In the treatment of LPR-related symptoms a high placebo effect can be observed. However, compared to control, twice-daily PPI treatment for three months demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in laryngeal appearance and LPR symptoms.

Local application to the round window membrane can be used as an effective treatment in the prevention of cisplatin toxicity. Local application may avoid systemic side effects and reduce the antineoplastic effects of cisplatin.

Because elevated plasma fibrinogen plays a major role in cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke, it is possible that this plasma protein is also involved in the pathogenesis of sudden hearing loss of vascular origin. More research is still required to determine the value of measuring plasma fibrinogen levels in clinical practice and identifying hyperfibrinogenemia in sudden hearing loss.

We evaluated the differences in histological and immunological findings in children with recurrent tonsillitis and tonsillar hyperplasia and assessed the risk for relapsing tonsillar hyperplasia or recurrent tonsillitis after tonsillotomy in a prospective clinical study. Sixty-four children with recurrent tonsillitis underwent traditional (total) blunt dissection tonsillectomy between October 2003 and July 2004. Partial tonsillectomy (tonsillotomy) using CO(2)-laser technique was performed on 49 children with tonsillar hyperplasia and no history of recurrent tonsillitis between August 2003 and March 2005. The present study compares preoperative serum anti-streptolysin-O antibody and immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgA and IgM), C-reactive protein levels (CRP) and blood leukocyte counts of the two study groups. Additionally the tonsillar tissue removed by tonsillotomy or tonsillectomy was histologically examined in order to determine the grade of hyperplasia, chronic inflammation and fibrosis. Furthermore, the grade of fresh inflammation within the tonsillar crypts of the specimens was analysed. The parents of 40 patients treated by laser tonsillotomy were surveyed in average 16 months. There was no statistically significant difference in preoperative serum anti-streptolysin-O antibody and immunoglobulin levels, C-reactive protein levels and blood leukocyte counts between the two study groups. All specimens showed the histological picture of hyperplasia. There was no statistically significant difference in the grades of hyperplasia between the two study groups. Signs of fresh but mild inflammation within the tonsillar crypts could be found in over 70% of both study groups. Fibrosis only occurred in children with recurrent tonsillitis (9%). In all specimens signs of chronic inflammation could be detected. The histological examinations of specimens from children with repeated throat infections more frequently showed a moderate chronic inflammation of the tonsillar tissue. Two of forty patients treated by tonsillotomy required a subsequent tonsillectomy due to a recurrence of tonsillar hyperplasia but no recurrent tonsillitis occurred. Tonsillotomy with CO(2)-laser technique is an effective surgical procedure with a long-lasting effect in patients with tonsillar hyperplasia. The benefits over conventional tonsillectomy are a lower risk for postoperative haemorrhage, reduced postoperative morbidity and accelerated recovery. Even in children with no history of recurrent tonsillitis signs of chronic inflammation histologically can be found in specimens after tonsillotomy. The occurrence of recurrent tonsillitis after tonsillotomy is rare, however. A low incidence of relapsing tonsillar hyperplasia after tonsillotomy should be expected. Preoperative laboratory investigations show few differences in patients with tonsillar hyperplasia and recurrent tonsillitis. Components of the antimicrobial defense system are also produced by chronically infected tonsils. Therefore tonsillotomy with CO(2)-laser could also be an option in so...

Bilateral neck dissection should be recommended for all but T1 and selected cases of T2 carcinomas of the tonsillar fossa.