ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hearing loss (HL) in childhood is a significant disability with severe consequences for educational, cognitive, and social-emotional success. Nevertheless, prevalence estimates for HL in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are based on scarce data. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of HL in a sample of primary school children from a rural province of Zimbabwe. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on primary school children aged 4-13 years from a rural Zimbabwean province. In the quietest room available, participants underwent audiometry, video otoscopy, and tympanometry. Hearing loss was defined as a pure-tone average > 25 dB. Risk factors of hearing loss were evaluated via a questionnaire. Furthermore, to enable comparison with similar studies, HL prevalence was calculated according to two other commonly used definitions. RESULTS: A total of 451 pupils were included, of which 10.6% (95% CI 7.8-13.5) met the study criteria for HL. Conductive HL (95.1%) was nineteen times more prevalent than sensorineural HL (4.9%). Otitis media was the underlying cause in 40% of all cases of HL. The prevalence of clinically significant HL varied depending on the definition applied, i.e., 0.4% (95% CI -0.2-1.0) in the worst World Health Organisation category as opposed to 4.2% (95% CI 2.4-4.1) in the worst American Speech-Hearing Association category. CONCLUSIONS: Hearing loss was common in this sample of primary school children from a rural province in Zimbabwe.
Subject(s)
Hearing Loss , Acoustic Impedance Tests , Adolescent , Audiometry, Pure-Tone , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Hearing Loss/diagnosis , Hearing Loss/epidemiology , Hearing Loss/etiology , Humans , Prevalence , Zimbabwe/epidemiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE. Organ-specific nonregional and regional lymph nodes vary considerably among tumors. Nonregional lymph node involvement equals metastasis, which is critical to detect to ensure correct tumor staging, management, and prognosis. Knowledge of nodal nomenclature and anatomy is therefore essential in every cross-sectional imaging study. CONCLUSION. This article reviews the most important changes and highlights of the N category of the American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition of the TNM classification for urogenital cancers.
Subject(s)
Diagnostic Imaging/methods , Lymphatic Metastasis/diagnostic imaging , Urogenital Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Urogenital Neoplasms/pathology , Humans , Lymph Nodes/diagnostic imaging , Lymphatic Metastasis/pathology , Neoplasm StagingABSTRACT
Clinical use of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) and dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) has been well established for more than a decade. Improved software and decreased postprocessing time have increased the advantages and availability of DECT and DSCT imaging. In this article, we will provide a practical guide for implementation of DECT and DSCT in clinical practice and discuss automated processing and selection of CT protocols in neurologic, cardiothoracic, vascular, body, and musculoskeletal imaging.
Subject(s)
Radiography, Dual-Energy Scanned Projection/instrumentation , Radiography, Dual-Energy Scanned Projection/methods , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/instrumentation , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods , Female , Humans , Male , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted , Sex Factors , Software , Time FactorsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE. The N category has been significantly updated in the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer's TNM classification. To ensure correct tumor staging, prognosis, and management, it is critical to be aware of these changes. This article reviews the updated N category, organ-specific regional lymph nodes, and lymphatic drainage pathways for cancers of the digestive system from the esophagus to the anal canal. CONCLUSION. Detection of lymph node involvement may be challenging, and knowledge of nodal characteristics, lymphatic drainage pathways, and imaging modalities is essential to optimize detection rate to ensure accurate staging, prognosis estimation, and streamlined management.
Subject(s)
Diagnostic Imaging/standards , Digestive System Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Digestive System Neoplasms/pathology , Lymphatic Metastasis/diagnostic imaging , Lymphatic Metastasis/pathology , Medical Oncology/standards , Humans , Neoplasm Staging , PrognosisABSTRACT
Introduction. The Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index (MFPDI) is a 19-item questionnaire for the assessment of disability caused by foot pain. The aim was to develop a Danish language version of the MFPDI (MFPDI-DK) and evaluate its reproducibility and construct validity. Methods. A Danish version was created, following a forward-backward translation procedure. A sample of 84 adult patients with foot pain was recruited. Participants completed two copies of the MFPDI-DK within a 24- to 48-hour interval, along with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36), and a pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Reproducibility was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95% limits of agreement (Bland-Altman plot). Construct validity was evaluated with Pearson's Rho, using a priori hypothesized correlations with SF-36 subscales and VASmean. Results. The MFPDI-DK showed very good reliability with an ICC of 0.92 (0.88-0.95). The 95% limits of agreement ranged from -6.03 to 6.03 points. Construct validity was supported by moderate to very strong correlations with the SF-36 physical subscales and VASmean. Conclusion. The MFPDI-DK appears to be a valid and reproducible instrument in evaluating foot-pain-related disability in Danish adult patients in cross-sectional samples. Further research is needed to test the responsiveness of the MFPDI-DK.
