Influence of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on TEOAEs recordings

Influence of occlusal vertical dimension on cervical spine mobility in sports subjects

Introduction: In the scientific literature, a number of studies have reported conflicting results regarding the effects of occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) on sports-related skills. The purpose of this study was to increase OVD in sports subjects so as to specifically investigate the influence on cervical spine mobility. In particular, we measured cervical range of motion (ROM) before and after increasing OVD in individuals, either with or without malocclusion, analyzing both sports and sedentary subjects. Materials and methods: Participants were divided into two groups: a sports group (SG) and a control group (CG), each including 18 subjects. The SG was composed of sports subjects (age: 2…

FOLLOW-UP AFTER PEDIATRIC MYRINGOPLASTY: OUTCOME AT 5 YEARS

Aim. The aim of this paper was to evaluate anatomical and functional outcomes 5 years after myringoplasty in children affected by perforated eardrum. To analyze the main differences in the frequency of postoperative complications between patients under and over 9 years of age. Methods. One hundred and thirty-two children, aged from 4 to 15 years, who underwent myringoplasty with or without mastoidectomy, were followed for a five-year period after surgery. The cohort was divided in two groups: children from 4 to 9 years old (G1) and patients older than 9 years (G2); all subjects underwent a pre- and post-operatively clinical exam and were evaluated through audiometry and impedenzometry. Aden…

Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the tonsil: A new management

Introduction: Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare tumor of all plasma cell neoplasms. The tumor is mainly localized in the head and neck region, but rarely involving the tonsil. Case presentation: The authors report the 5th case of EMP of the tonsil in the literature occurred in a 57-year-old Caucasian male. Conclusions: Through a review of the relevant literature, we consider adjuvant radiotherapy not necessary for EMP of tonsil because of an adequate resection achieved by surgery.

Guide to the management of complications in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS)

Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is one of the most commonly performed procedures in otolaryngology. ESS complications should be distinguished in minor and major based on the treatment they need and the permanent sequelae they can cause. Over the years it has gone from an incidence of complications in endoscopic surgery of 8% for the major and 21% for the minor to a percentage of 0-1.5% and 1.1-20.8%, respectively. This is due to the considerable diffusion of the technique with a progressive increase over the years of the surgical experience but their presence help to educate otolaryngologists and patients about complication rates in ESS in a modern context. A complication occurs when injurie…

VESTIBULAR AND PROPRIOCEPTIVE REHABILITATION STRATEGY IN ACOUSTIC NEURINOMA

Rehabilitation therapy can be used to treat balance disorders via exercises organized into anatomo-pathological protocols. In general, there is an indication for rehabilitation whenever compensation of a patient’s vestibular system fails to adequately resolve spontaneously. Although the therapeutical indications have expanded over time, it is especially useful to treat balance disorders in neurological patients and those with acute damage to the vestibular system. Specifically, it favors and accelerates spontaneous central compensation in a variety of neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, cerebellar pathologies or in brain tumors like Vestibular Schwannoma …

Frontal sinus osteoma and palpebral abscess: Case report

Osteomas of the paranasal sinuses are slow-growing, benign tumours most frequently found in the frontal sinus with an incidence that varies from 47% to 80% of the cases; there are often no symptoms and they are diagnosed by chance during an x-ray examination. The symptoms are usually headaches and those secondary to ocular or neurological complications. The therapy to be preferred is surgery. The authors describe a case of frontal osteoma complicated by frontal sinusitis and palpebral abscess.

Association between sleep-disordered breathing and hearing disorders: Clinical observation in Sicilian patients

Introduction: To examine the putative association between Sleep-Disordered breathing and hearing disorders Material and methods: 120 Sicilian subjects ranging from 14 to 85 years of age who were divided in 46 cases suffering from tinnitus (G1 group) and 74 controls (G2 group) were evaluated through STOP BANG screening questionnaire and Four-Variable Screening Tool; after Data collecting each subject underwent Audiological assessment by multi-frequency audiometry (PTA) and Transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE-diagnostic) for each ear. Results: Cases showed: PTA significantly severe than the control group (58.70% vs. 16.89% hearing loss; P<0.001), such as a lower signal-to-noise r…

Presbyastasis: from diagnosis to management

Currently, the elderly population (>65 years old) is in very growth. In fact, in Italy old age index (number of elderly per 100 persons under the age of 14 years) is estimated to be 157,7 and is projected to increase to 257,9 in the year 20651,2. The increase of the elderly population determines the increase of the age-dependent diseases including also impairment of the vestibular function, this problem is defined "presbiastasia". Patient suffering from this condition exhibit disturbances of static and dynamic postural control with far less frequent cases of relapsing objective rotatory vertigo. Occasionally, they also report a feeling of insecurity in new or unknown environments, increa…

Newborn hearing screening in Sicily: Lesson learned

Mediterranean diet and dietary protein supplementation as possible predicting variables of weight management: An update of the protein project

Introduction: The Mediterranean diet is known to support the prevention of several chronic diseases and excessive weight gains. However, relevant investigations were performed in a clinical setting and healthy and physical active individuals were not considered. The aim of this study was therefore to understand the effects of protein supplements intake on body mass index (BMI) in healthy active individuals following the Mediterranean diet. Materials and methods: A face-to-face questionnaire was administered to 667 subjects, 627 living in a Mediterranean area (MD) and 40 in a non-Mediterranean area (NMD); questionnaire enquired dietary behaviors, including a comparison between dietary patter…

Effects of tinnitus on postural control and stabilization: A pilot study

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the tinnitus's impacts on postural control. Material and methods: Sixty-six subjects (age: 46,71 ± 15,12 years, height 166,32 ± 8,88 cm, weight 64,85 ± 12,57 kg) with idiopathic tinnitus were recruited for the study and were tested. Each subject underwent to ‘Romberg test’, ‘Static balance’ and ‘posture analysis’. Static balance and posture analysis were performed two times, with open and close eyes, and were measured through the FreeMed posturography system. Results: showed that subjects had worse Baropodometric performances respect to benchmarks; moreover according to literature the results show that these patients had significant differ…

Pharmacological treatment of sensorineural hearing loss

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a common and alarming symptom of about 360 million people that suffer from hearing impairment worldwide. The sudden sensorineural hearing loss usually arises unilaterally and it is habitually described as greater than 30dB hearing reduction, attributable to lesions of the cochlea, cranial nerve VIII, brainstem and temporal lobe. There are many factor that promote the onset of this lesions such us infections, circulatory diseases, inner ear neoplasia and neurological disorders. This pathology is characterized by primary symptoms such as the impairment of the comprehension of spoken language and the struggling to listen to music. Subsequently, secondary sy…

Role of cannabinoids in the treatment of tinnitus

Tinnitus is a frequent symptom in audiological clinical practice characterized by an abnormal noise perceived in one or both ears or in the head, in which a patient has a conscious hearing percept in absence of external sound. Tinnitus might be caused by a homeostatic response of central dorsal cochlear nucleus auditory neurons that makes them hyperactive in compensation to auditory input loss. One hypothesis suggests that tinnitus is a sensory form of epilepsy that involves the cochlear nucleus and the inferior colliculus, which display impairment in the electrical activity in the auditory system. This alteration determines a synaptic plasticity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus that becomes …

Diagnosis and follow-up of complex congenital malformations/mental retardation (MRA/MR)

Complex congenital malformations, associated in 30% of cases with mental retardation, recognize different etiologies: environmental causes, mendelian disease, chromosomal abnormalities, imprinted anomalies. Frequently complex congenital disorders are rare diseases. Rare diseases are infrequent pathological conditions (prevalence in the general population of less than 1/2.000 live births1), and often poorly understood. Because of their rarity these morbid conditions often either go undiagnosed or are diagnosed late with a negative impact for both the affected person and the family. The birth prevalence is high (2-4% of all births). The diagnosis is essential to program complex and integrated…

Pseudoaneurysm of superior thyroid artery following a transesophageal echocardiography: A case presentation

The pseudo-aneurysm is an encapsulated hematoma of post-traumatic origin which is in communication with the lumen of the artery of relevance. We present a rare case of pseudo-aneurysm occurring after superior thyroid trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) and external cardioversion. Singular occurrence in otolaryngology, if not recognized early a pseudo-aneurysm can result in dramatic events such cataclysmic bleeding or acute occlusion of the upper airway.

Influence on the transient evoked otoacoustic emission by GSM 915 MHz electromagnetic fields: comparative analysis between control and exposed groups

The role of temporomandibular disorders in the genesis of tinnitus

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are musculoskeletal pain conditions characterized by pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and/or mastication muscles. Patients with TMD are frequently affected by otolaryngological symptoms like tinnitus, with a prevalence ranging from 2% to 59% of cases. There is still a debate in the scientific community about the relationship between tinnitus and TMD and actually the causal connection between them is not well understood. A possible explanation could be found in the ontogenetic development and in the mechanical and neuronal connections of the masticatory system and the middle ear. Additionally a potential role of TMD in tinnitus onset is suggested by…

Postural disorders in patients with dizziness: From postural analysis to vestibular rehabilitation programs

Postural control is regulated by a feedback and feedforward mechanism in which the central nervous system integrates several afferent information and constantly modulates the tone of the tonic postural system through efferent inputs. However, in pathological conditions, this mechanism is altered due to the non-physiological afferent inputs coming from the aberrant sensory organ. In particular, because of the vestibular system provides information regards sense of position and perception of movement of the head in the space, it represents a fundamental postural receptor in order to maintain static and dynamic body balance. Therefore, in vestibular disorders such as in patients suffering from…

Upper respiratory tract infections in children: From case history to management

Respiratory tract infections are the most common diseases in childhood. The respiratory tract, widely branched system of ducts, is particularly exposed to the action of microorganisms transmitted by air from here the high frequency of infections they face especially in the first years of life. It is usual distinguish: upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). In particular, in infections of the upper airways, the inflammatory process, result of the interaction between microbes and the immune response, can be localized to the mucosa of the nose or sinuses (common cold and sinusitis), or the pharynx or larynx (pharyngotonsillitis and laryngitis) …

Effects of adenotonsillectomy on neurocognitive and behavioural function in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Effects of adenotonsillectomy on neurocognitive and behavioural function in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Objectives: Aim of this study is to verify the presence of neurocognitive, neurobehavioral or sleep disturbances in children affected by adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and verify their improvement after Adeno-Tonsillectomy (AT). Methods: Eighty children suffering from adenotonsillar hypertrophy and OSAS were recruited for AT in the ENT Department of the University of Palermo. All the children underwent clinical evaluation, including rhinofibroscopy for grading the obstruction due to the adenotonsillar hypertrophy (before and 6 …

Frontal sinus osteoma complicated by palpebral abscess: case report.

Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor of the Larynx: Case report.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMT) of the larynx are uncommon lesions that easily may be misinterpreted as malignant epithelial or mesenchymal spindle cell neoplasms. When located in the upper airway, IMTs tend to be less aggressive, but have the potential for local invasion and recurrence. The authors describe a rare case of IMT in a 47 year old man, occurring in the vocal fold who underwent surgical treatment five times, because of its higher recurrence rate