Search

Introduction and Objectives: Even though the incidence has decreased in recent years, Down syndrome (DS) remains the most common chromosomal disorder today. Despite being a condition with multisystemic involvement, it often tends to affect the head and neck area, making it a frequent reason for consultation with pediatric otolaryngologists or otologists. The purpose of this work is to be one of the first in Spain to characterize and describe the pathology and therapeutic approach typically provided to these patients, analyzing the evolution from a clinical and auditory perspective., Material and Methods: We aim to analyze a sample of 16 pediatric patients recruited over the past 24 years, diagnosed with Down syndrome, and experiencing a wide range of diseases affecting the ear and its auditory function., Results: 62.50% of the patients were women, whose main reason for seeking specialist care was acute and serous otitis media, accounting for 31.25%. These patients have an indication for treatment for various entities within the otological sphere that usually do not differ from those of a healthy child. However, the evolution and response to treatments can take on a torpid character due to the anatomical characteristics of the ears of these patients., Conclusions: Although the frequency of children with DS in the pediatric otolaryngologist's clinic is decreasing, these patients have a predisposition to ear diseases with auditory repercussions, with variable evolution depending on the disease and the child's intrinsic characteristics., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Publishing in scientific journals is an indicator of hospital quality and has become a standard of excellence for medical doctors and institutions. The aim of the study is to identify the scientific publications performed by Otolaryngology Departments in Spain within the period 2011-2015 and to compare them to a previous period between 1998-2002., Material and Methods: Original papers published by Otolaryngology Departments in Spain in PubMed within 2011-2015 were retrieved. They were classified according to the type of journal published (international or Acta ORL Española) and the following subspecialty areas: Otology, Audiology and Neuro-Otology, Head and Neck Surgery (including Oncology), Rhinology and Paediatric ENT. Hospitals were ranked according to: number of original papers, accumulated impact factor and total number of publications., Results: Between 2011 and 2015, 49342 publications were included in PubMed, 1.44% from Otolaryngology Departments in Spain. Between 1998 and 2002, 3.80% publications were from Spanish ENT departments. Of the 712 papers published within the period 2011-2015, 389 were published in Acta ORL Española and 323 in international journals. From the latter, 20.7% belong to the Otology area, 19.2% to Audiology-Neuro-otology, 30.6% to Head and Neck Surgery, 15.2% to Rhinology and 3.4% to Paediatric ENT. Five tertiary centres published at least 10 original papers in the same period., Conclusions: Spanish otolaryngology's contribution to international journals has decreased in the last 12 years. A few institutions are responsible for the majority of publications and they have notably increased the cumulative impact factor., (Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the impact that the cochlear implant (CI) had in the working life of individuals implanted, using the first version of a questionnaire developed in the cochlear implant program at the University Clinic of Navarre. Its purpose was to demonstrate that the CI significantly affected the working lives of these patients., Material and Methods: This was a retrospection study on a population of 60 patients (mean age, 48 years old) with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss treated with CI and to whom a questionnaire on working life satisfaction was given., Results: Of the patients completing the questionnaire, 94.23% were currently satisfied at work. Almost all of them (93.05%) were more motivated to go to work after the implantation. The majority (79.31%) considered themselves more competent after surgery and device activation. Social relations at work were considered to have improved after cochlear implantation by 67.23% of patients., Conclusions: The CI provided positive support in the professional sphere as well as in social abilities by improving communication skills of implanted patients. The development of tools to assess the degree of job satisfaction of patients treated with a CI is of great interest., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The assessment of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is one of the main steps in clinically evaluating patients with dizziness. It can be performed at the bedside with common head-impulse test in which eye position is analysed at the end of the head-thrust. It is an important test due to its high specificity but low sensitivity., Material and Methods: We studied 179 patients with different types of balance- affecting disorders. The results were analysed in contingency tables. The clinical test was classified as normal or abnormal according to the absence or existence, respectively, of fixation saccades once the head-thrust was ended. The video head-impulse test (vHIT) was classified according to vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain and presence of fixation saccades. The speed of the slow phase of spontaneous nystagmus was also quantified, as well as the caloric test results., Results: There were significant differences (Chi-square test, P=0.00) for the findings in the clinical evaluation and with the vHIT: 32.1% of the tests performed yielded different findings in both tests. In the vHIT, the differences were due to the finding of normal gain with saccades; in these patients, the mean canal paresis was significantly abnormal: 39% ± 10%., Conclusions: The distribution of findings for the VOR bedside examination and for that with the help of a video system are significantly different; as such, the video head-impulse examination is not simply an added VOR detection and registration system. The difference relies mainly on a vHIT response characterised as of normal gain but with fixation saccades. These have been considered as the cause for the low sensitivity of the bedside VOR examination and sometimes regarded as normal responses; we have demonstrated that these findings are abnormal according to the findings of higher canal paresis in the caloric test., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Orthostatic tremor (OT) is a neurological disease of unknown aetiology. It is defined by the presence of a 10-20 Hz tremor in the legs while standing still. Symptoms described are dizziness and instability that diminish if the patient sits down or leans on something; drinking small amounts of alcohol significantly reduces OT. Due to the dizziness and/or unsteadiness, these patients are usually referred to the neuro-otology department. We report 4 cases diagnosed with OT. The diagnosis of OT should be considered for patients with instability. The clinical history is a key factor to suspect this entity, and the diagnosis is given by the register of 10-20 Hz contractions on limb electromyography. Treatment for this disease consists of medical treatment; the first option is clonazepam., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)