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The effects of the electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitted by a mobile phone on the central auditory system of rabbits are investigated in this paper. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) measurements were performed before and after short-term exposure to EM radiation. Excitation was provided by a GSM-1800 emitter placed in contact with the (randomly selected) ear of the anesthetized rabbit/subject. The latency of waves I, II, III, IV, V and the interpeak latencies I-III, I-V, III-V were recorded, for both ears, before (baseline recordings) and after 1, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes of exposure to the EM radiation. The repeated measures one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the post hoc Tukey test for pairwise comparisons was performed in order to decide about the significance of the results. The statistical tests indicated that, as regards the ear ipsilateral to the radiating module, the mean latencies of waves I, II, III, IV, V, I-III, I-IV after 60 min exposure, the mean latencies of waves I, III, IV, V, I-III, I-IV after 45 min exposure and the mean latencies of waves I, III, IV, V, I-IV after 30 min exposure, were significantly prolonged compared to the corresponding baseline values. Statistically significant differences were also found for certain peak and interpeak latencies for 60 min exposure as compared with the corresponding results for 1 min and 15 min exposure. No statistically significant delay was observed for the latencies before and after the exposure, for the ear contralateral to the radiation source. Although we found that more than 30 min exposure to GSM-1800 radiation resulted in prolongation of certain ABR components of rabbits, further investigation may be needed into the potential adverse effects on the auditory pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of the Study: To examine the clinical value of subjective evaluations of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in correlation with syndrome severity as diagnosed with polysomnography. Procedures: 210 patients with mild to severe OSAS were assessed. Objective evaluation included polysomnography. Subjective assessment included full ENT examination, neck circumference (NC) plus body mass index measurements, Mueller maneuver and Epworth Symptom Scale (ESS). Results: The presence of lateral pharyngeal wall movement, abnormal ESS scoring and male gender can be considered independent risk factors for the prediction of moderate/severe OSAS (p < 0.05). Increased NC can also be considered a clinical risk factor related to male gender and lateral pharyngeal wall movement (p = 0.05). Conclusions: Subjective OSAS assessment, including evaluation of lateral pharyngeal wall movement, ESS scoring and NC measurement can safely predict, mainly in males, OSAS severity, as diagnosed with polysomnography. Message of the Paper: Subjective assessment from the ENT point of view should raise high suspicion towards the early diagnosis of moderate/severe OSAS. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the short and long‐term efficacy of canalith repositioning procedure (CRP) in the treatment of patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Method: Nine hundred sixty‐five patients (481 men and 484 women, from 18 to 84 years old) were enrolled in this prospective study during 1995‐2010. Inclusion criteria were patient history compatible with BPPV and positive provocative maneuver (either Dix‐Hallpike or Roll test). Reported duration of symptoms at the time of their first examination varied from 1 day to 18 months. A variant of Epley and Barbeque maneuver was used. The Epley maneuver was used for posterior and anterior canal involvement, and "Barbeque roll" was used for horizontal canal involvement. Short‐term follow‐up was obtained 48 hours and 7 days after initial treatment, whereas long‐term follow‐up was obtained at repeated 6 month intervals. Results: The posterior semicircular canal was involved in 849 (88%) patients treated, whereas the horizontal and anterior semicircular canals were involved in 96 (10%) and 20 (2%) patients, respectively. Symptoms subsided immediately in 819 patients (85%) by the first CRP. Only 19 patients (2%) required CRP more than 3 times. Patients' mean follow‐up was 72 months; symptom recurrence was noted in 135 patients. The great majority of them were elderly patients (n = 33) or had a history of either vestibular neuropathy (n = 27) or head trauma (n = 58). Conclusion: Our data, based on long‐term follow‐up, suggest that CRP remains an efficient and long‐lasting noninvasive treatment for BPPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of the Study: To examine the clinical value of subjective evaluations of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in correlation with syndrome severity as diagnosed with polysomnography., Procedures: 210 patients with mild to severe OSAS were assessed. Objective evaluation included polysomnography. Subjective assessment included full ENT examination, neck circumference (NC) plus body mass index measurements, Mueller maneuver and Epworth Symptom Scale (ESS)., Results: The presence of lateral pharyngeal wall movement, abnormal ESS scoring and male gender can be considered independent risk factors for the prediction of moderate/severe OSAS (p < 0.05). Increased NC can also be considered a clinical risk factor related to male gender and lateral pharyngeal wall movement (p = 0.05)., Conclusions: Subjective OSAS assessment, including evaluation of lateral pharyngeal wall movement, ESS scoring and NC measurement can safely predict, mainly in males, OSAS severity, as diagnosed with polysomnography. MESSAGE OF THE PAPER: Subjective assessment from the ENT point of view should raise high suspicion towards the early diagnosis of moderate/severe OSAS., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)