of the epidemic in India in the months of April to June 2021 occurred due to the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant and was particularly devastating [1]. It prompted the use of steroids as the first line of management which proved to be a doubleedged sword exacerbating diabetes which was previously well controlled or flaring up of latent or previously undiagnosed diabetes. The angio-invasive fungal form of this disease spread by fungal spores in a hyperglycaemic environment causing luminal thrombosis resulting in mucosal infraction and necrosis, bony erosion with its rapid progression advancing into Sino-nasal cavity, orbit and eventually into cranial cavity. [2].Mucormycosis carries a high fatality rate and the management involves prompt surgical intervention along with liposomal Amphotericin B [3,4]. It is imperative that all involved sites be thoroughly debrided (as one would expect in a case of malignancy) and no residual disease is left behind. Such large volume excision leaves behind major
Introduction Tuberculosis is a disease of diversified presentation. It affects almost all organs in the body, and otorhinolaryngological, head and neck involvement is not an exception.
Objective To increase awareness about the different clinical presentations of otorhinolaryngological, head and neck tuberculosis, the techniques employed to diagnose it, and to assess the response to the treatment.
Methods We conducted a prospective study of 114 patients who presented primarily with otorhinolaryngological, head and neck tuberculosis. Routine blood investigations, chest radiographs, the tuberculin test, and sputum examination for the presence of acid-fast bacilli were performed in all cases. Site-specific investigations were performed in relevant cases only. The patients were treated according to the antitubercular treatment (ATT) regimen recommended by the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP), and they were followed up clinically two and six months after starting the ATT.
Results Tubercular cervical lymphadenopathy was the most common clinical presentation (85.96%), followed by deep neck abscess (5.27%). Fine-needle aspiration cytology proved to be a reliable tool for the diagnosis of tubercular lymphadenopathy. Improvement at the end of 2 and 6 months of the ATT was observed in 90.35% and 96.50% of the cases respectively.
Conclusion The diagnosis of otorhinolaryngological, head and neck tuberculosis requires a high index of clinical suspicion, and the ATT proved to be very effective in reducing the severity of the disease.
Introduction Inactive squamosal disease is unique for having a conflicting treatment protocol, with an age-old debate between early surgical intervention or keeping patients in a long-term follow-up. The shifting paradigm is early intervention to prevent further progress into active disease and improve hearing outcome in its nascent stage.
Objective To evaluate recurrence and hearing outcome in cases of inactive squamosal disease after cartilage strengthening tympanoplasty.
Methods The study was conducted on 50 patients with inactive squamosal disease. Detailed examination was done to grade the retraction. All patients underwent autologous conchal cartilage tympanomastoidectomy with temporalis fascia grafting. Recurrence and hearing evaluations were done by pure tone audiogram at regular intervals for one year.
Results Hearing loss was the most common presenting symptom. Isolated pars tensa retractions were more common (54%) than pars flaccida (12%), or those involving both (34%). Ossicular status was normal in only 14% of the cases, and the most common ossicular damage was to the lenticular process of the incus (52%). Three of the patients (6%) had residual perforation at the 3rd month of follow-up. Subjective improvement in hearing was reported by 42% patients. Hearing improvement greater than 10 dB was found in 24 patients (48%). Air–bone gap reduced from 25.16 ± 8.15 dB preoperatively to 12.90 ± 6.20 at 1 year of follow-up. Recurrence was seen in three patients (6%).
Conclusion Early intervention by cartilage strengthening of weakened tympanic membrane and ossicular reconstruction not only offers better hearing results, but also prevents progress to active disease.
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