Acta Oto-Laryngologica最新文献

Background: Cervical necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) is a life-threatening bacterial infection with a diagnostic challenge. Currently, there is insufficient evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of inflammatory indicators in CNF.

Objective: This study aims to identify key inflammatory indicators and assess their diagnostic accuracy for CNF.

Methods: A diagnostic case-control study was conducted at a tertiary healthcare facility from January 2020 to December 2023. Laboratory data from patients with CNF and non-CNF at admission were evaluated. Key inflammatory indicators were identified through consistent outcomes from multivariable logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curves analyses. The diagnostic accuracy of these indicators, with the results of combined tests, were calculated.

Results: CNF was confirmed in 21 of the 67 patients investigated. C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were identified as key inflammatory indicators, with sensitivities of 0.905 and 0.810, and specificities of 0.870 and 0.913, respectively, at CRP threshold of 165.0 mg/L and NLR of 15.8. Combining CRP and NLR in parallel and serial tests increased sensitivity to 0.952 and specificity to 1.0, respectively.

Conclusions and significance: CRP and NLR have been verified as key inflammatory indicators with satisfactory diagnostic abilities for CNF diagnosis, providing a strong foundation for future studies.

Background: To decide what programming parameters to use for cochlear implants (CIs) in partial deaf patients can be challenging.

Objective: The processor programming form, categorised as electrical complement (EC), electro-acoustic-stimulation (EAS) or electric stimulation (ES), and difficulties switching programming form were investigated.

Methods: A retrospective investigation of medical records and audiograms was conducted in adult patients intended for EC and EAS.

Results: Eighty-four ears (80 patients) were included. Twenty ears were initially fitted with EC, 32 with EAS, 30 with ES and 2 with both EC and EAS. Sixty-four ears met the criteria to use EC or EAS at initial fitting, however only 54 ears were fitted with EC or EAS initially. Twenty-eight patients altered between at least two programming forms and six of those experienced difficulties to adapt to a new form when their low-frequency hearing deteriorated. Twenty-five percent of patients initially fitted with EC or EAS switched programming form within two years.

Discussion: Further studies on how to choose the most beneficial sound processor programming parameters for EC and EAS, and when to change between programming forms, are warranted as well as clear guidance on choosing the right candidates for EC and EAS.

Background: Previous studies found that in patients with profound hearing loss the NEO- personality factor Openness-to-experience is lowered.

Objective: Assuming that lowered Openness-to-experience may be due to limited access to sounds, we hypothesized that levels of Openness-to-experience would increase in these patients after cochlear implantation.

Material and methods: Twenty adults (mean age: 61 years; active CI users) with bilateral profound hearing loss were assessed with the NEO-Five-Factor-Inventory before cochlear implantation (pre) and five years later (post).

Results: No significant pre-post changes in personality were seen. Both before and five years after cochlear implantation, the sample had normal age- and gender-specific mean values on the factors Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness (T ≈ 50), but significantly lowered mean values on Openness-to-experience (T ≈ 42, p < 0.001).

Conclusions and significance: Cochlear implantation apparently has no (or at best very little) effect on Openness-to-experience in profoundly hearing impaired patients. While this study demonstrates once again, that high-grade hearing loss may be associated with less openness to new experiences, the reason for this association remains unclear.

Background: Therapeutic options are limited for patients with intractable Meniere's disease who present with recurrent episodes of vertigo and drop attacks.

Aims/objectives: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of simultaneous semicircular canal plugging and vestibular plugging in the treatment of Meniere's disease with drop attacks.

Material and methods: This was a single-center study with a 6-month post-operative follow-up. It included five patients with intractable Meniere's disease who presented with recurrent vertigo and drop attacks. All patients underwent surgery of semicircular canal plugging and vestibular plugging. The main outcome measures were vertigo control, drop attack control, hearing, and vestibular function; they were evaluated pre- and post-operatively.

Results: Of the five patients, none had a recurrence of drop attacks; four had no recurrence of vertigo, and one patient had one episode of vertigo. Two patients had residual hearing before surgery, which was preserved postoperatively. All patients showed altered results in vestibular tests.

Conclusions: Semicircular canal plugging and vestibular plugging appear to be an effective treatment for intractable Meniere's disease presenting with recurrent vertigo and drop attacks. More studies are needed to confirm these results.

Significance: This novel surgical procedure can control vestibular symptoms of Meniere's disease while hopefully preserving the hearing function.

Background: All Nordic countries have national cancer registries collecting data on head and neck cancer (HNC) incidence and survival. However, there is a lack of consensus on how other quality aspects should be monitored.

Aims: We conducted a web-based survey to find opportunities for quality control and improvement.

Methods: A web-based survey was sent to one otorhinolaryngology - head and neck (ORL-HN) surgeon, and one oncologist at each Nordic university hospital treating HNC. In total, 42 responses from all 21 university hospitals were included.

Results: In over half of the university hospitals, an oncologist, an ORL-HN surgeon, a pathologist, a radiologist, and a specialized nurse was always present at the multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) meeting. Of 42 respondents 35 (83%) agreed that treatment delays were systematically recorded for each patient. Eleven of 21 (52%) oncologists agreed that side-effects of (chemo)radiotherapy were systematically recorded. Less than half of the respondents agreed that complications of surgery, and post-treatment quality of life (QOL) were systematically recorded.

Conclusions: In the Nordic countries, the importance of HNC treatment timelines is well acknowledged. There is a lack of consensus on the composition of MTB meeting, and how treatment-related morbidity should be monitored outside clinical trials.