Vestibular functions in motion sickness susceptible individuals.

There exists no functional guide that can serve as a diagnostic tool for individual susceptibility to motion sickness (MS). We evaluated vestibular system functioning via a caloric test (which assesses functioning of the superior vestibular nerve) and the vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) test (which assesses inferior vestibular nerve functioning) in 20 MS susceptible and 20 nonsusceptible individuals. Susceptibility to MS was determined by self-declaration and with MS susceptibility questionnaire and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS). We found statistically significant differences for scores on the MS susceptibility questionnaire and HAS questionnaire; however, we found no correlation between VEMP and caloric test results. We suggest that VEMP and caloric test results are not affected by individuals' susceptibility to MS. We could not find vestibular system deficits using the VEMP and caloric test combination. Our findings do not support vestibular function asymmetry in MS patients.

Comparison of AlloDerm, fat, fascia, cartilage, and dermal grafts in rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: To compare various graft materials in the rabbit model, including autologous cartilage, dermal tissue, fat, and AlloDerm (a cadaver-derived material). METHODS: Twenty-five New Zealand white rabbits were used. Equally sized autogenous (fat, fascia, cartilage, and dermal) grafts and AlloDerm were implanted into subcutaneous dorsal pockets on the rabbits. Animals were killed 1, 2, 3, and 4 months after surgery. The grafts were examined microscopically for thickness, resorption, fibrosis, neovascularization, inflammation, eosinophilia, and the presence of multinucleated giant cells or microcysts. RESULTS: The cartilage grafts revealed excellent viability with no resorption. The fascial grafts showed negligible volume loss. The dermal grafts developed epidermoid cysts. The AlloDerm grafts demonstrated graft thickening at 1 month and total resorption at 3 and 4 months. The fat grafts demonstrated 30% to 60% partial resorption. CONCLUSIONS: The major disadvantage of using an autogenous fat graft was partial resorption, whereas cyst formation was observed with dermal grafts. AlloDerm caused tissue reaction and resorption. The best graft material was cartilage, with a low absorption rate, good biocompatibility, and minimal tissue reaction or fibrosis, followed by fascia, with a minimal shrinkage capacity and tissue reaction.

Reliability of the vestibular evoked myogenic potential test in assessing intratympanic gentamicin therapy in Meniere's disease.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this preliminary study demonstrate that with regard to determining the efficacy of intratympanic (IT) gentamicin treatment in patients with Meniere's disease, the reliability of testing for vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) is comparable to that of caloric tests. Compared with caloric tests, VEMP measurements are more comfortable and take less time. The results of VEMP and caloric testing do not correlate with the results of hearing tests. OBJECTIVE: To test the reliability of VEMP testing to monitor the results of IT gentamicin therapy in patients with Meniere's disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with unilateral Meniere's disease were evaluated with pure tone audiometry (PTA), bithermal caloric tests, and VEMP tests. Patients with measurable caloric and VEMP results before IT gentamicin treatment were included in the study. IT gentamicin (0.5 ml) at a concentration of 40 mg/ml was administered to the patients. Reinjection was performed 10 days later depending on patients' complaints. Patients were re-evaluated with short- and long-term VEMP, hearing, and caloric test results. RESULTS: Caloric responses and VEMPs changed following gentamicin therapy in 9 patients and 12 patients, respectively. Long-term results of caloric and VEMP tests in patients receiving IT gentamicin treatment changed in 7 patients and 10 patients, respectively.

Epley maneuver and the head autorotation test in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

The head autorotation tests can be affected with the dynamic changes within the semicircular canals caused by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). The vestibular autorotation test is a method of examining the VOR (especially the VOR that develops at higher frequencies like those that occur in the everyday environment). Twenty patients who had been diagnosed as having posterior semicircular canal BPPV were evaluated with head autorotation tests before and after the treatment maneuver. The head autorotation tests were performed just before the use of the Epley maneuver and after the resolution of symptoms and the typical nystagmus pattern. The mean gain values for horizontal rotation tests during the pre-treatment period were 0.823, 0.844, and 0.840 for the frequencies 1, 2, and 3 Hz, respectively. The mean gain values increased by 0.095 (95% confidence interval) with Epley's maneuver. But this difference difference between the pre-treatment and post-treatment values was not statistically significant. All patients were also evaluated with vertical active tests. The differences between the pre-treatment and post-treatment values were not statistically significant in the vertical autorotation group. The phase values were within normal range in the horizontal and vertical rotation tests and remained so after the Epley maneuver. The stimulation of the VOR caused by BPPV did not affect gain and phase values to a statistically significant degree, and the values noted after the resolution of the patient's symptoms improved slightly but without statistical significance.

Clinical subgroups and antifungal susceptibilities in fungal culture-positive patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

The goal of this study was to investigate clinical characteristics of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in patients with positive fungal cultures. Fungal cultures were taken from 55 CRS patients and 20 healthy volunteers. Susceptibilities of isolated fungi to fluconazole, amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, and caspofungin were determined in CRS patients. Fungi grew in the cultures from 44 (80%) CRS patients and 17 (85%) healthy volunteers. Of the patients with positive fungal cultures, 5 (11.3%) had fungal hypersensitivity (FH), and 21 (47.7%) had eosinophilic mucin (EM). Fungal culture-positive patients with EM were more likely to be associated with presence of polyps and higher CT scores than those without EM (P < 0.05). All the patients with FH had EM and polyps, and CT scores of those patients were highest. The sensitivity rates of fungal isolates were 97.8% for amphotericin B, caspofungin, and voriconazole; 74.4% for itraconazole; and 6.4% for fluconazole. The presence of EM with or without FH leaded to more extended CRS, but a part of positive fungal cultures were together with EM in patients with CRS. Sensitivity to antifungal agents, except fluconazole, was high. Because many factors can contribute to the pathogenesis of CRS, medical treatment should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Eosinophilic ulcer of the tongue.

A 76-year-old woman presented with a 1-month history of a rapidly expanding painful ulcerated nodule on her tongue following tooth extraction. Triamcinolone acetonide ointment was applied twice daily for 1 month without any benefit. The histopathology of the excision specimen was consistent with an eosinophilic ulcer of the oral mucosa. There has been no recurrence 12 months later.

Esophageal mucosal sensitivity: possible links with clinical presentations in patients with erosive esophagitis and laryngopharyngeal reflux.

The goal of this study was to assess whether mucosal sensitivity is related to different combinations of symptoms and lesions in laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and erosive esophagitis and to determine whether reflux pattern is important in the development of the symptoms and lesions of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or LPR. We conducted a prospective study of 55 unselected new patients: 27 erosive esophagitis patients and 28 LPR patients. The erosive esophagitis group had a significantly higher rate of Bernstein test positivity than the LPR group. The proportions of patients with pathologic acid reflux at the proximal and distal probe were similar in the erosive esophagitis group and in the LPR group. These results were inconsistent with the endoscopic findings. Both retrosternal heartburn and regurgitation symptoms were higher in erosive esophagitis patients. The paucity of classical GERD symptoms and lesions in LPR patients could be attributable to mucosal insensitivity but not to reflux pattern.

Seborrheic keratosis of the nasal vestibule.

Seborrheic keratosis is a common hyperkeratotic lesion of the epidermis, that usually occurs in the trunk and less frequently in the extremities, face, and the scalp. Occurrence in the nasal vestibule has not been reported in the literature. An 80-year-old woman presented with a long-standing, slowly growing, firm, red-brown polypoid mass, 0.5 cm in size, located at the skin-mucosa interface of the right nasal vestibule. The lesion was excised under local anesthesia and histopathologic examination showed seborrheic keratosis that mimicked squamous cell carcinoma. There was no recurrence during a-year follow-up.

Acoustic analysis findings in objective laryngopharyngeal reflux patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of objective laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) on the acoustic parameters of patients by comparing their voice samples with that of control subjects. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study in two tertiary reference hospitals. METHODS: 48 consecutive patients with symptoms related to LPR and 64 control subjects were included in the study. Suspected LPR patients underwent a 24-hour ambulatory pH monitoring, and 25 (52%) of them were shown to have objective LPR. Acoustical evaluation results of objective LPR patients were compared with that of symptomatic LPR patients and control subjects. RESULTS: All frequency perturbation values obtained from objective and symptomatic LPR patients were higher than the control subjects (P<0.01). Mean fundamental frequency, amplitude perturbation measures, and noise-to-harmonics ratio were not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION: LPR patients have significantly different frequency perturbation values than control subjects.

[Childhood peripheral vestibular disorders: a report of three cases]. / Cocukluk çaginin periferal vestibüler hastaliklari: Uç olgu sunumu.

Vertigo is uncommon in childhood. Its etiology is different from that of adults. Both central and peripheral disorders may give rise to vertigo symptoms in pediatric patients. The evaluation of vertigo in children requires a detailed history taking, clinical examination, audiometric assessment, and vestibular function tests. We present three pediatric patients with vertigo symptoms, together with treatment methods and results of treatment. Their ages ranged from 10 to 14 years. The diagnoses were vestibular neuritis in one patient, and benign paroxismal positional vertigo in two patients. Treatment was comprised of vestibular rehabilitation for vestibular neuritis, and canalith repositioning maneuver for benign paroxismal positional vertigo. All the patients benefited well from the procedures applied.

[Endoscopic removal of sinonasal tumors]. / Endoskopik sinonazal tümör rezeksiyonu.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic surgery for sinonasal tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical records of 20 patients (10 males, 10 females; mean age 34; range 12 to 63 years) who underwent endoscopic tumor resection with diagnosis of sinonasal tumor between January 1998 and August 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who were operated by transnasal endoscopic surgery or by combined (endoscopic or external) surgical methods were included in the study. Patients were reviewed for age, sex, pathologic diagnosis and tumor location, surgical techniques, need for additional surgery, complications, recurrence, and follow-up period. RESULTS: There were five osteomas, one fibrous dysplasia, one ossifying fibroma, seven inverted papillomas, one oncocytic papilloma, three angiofibromas, one schwannoma, and one esthesioneuroblastoma. The patients follow-up period ranged between 6 months and 6 years (mean 26 months). The fibrous dysplasia involving the posterior ethmoid sinuses was subtotally resected due to its close proximity to the optic nerve. One inverted papilloma of the maxillary sinus was resected by a combined endoscopic and Caldwell-Luc approach. A combined endoscopic intranasal and external frontoethmoidectomy approach was performed for the removal of frontal sinus schwannoma. Recurrence was observed in one of the inverted papilloma cases. Total removal of the tumors was achieved in all other cases without any complications or recurrences. CONCLUSION: Low recurrence rates in our series showed that endoscopic resection of nasal-paranasal sinus tumors in selected cases, may be an appropriate method as solely or in combined with other surgical techniques for experienced surgeons.

Viability of cultured human nasal septum chondrocytes after crushing.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how different degrees of crushing affect the viability of human nasal septum chondrocytes in adherent cell cultures. METHODS: Cartilage grafts were harvested from the nasal septa of 15 patients who underwent submucosal resection. Five cartilage pieces were prepared from each specimen as follows: the cartilage was left intact, slightly crushed, moderately crushed, significantly crushed, or severely crushed. Chondrocytes were isolated for trypan blue dye exclusion testing, and the numbers of viable cells were determined at 1, 2, 3, and 10 days after culturing. Comparisons were made among the groups. RESULTS: The day 1 viability rates for the intact, slightly crushed, moderately crushed, significantly crushed, and severely crushed cartilage preparations were 96%, 92%, 82%, 72%, and 54%, respectively. The corresponding rates on day 10 were 93%, 90%, 84%, 75%, and 68%. CONCLUSIONS: The viability and proliferative capacity of crushed human septal cartilage depend on the degree of crushing sustained. Slightly or moderately crushed cartilage grafts show good chondrocyte viability and proliferation and are valuable for fashioning soft nasal contours, filling defects, and concealing dorsal irregularities. However, significant or severe crushing reduces chondrocyte viability and proliferation and may result in unpredictable degrees of graft volume loss.

Acoustic rhinometry in humans: accuracy of nasal passage area estimates, and ability to quantify paranasal sinus volume and ostium size.

A comprehensive study that compared acoustic rhinometry (AR) data to computed tomography (CT) data was performed to evaluate the accuracy of AR measurements in estimating nasal passage area and to assess its ability of quantifying paranasal sinus volume and ostium size in live humans. Twenty nasal passages of 10 healthy adults were examined by using AR and CT. Actual cross-sectional areas of the nasal cavity, sinus ostia sizes, and maxillary and frontal sinus volumes were determined from CT sections perpendicular to the curved acoustic axis of the nasal passage. Nasal cavity volume (from nostril to choana) calculated from the AR-derived area-distance curve was compared with that from the CT-derived area-distance curve. AR measurements were also done on pipe models that featured a side branch (Helmholtz resonator of constant volume but two different neck diameters) simulating a paranasal sinus. In the anterior nasal cavity, there was good agreement between the cross-sectional areas determined by AR and CT. However, posterior to the sinus ostia, AR overestimated cross-sectional area. The difference between AR nasal volume and CT nasal volume was much smaller than the combined volume of the maxillary and frontal sinuses. The results suggest that AR measurements of the healthy adult nasal cavity are reasonably accurate to the level of the paranasal sinus ostia. Beyond this point, AR overestimates cross-sectional area and provides no quantitative data for sinus volume or ostium size. The effects of paranasal sinuses and acoustic resonances in the nasal cavity are not accounted for in the present AR algorithms.

Isolated fibrous dysplasia of the sphenoid sinus.

Fibrous dysplasia is an uncommon benign bone disorder of unknown etiology in which normal medullary bone is replaced by fibrotic and osseous tissue. Solitary involvement of the sphenoid sinus is unusual. Here, we present the case of a 28-year-old man complaining of occipital and vertical headache. Imaging modalities demonstrated an expansile lesion filling the entire sphenoid sinus. Biopsy specimen was obtained by endoscopic sphenoidotomy. Diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia was made by imaging results and pathologic examination.

Acoustic rhinometry: accuracy and ability to detect changes in passage area at different locations in the nasal cavity.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the accuracy of acoustic rhinometry (AR) measurements, and to assess how well AR detects obstructions of various sizes at specific sites in the nasal cavity, we created a cast model from an adult cadaver nasal cavity. METHODS: The actual cross-sectional areas of the cast model nasal passage were determined by computed tomography and compared with the corresponding areas measured by AR. To assess how nasal obstruction affects the AR results, we placed small wax spheres of different diameters at specific sites in the model (nasal valve, head of the inferior turbinate, head of the middle turbinate, middle of the middle turbinate, choana, and nasopharynx). RESULTS: The AR-derived cross-sectional areas in the first 6.5 cm of the cast model nasal cavity were very close to the corresponding areas calculated from computed tomographic sections perpendicular to the presumed acoustic axis. However, AR overestimated the passage areas at locations posterior to the 6.5-cm point. Acoustic rhinometry gave an accurate indication of the passage area of the nasal valve and its distance from the nostril. The nasal valve and the choana were indicated by significant dips on the AR area-distance curve, whereas the curve was smooth throughout the region that included the head of the inferior turbinate, the head of the middle turbinate, the middle of the middle turbinate, and the nasopharynx. In other words, AR did not discretely identify these latter sites. Acoustic rhinometry detected the different-sized inserts (obstructions) more accurately at the nasal valve than at sites posterior to this location. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study show that AR is a valuable method for assessing the anterior nasal cavity. This technique is sensitive for detecting changes in passage area at the nasal valve region; however, the sensitivity is lower at sites posterior to this. The findings suggest that when there is substantial narrowing of the nasal valve, AR will not identify an obstruction at any location posterior to the nasal valve. In such situations, AR measurements beyond the abnormal nasal valve may easily lead to misinterpretation of the patient's nasal anatomy or condition.

The carpenter syndrome phenotype.

Carpenter syndrome (Acrocephalopolysyndactyly type II), first described in 1901, consists of acrocephaly, syndactyly, polydactyly, congenital heart disease, mental retardation, hypogenitalism, cryptorchidism, obesity, umbilical hernia and bony abnormalities. We report a 6 years old boy presenting as a union of these malformations and also having bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Auditory disturbances are not common among Carpenter syndrome patients. According to our knowledge, this is the first Carpenter syndrome case whose hearing loss is demonstrated by auditory brainstem response (ABR) test.