http://otorhinolarygology.blogspot.com/

Otolaryngology by Alexandros G.Sfakianakis ent med, ANAPAFSEOS 5 AGIOS NIKOLAOS LASITHI CRETE, Eloúnda (2026)

27/05/2022

What to Know About Monkeypox
The COVID-19 pandemic is still fresh in the minds of the people around the world, so it comes as no surprise that recent outbreaks of another virus are grabbing headlines.

Monkeypox outbreaks have now been reported in multiple countries, and it has scientists paying close attention. For everyone else, numerous questions come to the surface:

How serious is this virus?
How contagious is it?
Could monkeypox develop into a new pandemic?
Below, we answer these questions and more.

What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a virus in the Orthopoxvirus genus which also includes the variola virus (which causes smallpox) and the cowpox virus. The primary symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a distinctive bumpy rash.

There are two major strains of the virus that pose very different risks:

Congo Basin strain: 1 in 10 people infected with this strain have died
West African strain: Approximately 1 in 100 people infected with this strain died
At the moment, health authorities in the UK have indicated they’re seeing the milder strain in patients there.

Where did Monkeypox Originate From?
The virus was originally discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in monkeys kept for research purposes (hence the name). Eventually, the virus made the jump to humans more than a decade after its discovery in 1958.

It is widely assumed that vaccination against another similar virus, smallpox, helped keep monkeypox outbreaks from occurring in human populations. Ironically, the successful eradication of smallpox, and eventual winding down of that vaccine program, has opened the door to a new viral threat. There is now a growing population of people who no longer have immunity against the virus.

Now that travel restrictions are lifting in many parts of the world, viruses are now able to hop between nations again. As of the publishing of this article, a handful of cases have now been reported in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and a number of European countries.

On the upside, contact tracing has helped authorities piece together the transmission of the virus. While cases are rare in Europe and North America, it is considered endemic in parts of West Africa. For example, the World Health Organization reports that Nigeria has experienced over 550 reported monkeypox cases from 2017 to today. The current UK outbreak originated from an individual who returned from a trip to Nigeria.

Could Monkeypox become a new pandemic?
Monkeypox, which primarily spreads through animal-to-human interaction, is not known to spread easily between humans. Most individuals infected with monkeypox pass the virus to between zero and one person, so outbreaks typically fizzle out. For this reason, the fact that outbreaks are occurring in several countries simultaneously is concerning for health authorities and organizations that monitor viral transmission. Experts are entertaining the possibility that the virus’ rate of transmission has increased.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/explainer-what-to-know-about-monkeypox/

09/05/2022

Collective Narcissism as a Basis for Nationalism
2
Thu May 05, 2022 13:15
by
Christopher M. Federico, Agnieszka Golec De Zavala, Wen Bu
via
Political Psychology
Recent work suggests that collective narcissism—an exaggerated, unrealistic belief in an ingroup's greatness that demands constant external validation—is a strong predictor of a variety of political attitudes. In the present study, we use nationally representative panel data from Poland to examine the relationship between national collective narcissism and nationalism, a belief that the national ingroup is superior and should dominate other nations. We first demonstrate that national collective narcissism, nationalism, and mere satisfaction with national ingroup are distinct. In turn, in both cross-sectional and panel analyses, we find that (1) national collective narcissism is positively related to nationalism, whereas satisfaction with the national ingroup is not; and (2) national collective narcissism is a stronger predictor of nationalism than national ingroup satisfaction is in absolute terms. Our analyses thus provide evidence that nationalism may be rooted in narcissistic exaggeration of the greatness of the national ingroup rather than nonnarcissistic national ingroup satisfaction.

31/03/2022

Identification of the specific microbial community compositions in saliva associated with periodontitis during pregnancy
Tue Mar 29, 2022 03:00
via
Latest Results for Clinical Oral Investigations
784.jpg

Abstract
Objective
To identify the specific microbial community compositions in saliva associated with periodontitis during pregnancy.

Materials and methods
Unstimulated saliva samples were collected from 53 pregnant women during weeks 24–28 of gestation, and the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified from isolated saliva DNA and sequenced. Phylum-, genus-, and species-level taxonomic compositions were separately compared between subjects with (n = 12) and without (n = 41) periodontitis.

Results
Taxa were selected using the random forest algorithm to distinguish subjects with periodontitis at each taxonomic level, and principal component biplots were constructed to visualize the composition of selected taxa in each subject. The genus-level biplot indicated that 44 subjects clustered around the origin. The prevalence of periodontitis was significantly higher among subjects outside the cluster compared with subjects inside the cluster (6/9 [67%] vs. 6/44 [14%], respectively; p = 0.002). Subjects outside the cluster also had significantly decreased abundance of Neisseria and increased abundances of several putative periodontopathic genera. Phylum- and species-level biplots failed to discriminate subjects with periodontitis more efficiently than the genus-level biplot.

Conclusions
The specific taxonomic composition of the saliva microbiota in pregnant women with periodontitis could be clearly identified at the genus level.

Clinical relevance
The formula developed based on the present findings, (%Treponema + %Tannerella + %Filifactor + %Anaeroglobus)/%Neisseria, can be used to predict periodontitis during pregnancy with sensitivity and specificity values of 0.67 (8/12) and 0.95 (39/41), respectively.

07/03/2022

Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy (SOT)
This breakthrough therapy utilizes short DNA or RNA segments to block the expression of critical segments of genes needed for Lyme or viruses to survive and replicate. Essentially SOT creates a shutoff “key” that precisely fits a chosen “lock” portion of a pathogen.

Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy (SOT) as an Alternative Treatment Option in Cancer: A Preliminary Study
2d
by
Ioannis Papasotiriou
via
In vivo (Athens, Greece)
In Vivo. 2022 Mar-Apr;36(2):898-906. doi: 10.21873/invivo.12779.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIM: An early evaluation concerning the effectiveness of supportive oligonucleotide therapy (SOT) in cancer as a monotherapy and in combination with other types of treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study evaluated the clinical condition and performance status (Karnofsky-Index) of 95 patients, post-SOT administration. Furthermore, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from 47 patients' pre- and post-SOT administration were measured and analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA.

RESULTS: Improvement of the clinical condition was observed in all patients who used SOT (77.89%), SOT in combination with other therapy (69.77%) and SOT as a monotherapy or no information was given concerning another therapy (84.31%). Positive results for Karnofsky-Index were also observed in 71.58%, 61.36%, and 80.39%, respectively. Finally, statistically significant reductions in CTCs were observed for both SOT as a monotherapy and SOT as an adjunctive therapy.

CONCLUSION: The preliminary results indicate that SOT therapy can be used both as monotherapy as well as in combination with other therapies for cancer.

PMID:35241548 | DOI:10.21873/invivo.12779

18/01/2022

A Rare Cause of Secondary Otalgia

Related Articles
A Rare Cause of Secondary Otalgia
Show all authors
Evropi Forozidou, MD, Nikolaos Tsetsos, MD, MSc, Paraskevi Karamitsou, MD, MSc, ...
First Published January 17, 2022 Research Article
https://doi.org/10.1177/01455613221075226
Article information
Open AccessCreative Commons Attribution, Non Commercial 4.0 License
Significance Statement
Secondary otalgia is defined as pain felt in the ear although originating from a non-otologic source. The complex innervation of ear structures makes the identification of the responsible region a challenging procedure. The 2 most common causes of secondary otalgia are the temporomandibular joint dysfunction and dental infections. We present a rare case of secondary otalgia caused by a foreign body hidden deeply in the lateral surface of the tongue.

A 61-year-old male ironworker presented to our emergency Ear, Nose and Throat department complaining about left otalgia accompanied by difficulty in swallowing. Symptoms had started 1 week before in his work environment. The patient was prescribed a 5-day course of antibiotics with ciprofloxacin ear drops combined with painkillers by his family doctor without, however, any signs of improvement. His past medical history was otherwise normal.

A thorough clinical examination combined with otomicroscopy was unremarkable for any ear pathology. Fiberoptic nasolaryngoscopy and laboratory tests were also normal. Inspection of the oral cavity showed no signs of inflammation; however, a tender area on the left lateral surface of the tongue was noted. After careful observation, a tiny hole was recognized in the same area (Figure 1). An exploration of the area under local anesthesia was conducted and a metallic iron bar of approximately 1.5 cm in length was removed (Figure 2). Symptoms were completely subsided and the patient remained pain free at 1-week follow-up.

figure

Figure 1. Oral cavity inspection. Recognition of the painful area on the left lateral surface of the tongue.

figure

Figure 2. The extracted foreign body. A metallic iron bar.

Otalgia is a rather common symptom seen in the primary care setting with many diverse causes. Primary otalgia is related to clinical entities affecting the outer, middle, and inner ear.1 Inflections such as acute or chronic media otitis, external otitis, folliculitis, mastoiditis, and myringitis constitute the most common etiologic factors. Cerumen obstruction, ear neoplasms, and trauma may also be responsible for primary otalgia. The origin of primary otalgia is almost always easy to be established with otomicroscopy or radiographic imaging.2

On the other hand, when the cause of pain cannot be localized to the affected ear, it is referred to as secondary otalgia. There is a considerable overlap between the innervation of the ear and the related areas in the head and neck. Innervation of the ear structures comprises multiple lower cranial, upper cervical, and peripheral nerves. They innervate the spine, skull base, salivary glands, pharynx, larynx, oral cavity, orbits, face, paranasal sinuses, and deep neck spaces. The most common causes of secondary otalgia are temporomandibular joint syndrome and dental infections. Additionally, other potential causes of otalgia are Bell’s palsy, salivary gland disorders, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, oral disorders, and cervical osteoarthritis.2,3

Clinicians should be aware that otalgia could be the primary symptom of a head and neck malignancy. Therefore, a thorough clinical examination of the whole head and neck area is imperative to exclude neoplasms.3,4

Inflammation, trauma, and neoplasms of the tongue often cause secondary otalgia via the trigeminal (CN V) and the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).

The third branch of the trigeminal, the mandibular nerve (V3), is a mixed nerve. The auriculotemporal nerve is a branch of the V3 that provides sensation to the anterosuperior pinna, anterior external auditory canal, and the anterior lateral aspect of the tympanic membrane. Other branches include the lingual, buccal, and inferior alveolar nerves that provide sensory innervation to the oral cavity, the floor of the mouth, and the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.5

The glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) directly innervates the inner surface of the tympanic membrane as well as the middle ear cavity through sensory fibers of the tympanic nerve (Jacobson nerve). It also provides mixed innervation to the posterior third of the tongue.6 Secondary otalgia may be caused from anywhere along the course of this nerve. In cases that thorough clinical investigation fails to establish the source of otalgia, a computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging studies should be considered to define the diagnosis.5

Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iDs
Nikolaos Tsetsos https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1884-6824

Konstantinos Garefis https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3905-5650

Alexandros Poutoglidis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4591-8347

References
1. Neilan, RE, Roland, PS. Otalgia. Med Clin North Am. 2010;94:96171.
Google Scholar | Crossref
2. Norris, CD, Koontz, NA. Secondary Otalgia: Referred Pain Pathways and Pathologies. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2020;41(12):2188-2198.
Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline
3. Earwood, JS, Rogers, TS, Rathjen, NA. Ear pain: diagnosing common and uncommon causes. Am Fam Physician. 2018;97(1):20-27.
Google Scholar | Medline
4. Charlett, SD, Coatesworth, AP. Referred otalgia: a structured approach to diagnosis and treatment. Am J Med Sci Med. 2017;5(3):56-61.
Google Scholar
5. Scarbrough, TJ, Day, TA, Williams, TE, et al. Referred otalgia in head and neck cancer: a unifying schema. Am J Clin Oncol. 2003;26:e157-e162.
Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline
6. Naraev, BG, Linthicum, FH. Traumatic neuroma of the tympanic (Jacobson’s) nerve as a possible cause of otalgia. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;138:735-737.
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals
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Ear, Nose & Throat Journal
ISSN: 0145-5613
Online ISSN: 1942-7522
Copyright © 2022 by SAGE Publications

30/11/2021

Ectopic thymic tissue in subglottis of children: evaluation and management
13hby Yihang Lin via Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial
Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2021 Nov 5:S1808-8694(21)00179-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2021.10.001. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Ectopic thymic tissue in the subglottis is an extremely rare disease that causes airway obstruction. Few cases reported were accurately diagnosed before surgery.

METHODS: A case of a 2-year-old boy with airway obstruction caused by a left subglottic mass was reported. The presentation of radiological imaging, direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy, pathology, and surgical management were reviewed. An extensive search in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and EBSCO of English literature was performed without a limit of time.

RESULTS: Besides our case, only six cases were reported since 1987. The definitive diagnosis on these patients were made with the findings of pathology, of which, five were ectopic thymus and two were ectopic thymic cysts. Our case was the only one with a correct suspicion preoperatively. Four cases underwent open surgical resection, and two cases underwent microlaryngeal surgery, while one deceased after emergency tracheostomy. No recurrences were found by six patients during the follow-up after successful treatments.

CONCLUSION: Ectopic thymus is a rare condition, infrequently considered in the differential diagnosis of subglottic masses. Modified laryngofissure may be an effective approach to removing the subglottic ectopic thymus and reconstructing the intact subglottic mucosa.

PMID:34840123 | DOI:10.1016/j.bjorl.2021.10.001

16/11/2021

Αποδεκτά Εμβόλια

09/11/2021

A novel prognostic biomarker for cutaneous malignant melanoma: red cell distribution width (RDW) to lymphocyte ratio
10hby Hannarici, Zekeriya; Yilmaz, Ali; Buyukbayram, Mehmet E.; Tekin, Salim B.; Bilici, Mehmet via Melanoma Research - Current Issue
imageIt is well-known that inflammation plays a significant role in cancer formation and prognosis. Both lymphocyte count and red cell distribution width (RDW) has been used to predict prognosis in various cancers as an indicator of inflammation. Yet, the role of RDW-lymphocyte ratio (RLR) in determining prognosis is still unknown. We aimed to determine the prognostic role of RLR in cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM). One hundred fifteen patients with MM were included in the study retrospectively. The relationship of the clinical-pathological data with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves. The cut-off values of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and RLR were determined as 2, 487, 51.5 and 6.52, respectively. OS was significantly longer in the low SII, high PNI, low RLR group, while PFS was longer in groups with high PNI and low RLR. In univariate analysis, it was determined that PFS was significantly correlated with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance, TNM stage, PNI and RLR. Moreover, in univariate analysis, a significant correlation was determined between OS and age, ECOG performance, TNM stage, adjuvant interferon, SII, PNI and RLR. In multivariate analysis, ECOG performance, TNM stage and RLR were determined as independent prognostic factors for PFS, while TNM stage and RLR were found to be independent prognostic factors for OS. RLR could be a novel prognostic marker for both PFS and OS in patients with cutaneous MM.

01/11/2021

Congenital syphilis associated with hearing screening failure in newborns

1dby Eduarda Besen via Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial
Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2021 Oct 13:S1808-8694(21)00148-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2021.07.003. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between congenital syphilis and neonatal hearing screening failure in the state of Santa Catarina between 2017 and 2019.

METHODS: This is a cross-sectional, retrospective, analytical study with secondary data of neonates from the state of Santa Catarina born between January 2017 and December 2019. We used logistic regression analysis to estimate the association between the main exposure (congenital syphilis) and the study outcome (failure in the Neonatal Hearing Screening).

RESULTS: The study included 21,434 newborns evaluated in a Brazilian hearing health care service. A total of 351 (1.6%) newborns failed the Neonatal Hearing Screening, and 364 (1.7%) had congenital syphilis. In the adjusted analysis, newborns with congenital syphilis were 3.25 times as likely to fail the Neonatal Hearing Screening as neonates without this disease (95% CI: 2.01; 5.26). As for maternal age, the sample had a higher prevalence (53.5%) of mothers aged 20-29 years.

CONCLUSION: There was an association between congenital syphilis and failure in Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening in the sample studied. There is a need for investments in public policies to value and strengthen the hearing screening program in the state to provide early diagnosis and intervention.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5.

PMID:34716107 | DOI:10.1016/j.bjorl.2021.07.003

29/10/2021

Herpes Zoster Vaccination Reduces Risk of Dementia
1dby Steven Lehrer via In vivo (Athens, Greece)
In Vivo. 2021 Nov-Dec;35(6):3271-3275. doi: 10.21873/invivo.12622.

ABSTRACT

Background/Αim: The relationship of herpes viruses and herpes zoster (HZ) with dementia and Alzheimer's disease is controversial. This study evaluated the relationship between HZ vaccination and cognitive impairment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used data from The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to evaluate the relationship between HZ vaccination and cognitive impairment.

RESULTS: Using BRFSS 2017 data, we assessed HZ vaccination status in 275 subjects whose social activities were hampered by disorientation or memory loss. 61.6% of vaccinated subjects (n=61) and 46.6% of unvaccinated subjects (n=82) never had social activities hampered by disorientation or memory loss. The result is significant (p=0.025, two- sided Fisher exact test). The results of multivariate linear regression analysis, considering social activities hampered by disorientation or memory loss as a dependent variable, and vaccination (yes or no), s*x, and education level as independent variables, showed that the effect of vaccination--reducing risk of social activities hampered by disorientation or memory loss--was significant (p=0.03).

CONCLUSION: Our finding that HZ vaccination reduces the risk of dementia is consistent with the link between viruses and AD. Herpes viruses-induced reactivation of embryologic pathways silenced at birth could be one of the pathologic processes in Alzheimer's disease.

PMID:34697158 | DOI:10.21873/invivo.12622

26/10/2021

Chronic Lymphocytic Thyroiditis and Aggressiveness of Pediatric Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
10hby Richard M Yeker via radioactive iodine
pubmed-meta-image.png

Laryngoscope. 2021 Oct 23. doi: 10.1002/lary.29908. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT) is a common cause of hypothyroidism. Among adults with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), HT appears to be associated with less severe disease burden. In the absence of information regarding HT and disease burden among children with DTC, we assessed the relationship between pediatric DTC severity and HT.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort.

METHODS: Charts from 90 pediatric patients who underwent surgical removal of DTC from 2002 to 2017 at tertiary-care children's hospital were reviewed. Demographic, clinical, surgical, pathology, and outcome details were compared between patients with and without HT. Consistency among diagnostic modalities of HT was also evaluated.

RESULTS: Median age at presentation was 16.0 years (range 4.2-18.9 years). Twenty-two patients were male (24%). Forty-five patients (50%) had HT based on presence of thyroid autoantibodies and/or surgical pathology findings and 45 patients did not have HT. Patients with HT had increased odds of microcalcifications (odds ratio [OR]: 3.01, P = .031) and decreased odds of palpable nodules (OR: 0.212, P = .024) and T2 lesions (vs. T1) (OR: 0.261, P = .015) compared with non-HT. No significant differences in demographics and the incidence of multifocality, extrathyroidal extension, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node or pulmonary metastases, disease recurrence, or radioactive iodine treatment were found between the two groups. Thyroglobulin/thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies and surgical pathology indicative of HT were concordant in 82.4% (κ = 0.635, P < .001).

CONCLUSION: HT was present in 50% of children with DTC. Patients with DTC and HT presented with smaller tumors compared to non-HT patients. No significant differences in other markers of disease aggressiveness were found between the two groups.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 2021.

PMID:34687456 | DOI:10.1002/lary.29908

25/10/2021

Association Between Asthma and Meniere's Disease: A Nested Case–Control Study
2dby So Young Kim, Chang Ho Lee, Dae Myoung Yoo, Chanyang Min, Hyo Geun Choi via The Laryngoscope
Objectives/Hypothesis
This study aimed to investigate the association between Meniere's disease and prior history of asthma.

Study Design
A nested case-control study.

Methods
Among the patients aged ≥40 years from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort 2002–2015, 7,734 diagnosed with Meniere's disease between 2004 and 2015 were enrolled in this study. From the 505,834 participants without a prior history of Meniere's disease, 30,936 control participants were selected based on age, s*x, income, and region of residence. The presence of a prior history of asthma before the diagnosis of Meniere's disease was compared between the Meniere's disease group and control group using conditional logistic regression with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

Results
Prior history of asthma was associated with 1.30 (1.21–1.39) times higher odds of Meniere's disease (E-value = 1.92 [1.71]). Both allergic asthma and nonallergic asthma patients demonstrated higher odds of Meniere's disease than the control group (adjusted OR = 1.21 [1.08–1.36] and E-value = 1.72 [1.37] for allergic asthma; adjusted OR = 1.26 [1.17–1.36] and E-value = 1.83 [1.60] for nonallergic asthma).

Conclusions
This study is the first to demonstrate a positive relationship between Meniere's disease and prior asthma history in adults. The association between prior asthma history and Meniere's disease was noted in both allergic and nonallergic asthma cases. The potential development of Meniere's disease should be considered when managing the asthma patients with dizziness or vertigo.

Level of Evidence
3 Laryngoscope, 2021

Otolaryngology by Alexandros G.Sfakianakis ent med

27/05/2022

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18/01/2022

30/11/2021

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Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis,Anapafseos 5 Agios Nikolaos 72100 Crete Greece,00306932607174,00302841026182