3b.

Elevated NLR could be an inflammatory marker to distinguish low- from high-grade malignant parotid gland tumors.

Chronic nonspecific pharyngitis is one of the most common reasons for visits to otorhinolaryngology physicians. The underlying conditions are still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of laryngopharyngeal reflux in chronic nonspecific pharyngitis patients based on the patient's history and clinical examination. Fifty consecutive patients with symptoms of chronic nonspecific pharyngitis and control group of 30 healthy persons were evaluated prospectively. 14C-urea breath test was used to exclude Helicobacter pylori infection of gastric mucosa. All the patients and the controls were assessed by blinded same laryngologist with the use of the reflux finding score (RFS) and reflux symptoms index (RSI). Also chronic nonspecific pharyngitis patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) were evaluated prospectively before and 6 months after b.i.d treatment with proton pump inhibitors. The RSI of the nonspecific pharyngitis group was found significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.01). The RFS of nonspecific pharyngitis was found significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.01). The reflux finding score > or =7 has been accepted as LPR; the reflux incidence was significantly higher in the nonspecific pharyngitis group than the control group (P < 0.01). Posttreatment RSI of nonspecific pharyngitis patients group revealed a statistically significant decrease when compared with the pretreatment RSI (P < 0.01). Posttreatment RFS of nonspecific pharyngitis patients also revealed a significant decrease when compared with the pretreatment RFS (P < 0.01). We suggest that LPR may be related to the pathogenesis of chronic nonspecific pharyngitis.

Bilateral facial paralysis caused by bilateral temporal bone fracture is a rare clinical entity, with seven cases reported in the literature to date. In this paper, we describe a 40-year-old male patient with bilateral facial paralysis and hearing loss that developed after an occupational accident. On physical examination, House-Brackmann (HB) facial paralysis of grade 6 was observed on the right side and HB grade 5 paralysis on the left. Upon temporal bone computed tomography (CT) examination, a fracture line exhibiting transverse progression was observed in both petrous temporal bones. Our patient underwent transmastoid facial decompression surgery of the right ear. The patient refused a left-side operation. Such patients require extensive monitoring in intensive care units because the presence of multiple injuries means that facial functions are often very difficult to evaluate. Therefore, delays may ensue in both diagnosis and treatment of bilateral facial paralysis.

We aimed to determine the success rate of bacterial cellulose (BC) myringoplasty in tympanic membrane (TM) perforation. We reviewed the clinical records of 12 patients (16 ears) who underwent BC myringoplasty for long-standing TM perforations (>6 months) between March 2012 and January 2015. The mean duration of postoperative follow-up was 12.8 (range 6-24) months. In all patients, the perforation involved less than 50 % of the tympanic membrane, and the air-bone gap was ≤30 dB on the operative side. The age, gender, preoperative air average, bone average, air-bone gap, perforation size and location, and postoperative TM microscopic examinations of the patients were recorded. Following the BC myringoplasty, complete coverage of the perforation occurred in the first 6 months in 13 of 16 ears (81.3 %), although retraction occurred in two of these ears within 6 months. In three ears (18.8 %), the perforation persisted during the first postoperative month. The pre- and postoperative average air threshold was 19.56 (range 7-75) and 15.69 (range 5-75) dB, respectively. The pre- and postoperative average air-bone gap was 9.25 (range 0-25) and 5.63 (0-25) dB, respectively. Both the air threshold and air-bone gap improved postoperatively (both p = 0.008). No complications such as infection and granulation tissue formation were detected in any patient. BC is a safe graft material that is inexpensive, easy-to-use, and provides a high success rate in small tympanic membrane perforations. However, further studies of large tympanic membrane perforations with more samples and long-term follow-up are required.