Interdisciplinary care in orbital complications of acute rhinosinusitis in children.

Purpose: Orbital cellulitis is a serious condition with potentially severe complications. Treatment requires interdisciplinary care and early introduction of antimicrobial therapy. In our tertiary center, a team of pediatricians, pediatric ophthalmologists, and otorhinolaryngologists successfully participated in the management of pediatric periorbital/orbital cellulitis. This study aimed to demonstrate our interdisciplinary approach and to investigate clinical profile and management of pediatric periorbital/orbital cellulitis. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of all pediatric patients hospitalized for periorbital and orbital cellulitis in a tertiary hospital center from September 15, 2016, to March 15, 2020. Results: A total of 26 children-median age 2.7 years (range 0.5-12)-were treated during the study period. Disease presentation was unilateral, mainly during winter (n = 12) and autumn (n = 12), without ophthalmoplegia/proptosis. Seven patients had orbital cellulitis (Chandler classification of ≥III) and were older (6.5 years, P = 0.011) with sinusitis (P < 0.001), required surgery (P = 0.004), underwent longer antimicrobial treatment (13 days, P < 0.001), and had a longer length of hospital stay (13.43 days, P = 0.001). Orbital cellulitis occurred in a median of three days (range 1-12) of acute rhinosinusitis. Radiological survey was performed in 11 patients, whereas six patients were treated surgically. All intraoperatively collected cultures (sinus swabs) were positive, whereas Streptococcus pyogenes and Peptostreptococcus were isolated in five cases. All patients fully recovered. No recurrence was documented. Conclusion: Sinusitis is associated with severe orbital cellulitis and surgical management. Orbital cellulitis occurred early in the course of acute rhinosinusitis, as a distinctive presentation of rhinosinusitis. Interdisciplinary care and early management are crucial in treatment of pediatric periorbital/orbital cellulitis.

RHINOGENIC MENINGITIS CAUSED BY CONGENITAL PETROUS APEX CHOLESTEATOMA: SIMULTANEOUS SURGICAL TREATMENT THROUGH TRANSOTIC AND TRANSSPHENOIDAL APPROACH.

A 66-year-old male patient was admitted due to high fever, severe headaches and disturbance of consciousness. Meningitis was confirmed by lumbar puncture and intravenous antimicrobial therapy was started. Since he had undergone radical tympanomastoidectomy 15 years before, otogenic meningitis was suspected, so the patient was referred to our department. Clinically, the patient manifested watery discharge from the right nostril. Microbiological analysis verified Staphylococcus aureus in a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample acquired by lumbar puncture. Radiological work-up, including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans, showed an expanding lesion of the petrous apex of the right temporal bone disrupting the posterior bony wall of the right sphenoid sinus with radiological characteristics indicating cholesteatoma. Those findings confirmed rhinogenic meningitis caused by expansion of the petrous apex congenital cholesteatoma into the sphenoid sinus, allowing nasal bacteria to enter the cranial cavity. The cholesteatoma was removed completely by the simultaneous transotic and transsphenoidal approach. Since the right labyrinth was already non-functional, there was no surgical morbidity after labyrinthectomy. The facial nerve remained preserved and intact. The transsphenoidal approach enabled removal of the sphenoid portion of the cholesteatoma and two surgeons met together at the level of the retrocarotid segment of the cholesteatoma, completely removing the lesion. This case represents an extremely rare condition in which a petrous apex congenital cholesteatoma expanded through the petrous apex to the sphenoid sinus, causing CSF rhinorrhea and rhinogenic meningitis. According to available literature, this is the first case of petrous apex congenital cholesteatoma causing rhinogenic meningitis successfully treated with the simultaneous transotic and transsphenoidal approach.

UNILATERAL VS. DIFFUSE CHRONIC RHINOSINUSITIS.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a widespread disease with various symptoms. It is defined as an inflammation of the nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses lasting for 12 weeks, with symptoms of nasal obstruction and/or congestion and facial pain and/or pressure as well as decreased sense of smell. Despite the widespread prevalence of the disease, the diagnosis and treatment of CRS are still not adequately developed, so many patients remain misdiagnosed. This study involved 150 patients who, according to EPOS guidelines, met the diagnosis of CRS without nasal polyposis. Each patient underwent a computerized tomography (CT) scan of the paranasal sinuses, which was evaluated according to the Lund-Mackay scoring system. Furthermore, patients completed a visual analog scale (VAS) score questionnaire which examined the severity of their symptoms. The aim of this study was to find an association between the degree of mucositis and the clinical symptoms reported by the patient. Our results showed a low positive correlation between nasal secretion and Lund-Mackay score for the bilateral ostiomeatal complex (OMC). Furthermore, a low positive correlation was found between the severity of reduced sense of smell and severity of anterior ethmoid and sphenoid sinusitis. The results demonstrated a low negative correlation between the severity of facial pain or pressure and the severity of inflammation of the anterior ethmoid and sphenoid sinus. The results of statistical testing did not show statistical differences in severity of subjective symptoms for almost all of the observed symptoms in persons with unilateral inflammation and persons without unilateral inflammation, except for cough. People who did not have unilateral inflammation had a more pronounced cough compared with people who had unilateral inflammation. However, these correlations were very mild and not clinically significant, so we cannot say that the distribution of sinusitis significantly affects the occurrence of characteristic symptoms in chronic rhinosinusitis.

MICROBIAL CAUSATIVE AGENTS AND THEIR ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERNS IN CHRONIC RHINOSINUSITIS - IMPACT ON ANTIBIOTIC PROPHYLAXIS AND TREATMENT.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is debilitating condition comprising inflammation of the mucosa of the nasal and paranasal sinuses, requiring conservative and often surgical treatment. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is a CRS treatment during which a microbiological diagnostic procedure may be conducted. Preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis is administrated before FESS. When indicated, the administered empiric antibiotic therapy must cover most common causing microbial agents. The aims of this study were to identify microbial pathogens isolated from sinonasal cavities in patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery, to determine bacterial antibiotic susceptibility patterns and compare them with guidelines for treatment and perioperative prophylactic use of antimicrobial agents. A retrospective cohort study on 456 samples collected between 2016 and 2019 was conducted at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and the Department of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hospital Infections in the Clinical University Centre Sestre milordnice, Zagreb. The most common isolated pathogens were Peptostreptococcus spp., Propionibacterium spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas spp., Fusobacterium spp. and Haemophilus influenzae. According to antibiotic susceptibility patterns, empiric antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid was appropriate. Due to high rates of antibiotic resistance of anaerobic bacterial isolates to metronidazole, it cannot be recommended in empirical antibiotic treatment or preoperative surgical antibiotic prophylaxis.

The impact of asthma on quality of life and symptoms in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Objective: The study aims to evaluate how asthma influences on clinical symptoms, imaging scores and HRQL in CRS patients.Methods: The study enrolled CRS patients and collected data about asthma status, clinical symptoms, allergic sensitization, computed tomography (CT) and 22-item SinoNasal Outcome questionnaire (SNOT-22). Matching pairs of asthmatic and non-asthmatic CRS patients were defined based on age, gender and nasal polyp presence. The difference between pairs in clinical symptoms, CT and SNOT-22 was then analyzed. The study enrolled mild to moderate asthma patients.Results: From 250 CRS patients 65 (26%) had asthma. We found 60 CRS asthma and CRS non-asthma pairs based on age, gender and nasal polyp presence. There was no difference in total SNOT-22 score between asthma (46.5) and non-asthma (43.5) CRS groups (p < .357). There were more patients with allergy positive medical history in asthma group (66.1%) when we stratified for CRS phenotypes, gender and age. Comparing visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for clinical symptoms, smell (p < .013) was the only symptom significantly worse in CRS asthma group. Although there was no difference in Lund-Mackay score, there was a slightly higher osteitis score in CRS asthma group (5.21 vs. 3.45; p = .059).Conclusion: CRS patients with asthma have significantly worse impairment of smell and taste when compared to non-asthmatic CRS patients. This is the only significant difference which is independent of nasal polyp presence, gender, age and allergy.

State of the art and future challenges for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is sediments: sources, fate, bioavailability and remediation techniques.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are amongst the most abundant contaminants found in the aquatic environment. Due to their toxicity and carcinogenicity, their sources, fate, behaviour, and cleanup techniques have been widely investigated in the last several decades. When entering the sediment-water system, PAH fate is determined by particular PAH and sediment physico-chemical properties. Most of the PAHs will be associated with fine-grained, organic-rich, sediment material. This makes sediment an ultimate sink for these pollutants. This association results in sediment contamination, and in this manner, sediments represent a permanent source of water pollution from which benthic organisms may accumulate toxic compounds, predominantly in lipid-rich tissues. A tendency for biomagnification can result in critical body burdens in higher trophic species. In recent years, researchers have developed numerous methods for measuring bioavailable fractions (chemical methods, non-exhaustive extraction, and biomimetic methods), as valuable tools in a risk-based approach for remediation or management of contaminated sites. Contaminated sediments pose challenging cleanup and management problems, as conventional environmental dredging techniques are invasive, expensive, and sometimes ineffective or hard to apply to large and diverse sediment sites. Recent studies have shown that a combination of strategies including in situ approaches is likely to provide the most effective long-term solution for dealing with contaminated sediments. Such in situ approaches include, but are not limited to: bioaugmentation, biostimulation, phytoremediation, electrokinetic remediation, surfactant addition and application of different sorbent amendments (carbon-rich such as activated carbon and biochar) that can reduce exposure and limit the redistribution of contaminants in the environment.

Cluster Analysis of Chronic Rhinosinusitis Suggests Gender-Based Differences.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the interaction between the overall severity of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) before treatment and subjective improvement following surgical or medical treatment. PROCEDURES: A group of 97 patients with CRS completed the visual analog scale (VAS) symptom score and the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire in the moment of their sinus computerized tomography (CT) scan. Data were analyzed via a 2-step cluster analysis based on gender, polyp presence, CT scan, and VAS scores for symptoms. RESULTS: There were 3 clusters: the first cluster comprised 37 female patients with CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP), the second cluster comprised 30 patients with CRS and NP (CRSwNP; 15 males and 15 females); and third cluster had 30 male patients with CRS without NP (CRSsNP). Different symptom patterns between clusters were identified. After adjustment for polyp presence, gender, eosinophilia (p = 0.021), and the SNOT-22 score (p = 0.005) were found to be better outcome predictors than the CT score (p = 0.26). CONCLUSION: Long-term patient satisfaction is significantly associated with the subjective symptom severity prior to treatment, i.e., postnasal drip and overall disease severity (SNOT-22 score), but not with the objective severity of the disease (CT score and inflammation).

Association between computed tomography findings and clinical symptoms in chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps.

Objective of this study was to test whether there is a difference between chronic rhinosinusitis patients with (CRSwNP) and without (CRSsNP) nasal polyps in the association of extent of disease on CT scans with symptom severity and health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) impairment. Data sets from 271 chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients who completed the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) to identify a symptom components related to CRS. After controlling for demographics, medical therapy, and comorbidities, the association between symptom components/items excluded from PCA and Lund-Mackay score (LMS) was evaluated. No association was found between the total SNOT-22 score and LMS in CRS patients. There was an independent association between a higher "nasal" symptom component derived from SNOT-22 PCA and LMS in patients with CRSwNP (p < 0.001), but not in CRSsNP patients, with a statistically significant difference between two patient subsets (p = 0.003). In patients with CRSsNP, higher (worse) SNOT-22 "facial pain" was associated with lower LMS (p = 0.022), although the estimated change in LMS was modest. Considering VAS PCA components, higher "nasal" symptoms were associated with higher LMS in CRSwNP patients (p < 0.001) but not in CRSsNP, with a statistically significant difference between CRS groups (p = 0.024). A higher "pain" PCA component was associated with lower LMS in CRSsNP patients (p = 0.019). This study found significant differences in the relationship between symptom burden and CT scores between CRS phenotypes and no association between HRQL impairment and CT scores.

Organic and inorganic priority substances in sediments of Ludas Lake, a cross-border natural resource on the Ramsar list.

For the first time, long-term monitoring (from 2002 to 2014) was carried out of surface sediments in Ludas Lake, a Ramsar site in northern Serbia. Organic (16 EPA PAHs, mineral oils, selected pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) and inorganic substances (eight heavy metals: Ni, Zn, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, As and Hg) were continually investigated. Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DahA) and fluorene (Flo) were found at levels indicative of causing adverse effects to biota. Diagnostic ratios of specific PAHs were dominated by high molecular weight components, particularly DahA, which contributed 81.78 % of the total high carcinogens, benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF) and Flo. Potential ecological risk factors (ERi) and the high relative standard deviations (RSD) obtained (up to 245 %) for the parameters monitored confirm the high periodical anthropogenic impact from industry, municipal wastewater and agriculture. The highest concentration of inorganic pollution found was for Cd (440-831 mg/kg) at all sites, Cu (439 mg/kg) in the eastern part of the lake and Cu (388 mg/kg) and Hg (771 mg/kg) in the northern part of the lake. Based on factor analysis of principal component analysis (PCA/FA), As and phenanthrene (Phe) had significant loadings (0.808 and 0.907, respectively). This association of As with organic anthropogenic sources was also confirmed with the sum of PAHs, pyrene (Pyr) and mineral oil by 3D factor plot, corroborating the theory of As mobilization from metal-reducing microbes as organic (methylated) forms, accelerated by phenanthrene. According to EU national and regional data results, this research suggests that Cu, As, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene and Flo should be added to the list of priority pollutants within the context of applying the European Water Framework Directive (WFD).

Differences in the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 and visual analog scale symptom scores in chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with and without polyps has a high impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL), but the difference in HRQL and symptom presentation between two clinical phenotypes of CRS has not been specifically evaluated before now. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patterns of symptoms and HRQL disease-specific domains affected in patients with CRS by comparing differences between two clinical phenotypes, adjusted for demographics, major risk factors, comorbidities, current medical treatment, and previous surgery. METHODS: A group of 251 patients with CRS completed the visual analog scale (VAS) symptom severity score and the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire. Data sets were analyzed by using principal component analysis (PCA) to identify a set of symptom components, together with the items excluded from PCA, which were then analyzed for differences between patients with CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and patients with CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). RESULTS: PCA of SNOT-22 items identified six components, three referred to CRS-specific symptoms termed "nasal"; "extranasal, rhinologic"; and "olfactory/cough"; and three referred to HRQL impairment termed "sleep disturbance," "functional disturbance," and "emotional disturbance." Nasal obstruction, ear pain, ear fullness, and fatigue were excluded from PCA and treated as separate outcomes. Patients with CRSwNP had significantly worse nasal symptoms, olfactory/cough symptoms, and nasal obstruction. Patients with CRSsNP scored significantly worse with regard to fatigue and to sleep and functional disturbances. The PCA results for VAS scores identified three symptom components: pain, nasal symptoms, and pharyngeal symptoms. Patients with CRSwNP had significantly worse VAS nasal symptoms but less pronounced VAS pain symptoms than patients with CRSsNP. The total SNOT-22 score between the groups was not significantly different. CONCLUSION: With controlling of covariates that may influence the severity of the disease, this study showed significant differences in symptom patterns and different aspects of HRQL impairment between patients with CRSwNP and patients with CRSsNP, however, with no difference in the total HRQL score.

Relationship between nasal septal deformity, symptoms and disease severity in chronic rhinosinusitis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction of nasal septal deformity (NSD), including the contribution of septal spurs, with the severity of subjective symptoms, impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and sinus mucosal hyperplasia in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). One hundred seventeen patients with CRS were assigned to three groups with mild, moderate or severe NSD, according to the measured nasal septal angle, including the presence of contact septal spurs. All CRS patients completed the visual analog scale (VAS) symptom severity score and the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) questionnaire. Symptoms scores, SNOT-22 and Lund-Mackay (LM) scores among the three NSD groups were compared. Related anatomy from the study group was compared with 100 control patients. VAS score for postnasal discharge in CRS patients was significantly higher in patients with mild NSD. There was a significantly higher LM score in CRS patients with severe NSD, compared to those with mild (P = 0.001) or moderate NSD (P = 0.005). CRS patients with a contact spur demonstrated a significantly higher LM score (P = 0.006) compared to those without a contact spur, and no differences in VAS symptom scores or HRQoL scores. There was a similar prevalence of septal deformities in CRS patients and in the non-ENT population. Our results support the conclusion that in patients with CRS, associated NSD or contact septal spur do not contribute significantly to CRS symptom severity or HRQoL impairment, but may have an impact on sinus mucosal hyperplasia.

DYSPHONIA AS AN UNCOMMON PRESENTATION OF PONTOCEREBELLAR CHOROID PLEXUS PAPILLOMA.

A case is presented of a patient with dysphonia, hearing loss and ataxia due to vestibulocochlear and vagal nerve compression by choroid plexus papilloma in the cerebellopontine angle. Choroid plexus papillomas are rare tumors usually arising in the lateral and fourth ventricle, and rarely found in the cerebellopontine angle, making the neuroimaging characteristics usually not sufficient for diagnosis. Patients usually present with headache and hydrocephalus but tumors in the cerebellopontine angle can cause vestibulocochlear dysfunction and cerebellar symptoms. Dysphonia along with hearing loss was a dominant symptom in the case presented. After complete surgical removal of the tumor, deterioration of dysphonia was noticed; it could be explained as peripheral vagal nerve neuropathy due to tumor compression and intraoperative manipulation. In this case report, we describe dysphonia as an uncommon presentation of a rare posterior fossa tumor. To our knowledge, a case of choroid plexus papilloma presenting with dysphonia has not been described before. Our case extends the differential diagnosis of dysphonia from the otorhinolaryngological to the neurosurgical field.

Surgical treatment for nasal polyposis: predictors of outcome.

Nasal polyps recur in approximately one-third of patients after surgical treatment. It would be beneficial to be able to predict the patients in whom we might expect recurrence and to predict the clinical outcome after surgery. The study included 30 patients operated for nasal polyps. Removed polyps were analyzed by immunohistochemical analysis for IL-5, IgE, vascular endothelial growth factor and eosinophilic infiltration. These parameters together with preoperative CT score were used as independent variables, and subjective score improvement after 2 years was used as a dependent variable in multiple linear regression analysis. Furthermore, the patients were divided into two groups: low and high polyp tissue immunoreactivity. The Chi-squared test was used to determine whether polyp immunoreactivity influences polyp recurrence and subjective score. Preoperative CT score had a slightly positive correlation with subjective score after 2 years. High eosinophil infiltration significantly predicted a higher risk for polyp recurrence. High IL-5 positivity was related to greater risk for polyp recurrence than low IL-5 reactivity but not significantly. IgE and VEGF reactivity in polyp specimens did not have any effect on polyp recurrence. High eosinophilic infiltration in polyps can predict worse outcome after surgical treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis. IgE and VEGF do not have prognostic significance to polyp recurrence after surgery. The preoperative extent of disease measured by CT score had a slightly positive correlation with worse outcome after surgery.

Prognostic value of Helicobacter pylori sinonasal colonization for efficacy of endoscopic sinus surgery.

Compared with rhinologic patients without chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), a higher prevalence of sinonasal Helicobacter pylori (HP) in patients with CRS was found. This study investigated if HP sinonasal colonization has a prognostic value for efficacy of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). Nasal polyps of 40 patients with CRS, undergoing FESS, were analyzed for presence of HP using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Patients were categorized as to whether the IHC was positive (HP+ group) or negative (HP- group). HP+ group and HP- group were compared according to the nasal polyp eosinophil density, and to the improvement (difference between pre- and post-operative scores) of the subjective symptom scores, and the nasal endoscopic scores. Nasal polyps in 28 (70%) patients were positive for HP. There were no significant differences between HP+ group and HP- group comparing the eosinophils, and the improvement of the single symptom and the total symptom scores. HP+ group had significantly greater improvement of the nasal endoscopic scores (F[1.38] = 6.212; P = 0.017). There is no influence of sinonasal HP on tissue eosinophilia and on CRS symptoms. There is a prognostic value for endonasal findings: CRS patients with HP have statistically significant greater improvement of the postoperative endoscopic scores.

Prognostic value of MAGE-A and NY-ESO-1 expression in pharyngeal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of cancer testis antigens in pharyngeal cancer is understudied. METHODS: We recruited 90 patients who were treated for pharyngeal cancer. Monoclonal antibodies 57B and B9.8.1.1 were used for detection of MAGE-A and NY-ESO-1 genes. RESULTS: MAGE-A and NY-ESO-1 gene products were detectable in 70.0% and 33.3% of pharyngeal tumors, respectively. No correlation was established between MAGE-A and NY-ESO-1 expression and TNM staging at presentation. Survival analysis showed a trend toward a shorter 5-year disease-free survival in the group of patients with MAGE-A-positive tumors (log-rank test, p = .122). In contrast, a trend toward a prolonged 5-year disease-free survival was observed in the group of patients with NY-ESO-1-positive tumors (log-rank test, p = .219). CONCLUSION: In a large population of patients with pharyngeal cancer and available 5-year survival data, prognosis tended to be poorer with MAGE-A expression and better with NY-ESO-1 expression, but the correlations did not reach statistical significance.

Correlation of histopathology and symptoms in allergic and non-allergic patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

The aim of this study was to estimate and compare some histopathologic predictors of efficacy of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in allergic and non-allergic patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Symptomatology was rated in 50 allergic and 50 non-allergic patients prior to as well as 12 and 24 months after surgery. Specimens taken during the procedure were scored for goblet cells, subepithelial thickening, mast cells and eosinophils. The correlation between histopathology and symptoms was evaluated. Goblet cells and subepithelial thickening were the best predictors in both groups of patients. These parameters are significant global outcome predictors for allergic, but not for non-allergic patients. It is concluded that certain histopathologic parameters in CRS correlate with certain symptoms. Certain histopathologic changes are predictable for persistence of some bothersome symptoms after ESS. Pathologic evaluation might give prediction of response to ESS in allergic and non-allegic patients with CRS.