Voice Quality and Vocal Tract Discomfort Symptoms in Patients with COVID-19

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Voice Quality and Vocal Tract Discomfort Symptoms in Patients with COVID-19 Via Journal of Voice Dysphonia and laryngeal problems are some of the manifestations of the COVID-19 pandemic due to respiratory disease as a primary effect of COVID-19. The aim of the present study was to investigate voice quality and vocal tract discomfort symptoms in patients with COVID-19. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Electrical neurostimulation for the treatment of chronic pruritus: a systematic review

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Electrical neurostimulation for the treatment of chronic pruritus: a systematic review Via Experimental Dermatology Summary Approximately one fifth of the world population experiences continuous itch for six weeks or more during their life, i.e. chronic itch. It is diverse in its aetiologies and it is notoriously hard to treat. Because itch and pain have largely overlapping pathophysiology and the demonstrated efficacy of neurostimulation in treatment of selected chronic pain conditions, we conducted a systematic review to investigate whether neurostimulation could be an effective treatment for chronic itch. We identified two randomized controlled trials and 17 open label studies or case-reports investigating various neurostimulation modalities for the treatment of refractory itch of various aetiologies. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) was the most investigated modality (n=17), and in the largest number of conditions. Other modalities were Cutaneous Field Stimulation (n=2), Painscrambler (n=1), transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (n=1) and Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation (n=1). Atopic dermatitis was the most studied condition (n=5). Despite the large heterogeneity in used stimulation paradigms and outcome parameters, all studies reported a positive effect of at least one neurostimulation modality. Our review indicates that electrical neurostimulation could be considered for the treatment of refractory chronic itch of selected aetiologies, such as atopic dermatitis or burn pruritus. However, better understanding of the mechanisms of action of the neurostimulation modalities and regimens in various pruritic conditions is necessary. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Outcomes and survival of tracheostomised patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in a third level hospital

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Outcomes and survival of tracheostomised patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in a third level hospital Via http://link.springer.com/journal/405,European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology,The European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2021 Oct 12:1-9. doi: 10.1007/s00405-021-07120-w. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT PURPOSE: Analyse the evolution and outcomes of COVID-19 tracheostomised patients. Clarify if this cohort presents an increased risk of haemorrhagic complications and verify the correlation between some risk factors with increased mortality. METHODS: A retrospective single-centre observational study of a prospective cohort of all COVID-19 patients admitted to our centre between March and April 2020. A control group was obtained from a historical cohort of patients who required tracheostomy due to prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) before 2020. RESULTS: A total of 1768 patients were included: 67 tracheostomised non-COVID-19 patients (historic cohort), 1371 COVID-19 patients that did not require ICU admission, 266 non-tracheostomised COVID-19 patients and 64 tracheostomised COVID-19 patients. Comparing the obesity prevalence, 54.69% of the tracheostomised COVID-19 patients were obese and 10.53% of the non-tracheostomised COVID-19 patients (p < 0.001). The median of ICU admission days was lower (p < 0.001) in the non-tracheostomised cohort (12.5 days) compared with the COVID-19 tracheostomised cohort (34 days). The incidence of haemorrhagic complications was significantly higher in tracheostomised COVID-19 patients (20.31%) compared with tracheostomised non-COVID-19 patients (5.97%) and presented a higher percentage of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and smoking, significantly different from the historic cohort (p < 0.001). A Cox model showed that tracheostomy had no statistically significant effect on mortality in COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: Obesity and smoking may be risk factors for tracheostomy in COVID-19 patients, tracheostomised COVID-19 patients present a higher risk of bleeding complications than those admitted for other reasons and an elevated LDH and INR on ICU admission may be associated with increased mortality. PMID:34637016 | PMC:PMC8506095 | DOI:10.1007/s00405-021-07120-w View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Mucormycosis in COVID-19 pandemic and its neurovascular spread

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Mucormycosis in COVID-19 pandemic and its neurovascular spread Via http://link.springer.com/journal/405,European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology,The European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2021 Oct 12:1-8. doi: 10.1007/s00405-021-07106-8. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT PURPOSE: Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is a rapidly progressive angioinvasive fungal infection commonly seen in diabetics. In the COVID-19 pandemic we have witnessed a sudden surge in these cases. We aimed to evaluate the disease presentation, patterns of spread, and any association with the COVID-19 virus. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted on mucormycosis patients operated between March and July 2021. The diagnosis was confirmed either on KOH staining, fungal culture or histopathological examination. RESULTS: Thirty one cases (21 males, 10 females) with a mean age of 53.3 years were included, of which 9 (29.1%) were COVID positive on presentation, 17 (54.8%) were post-COVID, while 5 (16.1%) had radiological evidence of COVID sequelae. Most common symptoms were cheek numbness (87.1%), headache (83.9%), visua l disturbances (77.4%), and palate involvement (58.1%). Blackening of turbinates was uncommon (22.6%). Ethmoid sinus was involved in all patients. Pterygopalatine fossa involvement was present in 77.4%, and was accurately diagnosed on contrast enhanced MRI scan. There were 8 (25.8%) deaths, while the remaining are discharged or under treatment. CONCLUSION: An increase in the incidence of mucormycosis in the COVID-19 pandemic is probably due to a compromise in host immunity along with a synergistic effect in thrombotic microangiopathy. Spread of infection to the soft tissues of the infratemporal fossa, orbit or palate occur via neurovascular structures rather than by bone erosion. The pterygopalatine fossa is involved in most individuals. PMID:34637017 | PMC:PMC8506492 | DOI:10.1007/s00405-021-07106-8 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks Following Anterior Skull Base Trauma: A Systematic Review of the Literature

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks Following Anterior Skull Base Trauma: A Systematic Review of the Literature Via leak of cerebrospinal fluid World Neurosurg. 2021 Oct 9:S1878-8750(21)01562-X. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.10.065. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Anterior skull base (ASB) fractures are reported in 4% of head injuries and represent 21% of all skull fractures. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks may follow, severely exacerbating outcomes. We systematically reviewed the literature to analyze and compare the roles of endoscopic surgery, open surgery, and combined approaches in the management of CSF leak repair following post-traumatic ASB fractures. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting clinical data of patients with CSF leaks following ASB fracture were reviewed, focusing on management strategies and post-treatment outcomes. RESULTS: We included 29 articles comprising 888 patients. The average age at diagnosis was 34 years (range 18-91), with a male predominance (54 %) and a male/female ratio of 2.9:1 (647/241). Clinical data was available for 888 patients with CSF leaks post-ASB fracture, reporting a median follow-up time of 33.5 months (SD: ±29; range 0.5-330.0 months). Open surgical repair was the most common approach (67.9%), followed by endoscopic surgical repair (32.1%). The endoscopy cohort showed lower rates of complications (0.7% vs. 11.1%) and fistula recurrence (2.8% vs. 5.3%) compared to open surgery. CONCLUSION: ASB fractures are frequently treated as late surgery, 24 hours from injury or later, especially for endoscopic surgery. The endoscopic approach is overall preferred, mostly because of its safety and effectiveness, offering lower failure rates than open surgery. PMID:34637942 | DOI:10.1016/j.wneu.2021.10.065 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Multi-Nodule of Large Airway: Tracheobronchopathia Osteochondroplastica, Two Cases Report and Literature Review

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Multi-Nodule of Large Airway: Tracheobronchopathia Osteochondroplastica, Two Cases Report and Literature Review Via ear nose throat Ear Nose Throat J. 2021 Oct 12:1455613211051662. doi: 10.1177/01455613211051662. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT We report two subjects with tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TO), including the clinical manifestations, histological findings, and clinical treatments, which were analyzed retrospectively. One patient with TO was a 60-year-old woman, and the other was a 47-year-old man. The main clinical manifestations were cough, chest pain, and dyspnea. Computed tomography (CT) ima ges showed that TO mainly occurred in the trachea and main bronchus. Histological analysis showed inflammatory exudation, squamous metaplasia, submucosal cartilaginous, and ossification. We present the two cases to increase physician and patient awareness of this benign disease and to improve their understanding of the disease manifestations and potential complications. PMID:34636258 | DOI:10.1177/01455613211051662 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Trends in contrast media research the last 100 years

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Trends in contrast media research the last 100 years Via radioactive iodine Acta Radiol. 2021 Oct 12:2841851211051014. doi: 10.1177/02841851211051014. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT This review focuses on the trends in contrast media (CM) research published in Acta Radiologica during the last 100 years, since the first edition in 1921. The main topics covered are the developments of iodine- and gadolinium-based CM. Other topics include manganese-based CM for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and barium for the investigation of the alimentary tract. From a histori c point of view, special CM for use in cholegraphy and myelography are addressed in the review. Today, these imaging procedures are obsolete due to the development of computed tomography, MRI, and ultrasound. The historical use of radioactive thorium-based CM for angiography is also addressed. Furthermore, publications on adverse reactions to CM are reviewed. PMID:34636678 | DOI:10.1177/02841851211051014 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Advances in Functional Imaging of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Advances in Functional Imaging of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Via radioactive iodine Cancers (Basel). 2021 Sep 23;13(19):4748. doi: 10.3390/cancers13194748. ABSTRACT The present review provides a description of recent advances in the field of functional imaging that takes advantage of the functional characteristics of thyroid neoplastic cells (such as radioiodine uptake and FDG uptake) and theragnostic approach of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Physical and biological characteristics of available radiopharmaceuticals and their use with state-of-the-art technologies for dia gnosis, treatment, and follow-up of DTC patients are depicted. Radioactive iodine is used mostly with a therapeutic intent, while PET/CT with 18F-FDG emerges as a useful tool in the diagnostic management and complements the use of radioactive iodine. Beyond 18F-FDG PET/CT, other tracers including 124I, 18F-TFB and 68Ga-PSMA, and new methods such as PET/MR, might offer new opportunities in selecting patients with DTC for specific imaging modalities or treatments. PMID:34638232 | DOI:10.3390/cancers13194748 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Post-Surgical Ablative or Adjuvant Radioiodine Therapy Has No Impact on Outcome in 1-4 cm Differentiated Thyroid Cancers without Extrathyroidal Extension

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Post-Surgical Ablative or Adjuvant Radioiodine Therapy Has No Impact on Outcome in 1-4 cm Differentiated Thyroid Cancers without Extrathyroidal Extension Via radioactive iodine J Clin Med. 2021 Sep 28;10(19):4452. doi: 10.3390/jcm10194452. ABSTRACT Whether to conduct remnant ablation or adjuvant radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy in patients with intrathyroidal differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), sized 1.1-4 cm, is debated. We evaluated the impact of RAI on outcome in this category of DTCs. We retrospectively enrolled 308 patients submitted to total thyroidectomy: 198 had tumors sized 1.1-2 cm (Group 1) and 110 of 2.1-4 cm (Group 2). Both groups were divided into pat ients receiving and not receiving RAI after surgery. RAI+ and RAI- patients did not significantly differ, regarding several clinical and pathological features. Final outcome was defined according to dynamic risk stratification. Remission was observed in the majority of Group 1 and Group 2 patients and outcome did not significantly differ between RAI+ and RAI- patients: respectively, 95.8% vs. 93.7% in Group 1, and 87.7% vs. 86.5% in Group 2. The majority of persistent cases, either RAI+ or RAI-, received therapeutic RAI administration, and about 50% of RAI- cases had an excellent response at final follow up, whereas no RAI+ persistent patients had a beneficial effect. Our findings demonstrate that patients with an intrathyroidal DTC sized 1.1-4 cm do not benefit from RAI. The outcome of these patients remains favorable, and the few patients with persistent diseases can be treated with RAI during follow up. PMID:34640469 | DOI:10.3390/jcm10194452 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Evaluation of Industry Relationships Among Authors of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Regarding Ménières Disease

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Evaluation of Industry Relationships Among Authors of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Regarding Ménières Disease Via otol rhinol Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2021 Oct 12:34894211051822. doi: 10.1177/00034894211051822. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: To quantify the presence of conflicts of interest (COI) in SRs and MAs of Ménières disease treatment and identify any related secondary characteristics of these articles. METHODS: A search was conducted on May 28, 2020 to search MEDLINE and Embase databases for SRs or MAs pertaining to Ménières disease published between September 1, 2016 and June 2, 2 020. A risk of bias assessment was performed using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias assessment criteria. RESULTS: A total of 13 systematic reviews conducted by 49 authors met the inclusion criteria. Of the 49 authors, 7 (14.3%) were found to have some form of COI. Of these 7 authors, 1 (14.3%) completely disclosed all COI within the SR, 1 (14.3%) disclosed one or more COI but were found to have an additional undisclosed COI, and 5 (71.4%) were found to have only undisclosed COI. One of 2 industry funded SRs (50%) had a high risk of bias, and 1 (50%) of the non-industry sponsored SRs were found to have a high risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: Overall authors of SRs pertaining to Ménières disease appear to be properly disclosing COI at higher rates than other fields of medicine; however, further room for improvement has been noted. PMID:34636251 | DOI:10.1177/00034894211051822 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Expanding indication of free hypothenar flap transfer: Sequential pedicled ulnar palm flap transfer to a relatively large hypothenar flap donor site

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Expanding indication of free hypothenar flap transfer: Sequential pedicled ulnar palm flap transfer to a relatively large hypothenar flap donor site Via Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2021 Sep 20:S1748-6815(21)00408-3. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.08.021. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Free hypothenar flap (HTF) transfer allows sensible soft tissue reconstruction of the fingertip. However, HTF is basically indicated for a relatively small soft tissue defect, as width of an HTF is limited up to approximately 20 mm to allow primary donor site closure. Combined with sequential local flap to an HTF donor site, a larger HTF can be used without the contracture risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate feasibility of free HTF transfer and sequential ulnar palm flap (UPF) transfer (HTF-UPF) for relatively large fingertip reconstructions. METHODS: Medical charts of patients who underwent HTF-UPF for fingertip reconstruction were reviewed. An HTF was designed transversely proximal to the proximal palmar crease, and a slightly smaller hemi-spindle-shaped UPF was designed longitud inally on the mid-lateral aspect of the ulnar palm; the UPF was used to close the HTF donor site. Patient and flap characteristics, intra-operative findings, and postoperative results were evaluated. RESULTS: Twelve patients with average age of 42.7 years were included. HTF-UPF procedure was performed on 12 fingers. HTF's length/width ranged from 45/20 to 70/40 mm (average, 52.5/32.1 mm). UPF's length/width ranged from 40/20 to 55/30 mm (average, 46.7/24.2 mm). Time for sequential UPF transfer ranged from 3 to 9 min (average, 5.1 min). All HTFs and UPFs survived without flap necrosis or scar contracture. Postoperative sensation was comparable with the contralateral fingertip. CONCLUSIONS: HTF-UPF procedure allows relatively large fingertip reconstruction with a minimum risk of HTF donor site contracture. PMID:34642064 | DOI:10.1016/j.bjps.2021.08.021 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.