ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Inulin and oligofructose are prebiotic carbohydrates associated with numerous health benefits. The aim of this study was to accurately measure inulin and oligofructose intakes and to develop and validate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A 7-d semi-weighed food diary (FD) was used to measure intakes in 66 healthy subjects. A 23-item FFQ was developed to measure short-term inulin and oligofructose intakes over the same 7 days and was completed twice on 2 separate days. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in inulin intake (4.0 ± 1.3 vs 4.0 ± 1.4 g/d, P = 0.646) or oligofructose intake (3.8 ± 1.2 vs 3.8 ± 1.3 g/d, P = 0.864) when measured using the 7-d FD or the FFQ. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated low mean differences between the FD and FFQ in measuring intakes of inulin (-0.09 g/d) and oligofructose (-0.03 g/d). The FFQ categorised 89% of subjects into the same or adjacent tertiles of intakes as the 7-d FD. For the majority of food items, kappa values indicated 'substantial' or 'almost perfect' agreement for assignment of 'portion size' and 'frequency of consumption' between the FFQs completed on separate days. CONCLUSIONS: The FFQ is a valid and reliable method for measuring short-term inulin and oligofructose intakes for use in dietary surveys and clinical trials.
Subject(s)
Diet Surveys/instrumentation , Inulin/administration & dosage , Oligosaccharides/administration & dosage , Surveys and Questionnaires/standards , Adult , Diet Records , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Our aim was to explore the possibility of delineation of the facial nerve within the parotid gland and to differentiate between superficial and deep parotid lesions in relationship to it, using ultrasound, CT, MRI, MRI sialography (MRIS) and CT sialography (CTS). We examined 47 patients with clinically suspected parotid tumours by US, 31 of them also by CT, MRI and CTS, and 13 by MRIS as well. Low-intensity curvilinear structures seen on T1-weighted MRI were delineated better after intraductal gadolinium injection and proved to represent parotid ducts on CTS. Using the main parotid duct as a landmark, we distinguished parotid lesions as deep or superficial to the facial nerve by T1-weighted MRI images in 69% and by MRIS in all cases. The facial nerve itself was indistinguishable from the parotid gland in all our imaging methods.
Subject(s)
Diagnostic Imaging , Facial Nerve/pathology , Parotid Diseases/diagnosis , Parotid Gland/pathology , Parotid Neoplasms/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Image Enhancement , Infant , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Sialography , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
Acinous cell tumours of the larynx and trachea are extremely rare. A recent review of the literature has only found four reported cases. This short report describes such a patient and discusses her management in the light of previous articles. In view of its rarity in the laryngotracheal area and the uncertainty in the way in which the tumour should be managed, we thought the following case report and review of the literature would be of interest.
