In order to evaluate the prevalence of audiovestibular disturbances in Behçet's syndrome, we submitted 20 consecutive patients and 20 control subjects to detailed audiologic and vestibular examination in the last 3 years. A sensorineural hearing loss was found in 12 patients, 2 of whom revealed sudden deafness. Two other patients with neuro-Behçet's syndrome showed a vestibular function deficit, and 3 others exhibited altered caloric stimulation test results. Two of these last patients also revealed a simultaneous bilateral auditory deficit. HLA typing showed the presence of the B51 antigen in 10 of the 14 patients with ear involvement, while only 3 of the 6 patients without ear involvement were HLA-B51-positive. Results suggest that audiovestibular involvement is common in Behçet's syndrome: sudden deafness may be the first sign of ear disturbance; vestibular lesions may represent an early sign of neuro-Behçet's syndrome; and the HLA-B51 antigen is associated with ear involvement. Otoneurologic study can reveal hidden brain stem lesions in Behçet's patients during flare-ups of the disease, even without obvious signs of neurologic deficits.

A total of 40 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis were treated with either azelastine nasal spray 0.14 mg/nostril twice daily (0.56 mg/day) or cetirizine tablets 10 mg once daily. Treatment was for a period of eight weeks. The rhinitis symptoms were evaluated according to a four-point scale (0 = absent, 3 = severe). The Total Rhinitis Symptom Score (TRSS) was derived from the sum of the individual symptom scores. Symptoms were assessed at baseline prior to treatment and at weeks 2, 4 and 8. Compared baseline, TRSS for both the azelastine and cetirizine groups were less at each assessment during treatment, a slight non-significant advantage was seen in the azelastine group. At the end of the study, physicians rated global efficacy as being "good" or "excellent" in 73.7% of azelastine patients and 55.5% of cetirizine patients. Both treatments were well tolerated and no serious adverse events were reported, however, two cetirizine patients withdrew from the study because of somnolence. In conclusion, azelastine has been shown to be at least as effective as cetirizine in the relief of the symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis.

Sixty patients were enrolled in a controlled randomized single-blind study to compare the efficacy and tolerability of 200 mg/day nimesulide and 300 mg/day flurbiprofen given for 7 days, in the treatment of non-infectious acute inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. Patients were diagnosed as follows: pharyngitis, 20 (33.4%) cases; laryngitis 11 (18.3%) cases; tonsillitis, eight (13.3%) cases; and mixed forms, 21 (35.0%) cases. Both drugs showed the same efficacy in reducing mucosal congestion, local redness, fever and sore throat. Nimesulide treatment gave rise to fewer and less severe side-effects than flurbiprofen treatment.

11 pazienti portatori di neoplasia in fase avanzata del distretto otormolaringojatrico sono stati sottoposti a Chemioterapia intraarteriosa (CHIA) con Carboplatino somministrato in cicli ripetuti. Sono stati valutati gli effetti collaterali secondo criteri clinico-ematologici con l'obiettivo di testare la massima dose tollerata del farmaco (studio fase I). I risultati preliminari in nostro possesso, sebbene necessitino di ulteriori conferme, inducono a ritenere che questa procedura sia ben tollerata e che complessivamente la tossicità sia di grado lieve.

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