Otorhinolaryngologic manifestations of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

In this study, the authors analysed retrospectively 161 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome interned at the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre. 115 (71.4%) presented with otolaryngologic lesions. 92.2% were male. The great majority were white and aged between 20 and 50 years of age (88.7%). Homosexual and bisexual males were the most frequent risk group (72.2%). Oropharyngeal candidiasis was the most prevalent head and neck manifestation (86%). Other less common lesions were sinusitis (19.1%) and Kaposi sarcoma (7.8%), mainly on the hard palate. The recognition of these manifestations by the otolaryngologist is important in order to make an early diagnosis and to treat them.

[Otoscopy and tympanometry in the diagnosis of secretory otitis media] / Otoscopia e timpanometria no diagnóstico de otite média secretora.

OBJECTIVE: To study the sensitivity and specificity of otoscopy and tympanometry in the diagnosis of secretory otitis media. METHODS: A prospective study was performed in 98 children (196 ears) with indication of myringotomy with placement of tympanostomy tube because of the diagnosis of secretory otitis media. All these patients had conductive hearing loss and/or delay of speech and/or low school performance. To evaluate the diagnostic power of the tests, both otoscopy and tympanometry were performed. Myringotomy was established as the gold-standard. The statistical analysis was done using the chi-square test, being significant a p<0.05.RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 6.02 years (sd: 2.93 years). The otoscopy presented sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 61.1% and the tympanometry presented sensitivity of 93.75% and specificity of 72.2%. CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistically significant difference in sensitivity between otoscopy and tympanometry for the diagnosis of secretory otitis media, however, tympanometry was significantly more specific than otoscopy (p< 0.01).