Tympanic membrane perforations: the importance of etiology, size and location.

Purpose: The ability to predict the degree of a conductive hearing loss caused by a tympanic membrane perforation is important for every otologist, as it may require additional diagnostic tests and prevent unexpected intraoperative findings. The aim of this study was to correlate the various characteristics of a perforation (etiology, size, location, involvement of the manubrium or umbo) with the degree and frequency predominance of the consequent hearing loss.

Methods: A transversal study in a tertiary hospital center was conducted between July 2019 and December 2020.

Middle ear congenital cholesteatoma: systematic review, meta-analysis and insights on its pathogenesis.

Purpose: Congenital cholesteatoma (CC) presents as a white pearl-like lesion behind a normal tympanic membrane (TM), without a history of otorrhea, infection, perforation or previous otologic surgery. Several recent studies provided new data improving this pathology characterization. The aim of this paper is to expand the knowledge about CC and to provide new insights on its pathogenesis.

Asthma in an urban population in Portugal: a prevalence study.

Background: The prevalence and incidence of asthma are believed to be increasing but research on the true incidence, prevalence and mortality from asthma has met methodological obstacles since it has been difficult to define and diagnose asthma in epidemiological terms. New and widely accepted diagnostic criteria for asthma present opportunities for progress in this field. Studies conducted in Portugal have estimated the disease prevalence between 3% and 15%.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and PDGF receptor expression and function in folliculostellate pituitary cells.

Homo- and heterodimers of platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF-A) and PDGF-B chains are involved through PDGF alpha- and beta-receptors in the growth regulation of multiple normal and tumoural cell types as well as in tumour neovascularization. Since little information is available on the impact of PDGF/PDGF receptors in normal and adenomatous pituitary, we studied the expression and action of this growth factor system in a variety of pituitary tumour cell lines and in rat anterior pituitary cell cultures. By RT-PCR, mRNA expression of PDGF-A and -B chains and of both receptors was found in rat pituitary and mouse folliculostellate TtT/GF pituitary tumour cells.

A practical outcome scale for paediatric head injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the commonest cause of acquired disability in childhood. A major obstacle to the evaluation of acute and rehabilitative therapies after TBI is the lack of simple descriptors of outcome. We developed the King's Outcome Scale for Childhood Head Injury (KOSCHI), as a specific paediatric adaptation of the original adult Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS).