Purpose of review The purpose of the review is to evaluate the current indications and contraindications for balloon sinuplasty and review the clinical trials performed in this area. Recent findings The indications for balloon sinus dilatation are somewhat similar to those for endoscopic sinus surgery. Balloon sinus ostial dilation (BSD) has been found to be most effective in the treatment of recurrent acute sinusitis (RARS) and chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyposis (CRSsNP) that has been refractory to medical therapy. Multiple randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of BSD in improving quality-of-life outcomes in patients with limited CRSsNP in both the clinic and operating room settings. However, because BSD merely dilates blocked sinusal ostia without removing tissue, it is typically restricted to addressing disorder involving the frontal, sphenoid, and maxillary sinuses. Individuals who have significant disease of the ethmoid sinus may have BSD adjunctively with endoscopic sinus surgery. BSD is unsuitable as a primary treatment modality in pansinus polyposis, widespread fungal sinusitis, connective tissue disorders at an advanced stage, or potential malignancy. A recent expert clinical consensus statement also concluded that BSD is not appropriate for treatment of patients with headache that do not meet the diagnostic criteria for CRS or RARS or patients who do not have both positive findings of sinus disease on computed tomography and sinonasal symptoms. Summary Balloon sinuplasty is an option in the treatment of sinusitis that has failed appropriate medical therapy. Evidence is best for limited disease in patients with CRSsNP affecting the frontal, sphenoid, and maxillary sinuses. Because BSD can be performed in the office setting, it can be a viable therapeutic alternative in patients with comorbidities who are unable to tolerate general anesthesia.

Amaç: Bu prospektif olgu-kontrollü çal›flmada Sinonazal Sonuç Testinin (SNOT-22) Türkçeye çevirisi, kültürler aras› adaptasyonu ve validasyonunu gerçeklefltirmeyi amaçlad›k. Yöntem: Türkçe anketin validasyonu orijinal SNOT-22 maddelerinin anadili Türkçe olan, birbirlerinden ba¤›ms›z iki çevirmen taraf›ndan ‹ngilizceden Türkçeye, daha sonra anadili ‹ngilizce olan baflka iki çevirmen taraf›ndan yeniden Türkçeden ‹ngilizceye çevrilmesini içermifltir. Kronik rinosinüziti (KRS) olan hastalarda test-yeniden test güvenilirli¤i ifllemi gerçeklefltirilmifltir. ‹ki ayr› doktor SNOT-22 anketini iki kez uygulam›flt›r. Bulgular: Test ve yeniden test etme süreçlerinde Cronbach alfa katsa-y›lar›n›n s›ras›yla 0.88 ve 0.90 olmas› SNOT-22 anketinin iyi bir iç tu-tarl›l›¤a sahip oldu¤unu düflündürmektedir. Pearson korelasyon katsay›-s›n›n 0.97 olmas› yinelenen muayenelerde mükemmel bir korelasyonun varl›¤›n› ortaya ç›kartm›flt›r. Tek tek maddeler için hesaplanan kappa de¤erleri ortalamas›n›n 0.83 olmas› yüksek bir tekrarlanabilirlik düzeyini göstermektedir. Sa¤l›kl› kiflilerin ortalama SNOT-22 skorlar›n›n hasta grubuyla karfl›laflt›rmas› iki grup aras›nda istatistiksel aç›dan anlaml› farkl›l›k oldu¤unu göstererek sa¤l›kl› bireylerle, KRS'si olan hastalar›n ayr›m›nda Türkçe SNOT-22'nin geçerlili¤ini kan›tlam›flt›r. Postoperatif ve preoperatif ortalama SNOT-22 skorlar›ndaki istatistiksel aç›dan anlaml› azalma bu arac›n duyarl› oldu¤unu göstermifltir. Sonuç: Sonuçlar SNOT-22'nin Türkçe versiyonunun iyi bir iç tutar-l›l›k, mükemmel bir tekrarlanabilirlik, validite ve KRS hastalar›n› de-¤erlendirmede duyarl›l›¤a (yan›t verilebilirli¤e) sahip oldu¤una iflaret etmifltir.

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to evaluate the vestibular system of children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USNHL), investigate the etiological factors of USNHL and analyze whether a genetic predisposition exists. MATERIALS and METHODS:Thirty-three children aged less than 18 years with USNHL, who visited the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) department between January 2004 and December 2012, were included in this study. Cases with conductive hearing loss were excluded from the study. The patients were subjected to etiologic, genetic, and ophthalmologic evaluation; radiologic imaging; electronystagmography (ENG); and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) tests. The control group, which included 25 healthy children (13 males and 12 females), had undergone audiological assessment and were subjected to ENG and VEMP tests. RESULTS:All of the patients had severe-to-profound hearing loss. Mumps immunoglobulin G was positive in 22 (66.7%) of 33 patients. The 35delG mutation was not found in any of the patients. All of the patients underwent temporal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Inner ear anomaly was present in 51.5% of the patients. Overall, 21 of 31 ENG patients had canal paresis in the affected ear. The VEMP response was absent on the affected side in three patients. The n23 latency average of the patient group was longer than that of the control group. CONCLUSION:Because USNHL causes irreversible problems in children, early diagnosis and auditory rehabilitation are very important. As USNHL is accompanied by inner ear anomaly, children with USNHL should undergo temporal bone CT and MRI. To evaluate the vestibular system, ENG and VEMP are non-invasive and diagnostic tests.

Occupational diseases are primarily considered to be important health problems for individuals with occupations in heavy industry fields. Although dentists work in very clean and elegant offices, they are frequently exposed to various chemicals and high-intensity, sound-producing instruments, such as compressors and aerators. In our study, we aimed to investigate the risk for occupational hearing loss of dental personnel, by performing pure-tone audiometry in 40 dentists and comparing the results with those of healthy individuals. We also sampled the nasal mucosa to investigate the effects of occupational chemicals on the nasal mucosa of the dentists. The pure-tone audiometric thresholds at 5 different frequencies (1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz) and working time were evaluated as potential risk factors. The pure-tone audiometric results (as decibels) at each frequency and the median values for each side (right and left ears) were significantly higher for dentists than for the control group (P < 0.05). The pure-tone audiometric results did not significantly differ between the women and men in the study group (P > 0.05). The findings in the nasal mucosa (goblet cell hyperplasia, neutrophil/eosinophil/basophil distribution, metaplasia, dysplasia, premalignant or malignant cells) were similar in the study and control groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, our study indicated that high-intensity, sound-producing equipment is an important occupational threat for dentists, whereas chemical agents have minimal hazardous effects.

The authors observed no clinically or statistically significant difference in comparing periorbital edema and ecchymosis seen after closed and open SRP.

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Acquired stenosis of the external auditory canal (EAC) may occur because of chronic external otitis, recurrent chronic catarrhal otitis media associated with tympanic membrane perforation, chronic dermatitis, tumors, and trauma. Stenosis occurs generally at the one-third bone part of the external auditory canal. In this article, we present 3 cases of acquired EAC stenosis due to the previous powdered boric acid application. Besides the presentation of surgical intervetions in these cases, we want to notify the physicians not to use or carefully use powdered boric acid because of the complication of EAC stenosis.

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