The study was proposed to evaluate co-morbid depression, anxiety and stress associated with tinnitus patients. The study was done on 196 subjects: 100 patients suffering from subjective tinnitus associated with hearing loss (tinnitus group), 45 patients suffering from hearing loss only (hearing loss group) and 50 healthy subjects not suffering from tinnitus or hearing loss (control group); the age ranges from 20 to 60 years old. The studied sample was subjected to full ear, nose and throat examinations and audiological evaluation. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) was developed by Levibond H and Levibond F to assess three self-report scales designed to measure the negative emotional status of depression, anxiety and stress. All patients and control group were evaluated by DASS. (1) Depression: males were affected more than females. All patients over 60 years were affected by depression. The duration of tinnitus seems correlating with the severity of depression. Only 2 patients (4.3 %) of the hearing loss group suffer from depression. (2) Anxiety: 90 % of males suffer from anxiety as compared to 83.3 % females. The age group 20-29 years old suffers more than other age groups. Only 4 patients (8.7 %) of hearing loss group suffer from anxiety. (3) Stress: females seem to be affected by the stress (76.7 %) more than males (67.5). Patients in age group 30-39 suffer the most from the disease. There is a direct correlation between duration of tinnitus and severity of stress. No one of the hearing loss group suffers from stress. In conclusion, depression, anxiety and stress should be taken into consideration in the treatment of patients suffering from tinnitus.

BackgroundAcquired cholesteatomas are commonly seen in patients less than 30 years. There is a typical history of recurrent middle ear infections with tympanic membrane perforation. The diagnosis of cholesteatoma is usually made on otologic examination.ObjectiveThe aim of the work was to study the role of high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in detecting, evaluating, and diagnosing middle ear cholesteatoma.Patients and methodsThis was a prospective study that included 56 consecutive patients with chronic suppurative otitis media, unsafe type cholesteatomas. Each patient was subjected to full clinical evaluation, and HRCT examination. Intravenous contrast media was used in some patients with suspected intracranial complication. Preoperative radiological data were correlated with data related to surgical findings.ResultsThe study showed that a high incidence of cholesteatoma in the third decade of life. The scutum and lateral attic wall were the most common bony erosions in the middle ear bony wall (64.3%), and the incus was the most eroded ossicle in the middle ear (88.2%). Sclerosing of mastoid air cells were encountered in 60.7% of patients and the lateral semicircular canal was affected in 9%, while facial canal erosion was found in 21.4%. Temporal bone complications are more common than intracranial complications.HRCT findings were compared with operative features; the comparative study included the accuracy and sensitivity of HRCT in detecting cholesteatoma (92.8%), its location and extension (96.4%), ossicular chain erosion (98%), labyrinthine fistula and intracranial complications (100%).ConclusionThe important role of HRCT scannig lies on the early detection of cholesteatoma, and more conservative surgical procedures can be used to eradicate the disease.

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ObjectiveThe study purpose was to detect the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared to computed tomography (CT) and different imaging modalities as conventional radiology in evaluation of sinonasal neoplasms diagnosed by Histopathology.MethodsThirty patients (16 males and 14 females) were complaining of symptoms related to sinonasal tract. After thorough clinical and local examination, the patients were subjected to the following: conventional radiography, CT, MRI, and histopathological examination.ResultsThe nasal cavity was the most commonly involved site with sinonasal malignancies followed by the maxillary sinuses. The least commonly affected site was the frontal sinuses. Benign sinonasal tumors were present in 14 cases. The most common benign lesion was juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (6 cases), followed by inverted papilloma (3 cases). While malignant sinonasal tumors were present in 16 cases, squamous cell carcinoma was present in 5 cases, and undifferentiated carcinoma, in 3 cases. Lymphoepithelioma and non-Hodgkin lymphomas were present in 2 cases each, while adenocarcinoma, chondrosarcoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma were present in 1 case each.ConclusionMRI with its superior soft tissue contrast and multiplanar capability is superior to CT in pretreatment evaluation of primary malignant tumors of sinonasal cavity.

Partial and generalized seizures often affect autonomic functions during seizures, and interictal and postictal periods. We investigated possible interictal electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS), together with evaluating any structural heart changes by echocardiography in these patients in comparison with healthy controls. We studied 120 definite GTCS patients (76 males and 44 females) who are neither diabetic nor under any medical treatment, and 60 healthy controls with a mean age of 25.2 ± 9.3 and 27.3 ± 7.5 years; respectively. Resting systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressures were measured, and standard 12-lead electrocardiograms and a 2-dimensional echocardiographic examination were performed. In univariate analysis, GTCS patients (compared to controls) had significantly lower means of PR interval (147.2 ± 18.6 versus 153.8 ± 22.6 msec; P = 0.037), QT interval (362.8 ± 22.9 versus 379.9 ± 29.3 msec; P < 0.001), and QTc interval (425.5 ± 20.7 versus 441.6 ± 19.9 msec; P < 0.001) but significantly higher mean left atrial diameter (3.49 ± 0.64 versus 3.09 ± 0.45 cm; P < 0.001). After adjusting for age, gender, and body mass index in a multivariate adjusted logistic regression model, left atrial diameter (OR = 3.941 [1.739 - 8.932]) and QTc (OR = 0.924 [0.895 - 0.954]) were significantly and independently associated with GTCS. In conclusion, patients with epilepsy may be predisposed to disturbances of autonomic functions with subsequent cardiac arrhythmias due to the effects of recurrent seizures on cardiac microstructure. Further work is needed to stratify the risk of sudden unexplained cardiac death (SUDEP) on the basis of interictal autonomic parameters to improve prognosis.

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