Vision-Related Quality of Life and Treatment Satisfaction Following Panretinal Photocoagulation in Diabetic Retinopathy-A Panel Study.

Background and Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate vision-related quality of life (VR-QOL) and treatment satisfaction (TS) in patients with diabetic retinopathy treated with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). Material and Methods: The panel study included 95 patients who underwent PRP for diabetic retinopathy. Eligible patients with no history of previous PRP were interviewer-administered the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) and Retinopathy Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (RetTSQ) beforehandand one month after the last session of laser application. The study was conducted between June 2017 and June 2019 at tertiary care center in Serbia, Belgrade. We assessed pre- to post-PRP values of the composite score and subscale scores of VFQ-25 and RetTSQ, using a paired samples t-test. Univariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between binary outcomes and potential predictors. Multivariate regression included predictors from univariate analyses that were statistically significant. Results: The mean VFQ-25 composite score was 65.4 ± 17.4 before and 63.3 ± 19.5 after PRP (p = 0.045). Subscale analysis showed that two of the 11 items achieved a significant decrease after laser application (general vision and dependency). The mean RetTSQ score at baseline was 60.0 ± 11.8 and at the exit visit was 60.3 ± 12.3 (p = 0.858). Sub-scale analysis showed significant deterioration for five of the 13 items. Multivariate logistic regression found that significant predictor of VFQ-25 composite score reduction was fewer laser burns (p = 0.002) while significant predictor of RetTSQ total score reduction was presence of hyperlipidaemia (p = 0.021). Conclusion: The use of vision-related quality of life and treatment satisfaction questionnaires in conjunction with clinical examination, appears to provide a more comprehensive overview of an individual's daily well-being following PRP. Laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy leads to deterioration of some of the patients' perceived VR-QOL and TS. Health-care providers should inform patients about their treatment options and together decide which therapeutic method is best for them.

Risk factors for sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Medullary thyroid cancer is a rare tumour that appears in two distinct forms. The rarer familial form is genetically determined. The sporadic form is more common, but its aetiology has not been defined clearly so far. The aim of this study was to examine the risk factors for development of sporadic medullary thyroid cancer (sMTC). A case-control study was carried out during the period 2000-2009. The case group included 98 consecutive patients with sMTC. The control group comprised twice as many cases (196), who were neighbours of the patients from the case group. Patients were individually matched by sex, age and place of residence. Conditional univariate and multivariate logistic regression methods were applied in data analyses. According to the univariate logistic regression method, sMTC was significantly related to smoking status, duration of smoking, number of cigarettes smoked per day, personal history of goitre or thyroid nodules, personal history of nonthyroid cancer, menarche after 14 years of age, first full-term pregnancy before 20 years of age and usage of oral contraceptives. According to the multivariate logistic regression method, sMTC was independently related to smoking status [odds ratio (OR)=0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.20-0.90], personal history of goitre or thyroid nodules (OR=11.29, 95% CI=1.16-73.45) and menarche after 14 years of age (OR=2.77, 95% CI=1.33-6.28). Risk factors for sMTC were goitre or thyroid nodules and late menarche; cigarette smoking appeared to be a protective factor.

Temporalis fascia graft perforation and retraction after tympanoplasty for chronic tubotympanic otitis and attic retraction pockets: factors associated with recurrence.

OBJECTIVES: To correlate the recurrence of temporalis fascia graft perforation and retraction in adults and children after tympanoplasty for chronic tubotympanic otitis and deep attic retraction pockets with age, pathologic process, mucosal lesions, mucociliary transport time, chronic sinusitis, and lateral attic wall reconstruction. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Two hundred seventy-four adult ears and 41 child ears were operated on for chronic tubotympanic otitis, 50 adult ears were operated on for traumatic tympanic membrane rupture, and 56 adult ears were operated on for attic retraction pockets. INTERVENTIONS: Underlay tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy and lateral attic wall reconstruction for attic retraction pockets. Mucociliary transport time was investigated using saccharin testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Recurrent perforation, recurrent attic retraction, and temporalis fascia graft retraction were evaluated. RESULTS: Higher incidences of recurrent perforation were found in adults operated on for tubotympanic otitis vs traumatic tympanic membrane rupture (P = .02) and in children (P = .004), especially those 9 years and younger (P = .02). A risk factor in adults was chronic sinusitis (risk ratio, 35.0; 95% confidence interval, 32.1-38.2; P = .004). Temporalis fascia graft retraction correlated with slower mucociliary transport time in adults (P < .001). A lower incidence of recurrent attic retraction was associated with lateral attic wall reconstruction (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent temporalis fascia graft perforation after tympanoplasty for tubotympanic otitis may be related to age and coexisting chronic sinusitis. Temporalis fascia graft retraction correlates with slower mucociliary transport time in the eustachian tube. Lateral attic wall reconstruction minimizes recurrent attic retraction in adults.