CSOM; ossicular damage in atticoantral variant

The current study aims to find the extent of ossicular chain damage in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media, associated with cholesteotoma and/or granulation tissue formation. Descriptive study. The study was conducted at the department of ENT unit 1, Jinnah hospital/ Allama Iqbal Medical College Lahore from March, 2007 to March, 2008. A total of fifty consecutive patients presenting with atticoantral disease of different age groups were included in the study. All patients were examined clinically and under microscope. X- rays mastoids and pure tone audiometry was done in all patients. Mastoid exploration was done in all the patients and ossicullar status was assessed peroperatively. Canal wall down procedure was adopted in all the patients. Among different age groups included, majority [more than 70%] of them, were below 30 years of age, showing that atticoantral variant of CSOM is a disease of the young people. Males were more in number [70%]. Duration of the symptoms was usually prolonged. On radiological examination, 39 cases [78%] had sclerotic mastoid. Audiological records of patients showed the air bone gap of more than 40 dB in most of [78%] of patients. Perforation was marginal in most of the patients [64%]. In gross pathologic findings, cholesteotoma only, was seen in 21 cases [42%], granulations seen in 13[26%] cases, while cholesteotoma and granulations seen in 16 cases [32%]. All cases showed erosion of the ossicles, complete or partial. Incus was a most commonly involved ossicle. Chronic suppurative otitis media, atticoantral variant do commonly damage the ossicles and routinely it is multiossicular damage. Incus, is damaged most with involvement of its long process

Pregnancy induced rhinitis

Objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the occurrence of nasal congestion during pregnancy. Nasal congestion during pregnancy in 54 patients was evaluated at 12, 20, 28 and 36 weeks and was correlated to age, parity and body mass index. Results were recorded on the basis of subjective experience of patients. The prevalence of nasal congestion increased during pregnancy and occurred in 16% of women at 12 weeks of gestation, in 25% at 20 weeks, in 29% at 28 weeks and in 30% at 36 weeks. It was more common in multiparous women. Age and body mass index were not associated with nasal stuffiness. More than half of the patients reported nasal congestion for more than two weeks during pregnancy. Nasal congestion should be recognized and referred for treatment to improve the quality of pregnancy