Objective: To evaluate the effect of PRP-enriched gelfoam on the healing of chronic TM perforation in comparison with gelfoam alone. Methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial Patients with chronic tympanic membrane were randomly allocated to two groups; intervention group underwent tympanoplasty with platelet rich plasma (PRP)-enriched gel foams and control group underwent operation with conventional gel foams alone. Patients information was recorded 4 and 12 months after surgery. Results: Eventually 24 patients (12 males and 12 females) with a mean age of 43.33 ± 12.34 years in intervention and 41.33 ± 10.02 years in control group underwent analysis (p = 0.667). Complete TM healing was seen in 8 (66.67%) patients in intervention group and 3 (25%) patients in control group three months after intervention (p = 0.031, OR = 5.98). Conclusion: Addition of PRP to conventional gelfoams used in TM perforation repair increases the complete healing rate of TM perforation with less morbidity and complications.

Objectives: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is characterized by a long-time inflammatory disease of nasal and sinus mucosa. Olfactory dysfunction is common among CRS patients with a prevalence ranging from 48% to 83%. We aimed to assess the effect of ESS on olfactory function of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps.Method: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 30 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps. Patients were randomly allocated to two intervention and control groups; patients in intervention group underwent endoscopic sinus surgery by a single surgeon and control group continued standard treatment with nasal irrigation of normal saline (4 times daily) and nasal corticosteroids (one puff in each nostril daily). Olfactory threshold was evaluated using smell threshold test (STT) before, one month and three months after intervention. Results:Eventually 33 patients with a mean age of 42.70 ± 15.50 years in intervention and 43.12 ± 11.50 years in control group underwent analysis (p value=0.930). Mean olfactory threshold was 2.79 ± 0.73 in intervention and 2.67 ± 1.05 in control group prior to intervention (p value=0.345). Mean change of olfactory threshold was 0.30 ± 0.79 in intervention and 0.38±1.09 in control group one month after intervention (p value=0.214). Mean change of olfactory threshold was 0.13 ± 0.94 in ESS and 0.33 ± 0.60 in control group three months after intervention (p value=0.196). Conclusion:Our study revealed that changes in olfactory threshold were not significantly different between two ESS and standard medical therapy groups one and three months after intervention.

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Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of external ear complications among Iranian aural foreign body users attending to otolaryngology clinic of our hospital. Methods: In this cross-sectional study patients attending to Otolaryngology clinics of Baqiyatallah hospital were enrolled regardless of their age, gender and reason of attending. Patients between 15 and 60 years of age were included in the present study. Those with positive history of chronic ear diseases, ear surgery, congenital ear disorders, trauma to ear or head and neck region or shock wave trauma were excluded from the study. Demographic information as well as data on chief complaint, educational level, frequency and type of used foreign body and findings of physical examination and Otoscopy by a single otolaryngologist were recorded in a predesigned checklist. Results: Eventually 362 patients (232 male and 130 female) with a mean age of 40.32 ± 16.90 years underwent analysis. Of all patients 244 (67.2%) were using a kind of aural foreign body frequently and Cotton bud was the most popular (63.5%) used foreign body among patients. Drying ear canal was the most common (54.9%) reason of using AFBs among study individuals followed by itching (29.5%) and pyorrhea (11.06%). Also 11 (4.5%) patients were using AFBs as a habit with no specific reason. Itching was the most prevalent symptom reported by both aural foreign body users (78%) and non-users (45.5%); however it was significantly higher among AFB users (p = 0.026). Also hearing loss was significantly more reported by AFB users (p = 0.033). A majority of patients had normal physical examination in both AFB users and non-users group. Inflammation of ear canal was significantly more detected in AFB users (p = 0.004). In addition, rate of right ear wax impaction was higher among AFB users (p = 0.016). Conclusion: In conclusion we realized that 67.2% of patients attending to Otolaryngology clinic of our hospital were using a kind of aural foreign bodies and itching was the most common chief complaint of these patients.

Background: Inferior turbinate hypertrophy (ITH) is one of the common causes of nasal obstruction. In some case with ITH due to allergic rhinitis medical therapy can be useful and in cases with refractory ITH surgical techniques may be helpful. Although there is no excellence [or superiority] among these surgical methods, radiofrequency (RF) has recently become popular. Objectives: This study compared the therapeutic effects of intranasal corticosteroid and RF in patients with ITH due to allergic rhinitis. Patients and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, patients with ITH due to allergic rhinitis, referred to Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences Allergy Clinic, were randomly assigned to RF and intranasal corticosteroid spray groups (fluticasone 125 µg). Patients were evaluated by the symptoms severity, which were measured by visual analogue scale (0-10 score) and rhinomanometry, four times (before the intervention and the 1st, 3rd and 6th month after the intervention). Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21. Results: Sixty patients with ITH due to allergic rhinitis were evaluated, among which 26 were male and 34 were female. The mean age was 35.5 ± 8.86 years old and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 22.97 ± 3.12 kg/m 2. There was no significant difference in demographic data among the groups. All the patients showed significant improvements in symptoms severities and rhinomanometry at all the after intervention visits. The best results were obtained in the 6th month of follow-up. The mean nasal obstruction severity and rhinomanometry results were significantly higher in the RF group at all the after intervention visits (P < 0.05). Conclusions: According to the results, we suggest using RF technique for patients with ITH due to allergic rhinitis, which is an outpatient procedure with local anesthesia; long-term effects of these two therapeutic methods (corticosteroid an RF) could be evaluated in future studies.