Measuring nasal nitric oxide in allergic rhinitis patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare two sampling methods for nasal nitric oxide in healthy individuals and allergic rhinitis patients, and to examine the within-subject reliability of nasal nitric oxide measurement. METHODS: The study included 23 allergic rhinitis patients without concomitant asthma and 10 healthy individuals. For all participants, nitric oxide levels were measured non-invasively from the lungs through the mouth (i.e. the oral fractional exhaled nitric oxide) and the nose. Nasal nitric oxide was measured by two different methods: (1) nasal aspiration via one nostril during breath holding and (2) single-breath quiet exhalation against resistance through a tight facemask (i.e. the nasal fractional exhaled nitric oxide). RESULTS: Compared with healthy participants, allergic rhinitis patients had significantly higher average oral and nasal nitric oxide levels. All methods of nitric oxide measurement had excellent reliability. CONCLUSION: Nasal nitric oxide measurement is a useful and reliable clinical tool for diagnosing allergic rhinitis in patients without asthma in an out-patient setting.

Parapharyngeal space tumors: 61 case reviews.

Parapharyngeal tumors account for 0.5% of head and neck tumors. They are difficult to diagnose because they have few symptoms and are surgically inaccessible. This retrospective study included 61 patients with parapharyngeal space tumors, treated in the last 20 years. The data, obtained from the medical records, included symptoms and clinical signs, diagnostic procedures, surgical approach, postoperative complications and histopathological findings. The most common symptoms were dysphagia, foreign body sensation, pain, and symptom-free patients. For precise tumor localization and its relation to adjacent structures, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and contrast angiography were used. All the patients were treated surgically. The commonest surgical approach was transcervical, followed by transoral and combined transcervical-transoral. Histopathological examination verified that the origin of these tumors was most frequently salivary or neurogenic.

[Preliminary results of applying the inverse stapedotomy].

The authors have analyzed a group of 90 patients (105 operations) that have underwent stapes surgery over three years period. First group of 40 patients (45 operations) have been operated on by a classic stapedotomy from 2006 to 2007 and the second group of 50 patients (60 operations) by inverse stapedotomy in 2007. Manual perforator has been used in all of the patients. In a group of patients operated by inverse technique not a single case of floating basal plate has occurred during surgery. Rate of postoperative complaints regarding nausea and balance disorders was considerably lower when reversal of the steps has been used. Closure of air bone gap better than 20dB in about 80% patients in both series, with slight advantage of the inverse technique, but no statistically significant difference was proven. Inverse stapedotomy is efficient procedure as compared to classic stapedotomy with less intraoperative complications and postoperative complaints. Postoperative audiograms have shown similar improvement of hearing thresholds in both groups.

[Hearing damage caused by noise].

INTRODUCTION: Noise is most common profession risk, as well as risk from environment, for hearing loss. Top limit for industrial noise is 85 dB. OBJECTIVES: Aim of our study was to determined all number of recognized professional diseases in our country, as well as to see which of industries are with highest prevalence of professional hearing damage caused by noise. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We use an cohort study for analyzing patient histories which were hospitalised in the Institute of occupational health. All of them have recognized professional disease hearing loss. In order to be recognized as cases of a professional hearing damage, all of them had to satisfy all legal requirements. RESULTS: Average age of patients with professional damage of cochlear nerve was 50 y. They have high total time period as well as exposed time period. In 2003 and 2004 there was highest number of detected and recognized cases of such professional diseases. More than half of examined patients had lesion between 30 and 40 percent following tables of F. S. Most of them were metal and mining industry workers. CONCLUSION: Following results of the study we can conclude that regular medical examinations of workers in all industries are necessary, specially in metal and mining industry. It is also needed to use personal protection items and to provide appropriate medical education of both workers and the management staff of said industries in order to prevent this kind of profession disease.

[Bilateral vocal paralysis phonosurgery in adults].

Ordinary clinical manifestation of the patient with bilateral vocal fold paralysis is inability of abducting the cords with a result of narrowing the glottic space, causing inspiratory stridor and mild dysphonia. Such patients can be life threatened due to narrowing airway. Some kind of surgery has to be performed on these patients in order to enlarge the airway. When we treat patients with OPG, the most reasonable way is to gradually enlarge airway at glotic level and there are several surgical methods for achieving this. The least agresive and the safest procedures are posterior transversal cordectomy (PTC) or medial arytenoidectomy (MA), after which we can perform extended versions of some of these methods or combination of both. Bilateral vocal fold paralysis has to be diagnostically different from stenosis of posterior commissure, even though the procedures such as medial arytenoidectomy, posterior transversal cordectomy and total arytenoidectomy can be performed in both cases. The patients have to be explained that the aim of the procedure is to enlarge airway to the detriment of voice quality and voice capabilities.

Protease activities of Candida spp. isolated from otitis externa: preliminary result.

Otomycosis is a fungal infection of the ear predominantly caused by Candida and Aspergillus spp. The possible virulence factors of Candida spp. are enzymes, such as proteases, phospholipases, phosphatases and esterase. According to our knowledge, protease production in Candida strains isolated from patients with otomycosis has not been investigated. The present study was aimed at determining in vitro protease activity in 8 strains of Candida spp. (C. parapsilosis, C. famata, C. guilliermondii and C. albicans) isolated from children with otomycosis. A majority of isolated strains 7/8 (87.5%) were protease positive. The protease activity ranged from Pz 0.61 to 0.78. Further investigation is necessary to clarify the contribution of protease production to Candida virulence associated with otomycosis.

[Occult metastases in patients with supraglottic larynx cancer].

The treatment of patients with supraglottic laryngeal cancer still remains a controversal issue. The study comprised 193 patients with a supraglottic laryngeal carcinoma treated in the period 1986-2003. All patients had primary surgery. They all had clinically and ultrasonografically negative findings in the neck (N0). Bilateral selective neck dissection at the level II-III was performed in all patients at the time of primar surgery. Postoperative radiotherapy was given to all patients with verified occult metastases (60 Gy). The occult cervical node metastases were found in 18% (35/193). Ipsilateral occult metastases were more common (77%, 27/35), but both bilateral and contralateral spread was also seen (14%, 5/35 and 9%, 3/35, respectively). Only in two (1%) did metastases develop subsequently. The 5-years survival rate was 86%.