Comparison of the underlay and over-underlay tympanoplasty: A randomized, double-blind controlled trial.

Objective: We aimed to compare the graft success rate and hearing outcomes in patients with large tympanic membrane (TM) perforation in underlay and over-underlay approaches. Methods: This is a prospective double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial with a parallel design. Patients aged 15-75 years old with large TM perforation (more than 50% of TM) who operated at Khalili hospital affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Science, Iran, were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were recent otorrhea, revision surgery, and pathologic intraoperative findings such as the presence of cholesteatoma, cholesterol granuloma, ear canal polyp, or damaged ossicle. In the first group, the underlay method and in the second group over-underlay method were performed. Graft success rate, atelectasis, and audiology outcomes were evaluated after 6 months. Results: The investigation was conducted on 84 patients in the underlay and 67 patients in the over-underlay group. Although there was a higher rate of graft failure (9%) in the over-underlay group in comparison with the underlay group (4.8%), the difference was not statistically significant (p-value = .34). No atelectasis was seen in both group. Although, between-groups comparison of the preoperative and postoperative speech reception thresholds (SRT) and air-bone gaps (ABG) values showed statistically significantly lower SRT and ABG in the over-underlay technique, the difference was clinically negligible. Conclusion: Both techniques provide the same graft success rate, but SRT and ABG were significantly lower in the over-underlay technique after the operation. Levels of Evidence: 1b.

Elective Submandibular Gland Resection in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Tongue.

INTRODUCTION: Submandibular gland resection is a controversial issue in patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). This study aimed to determine the frequency of submandibular gland involvement in patients who had undergone elective submandibular gland resection following oral tongue SCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional retrospective study was performed between 2001 and 2017 on patients with oral tongue SCC who had undergone glossectomy in a referral center for otorhinolaryngology surgery, Shiraz, Iran. RESULTS: In this study, 131 patients were included. Their mean age was 59.84 years (range: 19-86). The mean tumor size was 2.83 cm (range 0.3-7). The vast majority (92%) of the patients were at stage III-IVa and had well (55%) to moderate (31%) differentiated tumor. The mean diameter of the submandibular gland was 3.87 cm (range: 1.5-6 cm). There was only one (0.76%) patient with submandibular involvement. She was an 80-year-old woman with a T2 well differentiated tumor without cervical lymph node involvement in the neck node dissection. CONCLUSION: In patients with oral tongue SCC, submandibular gland involvement is rare and its elective resection in not recommended.

Does intraoperative ciprofloxacin-soaked gelfoam have adverse effects on graft success rate? A randomized, double-blind controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether intraoperative ciprofloxacin-soaked gelfoam is safe in tympanoplasty or not. METHOD: In this randomized, double-blind controlled clinical study, we included 100 patients between 18 and 60 years old, having perforation ≥50% of the tympanic membrane and dry ear for at least 2 months who were a candidate for underlay tympanoplasty via postauricular approach. We used ciprofloxacin soaked gelfoam in the case group and betamethasone soaked gelfoam in the control group for packing the middle ear cavity and external auditory canal during their operation. The graft success rate and tympanogram after 6 months follow-up period was considered as the primary outcome. Also, we evaluated the postoperative hearing results 6 months after the surgery as the secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Postoperative microscopic otoscopy showed a graft success rate of 100% (44/44) and 97.7% (42/43) in the case and control groups, respectively. The level of improvement between the two groups was not significant for air-bone gap (ciprofloxacin: 9.01 ± 7.89 dB, betamethasone 5.31 ± 10.53 dB, P = .160), and speech reception thresholds (SRT; ciprofloxacin: 10.23 ± 8.62 dB, betamethasone 7.33 ± 12.60 dB, P = .260). 93.2% of all the ears in the case group and 81.4% of those in the control group achieved postoperative air-bone gap within 20 dB, but the difference between them was not significant (P = .118). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the application of ciprofloxacin impregnated gelfoam in the middle ear, and the external auditory canal had no adverse effect on the graft success rate in tympanoplasty. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: 1b.

Salivary gland tumors in maxillofacial region: a retrospective study of 130 cases in a southern Iranian population.

Tumors of the salivary glands are uncommon head and neck neoplasia. We conducted a retrospective study of 392 cases over the last 6 years in Shiraz, south of Iran, to investigate the clinicopathological features of these tumors in Iranian population. The age of the patients ranged from 8 to 85 years, with the mean age 44.57 ± 14.65 years and male-to-female (M : F) ratio was 1.02 : 1. For benign tumors, there was a propensity towards females, whereas the malignant tumor was more common in males. The ratio of benign tumors to malignancies was 2.19 : 1. Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) was the most common tumor and accounted for 85% of all benign tumors, followed by Warthin's tumor (8.6%). Of the 125 malignancies, adenoid cystic carcinoma (40%), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (24%) and invasive squamous cell carcinoma (16%) were the most common histological types. Most of the salivary gland tumors (75%) originated from major salivary glands and the remained (25%) originated from minor glands. The parotid gland was the most common site both in benign and malignant tumors. Most of our findings were similar to those in the literature, with some variations. The salivary tumors slightly predominated in males. Adenoid cystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma constituted the most common malignancies.

Frequency of sensory neural hearing loss in major Beta-thalassemias in southern iran.

OBJECTIVE: The thalassemias are among the most common genetic disorders worldwide, occurring more frequently in the Mediterranean region. The aim of this study was to determined frequency of sensory-neural hearing loss in major ß- thalassemias transfusion dependent patients in south of Iran. METHODS: A cross sectional study on 308 cases of major beta-thalassemia patients referring to Thalassemia Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences between 2006-2007 years. The diagnosis of ß- thalassemia major was based on clinical history, complete blood count and hemoglobine electrophoresis. Clinical data such as serum ferritin level, deferoxamine (DFO) dose, mean daily doses of DFO (mg/kg) and audiometric variables was recorded. FINDINGS: Out of 308 cases, 283 (96.5%) had normal hearing and 10 (3.5%) sensorineural hearing loss. There was no statically significant difference between two groups regarding mean age, weight, age at the first blood transfusion, age at the first DFO infusion. CONCLUSION: We found the lowest incidence of sensorineural hearing loss in a large population of patients suffered from major thalassemia who received DFO. We show that DFO is not ototoxic at a low dose. When considering all related literature, as a whole there has been much critical misrepresentation about DFO ototoxicity.