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Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis belong to a group of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). IBD are characterized by a chronic character of inflammatory process and overlapping immunological abnormalities, which, along with therapeutic strategies are currently available, underlie an increased risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE). The most common sites of VTE in IBD patients are deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). These complications are particularly important in clinical practice due to a very high mortality rate. Therefore, an early diagnosis of new IBD cases and the control of inflammatory process are thought to play a crucial role in risk reduction for thromboembolic events. Despite considerable evidence supporting the association between IBD and VTE, there is still a lack of recognition of this risk, with dangerous consequences for patients. In this paper authors report three cases of VTE in IBD patients and discuss the most relevant clinical studies found in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and EMBASE regarding its prevention and management.

Aim: To evaluate outcomes of stapes surgery in children with congenital stapes fixation and juvenile otosclerosis. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed from 1987 to 2013 to identify patients under 18 years old who underwent a stapes surgery. Patients' age, gender, pre- and postoperative audiograms, intraoperative findings including aetiology of stapes fixation, prosthesis type, and complications were analysed. Results: 18 children (6 - 17 years old), all with bilateral conductive hearing loss were identified and 34 stapes surgeries were performed (two patients underwent surgery only on one side). The cause of fixation included juvenile otosclerosis in 88% and congenital stapes fixation in 12%. The mean pre-operative air-bone gap (ABG) was 36,24 dB (SD: 10,86) compared to a postoperative mean ABG of 7,74 (SD: 3,3) (p < 0.000). The profound sensorineural hearing loss was not observed in long-term follow-up. Conclusions: Paediatric stapes surgery has comparable results to stapedectomy in adults regardless of the cause of stapes fixation; however, the better hearing outcome was observed for cases of juvenile otosclerosis rather than congenital stapes fixation.