No abstract

Background: Local allergic rhinitis (LAR) is found in some patients with typical symptoms but who have negative skin prick tests and negative IgE to aeroallergens while presenting with positive nasal provocation tests for proper allergens. Little information about the clinical characteristics and prevalence of LAR has been published. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of LAR in patients with symptoms of chronic rhinitis.Methods: In total, 680 patients out of 3400 pre-screened subjects with chronic rhinitis who were at least 5 years old were included from 17 sites in Poland in the study protocol. The following medical history and diagnostic procedures were performed with aeroallergens: skin prick tests, allergen specific serum IgE and nasal provocation tests. In addition to LAR, allergic rhinitis (AR) and non-allergic (NAR) rhinitis were explored and compared.Results: In total, 621 patients were examined. LAR was diagnosed in 109 (17.6%) patients; AR was diagnosed in 251 (40.4%) patients; and NAR was diagnosed in 261 (42%) patients. In the LAR group, younger, non-smoker patients with allergies to D. pteronyssinus or grass pollen were predominant. Polysensitization was more prevalent in AR patients than in LAR patients. Bronchial asthma was at a similar level in patients diagnosed with AR (38%) and LAR (35%) but was significantly less prevalent in patients diagnosed with NAR (16%). The mean age of disease onset was similar between patients with AR and LAR (17.6±4.8 yrs), and it was significantly lower than that in patients with NAR (24.5±6.9 yrs, p<0.05). Conclusions:LAR is a significantly understudied problem in patients of various ages with chronic nasal symptoms. Patients with LAR and AR have similar clinical phenotypes.

Colorectal cancer is recognized as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Thus, there is ongoing search for potential new biomarkers allowing quicker and less invasive detection of the disease and prediction of the treatment outcome. Therefore, the aim of our study was to identify colorectal cancer specific miRNAs expressed in cancerous and healthy tissue from the same patient and to further correlate the presence of the same miRNAs in the circulation as potential biomarkers for diagnosis. In the current study we detected a set of 40 miRNAs differentially regulated in tumor tissue when comparing with healthy tissue. Additionally, we found 8 miRNAs differentially regulated in serum of colorectal cancer patients. Interestingly, there was no overlap in miRNAs regulated in tissue and serum, suggesting that serum regulated miRNAs may be not actively secreted from colorectal tumor cells. However, four of differentially expressed miRNAs, including miR-21, miR-17, miR-20a and miR-32 represent the miRNAs characteristic for different tumor types, including breast, colon, lung, pancreas, prostate and stomach cancer. This finding suggests important groups of miRNAs which can be further validated as markers for diagnosis of tumor tissue and regulation of carcinogenesis.

Sinonasal inverted papilloma is a relatively rare disease; however, it is prevalent enough for every ENT practitioner to encounter it several times throughout medical routines. Despite the developments in experimental and clinical medicine as well as surgical techniques, our knowledge of this disease is still inadequate. With improved imaging and better diagnostic techniques, proper diagnosis and qualification for surgical approaches leave no doubt. Although the endoscopic approach seems to be the gold standard for such condition, some cases may additionally require an external approach. Regardless of the type of surgery, postoperative management is crucial for both healing and long-term follow-up. Unfortunately, the procedures are still lacking in explicit and standardized postoperative management guidelines. Moreover, an important issue is still the need for a biomarker indicative of inverted papilloma and its malignant transformation. Several particles, within the spotlight of the researchers, have been SCCA, Ki-67, Bcl-2, Wnt proteins, and many more. Nevertheless, the topic requires further investigations.

Lipoma of the retropharyngeal space is a very rare benign tumor often causing unspecific clinical symptoms. The most common symptoms are dysphagia and/or respiratory disturbances. The clinical diagnosis may be difficult. The radiological imaging techniques (CT and MRI) can provide adequate information with regard to the composition and extension of the tumor, although final histological confirmation is essential. Surgery is the treatment of choice. We present a case of 40-year-old male patient complaining of obstructive sleep apnea symptoms (respiratory disturbances, excessive daytime somnolence, morning headache). The radiological examination (CT) showed a huge (11.7 x 7.2 cm) lipoma of the retropharyngeal space extending from the nasopharynx to the superior mediastinum. The tumor was removed via transcervical approach with complete amelioration of symptoms.

Patient: Female, 36-year-old Final Diagnosis: NK/T-cell lymphoma Symptoms: Nasal congestion • rhinorrea • sinus congestion Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Otolaryngology Objective: Rare disease Background: Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphomas are rare neoplasms that result in the destruction of mid-facial tissues. Infrequently seen in ear, nose, and throat clinical practice, they are often misdiagnosed and treated as chronic sinusitis, which delays proper diagnosis. This study aimed to describe the insidious course of NK/T-cell lymphomas, nasal type. Case Report: A 36-year-old woman with a 2-year history of recurrent exacerbation of chronic sinusitis and allergies was admitted to our clinic. Multiple endoscopic sinus surgical procedures were performed. Repeated histopathological tissue examinations revealed extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type. Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET-CT) was performed to assess the extent of the disease. The patient was treated with antibiotics, steroids, and antifungal drugs for many months before the definitive diagnosis was made. The patient was eligible for modified SMILE chemotherapy; however, the patient died suddenly from septic shock several days before the beginning of treatment. Conclusions: Chronic rhinosinusitis with progressive necrosis of sinonasal tissue that persists despite adequate antibacterial and antifungal treatment should prompt further investigation. In such cases, it is important to consider the diagnosis of NK/T-cell lymphomas, nasal type. Early diagnosis increases the opportunity for successful treatment.

Background Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is effective in patient with local allergic rhinitis (LAR). However, AIT may not always achieve the optimal treatment effect. Objective To present short study with clinical cases of LAR combined therapy with sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) and omalizumab in patients with house dust mite (HDM) allergy and compared it to therapy with omalizumab alone. Methods Patients with severe LAR and hypersensitivity to HDMs were included. SLIT for HDMs was launched in a perennial protocol using SQ-HDM SLIT tablets with omalizumab. The total rhinitis symptom score (TRSS), total medication score (TMS) and combined total score (CTS) were assessed after one year. Results After 12 months, significant improvements in all analyzed parameters in the patients on SLIT+ omalizumab therapy were observed: a reduction in the TRSS from 1.21 ± 0.33 to 0.6 ± 0.28 ( p < .05), a reduction in the TMS from 2.25 ± 1.05 to 0.88 ± 0.31 ( p < .05) and a reduction in the CTS from 3.46 ± 0.57 to 1.48 ± 0.51 ( p < .05). This improvement in TRSS, TMS also in CTS was significantly greater than in the rest of the group with SLIT alone or omalizumab alone. Conclusion Omalizumab may be a valuable treatment that increases the effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients with severe LAR.

The problem of ventilation efficiency after total laser arytenoidectomy with posterior cordectomy due to bilateral vocal cord paralysis is discussed. There are a number of views on the usefulness and efficacy of different surgical procedures aimed at widening the glottis, but the studies concerning the long-term functional results are still lacking. The objective of the study is to evaluate the durability of ventilation results in patients after laser arytenoidectomy with posterior cordectomy based on the comparison between the early postoperative results and those assessed after a period of 5 years. Thirty patients (24 females, 6 males) aged between 30 and 80 (mean 58.5) with bilateral vocal cord paralysis after thyroid surgery, who underwent laser arytenoidectomy with posterior cordectomy, were analyzed. Ventilation tests were performed immediately after the operation and 5 years later with Body-Master Laab (Jaeger). The actual and predicted values of FVC, FEF(25), FEF(50), FEF(75), PEF, MMEF(75/25), AREA(Ex), sR(T0T), R(T0T) were compared and analyzed. Also, the values of the inspiratory parameters FIV(1), FIF(50), PIF and the coefficients FEF(50)/FIF(50) and FIV(1)/FEV(1) were assessed. Moreover, subjective evaluation was performed based on a questionnaire. The statistical analysis reveals a significant decrease in FIV(1), FIF(50), PIF and FIV(1)/FEV(1). FEF(50)/FIF(50) and sR(T0T) (actual and predicted values) increased significantly after 5 years from the operation. However, the patients did not complain nor was this tendency reflected in their answers to the questionnaire. The probable reasons for such ventilation results are discussed. The role of phoniatric rehabilitation and the time elapsed is emphasized. In general, it can be concluded that laser arytenoidectomy with posterior cordectomy is a durable and effective procedure, although the objective assessment does not fully match the patient's subjective impression.