Sudden sensorineural hearing loss: Is antiviral treatment really necessary?

OBJECTIVES: It was aimed to investigate the necessity of antiviral agents in the ISSHL treatment. METHODS: In this study, the patients, diagnosed with sudden hearing loss and admitted in the first 7 days of hearing loss were divided into two groups; a combination therapy was administered to one of the groups, and famciclovir was administered to the other group as an antiviral treatment in addition to the combined therapy. Both groups were compared in terms of levels of recovery. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in the recovery rates between the two groups (p=0.7). CONCLUSION: In this study, the additional antiviral treatment was found to have no effect on the remission rates in patients with ISSHL treated with combined therapy.

A Rare Cause of Acute Respiratory Distress: Cervical Ranula.

Plunging or cervical ranula is a mucus extravasation pseudocyst arising from the sublingual gland that is located below the mylohyoid muscle. Clinically, if large enough, cervical ranulas can affect swallowing, speech, chewing, and even breathing. The acute presentation of ranulas, which are clinically known as slow-growing, painless masses, is rare. In this study, we present a case of cervical ranula that grew in a short period of 3 days and resulted in respiratory distress and that was operated in our clinic.

[Investigation of mold fungi in air samples of elementary schools and evaluation of allergen-specific IgE levels in students' sera]. / Okul Siniflarinin Hava Örneklerinde Küf Mantarlarinin Arastirilmasi ve Ögrenci Serumlarinda Allerjene Özgül IgE Düzeylerinin Karsilastirilmasi

Atmospheric fungal spores play important role in allergic reactions in atopic individuals. Monitorization of those spores found in the environment of atopic cases is crucial for the choice of the antigens that will be included in allergen screening procedures and precautions to be taken against mold-originated health problems. Since most of the people spend plenty of time indoors in recent years, the effects of exposure to indoor air fungi on human health have gained importance. This study was aimed to investigate the indoor air mold distribution of elementary schools in Denizli province (located in west Anatolia, Turkey) and to compare the allergen-specific IgE levels of children against the most frequently detected mold genus. A questionnaire (MM080) was distributed to the 4967 students (6-8 year-old) attending first and second degrees of 16 different elementary schools with scattered locations in city center. This questionnaire form included the questions related to the general information about the child, school environment, allergic complaints since last year, home environment and nutrition. Response rate to the questionnaire was 51.6% (2565/4967). Air samples were collected from 18 classrooms in March 2009, during which high rates of allergic symptoms were observed according to the questionnaire results. Mold fungi belonging to 10 different genera (Penicillium spp. 46%; Aspergillus spp. 18%; Cladosporium spp. 17%; Alternaria spp. 15%; Drechslera spp. 1%; Chrysosporium, Fusarium, Conidiobolus and Cladothecium species 0.5%; unidentified 1%) were isolated from indoor air of classrooms. Since the most frequently detected mold was Penicillium spp. (46%), the 48 children with atopic symptoms were called to the hospital for the determination of total IgE and Penicillium specific IgE in their sera. Twenty two students accepted the invitation and serum total IgE (Immulite 2000; Diagnostic Product Corporation, USA) and allergen-specific IgE (Penicillium brevicompactum, Penicillium camemberti, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium commune, Penicillium expansum, Penicillium frequentans, Penicillium glaucum, Penicillium notatum, Penicillium roqueforti ve Penicillium viridicatum) (RIDASCREEN; R-Biopharm AG, Germany) levels were determined in those children. Total IgE levels above reference ranges were detected in 41% (9/22) of the screened sera samples. P.roqueforti, P.commune and P.camemberti antibodies were higher (Odds ratio as 5.50, 4.0 and 3.75, respectively) in sera with high total IgE levels. No independent variables were determined between individual and/or environmental factors and Penicillium-specific IgE antibodies. It was concluded that those three strains should be chosen as antigens for mold allergy screening tests which will be performed among atopic cases in our region. In conclusion it should be kept in mind that molds have a possible role in the development of allergic symptoms, however, they are not the sole determining factor in this process. In the investigation of the allergic diseases environmental factors should be considered and standardized methods should be applied.

[Investigation of keratinophilic fungi in Laodicea's recreation workshop]. / Laodikeia rekreasyon atölyesinde keratinofilik mantarlarin arastirilmasi.

Recreation ateliers in which archeological remnants are operated to be restorated to their original forms, are closed places with high humidity rates. The hands and the nails of archeology workers contact directly with the keratinophilic fungi during recreation facilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and distribution of keratinophilic fungi in Laodikeia antique city's recreation atelier (Pamukkale region; Aegean part of Turkey). A total of 18 archeological remnant samples were collected from Laodikeia recreation atelier during the digging period of 2006. The samples were screened for the prevalence of keratinophilic fungi by hair baiting technique and the isolates were identified by conventional mycological methods. Of the samples 38.9% (7/18) were found positive and the distribution of keratinophilic fungi were as follows; Chrysosporium spp. (22.2%) (two of them were C. keratinophilum), Aphanoascus spp. (11.1%), Auxarthron spp. (5.5%) and Trichophyton rubrum (5.5%). It was concluded that the patient histories including living and working conditions, may be helpful to identify the keratinophilic fungi growing on cycloheximide containing mycologic media and archeology workers should be informed for the diseases caused by environmental keratinophilic fungi.