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Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) is common in children and hyposmia is a major symptom affecting the quality of life. The aim of the present study is to assess olfactory dysfunction in pediatric patients with SAR and correlate the results with acoustic rhinometry measurements.Forty children, diagnosed as moderate and severe SAR based on clinical findings, ARIA (Allergic rhinitis and it's impact on asthma) classification and prick test results were enrolled in the study. Endoscopic nasal examination, acoustic rhinometry, total nasal symptom score (TNSS) and Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center (CCCRC) tests were performed 'in season' (May-August) and 'out season' (November-February). Three patients who did not show up in 'out season' examinations were excluded from the study.The ages of the children ranged between 8 and 18 years with a hyposmia increased and odor identification decreased (p 0.005, p = 0.003, respectively), whereas no differences were found between odor thresholds and the discrimination values (p 0.05). Mean CCCRC value was obstruction score (r =-0.340, p = 0.04), subjective hyposmia (r = -0.44, p = 0.007) and TNSS (r = -0.494, p = 0.02). Although some of the acustic rhinometry parameters were lower during allergy season, there were no correlations between acoustic rhinometry parameters and CCCRS values.Nearly half of the children with AR reported a mild to moderate hyposmia during pollen season and there was a decrease in odor identification, which can be easily shown using a CCCRC test.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of topical mitomycin in providing the patency of the neochoanae in children undergoing transnasal endoscopic congenital choanal atresia (CA) repair. Methods A retrospective analysis of surgical results in CA patients who were treated in Selcuk University, Meram Medical Faculty, Department of Otolaryngology between November 2002 and November 2009 was performed. All patients underwent transnasal endoscopic approach using nasal telescopes and traditional sinus instrumentation together with a microdebrider. Mitomycin was used according to the senior surgeon's preference, and certainly not in a randomized fashion. After completion of surgery, mitomycin 0.4 mg/ml was applied to the neochoanae for 3 min. Postoperative stenting was performed in all patients. Results CA was unilateral in 8 subjects (mean age 71.8 ± 41.7 months; range 18 months–144 months) and bilateral in 12 subjects (mean age 4.6 ± 1.3 days; range 3–7 days). Among the subjects, 75% was female in both groups. Fourteen subjects under endoscopic repair without mitomycin, whereas mitomycin was used in 6 patients (4 bilateral, 2 unilateral). Stents were left at least 3 weeks postoperatively (mean 31 ± 10 days; range 21–45 days). The patients were followed-up at least 6 months (range 6–72 months). No symptomatic restenosis requiring further dilatations was seen in patients treated with preoperative mitomycin, whereas restenosis was detected in 6 subjects (42.9%) treated without mitomycin postoperatively within 6 months period (Fisher's Exact Test 2-sided, p = 0.12). These subjects underwent revision endoscopic repair with mitomycin and had no need for further dilatations with acceptable control of symptoms during a follow-up period ranging between 14 and 78 months. Conclusion Mitomycin improves the surgical treatment outcome of CA and reduces the rate of restenosis significantly without any complications. However, further prospective randomized studies are needed to fully investigate the benefits of mitomycin therapy in CA surgery.

Objectives The aim of this case–control study was to investigate the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with vocal fold nodules (VNs). Methods Study group (SG) included children between 4 and 12 years. As a control group (CG), children between 4 and 12 years without VNs were included in the study. Parents of the participants completed the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form (CPRS-RS) which was used to analyze the symptoms of ADHD. Results Forty-five children (30 boys and 15 girls) with VNs and 45 controls (30 boys and 15 girls) were enrolled in the study. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that the CPRS-RS Hyperactivity and Oppositional Subscales were significantly higher in the SG than the CG (p

Objective To determine the prevalence of symptoms and signs of allergic rhinitis (AR) in children with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and evaluate eustachian tube (ET) function using tympanometry. Methods The patients underwent an otolaryngological examination and symptoms of rhinorrhoea, nasal obstruction, nasal itching and sneezing were evaluated for the diagnosis of AR. Tympanometry was performed by a middle ear analyzer (Impedance audiometer AZ 26, Interacoustics A/S, Assens, Denmark). Blood samples were collected for determination of peripheral blood eosinophil count (PBEC) and serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE). Allergen sensitivity was also determined by skin prick test. Results The study included 26 males (96.3%) and 1 female (3.7%) with a mean age of 12.1 ± 4.4 years. Eight out of 27 subjects (29.6%) had blood eosinophilia and 11 out of 27 subjects had elevated serum IgE (40.7%). A positive skin prick test was identified for at least one allergen in 40% of patients (10/25 subjects). Symptoms and signs of AR were found in 10 subjects (37%). Median serum IgE level in subjects with AR (262.5 kU/L) was higher than without AR (40.2 kU/L) ( p = 0.08), whereas there were no differences in PBEC or eosinophilia percentage ( p > 0.05). Mean middle ear pressures in the right and left ears were −66.4 daPa (range between −268 and 4 daPa) and −57.3 daPa (range between −308 and 0 daPa), respectively. The tympanometry results were abnormal in 5 subjects (18.5%) (3 type C and 2 type B tympanogram). Three out of 10 VKC patients with AR (30%) and 2 out of 17 VKC patients without AR (11.8%) had abnormal tympanograms ( p = 0.33). Conclusion AR is commonly associated with VKC and subjects with AR are almost three times more likely to have ET dysfunction than those without. Therefore, opthalmologists should refer VKC patients to otolaryngologists to delineate associated AR and ET dysfunction. Conversely, patients with OME and/or AR who have persistent allergic eye symptoms may well benefit from opthalmologic evaluation for seasonal allergic conjunctivitis and VKC.