No abstract

Allergic rhinitis (AR), an allergen-induced infl ammation of the nasal mucosa, is frequently associated with co-morbid conditions. It is important to recognize the onset and existence of these co-morbid conditions, for adequate treatment and prevention of the development of new allergen sensitizations and air-way hypersensitivities. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of co-morbid conditions associated with AR, in Indian children. We selected 65 consecutive children below the age of 18 years, who attended the Allergy and Asthma Clinic of our hospital, between March 1, 2005 to November 30, 2006 and compared them with the available literature. The most common co-morbid condition with AR was asthma (75.4%), followed by urticaria (33.9%), conjunctivitis (29.2%) and sinusitis (23.1%) in that order. Two patients (3.1%) each, had adenoid hypertrophy and nasal polyps. Psoriasis was seen in 4/65 (6.2%). Four patients (6.2%) were free from any co-morbid conditions as opposed to 61/65 (93.8%), who suffered from one to three co-morbid conditions each. Co-morbid conditions are a rule rather than an exception, the most common association being asthma. Asthma often is asymptomatic and routine PFT testing is valuable. The association of psoriasis is interesting.

Objective:Compare outcomes of surgical techniques in percutaneous bone-anchored hearing implant surgery.Study Design:Matched retrospective cohort study.Setting:Tertiary referral center.Patients:Electronic review of adult and pediatric patients who underwent bone conduction device surgery by either the Minimally-invasive Ponto Surgery (MIPS) technique or the linear incision with no soft tissue removal (LnSTR) technique or between August 2015 and April 2018 at our facility.Intervention:Patients in MIPS group underwent Minimally invasive Ponto Surgery (MIPS) technique, while those in LnSTR group underwent LnSTR technique.Main Outcome Measure:Major outcome was presence/severity of localized skin reaction. Secondary outcomes included cosmetic outcome, revision surgery, minor adverse events, device utilization, and postoperative aided speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) across 250 to 4000 Hertz (Hz).Results:Fifty patients met inclusion criteria. There was a significantly lower rate of localized cutaneous reactions for the MIPS group (4.5%) compared with LnSTR group (33.3%; p = 0.026). Rate of revision surgery was significantly less for MIPS (13.6%) compared with LnSTR (20.8%; p = 0.008). Occurrence of poor cosmetic outcome was noted significantly less for the MIPS group (9.1%) compared with LnSTR patients (20.8%; p = 0.005). Minor adverse events and aided SRTs were comparable between groups.Conclusions:MIPS leads to a statistically significant decrease in localized cutaneous reaction compared with LnSTR. Both the LnSTR and MIPS techniques are safe and effective in the treatment of hearing loss, however MIPS may be superior in certain cases by offering improved healing, decreasing needs for wound care, and possibly decreasing need for frequent follow up.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an allergen-induced inflammation of the nasal mucosa. Several studies have shown a link not only between AR and asthma but also with other co-morbid conditions. It is important to recognize the onset and existence of these co-morbid conditions, for adequate treatment, prevention of the development of new allergen sensitizations and air-way hypersensitivities. This is a prospective study of co-morbid conditions in adults with AR, from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and compares them with those in children 23 consecutive children below 6 years (Group 1), 42 children between age of 6 years and 14 years in Group 2 and 57 adults in Group 3 were selected for the symptoms of AR (sneezing, watering and blocked nose), which were currently sufficiently troublesome to require medication. A high association of co-morbid conditions with AR was found. More than 80% suffered from one to three co-morbid conditions each. The most common co-morbid condition was asthma in all the groups. Often asthma and sinusitis was asymptomatic and a high degree of suspicion was needed for diagnosis. Adults had the highest prevalence of sinusitis and allergic conjunctivitis. Prevalence of urticaria was similar in children as well as adults. Studies with larger data samples are needed to confirm these associations.