Evaluation of olfactory function in adults with primary hypothyroidism.

BACKGROUND: Sufficient clinical data are not available on the effect of hypothyroidism on olfactory function in adults. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the olfactory function of adult patients diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism. METHODS: Forty-five patients aged between 18 and 60 years who were diagnosed with clinical primary hypothyroidism and 45 healthy controls who had normal thyroid function tests were included in the study. Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test results of the 2 groups were compared. The relationships between thyroid function tests and olfactory parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: Odor threshold, identification, and discrimination scores of the hypothyroid group were significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was detected between free triiodothyronine (FT3) levels and odor threshold, identification, and discrimination scores (p < 0.001). There was no significant relationship between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) or free thyroxine (FT4) levels and olfactory parameters. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed diminished olfactory function in adults with hypothyroidism. FT3 levels were found to have a more significant relationship with olfactory parameters than TSH or FT4 levels.

Endoscopic removal of giant intranasal schwannoma.

Schwannoma is a benign neoplasm originating from schwann cells of the peripheral nerve sheath. Although nearly half of all schwannomas involve the head and neck region, nasal and paranasal sinus presentations are very rare in the literature. We present a case of nasal schwannoma originating from the right nasal cavity. A 59-year-old man presented with complaints of progressive right nasal obstruction and headache. Endoscopic examinations revealed a mass that filled the right middle meatus. At first glance, it was not like polyp tissue. Endoscopic sinus surgery was performed under general anesthesia, and the mass was completely removed.

After myringotomy, can topical Mesna application be an alternative method to ventilation tube application?

Sodium-2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (Mesna) is a mucolytic substance that is also used for chemically assisted tissue dissection in otological surgery. We investigated the effects of Mesna as a chemical agent on the closing time of perforation of the eardrum in an experimental animal model. We performed simple myringotomy with a knife on 44 tympanic membranes of 22 rats. Four rats were excluded from the study because of serosity in their ears. Rats were divided into two study groups and a control group. These groups were the Mesna-administered group (Group A) (8 rats, 15 tympanic membranes), the saline-administered group (Group B) (8 rats, 14 tympanic membranes) and the control (native) group (6 rats, 11 tympanic membranes) (Group C). We applied Mesna locally for 20 min following myringotomy. Examination was made with an otoendoscope on days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7, and patency rates were recorded. According to our results, we found that the closing time of the tympanic membrane was significantly longer in the Mesna group than in the saline administrated and native group. After myringotomy procedure, the application of a single dose of Mesna may contribute to the recovery duration of middle-ear pathologies by delaying the closing time of tympanic membrane perforation. However, Mesna cannot be an alternative method for the application of ventilation tubes.

Mean platelet volume: is it a predictive parameter in the diagnosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss?

The mean platelet volume (MPV) is associated with increased platelet reactivity and increased atherothrombosis. High MPV values are a risk factor for thrombotic vascular diseases. Our aim was to investigate whether a relationship exists between sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) and a high MPV value. The records of 46 patients who were admitted to the ENT (ear nose throat) ward for SSHL and received medical treatment and 46 patients in a control group were retrospectively screened. The correlation among the levels of the MPV, the number of platelets, and SSHL were evaluated in the two groups. The ages, genders, and the platelet count values of the patients showed a normal distribution in both groups. No significant difference was found for the MPV values between the groups. The MPV is not a predictive parameter in the diagnosis of SSHL.