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To develop a modular anthropomorphic phantom to evaluate the performance of radiological techniques for detecting pathologies in the temporal bone region. A phantom was constructed using a human skull, temporal bone specimen, and 3D-printed contour of a human skull. The human skull was embedded in tissue-equivalent plastic, with a cavity to hold the plastic jars containing the exchangeable freshly frozen human temporal bones. Subsequently, stepwise introduction and examination of different clinicopathological scenarios were conducted. Radiological images were nearly identical to those acquired from patients using computed tomography (CT) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The radiological attenuation of polyurethane plastic (PUR) and alginate were similar to those of the soft tissues of living human patients. The mean Hounsfield unit values of the CT slices representing tissue at the brain and temporal bone level were 184 and 171 in the phantom and patient groups, respectively. The modular phantom developed in this study can evaluate radiological techniques and diagnostic possibilities without exposing patients to radiation. To our knowledge, no such modular phantom has been reported in the literature or made available commercially.

Background: Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) can be treated with aspiration or incision for drainage, but a subsequent PTA can occur if tonsillectomy is not performed. Better understanding is needed of when tonsillectomy should be performed to avoid PTA recurrence.

Objective: This study investigated the recurrence rate of PTA following aspiration or incision for drainage and evaluated the risk factors for recurrence.

Methods: The medical records of 292 patients treated for PTA were reviewed. Recurrence of PTA and elective or quinsy tonsillectomy were the primary endpoints. A Cox proportional hazards regression model for PTA recurrence was constructed with sex, age, and PTA history as predictors.

Results: Young age was the only significant predictor of PTA recurrence. Patients aged 15 to 24 years had a 30-day recurrence rate of 15.5% and a total recurrence rate of 26.6%. The total recurrence rate among patients over 30 years of age was significantly less at 4.0% (Fisher’s exact test, p <.05).

Conclusion and Significance: Based on our results, tonsillectomy should be considered for PTA in patients between 15 and– 25 years of age and, to effectively avoid future recurrence of PTA, should be performed urgently.

Obstructive sleep disordered breathing (OSDB) is a spectrum from habitual snoring and labored breathing to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is common and potentially serious in children. The process contains a new question at child care centers, directed at caretakers with children at age 18 months and 3 years, concerning habitual snoring (3 times a week or more). A primary care doctor verifies the suspicion of OSDB in case of a positive answer to one of 7 additional questions or 4 status findings (e.g. tonsil hypertrophy). The process starts with the suspicion of OSDB, from the age of 18 months to 18 years, and ends when symptoms are improved after watchful waiting or upper airway surgery. National equality is a goal, with increased access to nocturnal respiratory recordings of children with comorbidities or doubtful cases. Also, with short waiting time to first visit at ORL department, and to surgery. Children with comorbidities or severe symptoms get postoperative follow-ups with a nurse after 6 months. The new ICD code for OSDB is R06.8A.

The pharyngeal mucosa can be colonized with bacteria that have potential to cause pharyngotonsillitis. By the use of culturing techniques and PCR, we aimed to assess the prevalence of bacterial pharyngeal pathogens among healthy adolescents and young adults. We performed a cross-sectional study in a community-based cohort of 217 healthy individuals between 16 and 25 years of age. Samples were analyzed for Group A streptococci (GAS), Group C/G streptococci (SDSE), Fusobacterium necrophorum, and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum. Compared to culturing, the PCR method resulted in more frequent detection, albeit in most cases with low levels of DNA, of GAS (20/217 vs. 5/217; p < 0.01) and F. necrophorum (20/217 vs. 8/217; p < 0.01). Culturing and PCR yielded similar rates of SDSE detection (14/217 vs. 12/217; p = 0.73). Arcanobacterium haemolyticum was rarely detected (3/217), and only by PCR. Overall, in 25.3% (55/217) of these healthy adolescents and young adults at least one of these pathogens was detected, a rate that is higher than previously described. Further studies are needed before clinical adoption of PCR-based detection methods for pharyngeal bacterial pathogens, as our findings suggest a high incidence of asymptomatic carriage among adolescents and young adults without throat infections.

The auditory apparatus of the inner ear does not show turnover of sensory hair cells (HCs) in adult mammals; in contrast, there are many observations supporting low-level turnover of vestibular HCs within the balance organs of mammalian inner ears. This low-level renewal of vestibular HCs exists during normal conditions and it is further enhanced after trauma-induced loss of these HCs. The main process for renewal of HCs within mammalian vestibular epithelia is a conversion/transdifferentiation of existing supporting cells (SCs) into replacement HCs.In earlier studies using long-term organ cultures of postnatal rat macula utriculi, HC loss induced by gentamicin resulted in an initial substantial decline in HC density followed by a significant increase in the proportion of HCs to SCs indicating the production of replacement HCs. In the present study, using the same model of ototoxic damage to study renewal of vestibular HCs, we focus on the ultrastructural characteristics of SCs undergoing transdifferentiation into new HCs. Our objective was to search for morphological signs of SC plasticity during this process. In the utricular epithelia, we observed immature HCs, which appear to be SCs transdifferentiating into HCs. These bridge SCs have unique morphological features characterized by formation of foot processes, basal accumulation of mitochondria, and an increased amount of connections with nearby SCs. No gap junctions were observed on these transitional cells. The tight junction seals were morphologically intact in both control and gentamicin-exposed explants. 

Objectives: To compare the symptomatology of patients with maxillary sinusitis of dental origin (MSDO) with sinusitis due to upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) with a special focus on time to correct diagnosis. To define the accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in detecting the dental origin of the sinusitis.

Methods: Retrospective review of the otolaryngology specialist care, primary health care and dental health care medical records of patients with maxillary sinusitis who has been referred for radiology. All patients were examined by CBCT, which has a better resolution regarding bony structures than low-dose computed tomography. To the best of our knowledge there is no previous study on this topic based on CBCT as diagnostic method.

Results: Sixty-one patients were included in the study; of these, 25 had MSDO and 36 had URTI sinusitis. The MSDO patients more frequently reported foul odour and foul taste than patients with URTI sinusitis. The URTI sinusitis patients more frequently reported symptoms such as facial pain, facial congestion and cold-related symptoms. Both the time from the onset of symptoms to the first medical visit and the subsequent time to a correct diagnosis were significantly longer in the MSDO group. The accuracy of CBCT for detecting dental pathology as the underlying cause of sinusitis was 97%.

Conclusion: The present study verifies that maxillary sinusitis of dental origin differs from viral-induced rhinosinusitis concerning symptomatology and clinical findings. Certain findings and symptoms could serve as valuable indicators of an underlying dental pathology, because although MSDO is well known, the present study shows that these patients are often misdiagnosed and the correct diagnose and treatment is often delayed several months. Consequently, better assessment is important. The suspicion of MSDO should be raised for patients with unilateral sinusitis presenting little pain, foul odour or foul taste and a long time course. These patients should be referred for radiology, preferably CBCT, to rule out odontogenic cause. CBCT is easy to perform for sinusitis examinations and has advances to common CT, especially regarding detection of pathology in bony structures as the periapical area. Because of this CBCT is a reliable tool in order to detect maxillary sinusitis of dental origin.