An alternative treatment approach for patients with resistant otitis media with effusion and dysfunctional Eustachian tube.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether dysfunctional Eustachian tubes of children with resistant otitis media with effusion (OME), ventilation tube placement indication, and maxillary constriction will recover after rapid maxillary expansion (RME). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The RME group consisted of 15 children (mean age: 10.07 years) with maxillary constriction, Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), and resistant OME. The control group consisted of 11 healthy children (mean age: 8.34 years) with no orthodontic and/or rhinologic problems. Recovery of Eustachian tube dysfunction was evaluated by Williams' test at three timepoints: before RME/at baseline (T0); after RME (T1); and after an observation period of 10 months (T2). The control group was matched to all these periods, except T1. RESULTS: In the control group, functioning Eustachian tubes were observed in all ears at baseline (T0), and tubes showed no worsening and no change during the observation period (T2) (P > .05). In the RME group, functioning Eustachian tubes were observed in eight of 30 ears and ETD was observed in the remaining 22 ears at baseline (T0). The RME group showed significant improvements in tube functions after RME and the observation period (P < .05). Fifteen of 22 dysfunctional ears recovered (68.2%) and started to exhibit normal Eustachian tube function after RME (T1) and the observation period (T2). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that ears having poorly functioning Eustachian tubes are restored and recovered after RME in most of children with maxillary constriction and resistant OME. Thus, RME should be preferred as a first therapy alternative for children with maxillary constriction and serous otitis media.

Evaluation of Volume of Nasopharyngeal Cancers by the Cavalieri Principle

Prediction of tumor volume using the Cavalieri method may be helpful in management of therapy and evaluation of treatment results. The aim of this study was to adapt the Cavalieri stereological method to magnetic resonance imaging for determining volume of nasopharyngeal cancers and assess changes after treatment using the Cavalieri method. Serial MRI images in the sagittal plane were obtained from a total of 33 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas (11 with stage T2, 11 with stage T3, and 11 with stage T4 lesions). The images were analyzed retrospectively before and two months following the cessation of radiochemotherapy for comparison. Average tumor volumes before and after treatment in patients with stage T2 were 21. 5±10.5 cm3 and 2.82±3.43 cm3, respectively (p=0.000). The respective figures were 35.1±19.0 cm3 and 6.27±7.82 cm3 (p=0.000) for stage T3 cases, and 62.8±27.8 cm3 and 11. 6±11.9 cm3 (p=0.000) for stage T4. Post-treatment tumor volumes were statistically reduced when compared to pre-treatment volumes in all stages.

Preoperative Serum Thyroglobulin Level as a Useful Predictive Marker to Differentiate Thyroid Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine system cancer. Although fine-needle aspiration biopsy is the most commonly used method for diagnosis, it is not always sufficient. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of preoperative serum thyroglobulin (Tg) concentration on differentiated thyroid cancer risk. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 133 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy due to various indications at the Ear-Nose-Throat Department, Ataturk University Medical School, between April 2015 and December 2015, were included in this prospective study. Histopathological diagnosis and preoperative Tg levels were compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used for detection of the cut-off to discriminate malignant from benign thyroid masses using preoperative Tg as a variable. RESULTS: Malignant pathology (differentiated thyroid carcinoma) was detected in 59 out of 133 patients (44.4%) and benign pathology in 74 (55.6%). A statistically significant difference in preoperative Tg value was detected between malignant and benign cases (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of differentiated thyroid carcinoma was higher among patients with a preoperative serum Tg value > 188.5 ng/mL, and this may thus be used as a marker for the diagnosis of this malignancy.

Measuring Oxidative DNA Damage With 8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine Levels in Patients With Laryngeal Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine is a biomolecule associated with DNA damage. We evaluated oxidative stress and DNA damage in patients with laryngeal cancer by measuring 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels. METHODS: This study enrolled 117 subjects, including 64 controls and 53 patients who had benign vocal cord lesions or laryngeal cancer. The benign excised lesions, tumor tissue, noncancerous laryngeal tissue, blood, and urine were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography, and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels were compared between groups. RESULTS: Blood and urine 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels in patients with laryngeal carcinoma were significantly higher than in the controls ( P = .00002, P = .00001). The 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine level was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in non-tumor tissue and benign vocal cord lesion tissues ( P = .00002, P = .000001). CONCLUSIONS: We determined that laryngeal cancer was associated with oxidative stress, which may be quantified by measuring 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. For a patient with a suspicious laryngeal lesion, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels in blood and urine can provide advance information about the likely diagnosis.

Rapid maxillary expansion versus middle ear tube placement: Comparison of hearing improvements in children with resistance otitis media with effusion.

OBJECTIVE: To test the null hypothesis that there are significant differences in hearing improvements of children with resistance otitis media with effusion (OME) who undergo a rapid maxillary expansion (RME) procedure or ventilation tube placement. METHODS: Forty-two children between 4.5 and 15 years old were divided into three groups: RME, ventilation tube, and control groups. The RME group consisted of 15 children with maxillary constriction and resistance OME that indicated ventilation tube placement. The ventilation tube group consisted of 16 children for whom ventilation tube placement was indicated but no maxillary constriction. The control group consisted of 11 children with no orthodontic and/or rhinologic problems. Hearing thresholds were evaluated with three audiometric records: (1) before RME/ventilation tube placement (T0); (2) after RME/ventilation tube placement (T1), and (3) after an observation period of 10 months (T2). The control group was matched to these periods, except T1. RESULTS: Hearing thresholds decreased significantly in both the RME and ventilation tube groups (P < .001). Hearing thresholds decreased approximately 15 and 17 decibels in the RME and ventilation tube groups, respectively, but differences in improvements were insignificant between the two study groups (P > .05). Slight changes were observed in the control groups. CONCLUSION: The null hypothesis was rejected. RME showed similar effects as ventilation tube placement for release of otitis media and improvement of hearing thresholds levels. RME should be preferred as a first treatment option for children with maxillary constriction and resistance OME.

Estimation of the efficacy of chemo-radiotherapy on tumor regression in the patients with laryngeal cancer via computerized tomography using the Cavalieri method.

CONCLUSION: Calculating tumor volume using the Cavalieri method in laryngeal tumors before and after treatment may be useful to optimize the treatment and to minimize the side-effects of radiotherapy. PURPOSE: This study aimed to estimate the pre-treatment and post-treatment tumor volumes of the patients to whom radiotherapy or radio-chemotherapy was applied as a treatment using Cavalieri's Principle as a stereological method and to assess tumor regression rates in the patients with Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LSCC) statistically. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Sixteen patients (eight patients with stage T3 and eight patients with stage T4) diagnosed with LCCC bearing the appropriate characteristics to criteria in the otorhinolaryngology clinic were included. Patients had computerized tomography (CT) scans in the axial plane before treatment and 2 months after the treatment. Pre-treatment and post-treatment tumor volumes on CT images were calculated using Cavalieri's principle as a stereological method and then compared. FINDINGS: Average tumor volumes in patients with stage T3 before and after treatment were 10.12 ± 3.58 cm(3) and 1.33 ± 1.74 cm(3), respectively (p = 0.008). These volumes were 11.92 ± 4.61 cm(3) and 2.17 ± 2.34 cm(3) (p = 0.008) for patients with stage T4, respectively. Post-treatment tumor volumes were statistically reduced compared to pre-treatment volumes in all stages.

Mitochondrial DNA deletions in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media.

The aim of this study was to investigate the 4977 and 7400 bp deletions of mitochondrial DNA in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media and to indicate the possible association of mitochondrial DNA deletions with chronic suppurative otitis media. Thirty-six patients with chronic suppurative otitis media were randomly selected to assess the mitochondrial DNA deletions. Tympanomastoidectomy was applied for the treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media, and the curettage materials including middle ear tissues were collected. The 4977 and 7400 bp deletion regions and two control regions of mitochondrial DNA were assessed by using the four pair primers. DNA was extracted from middle ear tissues and peripheral blood samples of the patients, and then polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) were performed. PCR products were separated in 2 % agarose gel. Seventeen of 36 patients had the heterozygote 4977 bp deletion in the middle ear tissue but not in peripheral blood. There wasn't any patient who had the 7400 bp deletion in mtDNA of their middle ear tissue or peripheral blood tissue. The patients with the 4977 bp deletion had a longer duration of chronic suppurative otitis media and a higher level of hearing loss than the others (p < 0.01). Long time chronic suppurative otitis media and the reactive oxygen species can cause the mitochondrial DNA deletions and this may be a predisposing factor to sensorineural hearing loss in chronic suppurative otitis media. An antioxidant drug as a scavenger agent may be used in long-term chronic suppurative otitis media.

Does Montelukast Have an Effect on Post-tonsillectomy Pain Control in Children? A Randomized Trial Study.

OBJECTIVE: Tonsillectomy surgery is associated with severe postoperative pain that usually requires analgesics including opioids. Pain control is still a big problem after tonsillectomy surgery. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of preemptive analgesia using montelukast for pediatric post-tonsillectomy pain management. This is the first-time use of montelukast in post-tonsillectomy pain. STUDY DESIGN: Double-blind, controlled-randomized study. SETTINGS: University teaching and research hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 60 children, aged 5 to 15 years, American Society of Anesthesiologist class I-II, scheduled for elective tonsillectomy were enrolled in this clinical trial study. The patients were randomized into 2 groups: the montelukast group (group M, n = 30) and control group (group C, n = 30). Group M recieved an oral montelukast tablet and group C recieved placebo at 2400pm on the morning before surgery. Post-tonsillectomy pain was evaluated with the Wong-Baker FACES Scale during the 24 hours after surgery. Patients' intraoperative hemodynamic parameters and intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between group C and group M for Wong-Baker FACES pain rating scale scores (P < .05). In the 24 hours after surgery, the total number of patients using rescue analgesics was higher in group C than in group M, and the difference was statistically significant (P < .001). There was no significant difference in demographic parameters (P > .05). There were no significant differences in postoperative nausea and vomiting, otalgia, trismus, fever, or halitosis between the groups (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Preemptive montelukast can be used safely to reduce the serious pain caused by tonsillectomy in children.

The effect of ice skating on psychological well-being and sleep quality of children with visual or hearing impairment.

PURPOSE: Physical exercise and sports have a key role in preventing physical and psychiatric problems in children. However, children with a disability often experience difficulty participating in physical activity due to a lack of suitable opportunities. Participation in an accessible sport is particularly important for these children, but studies examining which sports are beneficial for which disability groups are rare. In this study, we assessed the effects of ice skating on the psychological well-being, self-concept, and sleep quality of children with hearing or visual impairment. METHOD: Forty students (20 visually impaired and 20 hearing impaired) aged 8-16 were included in a regular ice skating programme for three months. We examined the sleep quality, self-concept, and behavioural and emotional states of the children before and after participating in the programme. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in self-concept, behavioural and emotional problems, and sleep quality (p < 0.05 for each) of the children with hearing impairment. Although the sleep quality (p = 0.019) and emotional problem scores (p = 0.000) of the visually impaired children improved; self-concept, peer relations and hyperactivity scores of these children worsened (p < 0.05 for each). CONCLUSION: Ice skating is one of the popular sport alternatives that gives children the opportunity to exercise and have fun together. The results of this study revealed that regular ice skating programmes may have positive effects on the psychological well-being of children with hearing impairment. Despite some positive effects, caution must be use when including visually impaired children in ice skating programmes. Generalization of the study's outcomes is limited as the study group were residential students enrolled in special education institutions for children who are blind or deaf. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Ice skating is a community-based sport and a popular leisure activity that can also have benefits for people with disabilities. Ice skating and children with hearing impairment: Self-concept, behavioural and emotional problems, and sleep quality of the children with hearing impairment significantly improved after ice skating. Ice skating programmes may be considered as a rehabilitation alternative for children with hearing impairment. Ice skating and children with visual impairment: Caution must be use when including children with visual impairment in ice skating programmes because of possible negative psychological outcomes. Balance exercises before starting the practices on ice should be considered for preventing some possible negative outcomes in children with visual impairment.

The effect of antiallergic treatment with desloratadine-montelukast on salivary glands function in allergic rhinitis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible favorable effect of desloratadine-montelukast combination on salivary glands (SG) function in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) using SG scintigraphy. The study population consisted of 64 patients with AR and 28 healthy controls: 14 males and 14 females, with mean age 32.3±8.6 years. The patients were divided into two groups: the untreated patients group of 32 patients, 16 males and 16 females, mean age 28.5±5.4 years and the treated group, who received the standard clinically recommended oral dose of montelukast 10mg/d and desloratadine 5mg/d for 6 weeks. This group consisted of 32 patients, 16 males and 16 females, mean age 38.3±8.4 years. All patients and healthy controls underwent SG scintigraphy. After the intravenous injection of technetium-99m pertechnetate, ((99m)Tc-P), dynamic SG scintigraphy was performed for 25min. Using the time-activity curves, the following glandular function parameters were calculated for the parotid and the submandibular SG: uptake ratio, maximum accumulation and ejection fraction. Results showed SG hypofunction. All functional parameters obtained for the untreated patients and for the desloratadine-montelukast treated patients were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between treated and untreated patients (P>0.05). In conclusion, our study showed that hypofunction of SG was present in all patients with AR. This hypofunction, as tested by semi-quantitative SG scintigraphy, and also the quality of life did not improve after treatment with montelukast and desloratadine.

DNA damage in children with obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy.

The objective of this prospective, controlled study was to evaluate oxidative DNA damage in children with obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy. This study included 30 patients with obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy (male/female ratio, 3:2; age range, 3-9 y) scheduled to undergo tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy and 25 control subjects of similar age and sex with no adenotonsillar disease or airway obstruction. Urine and blood samples were obtained from each child for 8-hydroxy 2-deoxyguanosine (8-OhdG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations. There were significant differences in leukocyte (3.28 [0.69/10] vs 0.70 [0.15/10] dG) and urine 8-OhdG (8.22 [2.27/10] vs 5.26 [1.3/10] dG) levels in patients with obstructive adenotonsillar hypertrophy and healthy subjects (P < 0.001 for both). Plasma (2.98 [1.31] vs 1.14 [0.64] µM) and urine (1.77 [0.84] vs 0.56 [0.32] µM) MDA levels were also different (P < 0.001 for both). There were positive correlations between 8-OhdG in leukocyte DNA and plasma MDA (r = 0.648, P < 0.001) and between levels of urine 8-OhdG excretion and urine MDA (r = 0.588, P < 0.001). The DNA damage in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy should be kept in mind, but further studies must be done with larger patient groups.

The association of human leukocyte antigen polymorphisms with disease severity and latency period in patients with silicosis.

BACKGROUND: Denim sandblasting may cause silicosis as a result of free crystalline silica inhalation. Its pathogenesis remains unclear, but autoimmunity may play a role in the development of silicosis. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and the severity and latency period of silicosis. METHODS: 48 silicotic patients in the Eastern part of Turkey were classified according to their latency period and disease severity. The distribution of HLAs according to disease severity and latency period was assessed. RESULTS: A23 (7.5%), B49 (7.5%), and B51 (25%) were more common in the mild group than in the severe group, and B55 (8.9%) and DR4 (17.9%) were more common in the severe group than in the mild one. Only B51 was significantly more common in the mild group than in the severe one (25%, n = 10 vs. 7.1%, n = 4; p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that HLA antigens may play a particular role in the severity of silica-induced lung disease, but there was no association between HLA and progression time of the disease.

The effects of dexamethasone and levobupivacaine on postoperative pain in modified radiofrequency assisted uvulopalatoplasty (MRAUP) surgery.

The objective of this prospective, randomized study was to evaluate the effect of pre-emptive local infiltration of lidocaine, lidocaine plus dexamethasone, levobupivacaine and levobupivacaine plus dexamethasone on postoperative pain in Modified Radiofrequency Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (MRAUP) cases. Sixty adult patients (44 males and 16 females) aged 32-51 years with simple snoring were divided into four groups. The anesthesia of the patients in the first group was achieved with lidocaine HCl, in the second group, with lidocaine HCl and dexamethasone sodium phosphate, in the third group, with levobupivacaine, and in the fourth group, levobupivacaine and dexamethasone sodium phosphate. All the patients were applied Modified Radiofrequency Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty technique. The pain experienced by the patients during swallowing and at rest on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 10th day and analgesic consumption were evaluated using standard 10 cm visual analog scales. The mean duration of operation in the group that received lidocaine HCl was 22 ± 3 min, while in the group that received levobupivacaine HCl was 27 ± 4 min. There were statistically significant differences between the groups for analgesic effects on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th day and for the amount of analgesics used, on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th day. The best results were obtained in the group that received levobupivacaine HCl and steroid (p < 0.001). Steroid and local anesthetic combinations are superior to controls in the management of postoperative pain in MRAUP surgery.

Left-right asymmetry in neck lymph nodes distribution in patients with bilateral laryngeal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine left-right asymmetry in involved and total neck lymph nodes distribution in patients with bilateral laryngeal cancer in the present study. METHODS: Forty-six patients with bilateral laryngeal cancer was included the study. The oncologic database of our otorhinolaryngology department was used. The right and left lymph node with and without involvement by cancer cells counts were retrieved from pathological reports. RESULTS: The numbers of both involved and total neck lymph nodes were significantly higher on right side than on left side for all neck levels in laryngeal malignancies. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest the existence of a left-right asymmetry in neck lymph node distribution and in the neck lymph node distribution involved by laryngeal cancer cells. The stronger cell-mediated immune activity in the left side of humans may be associated with the blocking of the metastatic invasion of cancer cells from laryngeal malignancies in the left body side.

Brachiocephalic artery anomaly at the neck: importance during minimally invasive video-assisted parathyroidectomy.

A 76-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a parathyroid adenoma, detected on sonography. It had been located posteroinferiorly to the right thyroid lobe. Parathyroid scintigraphy confirmed the right inferior parathyroid adenoma. During physical examination of the neck, a pulsatile mass in the anterior inferior right was determined, and because of suspicion for a vascular anomaly, a computed tomography angiography was performed. The computed tomography showed that the right brachiocephalic artery ascended vertically to the level of the inferior border of right thyroid lobe and dividing into the right common carotid artery and subclavian artery at this level. Right subclavian artery after its origin brought about a curve by means of turning first posteromedially and then anterolaterally. Parathyroid adenoma remained between the right thyroid lobe, right common carotid artery, and right brachiocephalic artery. Minimally invasive video-assisted parathyroidectomy was performed and no complication appeared.

Glomuvenous malformations in the buccal area.

Glomuvenous malformations (GVMs) are relatively rare lesions in the head and neck area. A 30-year-old woman presented to our clinic with a large mass on the right buccal area with tenderness and hypersensitivity to palpation. The lesion was excised totally under general anesthesia. Microscopic evaluation and immunostaining method confirmed the diagnosis of GVM. We concluded that a solitary form of GVMs as a large mass on the buccal region could occur, and a mass with tenderness and hypersensitivity on palpation could be significant in its differential diagnosis.

Primary hyperparathyroidism presenting as a palatal and mandibular brown tumor.

Primary hyperparathyroidism is a fairly frequent pathologic diagnosis characterized by hypersecretion of parathyroid hormone, which results from adenomas in 80% to 85% of all cases. At clinical onset, the most common symptoms are hypercalcemia-related and some of them are pain due to kidney stones, polyuria, gastrointestinal, and neurologic disorders, whereas rarer symptoms are due to brown tumors and expansive lesions often found in fibrocystic osteitis. Brown tumors represent the terminal stage of the remodeling processes caused by an increased osteoclastic activity and fibroblastic proliferation during primary or secondary, albeit more seldom, hyperparathyroidism. The manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism as skeletal disease has nearly disappeared in the last 2 decades. Cases are now most often diagnosed by the coincidental finding of asymptomatic hypercalcemia. Advanced screening techniques have made clinical evidence of bone disease rare. This article contains a case of brown tumor on the maxilla, palate, and mandible in addition to nephrectomy and proximal femur fracture, which are probably associated with primary hyperparathyroidism although less common nowadays. The diagnosis was suggested by the clinical history and confirmed by biochemical, radiologic, and histopathologic evidence. Excision of a parathyroid adenoma normalization of the metabolic status was then realized.

Stereological evaluation of laryngeal cancers using computed tomography via the Cavalieri method: correlation between tumor volume and number of neck lymph node metastases.

Tumor volume is accepted to be a significant prognostic factor for cancers arising in the head and neck regions. There were few studies on laryngeal tumor volume calculations. The purposes of this study were (1) to describe and adapt the relevant methods of computed tomography and stereology to estimate laryngeal tumor volume measured by the Cavalieri method; (2) to examine the possible correlation between tumor size and the number of involved neck lymph nodes in patients with laryngeal malignancies; and (3) to investigate if there is left-right asymmetry for this correlation and the number of involved lymph nodes in bilateral laryngeal malignancies. Fifty-two patients with bilateral laryngeal cancer only from a total of 137 patients with laryngeal cancer who underwent neck dissection during the study period were included in the study. In all cases, neck dissection was part of the treatment of laryngeal cancer. The Cavalieri estimator was used to estimate the tumor volumes on computed tomographic images. The tumor volume increased with the number of involved lymph nodes in the bilateral laryngeal malignancies in both the right and left neck regions. In addition, the volume of the primary lesion and the number of lymph node metastases in the cancer cells in the right neck region were well correlated in patients with laryngeal cancer but not the number of lymph node metastases in the left neck region. Correct, unbiased, reliable volume measurements for staging and therapeutic decision making of laryngeal cancers via the Cavalieri method may be possible.

Evaluation by (99m)Tc-pertechnetate scintigraphy of the effect of levocetirizine on salivary glands function, in allergic rhinitis patients.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of levocetirizine (xyzal) on salivary glands function in patients with allergic rhinitis using technetium-99m pertechnetate ((99m)Tc-P) salivary gland scintigraphy. The study population consisted of 67 patients with allergic rhinitis and 31 healthy controls (14 males and 17 females, mean age 30.1+/-6.8 years). The patients were divided into two groups: an untreated patient Group of 32 patients, 17 males and 15 females, mean age 29.9+/-6.5 years and a levocetirizine-treated with 5mg.day(-1) for 4 weeks patient Group, consisted of 35 patients, 16 males and 19 females, mean age 33.5+/-7.8 years. All patients and healthy controls underwent salivary glands scintigraphy. After the intravenous administration of 185 MBq of (99m)Tc-P, dynamic salivary glands scintigraphy was performed for 25 min. By the time-activity curves, the following glandular function parameters were calculated for the parotid and submandibular salivary glands: uptake ratio, maximum accumulation, and ejection fraction. Our results showed: All functional parameters obtained for the untreated patient Group were significantly lower than for the levocetirizine-treated patient Group and healthy controls (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in any functional parameters between the levocetirizine-treated patient Group and healthy controls (P>0.05). In conclusion, results of our study indicate that patients with allergic rhinitis treated with levocetirizine showed a significantly higher salivary glands function compared with untreated patients and healthy controls. Levocetirizine treatment showed no side effects on salivary glands function.