Corticosteroid treatment has been considered the most effective treatment modality for sudden sensorineural hearing loss so far. Application route of corticosteroids may vary. We have designed a prospective randomized case-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effectivenesses of the different application routes of steroids in the treatment of SSHL. Thirty-five patients were distributed randomly to two groups which were treated with either 'oral' or 'intratympanic' corticosteroids. Intratympanic steroid administration was performed three times every other day transtympanically. At the end of third month, recovery rate in the 'intratympanic' group was 84.2%, whereas in the 'oral' group, it was 87.5%. The difference between the recovery rates was not statistically significant. There were no major complications related to transtympanic steroid administration. These findings support that intratympanic steroid therapy is an alternative to systemic steroid therapy in the initial treatment of sudden hearing loss. In addition, transtympanic technique is an easy to perform and safe method for delivering steroids into the inner ear.

No abstract

Acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFR) is a potentially fatal infection that affects immunocompromised patients. Early diagnosis and treatment, including aggressive surgical debridement, antifungal medication, and correction of underlying predisposing factors are essential for recovery. The aim of this study was to review our experience with AIFR. The records of 19 patients histopathologically diagnosed with invasive fungal rhinosinusitis were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data, presenting symptoms and signs, underlying diseases, and outcomes of the patients are presented and invasive fungal rhinosinusitis is discussed in light of the current literature.

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01824849.

A prospective randomized study was designed to compare the effect of different irrigation solutions on mucociliary clearance and nasal patency and to compare the limitations of the used solutions, such as nasal burning by a visual analog scale. Forty-five patients who underwent septoplasty were divided into three groups postoperatively. Each group was administered with 2.3% buffered hypertonic seawater, buffered isotonic saline solution and non-buffered isotonic saline, respectively, as irrigation fluid. Saccharine test and acoustic rhinometer were used to determine mucociliary activity and nasal patency. Patients were asked about the burning sensation using a 10-cm visual analog scale. There was no significant difference in saccharine clearance time (SCT) on the 5th postoperative day between the three groups (P = 0.07). On the 20th day, there was a significant difference in SCT between the hypertonic buffered seawater group and non-buffered isotonic saline (P = 0.003). Buffered hypertonic seawater improved nasal airway patency more than the buffered isotonic saline (P = 0.004). Buffered hypertonic solutions used after endonasal surgery have been advantageous for both mucociliary clearance and postoperative decongestion.