Taste and Smell Alterations (TSAs) in Cancer Patients.

Recently, smell and taste disorders have seen renewed interest, as these symptoms are frequent complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection, since approximately 60% of patients affected by COVID-19 have shown olfactory and gustatory alterations. Otolaryngology pays attention to taste and smell abnormalities (TSAs), especially when associated with oncology. TSAs are common symptoms in people affected by cancer, yet they are ignored and underestimated. The clinical outcome of TSAs in cancer evidences the importance of identifying them with chemotherapy or radiotherapy in general, and they are associated with many types of cancer. We recognize the findings of the literature on TSAs in cancer, evaluating how it is important to consider and identify these disorders concerning reduced food enjoyment or inappropriate nutrient intake, and modulating the nutritional status, quality of life, and impact of therapy. This review aims to critically evaluate and recognize the assessment and clinical perspectives of taste and smell disorders in a cancer population.

Oxidative Stress in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: Putative Pathways to Hearing System Impairment.

INTRODUCTION: OSAS is a disease that affects 2% of men and 4% of women of middle age. It is a major health public problem because untreated OSAS could lead to cardiovascular, metabolic, and cerebrovascular complications. The more accepted theory relates to oxidative stress due to intermittent hypoxia, which leads, after an intense inflammatory response through multiple pathways, to endothelial damage. The objective of this study is to demonstrate a correlation between OSAS and hearing loss, the effect of the CPAP on hearing function, and if oxidative stress is also involved in the damaging of the hearing system. METHODS: A review of the literature has been executed. Eight articles have been found, where seven were about the correlation between OSAS and the hearing system, and only one was about the CPAP effects. It is noted that two of the eight articles explored the theory of oxidative stress due to intermittent hypoxia. RESULTS: All studies showed a significant correlation between OSAS and hearing function (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Untreated OSAS affects the hearing system at multiple levels. Oxidative stress due to intermittent hypoxia is the main pathogenetic mechanism of damage. CPAP has no effects (positive or negative) on hearing function. More studies are needed, with the evaluation of extended high frequencies, the execution of vocal audiometry in noisy environments, and the evaluation of potential biomarkers due to oxidative stress.

Facial nerve dehiscence and cholesteatoma: Pediatrics vs adults.

OBJECTIVES: the aim of this paper is to study the incidence of facial canal dehiscence (FCD) in pediatric and non-pediatric patients, analyzing eventual differences in frequency, localization, primary or revision surgery and duration of the disease. METHODS: 527 patients suffering from chronic otitis media with acquired cholesteatoma, divided into two groups, those aged 18 years or over (470 patients), and those aged below 18 years (57 patients). RESULTS: Total incidence of FCD in adult population was 25,7% (121/470) and 7% (4/57) in pediatric one. Globally higher values were found in revision surgery, 43,5% (40/92) in adults and 16,7% (1/7) in children. Diseases longer than 5 years have been correlated to higher incidence of FCD in adults, 29,9% (109/364), than in pediatrics, 7,3% (3/41). No statistical significant difference has been found in those with a disease shorter than 5 years: 11,3% in adults (12/106) and 6,2% in children (1/16). The majority of patients, both adults and pediatrics, had a dehiscence in the tympanic tract of facial nerve. No statistical correlation regarding concomitant semicircular canal fistula and FCD has been found due to the absence of data in children. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of FCD is higher in adult population than in pediatric. Adults have a higher incidence in primary surgery than children. No statistical significant difference has been found in adults and pediatrics with a less than 5 years disease, while diseases longer than 5 years expose adults to higher risk of FCD. Middle tract of tympanic segment is the most involved site of dehiscence in both populations.