analysed. Conclusion: Variable results have been observed by different authors regarding antimicrobial properties of human wax. Our study highlights the antimicrobial property of human wax and signifies the role of further studies for antibacterial and antifungal role of human wax in diseased auditory canals.

Effect of Otitis Media and Cerumen Occlusion on Body Temperature Measured by Thermometers / 소아감염

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of unilateral otitis media and unilateral cerumen occlusion of the ear canal on thermometers. METHODS: One hundred eighty six children with unilateral otitis media, fifty children with unilateral cerumen occlusion, and fifty children with neither otitis media nor cerumen were enrolled. Temperature was measured in both ear canals using thermometers. After 15 minutes, second temperature was measured again in both ears. Unilateral otitis media was graded by video otoscope for 7 grades. Differences in temperatures between affected ears and unaffected ears were analyzed. RESULTS: No temperature difference between the normal and cerumen groups was observed. The mean temperature of the otitis media ear canal was 0.13+/-0.20degrees C higher than that of the intact ear canal (36.99+/-0.54degrees C vs 36.86+/-0.52degrees C; P<0.001). There was no statistically significant temperature difference between grades. CONCLUSION: Unilateral otits media can affect estimation of body temperature measured by thermometers.

Microbiologic Study of the Ear Canal in Koreans / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to isolate bacteria and fungi from healthy ear canal in Koreans and compare with known pathogens. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Specimens were collected from the external ear swab and cerumen of 45 healthy volunteers from February 2003 to May 2003. RESULTS: Forty-five subjects were cultured. In 8 subjects, we failed to obtain enough cerumen. Three canal and 11 cerumen showed no growth. Forty-two canal specimens yielded 72 microorganisms, of which 84.7% were gram positive bacteria. Twenty-six cerumen specimens yielded 43 microorganisms and 76.7% of them were gram positive. Staphylococci was 76.4% of canal bacteria and 74.4% of cerumen bacteria. In both canal and cerumen, the most commonly isolated microorganism was Staphylococcus capitis. Coryneform bacteria were 6.9% of bacteria in canal and were not isolated from cerumen. Two Aspergillus species and one Penicillium species were isolated from canal and cerumen. CONCLUSION: Coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS) were found to be the predominant microorganism and, in particular, Staphylococcus capitis was the most commonly isolated microorganism from the normal external auditory canal in Koreans.

Determination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Cerumen by GC-MS / 环境与健康杂志

Objective To establish a method of GS-MS for determination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in human cerumen. Methods The PCBs in cerumen samples was separated by n-hexane extraction, liquid-liquid extraction separation and column chromatography purification, then was analyzed quantitatively by gas chromatography and affirmed qualitatively by mass spectroscopy. Results The detection limit, average recovery rate and precision of this method were 0.15 ?g/g fat, 92.1% and 3.0%-4.6% (n=12) respectively. The contents of PCBs in 90 cerumen samples collected in polluted and control areas were detected. The levels(0.00-18.42 ?g/g fat) of PCBs in cerumen collected in polluted area were significantly higher than that in the control area(P