Awareness regarding consanguineous marriage and other risk factors of infantile hearing loss is essential for prevention, early detection and timely intervention which can save deaf children from lifelong consequences of hearing disability. A pre-post study was done among the general population of Puducherry, India to evaluate the effect of health education on knowledge and behaviour towards consanguineous marriage and infantile hearing loss. Individual direct interviews were done using a questionnaire to assess their awareness about consanguineous marriage and other risk factors of infantile hearing loss, its early detection and intervention. The assessment was repeated after a health education given for the same by direct interaction and pamphlets. The study showed that 65% participants were unaware of consanguinity being a risk factor for congenital hearing loss. More than half of them were unaware of other risk factors, neonatal hearing screening and treatment. Only 35.3% were aware that early identification and intervention enables a deaf child to learn optimum speech and language. Prior to health education, 33.7% were in support of consanguineous marriage whereas, after the health education, only 6.7% supported it showing significant improvement in their attitude towards consanguineous marriage. Post health education, there was overwhelming 100% improvement in their knowledge regarding infantile hearing loss. The study shows the poor awareness among the population of Puducherry regarding consanguineous marriage and infantile hearing loss, thus requiring a widespread sensitization about infantile hearing loss which can prevent lifelong consequences of the hearing disability.

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The major aggregate of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue located in the nasopharynx is the adenoid. The minor aggregate located in the nasopharynx is the Gerlach tonsils or tubal tonsils. The Gerlach tonsils are well described in the text books. But unlike the adenoids they are rarely visualized during routine endoscopic examination. Several studies conducted in children for recurrence of adenoids or serous otitis media after surgery; have reported tubal tonsil hypertrophy widely. This study in adults aims to see the prevalence of Gerlach or tubal tonsils visible during nasal endoscopy.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> The case records of 155 adult patients, aged between 18-50 years, who underwent pre-operative diagnostic nasal endoscopy for the management of septal deviations, chronic Sinusitis, nasal polyposis or eustachian dysfunction between Jan. 2019 to March 2020 are retrospectively reviewed and the endoscopy findings analyzed and presented.   </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Gerlach tonsil hypertrophy is reported to be more prevalent in children than in adults.  When hypertrophied, the Gerlach tonsils can cause symptoms in adults also and can be visualized during nasal endoscopy. In this adult study, we report a 0.6% incidence of Gerlach tonsil hypertrophy.  </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The possibility of a Gerlach tonsil hypertrophy is to be remembered during nasal endoscopy in adult patients presenting with symptoms of eustachian dysfunction and past history of allergic rhinitis and adeno tonsillectomy. Comparing the size of the contra lateral torus tubaris and the eustachian tube opening during the act of swallowing is helpful in diagnosis.</p>

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Type-1 tympanoplasty is the functional restoration of the normal middle ear by repairing the tympanic membrane (TM). Different techniques are still evolving to devise a way to give optimal graft uptake and hearing improvement with minimal instrumentation. Various studies have been done to assess the role of anterior tucking in type-1 tympanoplasty and to assess its superiority over other methods in repairing subtotal perforations and large perforations involving the anterior quadrant.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> This study was done to compare the outcomes of endoscopic type-1 tympanoplasty with and without anterior tucking. 60 cases of chronic otitis media (COM) mucosal type were divided into 2 groups of 30 patients each. Group 1 underwent endoscopic type-1 tympanoplasty with anterior tucking and group 2 underwent endoscopic type-1 tympanoplasty without anterior tucking. The outcomes were evaluated after 6 months and compared in terms of graft uptake and hearing gain.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The mean air-bone gap improvement was 13.16±2.65 in group 1 and 12.90±3.78 in group 2, which had statistically insignificant differences indicating similar hearing outcomes in both the groups. 96.7% successful graft uptake was achieved in group 1 and 90% in group 2, showing statistically insignificant differences indicating similar graft uptake rates in both the groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Anterior tucking with endoscopic type-1 tympanoplasty could provide good graft support and efficient hearing improvement but cannot be labelled as a mandatory step in repairing subtotal perforations or large perforations involving anterior quadrant as the outcomes are comparable to the endoscopic type-1 tympanoplasty done without anterior tucking. </p>

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Adenoidectomy is one of the most frequently applied surgical procedures in the paediatric population, either alone or in conjunction with tonsillectomy and/or insertion of ventilation tubes. The main purpose of the adenoidectomy is to eliminate the nasopharyngeal respiratory pathogens and to remove nasal airway obstruction. Aim of the study was to compare the outcomes of conventional and endoscopic assisted curettage adenoidectomy.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> In this comparative study, 50 patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (25 patients) underwent endoscopic curettage adenoidectomy and group 2 (25 patients) underwent conventional curettage adenoidectomy. Intraoperative time, complications and postoperative pain were recorded.  </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> 72% in group 1 and 64% in group 2 had grade 2 adenoid hypertrophy. 68% in group 1 and 64% in group 2 had a moderate degree of obstruction in lateral view of soft tissue X-ray nasopharynx. The mean time taken for surgery in group 1 was 13.29±3.28 minutes, and in group 2,6.28±2.31 minutes. Minimal loss of blood was recorded in group 1 with less than 20 ml, whereas in group 2, the blood loss was high; 30% of patients had blood loss more than 30 ml. In group 1, the mean VAS was 3.25 and 2.55 in group 2 2.55. In group 1, 4% of patients had primary haemorrhage and in group 2, 8% of patients had primary haemorrhage. No patient had velopharyngeal dysfunction in either group.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> More operative time but less blood loss were noted in endoscopic adenoidectomy. Intraoperative visualisation of the nasopharynx in endoscopic procedures showed no significant advantage over conventional adenoidectomy.</p>