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The importance of clinical assessment and its contribution to the diagnosis of neck masses was investigated in patients presenting with a neck mass. In our study, we collected the medical history of a total of 127 patients, including 66 males and 61 females, who presented with a neck mass. Physical exams, endoscopic examinations, laboratory tests, a variety of imaging studies, and fine-needle aspiration biopsies were performed. The relationship between age, duration and location of the neck mass, FNAB results, and definitive histopathological diagnosis were investigated as well as the correlation between the consensus diagnosis reached after the evaluation of the medical history, physical examination and imaging studies, and definitive histopathological diagnosis. A strong and positive relationship (p < 0.01) was found between patients' ages and the definitive diagnosis established by histopathological examination. There was no statistically significant relationship (p > 0.05) between the duration and location of the neck mass and definitive diagnosis established by histopathological examination. And no statistically significant relationship (p > 0.05) was found between FNAB results and definitive histopathological diagnosis. Although no statistically significant relationship was found between the characteristics of neck masses and age, duration and location of masses and FNAB results, there was a statistically significant correlation between the pre-diagnosis estimated by ENT specialists and definitive diagnosis established by histopathological examination. A strong and positive relationship (p < 0.01) was found between clinical pre-diagnosis and definitive diagnosis established by histopathological examination. In patients presenting with a neck mass, the diagnosis should be made based on the medical history, physical examination, radiologic imaging and FNAB results, treatment decisions should be based on those findings.

Carotid-cochlear interval (CCI) is the minimal distance between petrous segment of internal carotid artery (ICA) and basal turn of cochlea. Pulsations of the ICA might create fluid pressure changes and direct stimulation of hair cells on the basilar membrane of basal turn of cochlea which is responsible for mid-tone frequencies. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether CCI has a role in the etiology of mid-tone hearing loss and to obtain reference measurements of CCI on MRI. A total of 117 subjects were consecutively enrolled into this retrospective study during a 4 month period. All examinations were performed on a 1.5 T MRI system. The images were transferred to the workstation and reformatted. The CCI was measured on reformatted 3D FIESTA images. The audiologic findings were correlated. We reviewed the temporal MRI studies of 90 consecutive patients [M/F: 48/42, Mean age 45.6 ± 16.6 (10-78)]. As a total 180 sides were evaluated. The CCI ranged from 0 to 9 mm. The CCI didn't exhibit a significant association with subject age or gender. There were no significant differences between readers or sides. There were statistically significant correlation between CCI and level of frequency and degree of hearing loss (p = 0.004 and p = 0.002). The knowledge of CCI is essential prior to otosurgical procedures. There was linear correlation among CCI and level of frequency and degree of hearing loss. CCI of the group including all types of middle frequency hearing loss was longer compared to the normal group.

This study aimed to investigate the association of inflammatory changes of upper and lower airways in a rabbit model of acute rhinosinusitis. The study included six adult albino rabbits. The sinuses of one animal were injected with saline solution and the animal was served as sham control. Other animals were implanted with intranasal S. aureus soaked-absorbable gelatin sponge. Acute rhinosinusitis was induced and subjects were sacrificed at the end of the second week. Tissue samples from all levels of the airway were obtained. They were evaluated for the presence of inflammatory changes histologically. A scoring system for airway inflammation was used for quantitative assessment of the degree of inflammation. Structural changes in the epithelial and stromal layers of the upper and lower airway structures were analyzed, as well. The animal of which the sinuses were injected with saline solution developed neither acute rhinosinusitis nor lower airway inflammation. In contrast, the animals in which acute rhinosinusitis was induced demonstrated significant upper and lower airway inflammation histologically. Inflammatory changes ranged from engorgement of blood vessels and polymorphonuclear cell proliferation within the capillaries, in the perivascular tissue of the epithelium or in the lamina propria and to epithelial disruption. Nasal airway inflammation scores (2.86 ± 1.81) were significantly higher than lower airway scores (1.36 ± 0.77), (P < 0.01). We obtained a generalized mucosal inflammatory response against localized bacterial inflammation in a rabbit model of acute rhinosinusitis, confirming the suggestion of 'one airway--one disease' from a bacterial infection point of view.

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare histopathological and computerized tomographic (CT) findings of experimental acute sinusitis in an animal model. The noses of five healthy rabbits were inoculated with a gelatin sponge impregnated with a solution containing Staphylococcus aureus, and one healthy rabbit acted as the control. The animals were sacrificed on the tenth day, following the acquisition of paranasal CT scans. Specimens were obtained from the lateral nasal walls, and the ethmoid and maxillary sinuses of the animals for histopathological examination. Histopathological and CT findings were compared. Various degrees of epithelial disorganization, foci of ruptured epithelial cells, and inflammatory cell infiltration in the lamina propria were seen in the histopathological examinations of the five study rabbits, and mucosal thickening and soft tissue density were noted in their CTs. There was no correlation between the histopathological and CT findings. It was shown that CT did not reflect the acute changes in the sinus mucosa. Patients with chronic sinusitis must be evaluated for a chronic process. Computerized tomographic scans should not be obtained in acute sinusitis cases. In this way, both unnecessary radiation exposure and economic waste can be avoided.