Endoscopic Resection of Nasal Septal Chondroma.

Chondromas are benign cartilaginous tumors and rarely develop in the nasal septum. Although it causes different symptoms depending on the location and size of the tumor, the most common complaints are nasal obstruction and epistaxis. A submucosal mass narrowing the nasal passage can be seen in the septum by an endoscope. Computed tomography gives information about the localization and size of the mass. A definitive diagnosis is made by histopathologic examination. Treatment is surgical excision. Endoscopic surgery provides a less invasive and successful treatment. This case series aims to share that 2 cases with a diagnosis of nasal septal chondroma were successfully treated with endoscopic surgery.

Analysis of Paparella Type 1 tympanostomy tubes in pediatric patients: A single-center retrospective review.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the demographic characteristics, indications for surgery, clinical follow-up results and complication rates of pediatric patients who have received a Paparella Type 1 tympanostomy tube (TT) insertion. METHODS: Retropective review of 816 ears of 442 pediatric patients who received Paparella type 1 tympanostomy tube insertions was performed. The patients' age, indication for surgery, middle ear effusion, time to extrusion and postoperative complications were analyzed retrospectively. Ears operated for chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) and recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM) were included in the study. Ears that underwent tympanostomy tube insertion for middle ear atelectasis and suppurative complications of acute otitis media were excluded from the study. Ears with middle ear effusion mucoid and serous were included. Ears without middle ear effusion or with purulent effusion were excluded from the study. Patients with a cleft palate, Down syndrome, craniofacial anomalies and those without regular follow-up until their tubes were extruded, were excluded from the study. RESULTS: The mean age of surgery was 5.11 years. 54.3 % of the patients were male and 45.7 % were female. 734 (90 %) tube insertions were performed for patients with COME and 82 (10 %) for those with RAOM. Mucoid middle ear effusion was observed in 86.9 % and serous in 13.1 %. The mean extrusion time of the tubes was 7.16 months. 93.1 % of the tubes were extruded spontaneously within 1 year and 99.9 % within 2 years. Postoperative complications of patients that were included were 8.7 % with otorrhea, 7.7 % premature extrusion, 8.2 % tube occlusion, 0.2 % displacement into the middle ear, 8.2 % tympanic membrane changes (5.4 % sclerosis, 2.3 % retraction and 0.5 % atrophy), 1.2 % permanent perforation, 0.1 % cholesteatoma and 0.1 % retained their tube. Premature extrusion was found to be significantly higher in the RAOM group compared with the COME group (p = 0.042). Tube extrusion time did not affect tympanic membrane changes (p = 0.061). CONCLUSIONS: Complication rates after Paparella Type 1 tube insertion are low. The incidence of complications such as otorrhea and tube occlusion were not significantly different between the indication and middle ear effusion groups. Compared to COME group, premature extrusion were found more frequently in the RAOM group. Complications of displacement into the middle ear, permanent perforation, cholesteatoma and retained tube were much rarer.

Prevalence of Allergic Rhinitis in Children in the Trabzon Province of the Black Sea Region of Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in children aged 12-15 years who lived in the Trabzon Province, specify possible risk factors, and compare the data obtained with those of the other studies conducted in our country and in other countries. METHODS: First, 1372 students from nine primary schools determined according to the recommendations of Department of Public Health and approval of The Provincial Directorate of Health were screened in their schools with questionnaire forms. Second, students providing the response "yes" to the first and/or second questions in the questionnaire forms were considered as possible allergic rhinitis patients and invited to our clinic. Then, 246 students were subjected to a skin prick test. Data were collected with the evalution of questionnaire and skin prick test results together. RESULTS: The prevalance of allergic rhinitis in children between 12 and 15 years age was found to be 14.5% in Trabzon. Female gender was found to be a relative a risk factor for allergic rhinitis (p=0.015). The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in children whose both parents were smoking was significantly higher than that in children whose only one parent was smoking or both parents were nonsmokers (p=0.0024). In addition, living in an apartment flat (p=0.015) and owing pets (p=0.04) were detected to be other risk factors for allergic rhinitis. CONCLUSION: According to our investigations, this is the first prevalence study in Trabzon, which is the largest settlement in the Eastern Black Sea Region. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in children was found to be 14.5%. Female gender, smoking habits of the parents, owing pets, and living in an apartment flat are risk factors for allergic rhinitis.

Comparison of Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation and Microdebrider-Assisted Turbinoplasty in Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy: A Prospective, Randomized, and Clinical Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of radiofrequency thermal ablation with those of microdebrider-assisted turbinoplasty, we designed a prospective, randomized clinical study. METHODS: Forty patients suffering from nasal obstruction due to bilateral inferior turbinate hypertrophy were enrolled. Half of the patients were operated by radiofrequency thermal ablation, while the other half underwent microdebrider-assisted turbinoplasty. The outcomes of both techniques were compared in terms of symptomatology, nasal patency, and mucociliary transport. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference existed between the two groups with respect to nasal obstruction and the frequency of obstruction at the first post-operative week and first and third post-operative months (p<0.05). Rhinomanometry detected a significant decrease in nasal resistance values in both surgical groups compared to the preoperative values. The mucociliary transport time was significantly prolonged in the first postoperative week and first postoperative month in microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty group. CONCLUSION: Both radiofrequency thermal ablation and microdebrider-assisted turbinoplasty are effective techniques for treating inferior turbinate hypertrophy. The treatment modality should be individually determined, and parameters such as tissue healing, volume reduction, and mucociliary activity must be taken into account.

Effects of topical nasal steroids and diclofenac on the nasal mucosa during hyperbaric oxygen therapy: a double-blind experimental study.

We aimed to evaluate nasal mucosal changes and efficiency of nasal steroids and diclofenac on nasal mucosa during hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment. Forty adult Albino-Wistar rats were randomized into four groups. Group 1 (control group) (n = 10) not exposed to hyperbaric or enhanced oxygen concentrations; group 2 (HBO group) (n = 10) underwent only HBO treatment; group 3 (n = 10) received HBO and intranasal mometasone furoate (10 µl/day); group 4 (n = 10) treated with HBO and diclofenac sodium (10 mg/kg/day ip). Specimens of nasal mucosa were collected after sacrificing and dissection of animals. The specimens were processed for light microscopic evaluation, and then evaluated histopathologically for fibroblastic proliferation and inflammation. Regarding the scores of inflammation, the level of inflammation in the control group was significantly less severe than the other groups (p < 0.05). Evaluation of the fibrosis scores showed that the scores of both groups 2 and 4 were significantly increased (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between groups 2, 3, and 4 as for fibrosis and inflammation (p > 0.05). Chronic HBO treatment induced mild inflammation of the nasal mucosa. These effects cannot be prevented adequately by administration of nasal steroids and diclofenac.