Effect of head impacts and chemical irritation on elite athletes' olfaction.

Limited research exists on athletes' olfaction. As diet is an elementary part of an athlete's lifestyle and training, it is important to know whether the sport discipline itself carries a risk for olfactory impairment. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether elite swimmers (chemical irritation), boxers (head impact) or soccer players (head impact) are at risk for impaired olfaction. Elite-level male swimmers (n = 30), boxers (n = 35) and soccer players (n = 30) aged 18-40 years were recruited from Finnish sport clubs. Floorball players (n = 30) were recruited as a control group. All participants filled in a questionnaire about their training history, nasal and sinonasal diseases, asthma, nasal operations and traumas, smoking and self-evaluation of olfaction and taste function. Sniffin' Sticks odour identification test with 12 different odorants and anterior rhinoscopy were performed on all participants. The mean score from the smelling test did not differ between the sport groups. Sinonasal diseases and bronchial asthma were more common among swimmers than among the other athletes. Rhinitis symptoms were common among all athletes. Boxing, soccer or swimming does not seem to affect sense of smell. The majority of our participating elite athletes had normal olfaction, even if they had had a long history of active sports.Highlights Boxing, soccer or swimming does not seem to affect sense of smell.Rhinitis symptoms were prevalent among all elite athlete groups in our study.Athletes with hyposmia can perceive their own decreased olfaction.Swimmers have more bronchial asthma and sinus diseases than other athlete groups.

Inheritance of NSAID-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD) has been considered an acquired condition. Positive first-degree family history has been reported in 1% of cases. The geographic and genetic isolation of the Finnish population offers exceptional opportunities for inheritance studies. In this questionnaire study, we explored the familial aggregation of N-ERD in 66 Finnish families of patients with N-ERD. The majority of patients (67%) had a positive family history of NSAID intolerance, asthma, nasal polyposis, or N-ERD. Furthermore, 55% had a positive first-degree family history of asthma, 21% nasal polyposis, 20% NSAID intolerance, and 11% N-ERD. The prevalence of asthma, nasal polyposis, NSAID intolerance, and N-ERD among first-degree relatives was 13%, 5%, 4%, and 2%, respectively. We present the pedigrees of the 44 affected families. According to our findings, Finnish patients with N-ERD seem to have a genetic susceptibility to it.

Sinus Barotraumas in Commercial Aircrew.

BACKGROUND: Sinus barotraumas are a common condition in aviation medicine, sometimes compromising flight safety and even permanently grounding aircrew. Considering this and the ever-increasing amount of commercial aviation, a thorough examination is required.METHODS: In this survey study, an anonymous, electronic questionnaire was distributed to commercial aircrew of the three major commercial airlines operating in Finland (N 3799), covering 93% of the target population (i.e., all commercial aircrew operating in Finland, N 4083). Primary outcomes were self-reported prevalence, clinical characteristics, and health and occupational effects of sinus barotraumas in flight. Secondary outcomes were adjusted odds ratios (OR) for frequency of sinus barotraumas with respect to possible risk factors.RESULTS: Response rate was 47% (N 1789/3799), with 61% (N 1088) of the respondents having experienced sinus barotraumas in flight. Of those affected, 59% had used medications, 18% had undergone surgical procedures, and 53% had been on sick leave due to sinus barotraumas (38% during the last year) in flight. Factors associated with sinus barotraumas were female sex [OR, 2.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.354.50] and a high number of upper respiratory tract infections (3 vs. <3 URTIs/yr: OR, 3.61; 95% CI 2.654.93).CONCLUSION: Sinus barotraumas were reported by 61% of commercial aircrew. They caused an increased need for medications, otorhinolaryngology-related surgical procedures, and sickness absence from flight duty. The possible risk factors were female sex and a high number of URTIs/yr.Lindfors OH, Ketola KS, Klockars TK, Leino TK, Sinkkonen ST. Sinus barotraumas in commercial aircrew. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2021; 92(11):857-863.

Dizzy triathlete-evidence supporting vestibular etiology.

Dizziness during or after the swimming leg is a common complaint among triathletes. We hypothesized that the dizziness is caused by asymmetrical cooling of the vestibular organ. This caloric response is characterized by involuntary eye movements called nystagmus. Altogether, 125 triathletes completed an electronic questionnaire. Fifteen triathletes who had frequently experienced dizziness during the swimming leg agreed to take part in a cold water swimming test. The test comprised two cold water swimming legs, first without earplugs and then with earplugs to prevent a potential caloric response. Eye movements and possible nystagmus were recorded immediately after the swimming legs. A majority (87%, 109/125) of athletes had experienced dizziness during triathlon races or training. Of these, almost all (97%, 106/109) experienced it during or after swimming. Dizziness affected the triathlon performance in half of the athletes with dizziness (50%, 51/102). Fifteen athletes participated in a cold water swimming test. During the first leg (without earplugs), 11/15 athletes (73%) experienced dizziness. Of these, six had nystagmus (55%), four had uncertain nystagmus (36%), and one did not have nystagmus (9%). Only one of these athletes experienced dizziness during the second leg with earplugs. The prevalence of dizziness among triathletes is notable. A large part of the dizziness is likely to be caused by caloric reaction of the vestibular organ. We recommend earplug usage for triathletes suffering from dizziness during the swimming leg.

Middle Ear Barotraumas in Commercial Aircrew.

BACKGROUND: Middle ear (ME) barotraumas are the most common condition in aviation medicine, sometimes seriously compromising flight safety. Considering this and the ever-increasing amount of commercial aviation, a detailed overview is warranted.METHODS: In this survey study, an anonymous, electronic questionnaire was distributed to commercial aircrew of the three major commercial airlines operating in Finland (N 3799), covering 93% of the target population (i.e., all commercial aircrew operating in Finland, N 4083). Primary outcomes were self-reported prevalence, clinical characteristics, and health and occupational effects of ME barotraumas in flight. Secondary outcomes were adjusted odds ratios (OR) for frequency of ME barotraumas with respect to possible risk factors.RESULTS: Response rate was 47% (N 1789/3799), with 85% (N 1516) having experienced ME barotraumas in flight. Of those affected, 60% had used medications, 5% had undergone surgical procedures, and 48% had been on sick leave due to ME barotraumas (40% during the last year). Factors associated with ME barotraumas included a high number of upper respiratory tract infections [3 URTIs/yr vs. 0 URTIs/yr: OR, 9.02; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9920.39] and poor subjective performance in Valsalva (occasionally vs. always successful: OR, 7.84; 95% CI 3.9715.51) and Toynbee (occasionally vs. always successful: OR, 9.06; 95% CI 2.6730.78) maneuvers.CONCLUSION: ME barotraumas were reported by 85% of commercial aircrew. They lead to an increased need for medications, otorhinolaryngology-related surgical procedures, and sickness absence from flight duty. Possible risk factors include a high number of URTIs and poor performance in pressure equalization maneuvers.Lindfors OH, Ketola KS, Klockars TK, Leino TK, Sinkkonen ST. Middle ear barotraumas in commercial aircrew. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2021; 92(3):182189.

Patient-Reported Control of Asthma, Nasal Polyposis, and Middle-Ear Symptoms in NSAID-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-exacerbated respiratory disease (NERD) is an adult-onset inflammatory condition of the upper and lower airways. It is characterized by the co-existence of asthma, nasal polyposis, and hypersensitivity to NSAIDs. Over one-fourth of patients also have symptoms of chronic middle-ear infection. The clinical course of NERD is often severe and generally requires multimodal treatment with recurrent surgical measures. Studies presenting the disease burden and subjective symptom control of NERD are limited. In this qualitative questionnaire study, we present the clinical characteristics of asthma, nasal polyposis, NSAID intolerance and possible recurrent or chronic middle-ear infection of 66 confirmed NERD patients treated at our tertiary referral center between January 2016 and May 2017. Additionally, we present the patient-reported disease control of asthma, nasal polyposis, and middle-ear symptoms on a four-category Likert scale. The proportion of NERD patients with recurrent or chronic middle-ear infection was 18%. The proportion of good or very good subjective disease control was 83% for asthma, 58% for nasal polyposis, and 33% for chronic middle-ear infection, if present. Chronic middle-ear infection is common among NERD patients and should more often be recognized as part of the entity. Together with nasal polyposis, chronic middle-ear infection seems to affect patients more than asthma. The patient's perspective of disease control should be considered when planning the interdisciplinary follow-up and treatment of NERD.

A detection dog for obstructive sleep apnea: could it work in diagnostics?

PURPOSE: We have previously demonstrated that dogs can be trained to distinguish the urine of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) from that of healthy controls based on olfaction. Encouraged by these promising results, we wanted to investigate if a detection dog could work as a screening tool for OSA. The objective of this study was to prospectively assess the dogs' ability to identify sleep apnea in patients with OSA suspicion. METHODS: Urine samples were collected from 50 patients suspected of having OSA. The urine sample was classified as positive for OSA when the patient had a respiratory event index of 5/h or more. The accuracy of two trained dogs in identifying OSA was tested in a prospective blinded setting. RESULTS: Both of the dogs correctly detected approximately half of the positive and negative samples. There were no statistically significant differences in the dogs' ability to recognize more severe cases of OSA, as compared to milder cases. CONCLUSION: According to our study, dogs cannot be used to screen for OSA in clinical settings, most likely due to the heterogenic nature of OSA.

A Comparison of Four Digital Otoscopes in a Teleconsultation Setting.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: This study compares image quality and appropriateness for teleconsultations for three different otological conditions. STUDY DESIGN: Web-based survey. METHODS: We compared four digital otoscopes via a Web-based questionnaire distributed to all Finnish ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists and residents. The survey consisted of three fictional patient cases, each of which was presented with images taken using the otoscopes studied. Respondents assessed the image quality on a visual analog scale (VAS), assessing its appropriateness for teleconsultations and comparing images taken using different otoscopes to one another. RESULTS: In total, 98 individuals responded, consisting of 81 ENT specialists and 17 ENT residents. The CellScope Oto and Digital MacroView received higher VAS scores for image quality and appropriateness for teleconsultations than the FireFly and Delfino otoscopes (P < .001 for all comparisons). Respondents considered the CellScope Oto more appropriate for teleconsultations for exostoses than the three other otoscopes. The CellScope Oto and Digital MacroView were equally appropriate in the two other cases (normal ear and perforated tympanic membrane). CONCLUSIONS: Both digital otoscopes and the underlying otological conditions affect the appropriateness of teleconsultations. Moreover, both factors should be considered when evaluating the suitability of otologic teleconsultations. Among the otoscopes evaluated, images taken using the CellScope Oto received the best overall assessments. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 130:1572-1576, 2020.

Cauliflower ear among Finnish high-level male wrestlers and judokas is prevalent and symptomatic deformity.

Our research aimed to study the prevalence, concerns, and treatment practices related to cauliflower ear among Finnish wrestlers and judokas. In total, 32 Finnish wrestlers and 31 judokas completed a questionnaire at training sessions or at a competition. All participants were adults competing at the national or international levels. We also took lateral digital photographs of participants' ears. A senior author graded the overall appearance of the auricles on a scale from 0 to 5 (0 = normal auricle, 5 = extreme cauliflower ear). Cauliflower ear was more prevalent among male athletes (84%, 46/55) than female athletes (0%, 0/8, P < .001). Almost all (96%) had sought treatment for an auricular hematoma. The most prevalent treatment modality was needle aspiration (96%). Most (76%) had received treatment from individuals not representing the healthcare profession. Only one athlete reported receiving successful treatment. No complications from treatment were reported. Almost all participants (96%) reported some symptom from the cauliflower ear, typically pain. None regretted their cauliflower ear(s), and 41% of athletes with cauliflower ear considered it desirable. Cauliflower ear is a common and symptomatic deformity among high-level Finnish wrestlers and judokas. Despite the symptoms, it is accepted and sometimes even desired among the athletes.

A detection dog for obstructive sleep apnea.

PURPOSE: We sought to assess whether a dog can be trained to distinguish obstructive sleep apnea patients from healthy controls based on the olfactory detection of urine. METHODS: Urine samples were collected from 23 adult male obstructive sleep apnea patients and from 20 voluntary adult male volunteers. Three dogs were trained through reinforced operant conditioning. RESULTS: Two of the three dogs correctly detected two thirds of obstructive sleep apnea patients (p < 0.000194 and p < 0.000003, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We found that dogs can be trained to distinguish obstructive sleep apnea patients from healthy controls based on the smell of urine. Potentially, dogs could be utilized to identify novel biomarkers or possibly screen for obstructive sleep apnea.

Otoplasty for prominent ears - demographics and surgical timing in different populations.

INTRODUCTION: Prominent ears are seen in approximately 5% of the population. This benign condition can be treated surgically to reduce or prevent psychological and social problems, most commonly in children before the start of school. Our aim was to examine the demographic characteristics of patients undergoing prominent ear surgery in Finland, and compare findings with international data. METHODS: A retrospective study of all the patients treated for prominent ears in our academic tertiary care referral center during 2007-2011 was performed to gather demographic details of operated patients. A systematic review of published series of prominent ear surgery after the year 2000 was performed to gather demographic details for international comparison. RESULTS: A total of 180 patients were operated in our institution for prominent ears, most of the cases (78.9%) were bilateral. Age at operation ranged between 3 and 36 years, with mean of 9.2 y and median of 7 y. The most common reason for seeking operative treatment was aesthetic complaint, followed by bullying. Review process gathered 20 publications, describing a total of 4433 patients who had been operated for prominent ears. There was wide variation the mean age at operation, ranging 7-38 y while the mean overall was 15.0y. Gender distribution of patient samples was also very variable, with percentage of females ranging from 38 to 71% (overall 52%). There was also considerable variation in the tendency to perform unilateral operations: from 0% up to 21% of the reported population. There were no statistically significant correlations linking these demographic variables, though there was a trend that females are more likely to have this operation performed at an older age. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment culture of prominent ear surgery varies substantially in international comparison. The age at which this operation is performed showed most variation. Omitting some of the basic demographic variables while reporting the results of surgery was common in the reviewed publications.

Plunging ranula - patient characteristics, treatment, and comparison between different populations.

OBJECTIVES: To review our clinical experience and characteristics of Finnish patients with plunging ranula and compare our results with reports from other populations. DESIGN: A retrospective study from the electronic hospital records between 2005 and 2016. SETTING: The Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery of Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. RESULTS: We describe the characteristics and treatment of 41 patients with MRI-confirmed plunging ranula. Most of our patients were young adults and 88% of them were male. Surgery and sclerotherapy were used for treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The vast majority of Finnish plunging ranula patients in our cohort were male, suggesting significant population-related differences in plunging ranula gender distribution. Transoral surgery seemed to result in lowest recurrence rate and was the most common treatment in our clinic.

Cervical Chondrocutaneous Branchial Remnants.

OBJECTIVE: Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants are rare malformations usually found in the lower neck. As high as 76% of patients have been reported to have associated anomalies. We review the literature and report a case series of seven patients with cervical cartilaginous remnants. DESIGN: A retrospective case series of seven patients identified from the electronic hospital records. RESULTS: Seven patients with cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants were identified (six boys and one girl). Only one of the patients had associated anomalies. CONCLUSIONS: A review of the literature revealed no evidence for sinuses or cysts related to cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants. Operative treatment can be postponed to a suitable and safe age. There is marked variation in the reported prevalence of associated anomalies, ranging from 11% to 76%.

Inheritance Patterns of Infantile Hemangioma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Infantile hemangioma (IH) includes, among its other risk factors, familial clustering, but a definitive understanding of IH's inheritance model and genetic basis is lacking. Our objective was to collect IH pedigrees in Finland, to study the inheritance patterns of IH within these families, and to analyze the characteristics of familial IHs. METHODS: We identified 185 patients with IH who visited our vascular anomaly clinic between 2004 and 2007. Based on hospital records and a questionnaire sent to these patients and their families, IH characteristics and family history of IH were studied. We compared characteristics between patients with positive (familial) and negative (sporadic) IH family history. Families with positive IH family history were further interviewed for extended pedigree data. RESULTS: One-third of our IH cohort's families reported a family history positive for IH, with IH characteristics and perinatal data between the familial and sporadic cases being similar. IH patients with affected first-degree relatives reported higher long-term discomfort rates than the sporadic cases. Of the 40 families interviewed, 11 included ≥4 IH-affected family members; these were most commonly first-degree relatives (63%). Segregation patterns match with autosomal dominant inheritance with an incomplete penetrance or maternal transmission. We also present a case of monozygotic twins that manifest identical IHs. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this large number of IH pedigrees, we suggest at least 2 possible mechanisms of inheritance: autosomal dominant and maternal transmission. This study highlights the need for additional genetic studies to define inheritance of this common disease.

[Dogs as a diagnostic tool--utopian dream or unexploited possibility?]. / Diagnostiikkakoirat--utopiaa vai hyödyntämätön mahdollisuus?

The dog's sense of smell has been estimated to be as much as 100 000 times more sensitive than that of man. While the dog's sense of smell is utilized by various authorities, medical exploitation of dogs is scarce. A disorder causes in the body metabolic changes, which could possibly be detected by using trained dogs. Promising studies have been published in recent years about the use of diagnostic dogs in identifying cancers or antibiotic-associated diarrhea, for example.

Risk factors and morbidity of infantile haemangioma: preterm birth promotes ulceration.

AIM: We identified the characteristics of an infantile haemangioma (IH) that predispose children to complications, interventions and long-term morbidity and examined perinatal risk factors for IH. METHODS: We studied children with IHs admitted to Helsinki University Hospital's paediatric vascular anomaly clinic in Finland in 2004-2007 and registered perinatal records, IH characteristics, complications and interventions. These patients received a questionnaire on perinatal data and long-term morbidity resulting from IH. We analysed factors related to complications, interventions and morbidity and compared our cohort's perinatal data to the Finnish Medical Birth Register (FMBR) figures. RESULTS: We approached 185 families, of which 136 replied to the questionnaire. Children with facial, segmental and indeterminate IHs showed more complications, interventions and higher long-term morbidity. Preterm birth predisposed infants to ulceration of IHs, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.02-5.14 and odds ratio (OR) of 2.29. In addition to earlier known risks, maternal gestational diabetes mellitus rate was higher in our IH cohort than the rate in the FMBR (95% CI 1.39-4.95, OR 2.62). CONCLUSION: Physicians treating IHs should consider the elevated ulceration risk in preterm infants. The association between gestational diabetes mellitus and child's risk for an IH is uncertain and requires further research.

Complications of sclerotherapy for 75 head and neck venous malformations.

Sclerotherapy is one treatment option for head and neck venous malformations (VMs). Evaluation of complication risks is, however, essential to improve its safety. We aimed to systematically report sclerotherapy complications by means of the Clavien-Dindo classification and to distinguish factors predisposing to complications. We identified our institution's head and neck VM patients who received sclerotherapy between 1 January 2007 and 31 August 2013, analyzed patient reports retrospectively, and applied to them the Clavien-Dindo classification. Our 75 VM patients underwent a total of 150 sclerotherapy sessions. The most common sclerosants were 3 % sodium tetradecyl sulfate and polidocanol. Complications occurred in 13 patients (17.3 %) and in 15 sessions (10.0 %); 3 complications required extensive postprocedural treatment and caused permanent morbidity, whereas 12 received conservative treatment. Patients with sclerotherapy complications underwent more treatments (p = 0.009) and more often needed further surgery (p = 0.007). We thus consider sclerotherapy a relatively safe treatment modality for head and neck VMs. To avoid complications, evaluation of VM characteristics and optimal treatment technique in a multidisciplinary team is vital.

ICD-10 coding in otorhinolaryngological malformations: Analyses of 2342 Q-diagnoses.

INTRODUCTION: The 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) includes more than 14,400 codes. The aim of this study was to study the prevalence and demographics of otorhinolaryngological congenital malformations in an outpatient clinic based of the ICD-10 Q-diagnoses used for congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic hospital records covering six years (2007-2013) were searched to identify all patients with ICD-10 Q-diagnosis. RESULTS: 2342 patients were identified. Malformations of the face and neck were most prevalent (30%). The gender distribution was equal except malformations of tongue, mouth and pharynx, where 70% of the patients were male. CONCLUSIONS: There seems to be a significant excess of ICD-10 codes for otorhinolaryngological malformations. Ten most common otorhinolaryngological malformation codes cover more than 94% of the diagnoses. In addition, the illogicalities and the possibility of coding by diagnosis, symptoms or clinical findings makes the coding suboptimal for the purposes it was originally created for. Malformations of the nose and larynx are rare compared to other anatomic localizations. The age at diagnosis of branchial cysts differs significantly from all other congenital malformations supporting the theory of cystic transformation of cervical lymph nodes.