Small acoustic neuromas: monitoring the growth rate by MRI.

In a proportion of small acoustic neuroma patients, monitoring with magnetic resonance imaging shows no volumetric increase of tumour size over the years. The object of the study was to identify some indications for the clinical choice between immediate surgery (with the related risks) and watchful waiting. We performed a retrospective study of 47 non-surgically-treated patients affected by acoustic neuroma and monitored by gadolinium-enhanced MRI between January 1990 and February 1999.

[Acute epiglottitis in adults: a rare cause of acute respiratory insufficiency].

Acute epiglottitis is an infective disease which may have a rapid and aggressive course to total upper airway obstruction. Due to its rarity (mostly in adults) and aspecific initial clinical features, it may present diagnostic problems to less experienced medical personnel. This is the principal reason why the mortality rate is still unacceptably high.

The problem of the sensorineural component in otosclerotic hearing loss: a comparison between operated and non-operated ears.

The behaviour of bone conduction audiograms in the operated and non-operated ears of 200 otosclerotic patients was analysed. The majority (84%) of both operated and unoperated ears showed virtually unchanged bone conduction thresholds throughout the follow-up period (mean follow-up period = 13.4 +/- 5.

[Effectiveness of and tolerance to azithromycin versus roxithromycin in the treatment of patients with acute infections of the upper respiratory tract].

A multicenter open prospective comparative study was carried out during two years enrolling 60 patients with upper respiratory infections. Thirty were treated with single daily 500 mg doses of azithromycin for three days, and 30 received two daily doses of roxithromycin of 150 mg each for seven days. Both treatments were equally well tolerated, and there was no substantial difference concerning clinical recovery.