Search

Introduction: Cholesteatoma is a destructive lesion that can result in life-threatening complications. Typically, it presents with hypoacusis and continuous otorrhea as symptoms. Because it is a rare disease, there are few studies in Brazil describing the characteristics of patients with the disease., Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cholesteatoma in patients with chronic otitis media and describe clinical, audiological and surgical characteristics of patients with acquired middle ear cholesteatoma treated at a referral hospital in the public health system., Methods: Cross-sectional and prospective cohort study, including 1710 patients with chronic otitis media, treated between August 2000 and June 2015, without prior surgery. Detailed clinical history, videotoscopy, and audiometry were performed, in addition to review of medical records to search for surgical data. Cholesteatomas were classified according to their route of formation., Results: Of the patients with chronic otitis media, 419 (24.5%) had cholesteatoma; mean age of 34.49 years; 53.5% female and 63.8% adults. Bilateral cholesteatoma was observed in 17.1%. Anterior epitympanic cholesteatoma corresponded to 1.9%; posterior epitympanic, 32.9%; posterior mesotympanic, 33.7%; two routes, 14.8%; and indeterminate, 16.7%. The mean air-bone gap was 29.84dB and did not differ between routes of formation. There were no correlations between gap size and patient age or duration of symptoms. Of the surgical cases, 16.8% underwent closed tympanomastoidectomy and 75.2% open tympanomastoidectomy., Conclusion: The prevalence of cholesteatoma in patients with chronic otitis media was 24.5% and it was more common in adults than in children. Posterior mesotympanic cholesteatoma was more frequent, with no difference in mean air-bone gap between the different routes of formation. In patients undergoing surgery, open tympanomastoidectomy was the procedure most frequently chosen., (Copyright © 2016 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of eGFR reporting in Southern Brazilian laboratories., Design and Methods: The eGFR automatic reporting, as assessed by Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and/or Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) creatinine-based equations, was evaluated in a representative cross-sectional sample. A standardized questionnaire to obtain this information was given out by mail or email., Results: Five-hundred fifty laboratories, evenly distributed in the different state regions, completed the questionnaire. The eGFR was automatically reported by 54 (9.8%) laboratories, and the MDRD was the most commonly used equation (94.5%). The Jaffe methods were the most employed technique (94%) to measure serum creatinine., Conclusion: The automatic eGFR reporting rate was unacceptably low, emphasizing the crucial role of educating medical teams and laboratories on the importance of having these tools available to optimize detection of renal disease and proper treatment., (© 2013.)