Cardiovascular risk and severity factors in patients admitted to hospital for spontaneous epistaxis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the role of cardiovascular risk factors, intake of drugs altering hemostasis and severity signs in patients admitted with spontaneous epistaxis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A single-center retrospective study covering a 7-year period in a university hospital center included 205 patients admitted with spontaneous epistaxis. Study variables comprised: cardiovascular risk factors (cardiovascular disease or history of cardiovascular disease with hemorrhagic or thromboembolic risk, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, dyslipidemia), intake of drugs altering hemostasis, blood pressure and minimum hemoglobin level during hospital stay. Groups of serious and non-serious epistaxis were distinguished. RESULTS: There were no significant inter-group differences for mean age, sex ratio, history of high blood pressure or number of cardiovascular risk factors. Serious epistaxis was associated with significantly lower blood pressure and hemoglobinemia. Number of cardiovascular risk factors correlated with probability of blood transfusion. CONCLUSION: The real influence of the various study factors, including severity factors, on onset of spontaneous epistaxis remains to be elucidated.

Impact of pre-operative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D on post-operative serum calcium in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for benign goitre: retrospective study of 246 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether pre-operative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D has an impact on post-operative parathyroid hormone and serum calcium levels in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for benign goitre. METHODS: This single-centre, retrospective study comprised 246 unselected surgical patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy for bilateral, benign, multinodular goitre. The correlation between pre-operative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and post-operative serum parathyroid hormone and serum calcium was studied to determine whether low pre-operative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was predictive of post-operative hypocalcaemia. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients (32 per cent) had post-operative hypocalcaemia. Eighteen patients (7.32 per cent) experienced unintentional parathyroidectomy (1 parathyroid gland in 15 patients, 2 parathyroid glands in 3 patients). In univariate analysis, pre-operative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was not correlated with post-operative serum calcium (p = 0.69) or post-operative serum parathyroid hormone (p = 0.5804). Furthermore, in multivariate analysis, which took into account unintentional parathyroidectomy, no correlation was found (p = 0.33). Bilateral unintentional parathyroidectomy was statistically associated with post-operative hypocalcaemia (p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Pre-operative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D did not appear to have any impact on post-operative serum calcium in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for benign goitre.

Evaluation of cardiovascular risks and recovery of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in hospitalised patients: comparison between complete and partial sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and recovery of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in hospitalised patients. METHODS: A single-centre retrospective study of 80 patients hospitalised for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss was conducted over a 6-year period. Mean pure tone hearing thresholds were assessed by pure tone audiometry. RESULTS: Twenty-three of 80 patients (28.75 per cent) initially had no cardiovascular risk factors. Forty-five patients had hyperlipidaemia, 22 patients had hypertension, 7 patients had diabetes mellitus and 7 patients were obese. No statistically significant difference was observed between patients with complete versus partial sudden sensorineural hearing loss (p = 0.0708) concerning the cardiovascular risk factors. At long-term follow up, the hearing recovery rate was not significantly different between the two groups of patients (p = 0.7541). CONCLUSION: The lack of a clear relationship between idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss and cardiovascular risk factors suggests that sudden sensorineural hearing loss has a predominantly multifactorial disease profile regardless of hearing impairment severity.

Intra-operative neuromonitoring of the vagus nerve during thyroidectomy. A prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether intra-operative neuromonitoring (IONM) of the vagus nerve during thyroidectomy can predict postoperative vocal fold palsy. DESIGN: A single-centre, prospective study. SETTING: University Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 95 patients underwent thyroid surgery. A total of 160 vagus nerves were studied. The amplitude of the action potential of vocal muscles was recorded intra-operatively by indirect supramaximal stimulation of the vagus nerve. All patients underwent flexible fibre-optic laryngoscopy on postoperative day 1 to detect the presence of vocal fold palsy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was the difference of the action potential amplitude of the vagus nerve before and after resection of the thyroid lobe. Statistical analysis determined the amplitude variation cut-off able to accurately predict postoperative vocal fold palsy. RESULTS: Transient vocal fold palsy was observed in 4.375% of cases, and permanent fold palsy was observed in 1.25% of cases. A decrease of the action potential amplitude by more than 61% was statistically significantly associated with postoperative vocal fold palsy. A greater than 87% decrease of the amplitude of the action potential was correlated with permanent postoperative vocal fold palsy. CONCLUSION: IONM of the vagus nerve during thyroidectomy may accurately predict postoperative vocal fold palsy.

A radiologic and anatomic study of the superior semicircular canal.

OBJECTIVES: The present study sought to determine whether there is a correlation between the prevalence of superior semicircular canal (SSC) dehiscence (SSCD) on temporal CT and population age. The secondary objective was to identify anatomic factors for SSCD by studying SSC diameter and its protrusion into the middle cranial fossa. The aim was to determine the acquired or congenital origin of SSCD (Minor's syndrome). MATERIAL AND METHOD: A single-center retrospective radiological and anatomic study included 180 CT scans of 354 petrous parts of the temporal bone taken between January and December 2011 in a university hospital center. Bone thickness above the SSC was measured and classified in 4 grades: grade 1, >2.5mm; grade 2, <2.5mm: grade 3, predehiscent; grade 4, dehiscent. SSC diameter was also measured, as was the height of SSC protrusion into the middle cranial fossa. RESULTS: SSCD was found in 0.8% of cases and predehiscence in 12%. Patients with dehiscence were older; patients with grade 3 or 4 were significantly older than those free of dehiscence (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in SSC diameter according to grade. In grade 1, protrusion was greater than in other subjects, with a significant correlation between age and reduced protrusion (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated a correlation between aging and SSCD prevalence. Reduced SSC roof height with age suggests that SSCD may be an acquired phenomenon, related in some way to aging of the base of the skull.