Management of Otogenic Meningitis: A Proposal for Practical Guidelines from a Multicenter Experience with a Systematic Review.

Otogenic meningitis represents the most common and life-threatening complication of infective middle ear diseases. However, no guidelines are available to describe the optimal management strategy and the role of surgical intervention. A six-year multicenter retrospective study on consecutive patients treated for otogenic meningitis caused by acute otitis and re-exacerbation of chronic otitis at the University Hospital of Verona and Modena was performed, and a systematic review regarding acute otitis media-related meningitis in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement was then conducted.

The Impact of Piezoelectric Device in Cholesteatoma Endoscopic Surgery: Retrospective Evaluation of Safety and Functional Results.

Objective: Atticotomy represents an essential surgical step within the management of attical cholesteatoma during endoscopic ear surgery. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety and functional results of an endoscopic atticotomy performed with piezosurgery, in terms of audiological outcomes and tissue's healing.

Methods: This is an observational retrospective study on patients with attical cholesteatoma who underwent endoscopic ear surgery with piezoelectric atticotomy and subsequent scutum reconstruction either with tragal cartilage or temporalis muscle fascia.

The psychosocial needs of head and neck cancer patients: a multicenter study.

Introduction: Cancer is among the most frequent pathologies and a major cause of death and disability. Scientific research and surgeons focus mainly on aspects relating to etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment, but often neglect the psychological needs of patients and related social factors. The aim of this study is to investigate the psychological and social needs of patients affected by head and neck cancer to improve patient management and achieve more empathetic care.

[An atypical medial canthal mass: a case of lacrimal sac inverted papilloma with literature review].

Background: Lacrimal sac localization of an Inverted Papilloma is extremely rare and no risk factors are reported in literature.

History: A chemical trauma was followed by a painless, growing mass in the medial canthal area associated with epiphora.

Findings: Rhinoendoscopy, Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance showed a well-defined mass in left lacrimal fossa extended to the nasolacrimal duct.

Endoscopic Findings on Facial Nerve Anatomy During Exclusive Endoscopic Stapedotomy: Clinical Considerations and Impact on Surgical Results.

Background: Variations along the facial nerve (FN) course present considerable challenges in the surgical treatment of otosclerosis, often complicating the procedure. Existing knowledge of its tympanic tract and its implications primarily comes from microscopical procedures. This study aims to assess endoscopic findings of FN anatomy in a healthy tympanic cavity and its impact on the stapedotomy procedure, focusing on the risk of complications and functional hearing outcomes.

Operative technique: Tracheal resection and anastomosis in a revision surgery.

Tracheal stenosis is an uncommon pathological condition in which the lumen of the trachea is reduced. Within its management an adequate preoperative workup is crucial to determine the most appropriate procedure for each patient. In this scenario tracheal resection and anastomosis is a viable approach, as a procedure in which part of the trachea is removed and then restored with a tension-free anastomosis.

Endoscopic stapler-assisted Zenker's diverticulotomy: The surgical technique with video.

Objective: The aim of the present article is to describe step by step the endoscopic stapler-assisted Zenker's diverticulotomy (ESD) and to show in details pre- and post-operative management.

Study Design: Case study with instructional video.

Setting: Department Of Otolaryngology, San Bortolo Hospital of Vicenza.

Cancer-associated anorexia: Validity and performance overtime of different appetite tools among patients at their first cancer diagnosis.

Background & Aims: Anorexia is a frequent symptom in cancer and we aimed to assess its prevalence among patients at their first cancer diagnosis by different appetite tools and the relationship between each tool with self-reports of food intake. We also tested whether cancer anorexia influences outcomes independently of reduced food intake or body weight loss (BWL) overtime and whether BWL was associated with complications during anticancer-therapy.

Methods: Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT) score, self-assessment of appetite, Anorexia Questionnaire (AQ) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were administered.

Migraine, cortical blindness, multiple cerebral infarctions and hypocoagulopathy in celiac disease.

We describe the case of a female patient affected by migraine and untreated adult celiac disease who presented with a state of acute migraine accompanied by multiple neurological deficits, including transient cortical blindness with ischemic CT and MRI alterations, and hypocoagulation due to factor VII deficiency. She was receiving estroprogestin therapy. There was a prompt response to cortisone therapy followed by a state of complete well-being, which also led to the disappearance of migraine attacks after five years of dietary treatment alone.

[Primary cardiac lymphoma presenting with complete atrioventricular block. Case report and review of the literature].

Primary cardiac lymphoma is very rare and clinical symptoms of cardiac involvement are unusual. The development of conduction defects as the first symptom of cardiac involvement is very uncommon. We report the case of a 57-year-old woman with syncope and complete atrioventricular block due to large B-cell primary cardiac lymphoma.

Prevalence of intestinal metaplasia in the distal oesophagus, oesophagogastric junction and gastric cardia in symptomatic patients in north-east Italy: a prospective, descriptive survey. The Italian Ulcer Study Group "GISU".

Background: Incidence of adenocarcinoma of distal oesophagus and gastric cardia, probably arising from areas of intestinal metaplasia, has been increasing rapidly.

Aims: To define prevalence of intestinal metaplasia of distal oesophagus, oesophagogastric junction and gastric cardia and to evaluate potential associated factors, by means of a prospective multicentre study including University and teaching hospitals, and primary and tertiary care centres.

Patients: Each of 24 institutions involved in study enrolled 10 consecutive patients undergoing first-time routine endoscopy for dyspeptic symptoms.

[Cardiac troponin I and T in unstable angina: incidence, correlation, kinetics of release and prognostic value].

Background: The aim of this study was to ascertain the incidence of altered serum cardiac Troponin-T (cTnT) and cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) in patients with unstable angina, the concordance between findings for the two proteins, their release kinetics and their utility in predicting coronary events.

Methods: We studied 32 consecutive patients (pts) admitted to the Coronary Unit with a diagnosis of unstable angina; following Braunwald classification criteria, 5 pts were in class I, 4 class II, 23 class III. A blood sample was taken on admission to hospital and subsequently every 8 hours for two days, a total of 7 samples being obtained per pt.

[Cardiac troponin I in unstable angina].

Background: Unstable angina implies high risk of myocardial infarction and sudden death. Increased levels of cytoplasmatic enzymes and proteins (creatine phosphokinase, MB creatine phosphokinase troponin T, etc.) were described in unstable angina, providing information about incoming major coronary events.

[Spectral analysis and color-coded Doppler study of the changes in aortic regurgitation induced by vasodilators in asymptomatic patients with severe aortic insufficiency].

The acute effects of 20 mg of sublingual nifedipine in 12 patients with chronic severe aortic regurgitation were evaluated with M-mode echocardiography, continuous wave and colour Doppler. After nifedipine, heart rate increased from 68 +/- 8 to 82 +/- 11 beats/m' (p less than 0.001); arterial systolic and diastolic pressures decreased from 143 +/- 16 to 129 +/- 9 mmHg (p less than 0.

Joubert syndrome. Review of the fifty-three cases so far published.

Joubert's syndrome (JS) is an autosomal recessive disorder, which is characterised by a variable combination of central nervous, respiratory and eye anomalies. We review the clinical characteristics of the 53 so far reported children with Joubert's syndrome, stressing the importance of recognising the syndrome in the neonatal period, in order that specific and effective therapeutic measures be started as soon as possible.

[Doppler study of porcine bioprosthesis at the mitral site].

Twenty-nine asymptomatic patients with porcine (9 Liotta, 8 Carpentier, 8 Hancock and 4 Xenomedica) mitral prosthesis without clinical findings of prosthetic dysfunction and with normal M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography were studied with pulsed and continuous wave Doppler. The following parameters of prosthetic function were evaluated: 1) maximum velocity (Vmax); 2) mean pressure gradient; 3) pressure half-time (P 1/2 t); 4) functional prosthetic area or Doppler orifice area (DOA); 5) mitral prosthetic regurgitation (MR); 6) tricuspid regurgitation (TR), if associated. P 1/2 t reproducibility was tested.

Clinical and electrocardiographic features and long-term results of electrical therapy in patients with isolated His bundle disease.

The clinical, ECG, and electrophysiologic findings of 35 consecutive patients with second- and third-degree intra-His block with normal QRS complexes were examined. The follow-up period varied between 12 and 120 months (mean 45). Seventy-seven per cent of the patients were women.