Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is more frequent in veterans than in nonveterans. Up to 85% of HCV-infected veterans have psychiatric and/or substance use (SU) co-morbidities which, prior to the 2002 NIH Consensus Conference, were considered relative contraindications to antiviral therapy, assuming a poor adherence. With the objective of evaluating the validity of this assumption, we compared eligibility, completion and response to antiviral therapy in HCV-infected veterans with and without these comorbidities. Veterans who were anti-HCV-positive and had been seen at least once in the liver clinic (between October 1999 and June 2002) were identified through the CT-VAHCS database. Records were reviewed for patient demographics and status of liver disease, assessment of treatment eligibility, type of therapy, completion of therapy and virological response. Patients with active mental illness (MI) or SU were compared with those without these comorbidities (controls). Of 697 anti-HCV-positive-patients, 647 HCV-RNA-positive patients were included, 294 with MI/SA and 353 controls. Patient demographics, viral and liver disease characteristics were comparable between groups. Patients with MI/SA were considered ineligible for therapy more frequently (53%vs 39%, P < 0.001) and were treated less frequently (21%vs 28%, P = 0.03) than controls. However, completion of therapy (72%vs 59%) and sustained virological response (SVR) (20%vs 25%) did not differ significantly between groups. HCV-infected veterans with MI/SA are being offered therapy and treated less often than those without such co-morbidities, however therapy completion and SVR rates are similar, challenging the perception that adherence is poorer in this patient population.
INTRODUCTIONThe human temporal bone has an extremely complex structure. Direct axial and coronal CT sections are quite satisfactory for imaging the anatomy of the temporal bone but most of the normal and pathological details of the temporal bone are better visualized with direct sagittal CT sections. The sagittal projection is of interest for surgeons, as it has the advantage of following the plane of surgical approach. HRCT is found to be extremely useful for evaluating the diseases involving the external auditory canal, middle ear cavity, vertical segment of facial nerve canal, vestibular aqueduct, tegmen tympani, sigmoid sinus plate, sinodural angle, carotid canal, jugular fossa, infra and supralabrynthine air cells and temporomandibular joint. HRCT has contributed greatly to an understanding of the complex anatomy and spatial relationship of the minute structures of hearing and balance organs, which are packed into a small pyramidshaped petrous temporal bone. HRCT shows not only soft tissue extension but also gives a more sensitive demonstration of calcification. It has also become useful ABSTRACT Background: HRCT is found to be extremely useful for evaluating the ear diseases involving the external auditory canal, middle ear cavity, vertical segment of facial nerve canal, vestibular aqueduct, tegmen tympani, sigmoid sinus plate, sinodural angle, carotid canal, jugular fossa, infra and supralabrynthine air cells and temporomandibular joint. Our main objective was to correlate the clinical presentation and operative findings of ear diseases with HRCT mastoid. Methods: This study is done in our institute otorhinolaryngology dept. from April 2014 to April 2016. This is prospective study involves 36 patient belonging to different age and sex groups with high suspicious of ear diseases. We have taken detail history of each patient with complete ear nose throat examination done and after that all patient were investigated with routine blood investigation, X-ray and HRCT mastoid to correlate clinical finding and subjected for operation to compare operative findings with HRCT finding. Results: Determined using Pearson chi square test indicated a statistically significant correlation between HRCT temporal bone with clinical presentation and operative findings of ear diseases (p<0.05). Conclusions: With the advent of modern high-resolution CT scanners, detailed demonstration of temporal bone anatomy is practically possible now. We have been able to identify many significant structures not demonstrated by any of the known imaging modalities. The improved contrast and soft tissue a definition possible with HRCT has resulted in production of excellent images of soft tissue lesions in air spaces. Hence HRCT appears to be the diagnostic modality of choice for cholesteatomas and other soft tissue lesions in middle ear.
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