Cabazitaxel's ototoxicity: An animal study and histopathologic research.

Introduction: Chemotherapeutic agents can have both serious side effects and ototoxicity, which can be caused by direct toxic effects or by metabolic derangement by the agents. Cabazitaxel (CBZ) is a next-generation semi-synthetic taxane derivative that is effective in both preclinical models of human tumors that are sensitive or resistant to chemotherapy and in patients suffering from progressive prostate cancer despite docetaxel treatment. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the ototoxicity of CBZ in a rat model. Materials and Methods: : A total of 24 adult male Wistar-Albino rats were equally and randomly divided into four groups. CBZ (Jevtana, Sanofi-Aventis USA) was intraperitoneally administered to Groups 2, 3, and 4 at doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg/week, respectively, for 4 consecutive weeks; Group 1 received only i.p. saline at the same time. At the end of the study, the animals were sacrificed and their cochlea removed for histopathological examination. Results: : Intraperitoneal administration of CBZ exerted an ototoxic effect on rats, and the histopathological results became worse in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Conclusion: : Our findings suggest that CBZ may be an ototoxic agent and can damage the cochlea. More clinical studies should be conducted to understand its ototoxicity.

Is the combined use of ultrasonography (USG) and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) safe in parotis masses? Retrospective comprehensive comparison of 123 cases.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to compare final pathology results with ultrasonography (USI) and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) results in parotis masses. METHODS: A total of 123 patients with primary parotis mass who applied to our center between 2010 and 2020 were selected for the study. Among these, 100 patients with preoperative USI, preoperative FNAB, and postoperative final pathology were included in the study. USI, FNAB, pathology results, surgery types, and demographic characteristics of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: According to the postoperative final pathology, preoperative USI sensitivity was found to be 100%, specificity was 55, positive predictive value was 84.31%, negative predictive value was 100%, and accuracy was 86.89%. Preoperative FNAB had a sensitivity of 85.7%, a specificity of 92.1%, a positive predictive value of 82.1%, a negative predictive value of 90.2%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 89.3%, according to the postoperative final pathology. CONCLUSION: Preoperative USI and preoperative FNAB are very valuable diagnostic tools in the evaluation of parotis lesions. When used together, they provide highly accurate and important data for the surgeon.

A New Biomarker in Differentiation of Mucosal Chronic Otitis Media from Squamous Chronic Otitis Media: The Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII).

The Systemic Immune-inflammation Index (SII) is a new biomarker based on the number of neutrophils, platelets, and lymphocytes in the Complete blood count, and is shown as diagnostic and prognostic in many diseases. Mucosal or Squamous COM differentiation is necessary preoperatively in chronic otitis media patients. The purpose of this study was to test the predictive value of inflammation markers to predict the differentiation of Mucosal COM and Squamous COM. Our aim is; using "SII" as a powerful test to differentiate cholesteatoma and active mucosal middle ear disease. In the present study, 300 patients who underwent mastoidectomy ± tympanoplasty between 2010 and 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were divided into two equal groups as clinical, microscopically, and pathologically Squamosal COM (Cholesteatoma) and Mucosal COM (Suppurative) (n = 150). Routine hemogram tests were performed for both groups. White blood cell, red blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet numbers were calculated. The SII value was calculated manually according to the formula of "neutrophil × platelet/lymphocyte. There were a total of 300 patients who were aged 20-63 in both groups. A total of 130 of these patients were male (43%), and 170 (57%) were female. In terms of NLR and PLR, Group 2 (Mucosal COM) had higher values at statistically significant levels (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). In terms of SII, Group 2 (Mucosal COM) had higher values at statistically significant levels (p < 0.001). According to the results of the ROC Analysis in our series, it was found that NLR, PLR, and SII values were above the acceptable level, and were statistically significant (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). The cut-off value of SII was 470.29, sensitivity was 65.8, and specificity was 34. According to our study, high SII values in COM differentiation are very important in diagnosing Mucosal COM. SII values can help to the diagnosis in Squamous COM/Mucosal COM differentiation. There is no current practical, inexpensive, and widespread laboratory test used in the Mucosal/Squamous COM differentiation. SII can be diagnostic, and determine the treatment in this differentiation. A great number of studies are needed for SII values to become standard in COM.

Ototoxicity of Triclosan: A Rat Model Study.

OBJECTIVE: Triclosan is utilized as an antibacterial factor in many industrial products. Although there are many toxic features of triclosan in the literature, there is no study on the effect of triclosan on hearing. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of triclosan on hearing in rats. METHODS: In this prospective, experimental animal study, 40 healthy Sprague-Dawley rats with normal response to the distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) measurements were divided into four groups. Group 1, as the control group, was given only corn oil, group 2 was given 5 mg/kg triclosan dissolved in corn oil, group 3 was given 10 mg/kg triclosan dissolved in corn oil, and group 4 was given 100 mg/kg triclosan dissolved in corn oil; triclosan and corn oil were administered by oral gavage to all groups. RESULTS:  In our study, low-dose triclosan did not cause hearing loss, but hearing loss was observed in the group that was given high-dose triclosan (100 mg/kg). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that triclosan causes hearing loss in rats. This issue should be investigated further to avoid triclosan ototoxicity in humans.

Cochlear and vestibular involvement in children with IgA vasculitis.

In this study, our purpose is to evaluate cochlear and vestibular function in juveniles with IgA vasculitis using audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) tests. Forty children diagnosed with IgA vasculitis from the pediatry clinic and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy children were evaluated with distortion product otoacoustic emissions, audiometry, and cVEMP test in a tertiary hospital. The audiometry average values for both ears of the IgA vasculitis group and the control subjects were compared, and as a result, median 4.7-dB sensorineural hearing loss (SHL) was found for the IgA vasculitis group compared to the control group at 250 Hz and it was statistically significant (p < 0.001). An average of 6.4-dB SHL was detected at 8000 Hz (p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference among IgA vasculitis and control groups regarding measurement results of average p1-n1 latency time of both ears (0.9 ms (ms) increase, p = 0.035). In IgA vasculitis patients, the median amplitude difference of both ears' average p1 n1 was found to be 5.6 mV, statistically significantly decreased compared to the control group (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: This study, firstly in literature, demonstrated that IgA vasculitis may have association with hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction in children. We think this might be due to autoimmune mechanisms. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Ig A vasculitis is a leukocytoclastic vasculitis with unknown etiology, involving the skin, joints, gastrointestinal system, kidneys, and rarely other organs. • No study has been reported for the cochlear and vestibular association of Ig A vasculitis in current literature. WHAT IS NEW: • This study demonstrated that Ig A vasculitis may have association with hearing loss in children. • This study also demonstrated that Ig A vasculitis may have association with vestibular dysfunction in children.

Comparison of the Healing Effect of Nasal Saline Irrigation with Triamcinolone Acetonide Versus Nasal Saline Irrigation alone in COVID-19 Related Olfactory Dysfunction: A Randomized Controlled Study.

There is no routinely determined treatment for olfactory dysfunction because of COVID-19. Saline irrigation and nasal corticosteroid treatments are safe and inexpensive methods, and have low side effects. In our study, we argue that saline nasal irrigation and topical corticosteroid treatment can be used in the treatment of patients with olfactory loss in all areas of rhinology. A total of 150 patients who admitted to our clinic with other symptoms or with only acute odor loss, diagnosed with COVID-19 with RT-PCR were divided into 3 equal groups.Fifty patients in Group 1 were not given any extra treatments. The other 50 patients in Group 2 were given saline irrigation for treatment; and the 50 people in Group 3 were given both saline irrigation and nasal steroid spray for treatment. The "Subjective Olfactory Capability (SOC)" was used for olfactory function evaluation of patients. Self-Rating Olfactory Score (SROS), and Olfactory Dysfunction Duration (ODD) were recorded on the 1st, 15th and 30th days. SROS of the group receiving Nasal Saline + Triamcinolone Acetonide treatment on the 30th day was significantly higher than in other groups ( p -1-3 = 0.018,  p 2-3  = 0.033). Also, the ODD was significantly reduced in this group compared to other groups ( p -1-3  = 0.022,  p 2-3  = 0.028,). Topical triamcinolone treatment was found to be successful in the treatment of olfactory dysfunction due to COVID-19. Nasal steroids, which are both inexpensive and have low side effect profiles, can be used safely in the treatment of patients with olfactory losses.

Congenital Deficiency of Alar Cartilage.

ABSTRACT: Alar cartilage anatomically determines the size, position, and shape of the nose type. It is also effective in the respiratory function of the nose. The structure of alar cartilage differs from person to person. Congenital anomalies of the nose due to absence of alar cartilage are extremely rare. Usually, trauma and infections are blamed for etiology. The absence of nasal alar cartilage causes both aesthetically nasal deformities and respiratory dysfunction problems. In the literature, congenital alar cartilage defect has been reported as cases with a substantial partial defect. In this study, it is aimed to present a case with unilateral, isolated, complete alar cartilage absence detected in a patient who underwent septorhinoplasty, and with the treatment approach applied in light of current literature knowledge.

Vestibular involvement of PFAPA syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: PFAPA syndrome is derived from the initials of the English words of the findings that make up the syndrome ("Periodic Fever", "Aphthous Stomatitis", "Pharyngitis", "Adenitis"). This study aims to evaluate the vestibular system in patients with PFAPA syndrome by the cVEMP test and to give a general review of PFAPA syndrome in light of current literature. METHODS: In this prospective study, 30 patients aged 4-6 who were diagnosed with PFAPA in a tertiary pediatrics clinic, between January 2016 and February 2020 and 30 children of the same age group who applied to a tertiary otorhinolaryngology clinic for other reasons and proven to have no hearing or vestibular problems were included and in addition to routine physical examination, electromyographic activity of the sternocleidomastoid muscle surface was measured. RESULTS: We found that the amplitude difference between cVEMP p1-n1 in patients with PFAPA syndrome in both ears decreased compared to the healthy control group. CONCLUSION: Our study proves there is a vestibular system involvement of PFAPA syndrome. This study is the first in the literature to search the relationship between PFAPA and the vestibular system.

Rhinoliths: Analysis of 24 Interesting Forgotten Foreign Body Cases.

Rhinoliths are petrified masses formed by accumulation of endogenous or exogenous salts around a nidus. Although rarely formed by the body, the most common cause is foreign bodies forgotten in the nose at childhood. Rhinoliths are rare and have been reported as a single case report in the literature. In this study, 24 different and different cases will be analyzed. Twenty-four interesting patients who were operated for rhinolith in the otorhinolaryngology clinic between 2014 and 2019 and were not seen in the literature before were analyzed retrospectively. The characteristics of these patients such as age, sex, additional pathology, foreign body coexistence, type of anesthesia used, and previous surgical status were analyzed. Fourteen patients were male and 10 were female (58.3% male, 41.7% female). The mean age was 30.4 (minimum 2, maximum 62). Twelve of the foreign bodies were on the right and 12 on the left (50%). Foreign body localization was 13 (54.1%) between the inferior turbinate (IT) and septum and 11 (45.9%) between the middle turbinate and septum. Tissue destruction was seen in 12 (50%; 7 septum, 5 IT) patients. Fifteen patients had additional pathology (mostly septum deviation). General anesthesia was used in 14 patients and local anesthesia was used in 10 (58.3%-41.7%) patients. Two patients (n = 2) had rhinoliths due to forgotten nasal packing after surgery and forgotten silicone nasolacrimal tube after dacryocystorhinostomy surgery. Rhinoliths should be considered with unilateral malodorous runny nose and resistant sinusitis attacks. The diagnosis is rigid endoscope and computed tomography imaging. It usually occurs as a result of forgotten foreign bodies. Rhinoliths may also form as a result of forgotten tampon after previous nose or eye surgery.