OBJECTIVE:To measure the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy as salvage therapy after the failure of steroid therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). MATERIALS and METHODS:Ninety-three patients with SSNHL were unsuccessfully treated with systemic steroid therapy. Following steroid therapy, 43 patients received additional HBO therapy while 50 did not. Hearing levels at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 kHz before and after therapy were measured. RESULTS:A significant difference in hearing thresholds after HBO therapy was found at all frequencies in patients with a hearing loss of >61 dB. The group of patients with a hearing threshold of ≤60 dB had a significant improvement only at 250 and 500 Hz, while group of patients without additional therapy control group showed no hearing improvement. CONCLUSION:Hyperbaric oxygen therapy therapy as salvage therapy for SSNHL showed some benefits in hearing improvement. Better results could be expected in patients with severe hearing loss, while in patients with mild-or-moderate hearing loss, recovery should be expected only at low frequencies.

Protection of BPC 157 on capsaicin-induced rhinitis was studied in Wistar rats for its effect on mastocyte infiltration, degranulation and inflammatory cell infiltration. Animals were pretreated with 10 gg/kg, 10 ng/ kg or 2 ml saline i.p. and capsaicin (0.05 ml/nostril of 1750 nmol/1 sol.) was applied intranasally. They were then euthanized at 1, 3 and 12 h after capsaicin provocation. Nasal mucosa was analyzed and scored for mastocyte infiltration, degranulation and inflammatory cell infiltration. BPC 157 pretreatment significantly prevented mastocyte infiltration at 1 h. Polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration was significantly reduced in rats pretreated with 10 gg/kg BPC 157. A dose-dependent effect of BPC 157 pretreatment was demonstrated only for polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration at 12 h.

We report a 54-year-old patient with a complaint of weakness, abdominal pain and weight loss. During the clinical examination a palpable tumor resistance in the abdomen was found as well as iron deficiency anemia. Gastroscopy showed an exulcerated, dark brown, fungiform tumor about 4 cm in diameter at the great curve of stomach. Endoscopic biopsy revealed the diagnosis of malignant melanoma by demonstrating the presence of melanin containing tumor cells in gastric mucosa. The patient underwent subtotal gastrectomy, appendectomy and splenectomy. The diagnosis of gastric melanoma with regional lymph node metastases, as well as metastases in appendix adjacent tissue was confirmed by histology and immunohistochemistry. In three years follow up period patient developed cerebral and retroauricular subcutaneous metastases that were treated by surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Finally, an explorative laparotomy was revealed advanced intraabdominal tumor dissemination with dark pigmented ascites. Concerning that all available diagnostic procedures failed to prove other site of melanoma, presented case was considered as primary gastric melanoma as a possible rare site of tumor.

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At the first otoscopy, pathological findings were recorded in 250 ears/125 children (100.0%). The number of pathological otoscopy findings decreased at each subsequent examination. At ENT 6 all children had normal otoscopy findings. Type B tympanogram was detected in 49/250 (19.6%) ears at TM 6, performed 3 months following the onset of the disease. At the TA 1 conductive hearing impairment was recorded in 158/250 (63.2%) ears, at TA 2 in 66/250 (26.4%), and at TA 3 in 39/250 (15.6%). Most of them were associated with Type B tympanogram.