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.

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Background: Thyroid nodules are common clinical findings. Although there are various accepted treatments for benign thyroid nodules, such as surgery and thermal treatment, there are some alternative methods for the management of these patients at lower costs with minimal complications. Objectives: This study aimed to compare volume reduction in radiofrequency (RF) ablation and single-session ethanol ablation (EA) and to investigate the effects of levothyroxine therapy (LT4) on benign thyroid nodules. Patients and Methods: In this clinical trial, 91 patients with benign thyroid nodules, presenting to different medical centers in Tehran, Iran, from December 6, 2018, to December 6, 2019, were included. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected and randomly allocated into three groups: group 1, a single session of RF ablation (n = 31); group 2, a single session of ethanol injection (n = 30); and group 3, a six-month LT4 treatment (n = 30). Thyroid tests, including thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), T3 resin uptake (T3RU), and serum calcitonin level, were recorded at baseline and within one-, three-, and six-month intervals. The nodule volume was also assessed using sonography at baseline and in the follow-ups. Results: The mean volume reduction was 73.6%, 80.1%, and 8.7% at six months after the intervention in the ethanol injection, RF ablation, and LT4 treatment groups, respectively (P < 0.001). There was a significant relationship between the mean volume reduction and the follow-up period (one, three, and six months) (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The RF ablation therapy was found to be the optimal modality for the management of benign thyroid nodules, as it was associated with the greatest mean volume reduction. Conversely, the lowest mean volume reduction was observed in the LT4 treatment group during six months of follow-up.

Thyroid nodules are a common finding in clinical practice. Although ultrasonography is an accepted method for evaluating these nodules, Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) is the procedure of choice for assessing the risk of malignancy. This study aims to determine the association between sonographic features of thyroid nodules based on Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System classification and the cytology results. In this prospective cohort study, 147 patients from Tehran Medical Imaging Center who had thyroid nodules underwent ultrasonography-guided FNA, and their sonographic features were recorded. The pathologic findings were also obtained according to the Bethesda system. Finally, the association between sonographic features and cytological results was analyzed. Eighteen (12.3%) nodules were malignant, and 129 nodules (87.7%) were benign. The association of TIRADS categories with the risk of malignancy is as follows: TIRADS 1 (n=0, 0%), TIRADS 2 (n=10, 16.9%), TIRADS 3 (n=6, 10.5%), TIRADS 4 (n=2, 16.7%), and TIRADS 5 (n=0, 0%). The bloody lamellae of thyroid nodules were significantly correlated with the risk of malignancy (P<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant association between the risk of malignancy and gender (P=0.47), calcification (P=0.9), firmness (P=0.19), halo sign (P=0.95), location of nodules (P=0.35), and nodules' echogenicity (P=0.058). Although there are trusted classifications such as TIRADS for categorizing thyroid nodules, there is still uncertainty in utilizing them, especially in the management of nodules classified as TIRADS 2, in which various sonographic features are shared between benign and malignant nodules.