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Introduction: Noise exposure, the main cause of hearing loss in countries with lot of industries, may result both in temporary or permanent hearing loss. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of parenteral papaverine and piracetam administration following an acoustic trauma on hearing function with histopathologic correlation.Materials and Methods: Eighteen Wistar albino rats exposed to noise for 8 h in a free environment were included. We divided the study population into three groups, and performed daily intraperitoneal injections of papaverine, piracetam, and saline, respectively, throughout the study. We investigated the histopathologic effects of cellular apoptosis on inner hair cells (IHCs) and outer hair cells (OHCs) and compared the distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) thresholds among the groups.Results and Discussion: On the 3rd and 7th days, DPOAE thresholds at 8 kHz were significantly higher both in papaverine and piracetam groups compared with the control group (P = 0.004 for 3rd day, P = 0.016 and P = 0.028 for 7th day, respectively). On the 14th day, piracetam group had significantly higher mean thresholds at 8 kHz (P = 0.029); however, papaverine group had similar mean thresholds compared to the control group (P = 0.200). On the 3rd and 7th days following acoustic trauma, both IHC and OHC loss were significantly lower in both papaverine and piracetam groups. On the 7th day, the mean amount of apoptotic IHCs and OHCs identified using Caspase-3 method were significantly lower in both groups, but the mean amount identified using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling method were similar in both groups compared to the control group.Conclusion: We demonstrated the effects of papaverine and piracetam on the recovery of cochlear damage due to acoustic trauma on experimental animals using histopathologic and electrophysiologic examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of levo-bupivacaine, a long-acting local anesthetic and lidocaine in postoperative analgesia following septoplasty. 112 patients randomized into two groups were included in the study. 56 patients were operated using levo-bupivacaine and 56 using lidocaine as the local anesthetic. All patients were asked to mark their pain levels on a Visual analogue scale (VAS) at 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6trh 8th, 12th, and 24th hours postoperatively. In addition, the amount of analgesics used by each patient was recorded. The results indicated that the VAS scores of the levo-bupivacaine patients were significantly lower within the postoperative 4 hours (p < 0.05) compared to the lidocaine group. In the levobupivacaine patients the earliest time for analgesic need was delayed (p < 0.001) and the total amount of analgesics used was significantly lower when compared to lidocaine group (p < 0.001). In conclusion, levo-bupivacaine is effective for obtaining postoperative analgesia following septoplasty with local anesthesia. When compared to lidocaine, it increases the postoperative comfort of the patients by reducing pain levels.

Objective: The use of tampons after nasal septum surgery is important for both prevention of postoperative bleeding and stabilization of the nasal flaps and the septum. One of the most important factors in achieving rapid postoperative recovery is the choice of the nasal tampon material, among many, to produce minimal damage on the nasal mucosa. In this study, the histopathological effects of the glove finger and merocel tampons, which are commonly used in clinical applications, have been investigated on the nasal mucosa of rabbits., Materials and Methods: In this study, merocel and glove finger tampons were used for nasal packing in one-sided nasal cavities of 16 adult New Zealand rabbits. The animals were randomized into two groups, each consisting of eight animals. The tampons were removed after 48 hours., Results: Histological examination showed that if the merocel was in a glove finger, it did not create any damage to mucosal integrity and lamina propria. However, in the group where merocel was used directly, the epithelium of the nasal mucosa was shortened and demonstrated loss of cilia and in four of the eight specimens, it was partly from lamina propria., Conclusion: It is concluded that the use of merocel in glove finger tampon leads to a lesser degree of damage in the lamina propria, and may facilitate rapid mucosal wound healing postoperatively.

Objectives/hypothesis: Maxillary accessory ostium is one of the anatomical variations that may play a role in the development of chronic maxillary sinusitis. Although some authors claim that accessory ostia develop following acute maxillary sinusitis, it is not clear whether they are congenital or acquired., Study Design: Animal experimental study., Methods: Ten New Zealand type rabbits were used in the study. In phase 1, lateral nasal walls of five New Zealand type rabbits were examined for the presence of natural and accessory ostia of the maxillary sinus and any area resembling fontanelles in humans. In phase 2, experimental sinusitis was induced in the right sides of the other five rabbits. Following sacrifice, lateral nasal walls were examined for the development of accessory ostia., Results: Six of the ten sides of phase 1 animals contained a membranous part in the medial wall of the maxillary sinus resembling the fontanelles in humans (60%). None of them had an accessory maxillary ostium. Accessory ostia developed in two of the five sides with sinusitis (40%)., Conclusions: We have shown for the first time that accessory maxillary ostia develop following experimental sinusitis in rabbits. Further studies in humans are indicated.

Objectives: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the pathogenesis of cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of lipid peroxidation and ROS in laryngeal cancer tissues., Patients and Methods: We determined glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) activities as markers of lipid peroxidation in laryngeal tumor specimens and tumor-free adjacent tissues of 30 patients with squamous cell carcinoma., Results: Compared to the tumor-free specimens, the level of GSH was significantly low (p<0.001) whereas MDA, a lipid peroxidation product, showed a significant increase (p<0.01) in cancer tissues. No significant differences were found in MDA and GSH levels between patients with early (n=14) and advanced (n=16) tumor stages (p>0.05)., Conclusion: Decreased antioxidant capacity of laryngeal cancer tissues results in elevation of free oxygen radicals and increased lipid peroxidation. Free radical metabolism may be involved in the pathogenesis of laryngeal cancers.

Empirical antibiotics constitute the cornerstone of medical therapy for chronic sinusitis due to difficulties of obtaining cultures from the paranasal sinuses. Indirect isolation of the pathogenic microorganisms outside the paranasal sinuses with a non-invasive method may enable administration of specific antibiotics. In this prospective study, we obtained cultures from the middle meatus and ethmoid sinuses of 193 sides from 127 patients who had undergone FESS for chronic sinusitis with a method that minimizes the risk of nasal contamination. The same bacterial species were isolated from both the ethmoid sinus and middle meatus in 59.3% of the cultures. There was no bacterial growth in either site in 32.3% of the cultures. The overall correlation rate of middle meatus and ethmoid sinus cultures was estimated to be 91.6%. In conclusion, middle meatal cultures can be used for the isolation of pathogenic microorganisms indirectly, while administration of specific antibiotics can be possible according to the results of these cultures.