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Research background. The role of dietary habits of patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is comparatively underexplored. The aim of the study is to examine dietary habits, onset and course of the disease as well as the quality of life of patients with LPR. Experimental approach. The results of the modified food frequency questionnaire (FFQ-m) and laryngopharyngeal reflux health-related quality of life (LPR-HRQL) questionnaires were compared between subjects with and without LPR. There were a total of 100 subjects with LPR and 65 subjects in the control group. The group of subjects with LPR was further randomly divided into two subgroups; the first subgroup was treated with esomeprazole at a dose of 20 mg twice daily combined with the instructions for dietary and general lifestyle changes, and the other with pantoprazole at a dose of 20 mg twice daily combined with the instructions for dietary and general lifestyle changes. Participants were instructed to fill out FFQ-m and LPR-HRQL questionnaires immediately after the initial examination and then after control examinations 30 and 60 days after the initial examination. Results and conclusions. Patients with LPR consume more food with high reflux potential, drink more carbonated drinks and juices and have a worse quality of life than the control group (p

In the last fifty years, globalization and urbanization have significantly changed our lifestyles and our eating habits. We live hectic lifestyles and are exposed to many stressful situations every day, we consume readymade, quickly prepared food, carbonated and alcoholic beverages. All of this is accompanied by the food industry, which also acidifies all the foods to prolong their shelflife. As a consequence of bad eating habits, consuming food when you should rest, stress, but also the activities of the food industry, there has been an epidemic of reflux disease. Part of this disease is laryngopharyngeal reflux, a disease characterized by the return of gastric contents to the throat and surrounding organs, which leads to hoarseness, coughing, swallowing and breathing difficulty, and ultimately the development of benign and / or malignant changes in the larynx. In most patients, pepsin plays a key role in developing changes in the larynx and other organs, and its acidic medium serves to maintain proteolytic activity. In addition to pepsin, bile acid salts and other gastroduodenal proteins may play a role in the development of inflammatory changes in the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract. In most cases, we start laryngopharyngeal reflux therapy with medication, however this is wrong and ineffective. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that treatment must always begin with a change in diet, lifestyle and stress regulation. The treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux must be individual and should involve a multidisciplinary team with a nutritionist, a psychologist and a psychiatrist.

This report aimed to investigate the relationship after successful left‐sided stapedotomy and postoperative benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) due to vitamin D deficiency. A 56‐year‐old woman presented with a complaint of progressive hearing loss and tinnitus in the left ear without dizziness. A successful left‐sided stapedotomy was performed, confirming the diagnosis of otosclerosis and closing the air‐bone gap to less than 10 dB. Seven days after the stapedotomy, the patient reported dizziness, usually when turning to her left side in the bed. An electrophysiological assessment was performed to investigate vestibular function. Dix Hallpike maneuver showed a typical response, about 5 seconds after repositioning the head, and geotropic, torsional rotary nystagmus of about 30 seconds was registered. Vitamin D deficiency in serum was found. Complete symptom remission was achieved after 7-day-treatment with Epley’s maneuver. As a postoperative vertigo complication, BPPV often remains unrecognized after stapes surgery. Canalith repositioning maneuver is treatment for BPPV. Determining serum levels of total calcium and vitamin D may play a significant role in monitoring and reducing the recurrence of dizziness.

Telemedicine is a term that covers all procedures supported by communication technology, which has the purpose of providing health services at a specific spatial distance. This is an area that is developing rapidly and has found particular application in otorhinolaryngology, given that a large number of surgeries are performed with the help of endoscopes and microscopes. Telemedicine also represents a significant advantage during the coronavirus pandemic, both in terms of treating patients and monitoring them more effectively. For the purpose of preparing this article, research published on Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google was reviewed using the keywords “telemedicine” and “otorhinolaryngology”. This review article provides a summary and the latest insights in this broad and fast-growing area. The development of telemedicine in Croatia as well as a special review of the application of telemedicine during the coronavirus pandemic is also presented in this article.

Papillary thyroid cancer accounts for 80-85% of diagnosed thyroid cancers, while follicular, medullary, and anaplastic cancers are diagnosed significantly less frequently. This study aimed to show the characteristics of malignant thyroid tumors. In this retrospective study, we analyzed data from 320 patients who underwent thyroid surgery from January 2018 to December 2019. We recorded and statistically analyzed basic demographic data, data of the cytological and pathohistological findings, and tumor characteristics (size, multifocality, extrathyroidal and lymphovascular invasion). Thyroid cancer was diagnosed in 95 patients. The incidence of thyroid cancer was higher in women than in men, but without a significant difference (p=0.46). There was a significant difference between preoperative cytological findings and definitive pathohistological diagnosis (p=0.001). There was no significant difference between genders in tumor size, extrathyroidal and lymphovascular invasion, and multifocality. There were significantly more thyroid cancers with a lymphovascular invasion that were less than 2 cm in size (p=0.04). In our opinion, it is important to emphasize the value of early diagnostics and analysis of the malignant tumor characteristics that are major prognostic factors for survival in patients with thyroid cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), antidiabetic therapy, hypothyroidism, and thyroid cancer. We analyzed data from 320 patients who underwent thyroid surgery for suspicion of cancer. The diagnosis of thyroid cancer was confirmed by histopathological analysis in 95 patients. No significant difference was found in the diagnosis of T2DM and hypothyroidism concerning the presence of thyroid cancer (p=0.13; p=0.85), nor in the gender of patients with T2DM and hypothyroidism with respect to the type of thyroid cancer (p=0.19; p=0.25). Patients with T2DM (Odds ratio [OR] 1.89; 95% CI, 0.856-4.163) and patients with hypothyroidism (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.530-2.164) had higher prevalence of thyroid cancer, as did those who had both diagnoses combined (p=0.37; OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 0.333-17.278), compared with the patients who did not have those diagnoses. Men with T2DM (OR, 6.19; 95% CI, 1.180-32.513) had higher prevalence of thyroid cancer than women. Patients who were on oral antidiabetics (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 0.804-4.512) had higher prevalence of thyroid cancer than those receiving insulin. According to the results of this study, we can conclude that there is an association between T2DM, hypothyroidism, oral antidiabetics, and thyroid cancer.