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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The etiopathogenesis of acquired pediatric cholesteatoma has not yet been fully clarified. Recent studies and modern technologies have led researchers to look for explanations at a molecular level. This study aims to understand if the origins of cholesteatoma could be related to dysfunctions in coagulation factors, thereby emphasizing its role in angiogenesis. Subjects and. METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study carried out at a tertiary hospital center between January 2010 and December 2020. The study included 92 children. The variables of the summary coagulation study (partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, and international normalized ratio) were compared among children with and without development of chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma. RESULTS: The cases and controls were comparable in terms of age, type, and number of times that ventilation tubes were placed. Partial thromboplastin times tended to be higher in children who developed cholesteatoma, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of normal and abnormal partial thromboplastin times (p=0.029). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this case control study indicate that slight extension of partial thromboplastin times in the coagulation study may not meet the criteria for diagnosis of certain hematological pathologies or clinical significance, but at a molecular level may already have implications for activation of angiogenesis and other growth factors involved in the onset, growth, and expansion of acquired pediatric cholesteatoma.
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OBJECTIVE: To assess hyperacusis after stapedotomy and its possible influencing factors. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, interventional, and longitudinal study. SETTING: A tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Fifty consecutive patients (35 females, mean age = 46.8 years). INTERVENTION: All patients underwent stapedotomy. The validated Portuguese version of the "Hyperacusis Questionnaire" (HQ) was administered before and two weeks and one month after surgery. RESULTS: No hyperacusis was reported by any patient before surgery. At two weeks after surgery, all patients experienced hyperacusis, with a mean HQ at 16.88 ± 6.54 (range 4-25). One month after surgery, hyperacusis had already resolved in most patients. Gender, preoperative presentation or surgeon had no influence on HQ scores (p > 0.05). Patients with previous contralateral stapedotomy showed lower HQ scores (p = 0.001). Audiological parameters improvement measured at one month after surgery (PTA, SRT and contralateral SRT) were associated with HQ higher scores. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that hyperacusis is a common complaint after stapedotomy that usually resolves in one month after surgery. The HQ highest scores were registered among patients with the highest audiological gain after surgery. This suggests that hyperacusis may be a positive prognostic factor for audiological success after stapedotomy.
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OBJECTIVE: Assess the aesthetic and functional outcomes of the first 100 patients who underwent reduction rhinoplasty with the spare roof technique (SRT). METHODS: Prospective, interventional, and longitudinal study performed on consecutive patients undergoing primary rhinoplasty by SRT. All the surgical procedures were performed by the surgeon who first described this technique. The validated Portuguese version of the Utrecht Questionnaire for Outcome Assessment in Aesthetic Rhinoplasty was used. Patients completed the questionnaire presurgery and again 3 and 12 months postsurgery. In addition, a visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to score nasal patency for both sides. RESULTS: The study population included 100 Caucasian Mediterranean patients (33 males; 67 females). Mean age at surgery was 32.8 years. Analysis of the preoperative and postoperative mean aesthetic VAS scores showed a significant improvement from 3.67 to 8.1 (P < 0.001) and 8.44 (P < 0.001), respectively, 3 and 12 months postsurgery. Analysis of the five aesthetic Likert scale questions all showed a highly significant improvement after rhinoplasty. The mean preoperative aesthetic sum score was 13.9, which improved to 8.26 and 7.08, respectively, 3 and 12 months postsurgery (P < 0.001), indicating a significant improvement of subjective body image in relation to nasal appearance. Analysis of the preoperative and postoperative mean functional VAS score showed a significant improvement on both sides. CONCLUSION: This prospective statistical study confirms that SRT significantly improved patient quality of life regarding nose function and appearance. It is a reliable technique that can help deliver consistently good results in reduction rhinoplasty in Caucasian patients with dorsal hump seeking rhinoplasty. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Laryngoscope, 129:2702-2706, 2019.