Giuseppe Attanasio - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Giuseppe Attanasio
Progress in orthodontics, 2005
The aim of the study was to evaluate if RME (Rapid Maxillary Expansion) therapy could improve bot... more The aim of the study was to evaluate if RME (Rapid Maxillary Expansion) therapy could improve both the patency of the nasal airways and the Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome (OSAS). 42 children with a case history of oral breathing, snoring and night time apnoeas were studied. Selection criteria were: no adenotonsillar hypertrophy, Body Mass Index (BMI) below 24 and a malocclusion characterised by a narrow upper jaw, determined by postero-anterior cephalometric evaluation. Patients underwent an ENT visit with auditory and respiratory tests including daytime a sleepiness questionnaire, a 19-channel polysomnography, and an orthognatodontic examination; finally the patient underwent X-rays investigations. All the investigations were carried out before orthodontic therapy (T0), after one month (T1) with the device still on, and 4 months after the end of the orthodontic treatment which lasted for about 6-12 months (T2). All the changes induced by RME on the upper jaw and nasal septum wer...
ORL, 1990
The possible occurrence of inner-ear trauma linked to stapedectomy was studied by scanning electr... more The possible occurrence of inner-ear trauma linked to stapedectomy was studied by scanning electron microscopy of the medial (or labyrinthine) side of human stapedial footplates after performing a hole with different instruments. The anatomic variations induced experimentally by the different procedures are presented in detail and discussed. Manual instruments were shown to induce irregularities on the rim of the hole, whilst the utilization of either electric or pneumatic drills produced more regular margins. Finally, laser-produced holes were also examined. Rather neat rims were observed, but the thermal effect produced by this device has to be considered the major parameter involved in a possible inner-ear postoperative trauma.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 1993
Hearing Research, 1994
The distribution of the two cytoskeletal proteins, filamentous actin (F-actin) and fodrin, was in... more The distribution of the two cytoskeletal proteins, filamentous actin (F-actin) and fodrin, was investigated along the organ of Corti of the chinchilla using laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy. High intensity labeling of F-actin was seen in outer and inner hair cells, including the stereocilia. High intensity staining was also seen for fodrin in outer and inner hair cells, but not in their stereocilia. Staining intensity of both proteins along the lateral cell wall of the outer hair cells appeared to be greater in the middle and basal cochlear turns than in the apical turn. Pillars and Deiters cells also exhibited high intensity labeling of F-actin. The lack of significant differences in the distribution of fodrin between outer and inner hair cells makes the role of this protein in the active processes still unclear. Comparison of the distribution of F-actin and fodrin in the chinchilla with those reported in the guinea pigs suggest possible species differences.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1997
Scandinavian audiology. Supplementum
Recent investigations have demonstrated that in animal models repeated exposures to mid-intensity... more Recent investigations have demonstrated that in animal models repeated exposures to mid-intensity noise induce a progressive reduction of the temporary threshold shift (TTS) following the exposures. This phenomenon is named "conditioning" and it is actually able to reduce the permanent threshold shift (PTS) following exposure to high intensity noise; this finding is named "toughening". In the present work the fundamental steps of the research concerning the toughening are reviewed and the biological mechanisms supposed to be underlying this phenomenon discussed. The few preliminary results of the studies on humans are also reported.
European review for medical and pharmacological sciences
The antero-lateral thigh flap (ALTF) has become one of the workhorses of reconstructive procedure... more The antero-lateral thigh flap (ALTF) has become one of the workhorses of reconstructive procedures of the head and neck. The cosmetic result of this flap is uncertain during the main reconstructive procedure, so free flap contouring in head and neck reconstruction following cancer ablation is usually performed at the end of therapy. To obtain an adequate symmetry of the flap a safe thinning during the primary inset or a secondary defatting may be performed. The study includes 45 patients underwent reconstruction with ALTF for head and neck tumors. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (20 patients underwent a primary thinning of the flap), Group 2 (25 patient underwent a secondary debulking of the flap). Patients were evaluated in terms of total number of cosmetic reconstruction procedures performed, hospital stay and aesthetic satisfaction. Epidemiological analysis showed an average age of 51 years old in patients. Patients were affected by squamous cell carcinoma in 33 ca...
European review for medical and pharmacological sciences, 2012
Frontal recess is the anatomical region most difficult to manage in endoscopic frontal sinus surg... more Frontal recess is the anatomical region most difficult to manage in endoscopic frontal sinus surgery due to the extreme variability of the cell patterns that may be observed in this area. CT has always been the gold standard in preoperative evaluation, but especially in the assessment of the causes of frontal recess obstruction and surgical failure. In recent years, this accredited and reliable method has been complemented by computed tomography cone beam (CBCT), which provides similarly detailed anatomical information with a lower dose of radiation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and validate the use of CBCT in the study of frontal recess, and especially its anatomical variants in a youth population. We analyzed 500 CBCT images of paranasal sinuses of young subjects with sinus inflammation pathology between 2009 and 2011. We observed that the method is very sensitive in detecting anterior and posterior recess cells, also in a youth population and then report on some signif...
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 1999
Free oxygen radicals cause particularly severe tissues and organ damage. They appear to play an i... more Free oxygen radicals cause particularly severe tissues and organ damage. They appear to play an important role in the cochlea, mediating noise-exposure damage. In the present study 16 guinea pigs were implanted with permanent electrodes to record cochlear action potential. Eight animals were exposed to a 2-3 kHz, 125 dB SPL noise pulse, at a rate of 4 stimulations per second for 1.8 hours. Prior to noise exposure four out of eight animals were treated with a known dose of allopurinol. The remaining eight animals were used as controls. Endolymphatic malondialdehyde concentration was used as indicator of the lipid peroxidization processes exerted by the free radicals. No significant difference was found between the variations in hearing threshold and malondialdehyde concentration in the animals treated with allopurinol and then exposed to noise vs. the control group. The electophysiological and biochemical results have, therefore, demonstrated that preventative administration of allop...
Molecular Medicine Reports, 2015
Vestibular schwannomas, also known as acoustic neuromas, are benign tumors, which originate from ... more Vestibular schwannomas, also known as acoustic neuromas, are benign tumors, which originate from myelin‑forming Schwann cells. They develop in the vestibular branch of the eighth cranial nerve in the internal auditory canal or cerebellopontine angle. The clinical progression of the condition involves slow and progressive growth, eventually resulting in brainstem compression. The objective of the present study was to investigate the expression level and the localization of the pro‑inflammatory cytokines, transforming growth factor‑β1 (TGF‑β1) interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6 and tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α), as well as the adhesion molecules, intracellular adhesion molecule‑1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in order to determine whether these factors are involved in the transformation and development of human vestibular schwannoma. The present study investigated whether changes in inflammation are involved in tumor growth and if so, the mechanisms underlying this process. The results of the current study demonstrated that pro‑inflammatory cytokines, including TGF‑β1, IL‑1β and IL‑6 exhibited increased expression in human vestibular schwannoma tissue compared with normal vestibular nerve samples. TNF‑α was weakly expressed in Schwann cells, confirming that a lower level of this cytokine is involved in the proliferation of Schwann cells. Neoplastic Schwann cells produce pro‑inflammatory cytokines that may act in an autocrine manner, stimulating cellular proliferation. In addition, the increased expression of VEGF in vestibular schwannoma compared with that in normal vestibular nerve tissue, suggests that this factor may induce neoplastic growth via the promotion of angiogenesis. The present findings suggest that inflammation may promote angiogenesis and consequently contribute to tumor progression. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that VEGF and pro‑inflammatory cytokines may be potential therapeutic targets in vestibular schwannoma. Further studies are necessary to confirm the involvement of these factors in the growth of neoplasms and to develop inhibitors of pro‑inflammatory cytokines as a potential treatment option in the future.
Audiological Medicine, 2005
... Ettore Cassandro 1 , Giuseppe Chiarella 1 , Giuseppe Attanasio 2 , Maurizio Barbara 2 ... s... more ... Ettore Cassandro 1 , Giuseppe Chiarella 1 , Giuseppe Attanasio 2 , Maurizio Barbara 2 ... system 5,6. In those experimental studies, the activation of the crossed olivocochlear bundle (OCB) was shown to reduce the temporary effects of acoustic overstimulation in guinea pigs. ...
International Journal of Audiology, 2003
Temporary threshold shift (TTS) and permanent threshold shift (PTS) may follow prolonged noise ex... more Temporary threshold shift (TTS) and permanent threshold shift (PTS) may follow prolonged noise exposure. Several reports suggest that noise-induced damage to the cochlea may be related to the activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Drugs that scavenge or block ROS formation also protect the cochlea. Guinea pigs, treated with allopurinol, were exposed to white noise (120 dB SPL) or impulse noise (114 dB SPL) for 2 and 5 h. The protective effect of allopurinol was confirmed, but, at these levels of sound, it was present only after noise exposure up to 2 h. This study also offers evidence suggesting that allopurinol does not influence the establishment of PTS.
Acta Oto-laryngologica, 1997
Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 2003
To investigate the protective effect of two anti-reactive oxygen species (ROS) substances, copper... more To investigate the protective effect of two anti-reactive oxygen species (ROS) substances, copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) and allopurinol, in impulse noise-exposed guinea pigs. Allopurinol or CuZn-SOD were administered intraperitoneally before exposure to 125 dB SPL noise centered at 2.0-3.0 kHz, with a repetition rate of 4/s, for 1.8 h. Hearing thresholds were tested by means of electrocochleography after implanting the animals with permanent electrodes. The presence of lipoperoxides in the guinea pig cochleae exposed to noise-induced oxidative stress was determined by means of the dosage of malondialdhyde, evaluated by measuring the content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in perilymph samples. Acoustic stress induced ROS formation and both allopurinol and CuZn-SOD exerted a protective effect on the cochlea. Comparison of compound action potential thresholds in different animal groups showed that the temporary threshold shift was significantly lower in treated animals than in those without pharmacological protection. The protective effect of the antioxidant agents demonstrates that, even at a high level of impulse noise exposure, a metabolic mechanism of cochlear damage may still play an important role in noise-exposed sensorineural hearing loss.
Acta oto-laryngologica, 2015
The present study shows that AGE, DELAY, and PTA_PRE may be considered factors influencing therap... more The present study shows that AGE, DELAY, and PTA_PRE may be considered factors influencing therapeutic success in intra-tympanic steroid therapy. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between the therapeutic success of intra-tympanic prednisolone therapy and age, in patients affected by idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL), considering the influence of factors such as delay, gender, and pure tone average (PTA) pre-therapy. This retrospective study involved 402 consecutive patients, affected by unilateral ISSNHL between January 2009 and January 2014. Patients were divided into two groups based on age: group one with 94 patients aged over 65 years and group two with all 402 patients enrolled in the study, including those over 65. PTA recorded before the beginning of the therapy (PTA_PRE) in group one was worse than for group two. In both groups the therapy was significantly effective in improving hearing thresholds, even if PTA_PRE was significant and n...
Acta Oto-Laryngologica
The efferent cochlear system, composed of both ipsi- and contralateral bundles, runs along with t... more The efferent cochlear system, composed of both ipsi- and contralateral bundles, runs along with the vestibular nerve and may serve as protection for the inner ear. Sectioning of the vestibular nerve could thus create an experimental model for further in-depth study of such a protective role. A personal surgical approach is described, involving a suboccipital (or retrosigmoid) route to the postero-medial aspect of the guinea-pig temporal bone, chosen because of its use for the induction of endolymphatic hydrops in the same species. The crucial step in this approach is the separation of the sigmoid sinus in its entirety, through an intra-dural access with a minimal removal/retraction of cerebellar tissue. This did not affect either the post-operative recovery of the animal or its hearing threshold level as assessed via auditory brainstem responses.
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 2006
Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the head and neck region is a rare malignant tumour comprising app... more Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the head and neck region is a rare malignant tumour comprising approximately 3% of all plasma cell tumours. Approximately 80-90% of extramedullary plasmacytomas involve the Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue of the upper airways, 75% of these involve the nasal and paranasal regions. Radiotherapy is considered the treatment of choice, surgery being limited to biopsy and to excision of residual disease. A case of extramedullary plasmacytoma of the nasal cavity and ethmoid sinus is reported, in which surgical excision is followed by complementary radiotherapy on the site of the tumour.
Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, 2015
The present study was designed to verify the correlation between tinnitus and temporomandibular j... more The present study was designed to verify the correlation between tinnitus and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.86 consecutive patients were enrolled in the study, all affected by subjective tinnitus without hearing impairment, from both genders, age between 18 and 60 years old.
The Scientific World Journal, 2014
This individual prospective cohort study aims to report and analyze the symptoms preceding and ac... more This individual prospective cohort study aims to report and analyze the symptoms preceding and accompanying the facial paresis in Bell's palsy (BP). Two hundred sixty-nine patients affected by BP with a maximum delay of 48 hours from the onset were enrolled in the study. The evolution of the facial paresis expressed as House-Brackmann grade in the first 10 days and its correlation with symptoms were analyzed. At the onset, 136 patients presented postauricular pain, 114 were affected by dry eye, and 94 reported dysgeusia. Dry mouth was present in 54 patients (19.7%), facial pain, hyperlacrimation, aural fullness, and hyperacusis represented a smaller percentage of the reported symptoms. After 10 days, 39.9% of the group had a severe paresis while 10.2% reached a complete recovery. Dry mouth at the onset was correlated with severe grade of palsy and was prognostic for poor recovery in the early period. These outcomes lead to the deduction that the nervus intermedius plays an important role in the presentation of the BP and it might be responsible for most of the accompanying symptomatology of the paresis. Our findings could be of important interest to early address a BP patient to further examinations and subsequent therapy.
Advances in Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 2007
The aim of the study was to investigate changes in middle ear dynamic characteristics caused by b... more The aim of the study was to investigate changes in middle ear dynamic characteristics caused by both otosclerosis and stapes surgery (platinotomy, prosthesis positioning, ossicular chain maneuver) and to evaluate distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) before and following surgery. The study included 15 patients (12 women, 3 men; mean age 51 years; range 32-69 years) with advanced otosclerosis. All the patients were evaluated with the use of pure-tone audiograms (preoperatively, 5 and 30 days after surgery), stapedial reflexes (preoperatively), and DPOAE recordings (preoperatively, at the end of surgery, and 5 and 30 days after surgery). Changes in the hearing thresholds and in the DPOAE amplitudes were compared. Preoperative tests showed conductive hearing loss, with a mean air-bone gap of 36.6 dB HL ranging from 0.25 to 1 kHz, and no stapedial reflexes were detected. DPOAEs were not measurable preoperatively, and they were detected only in 2 patients at the end of surgery, with low amplitudes in a narrow frequency range. No significant changes occurred in DPOAEs 5 days postoperatively. A month after surgery, improvement in conductive hearing loss was observed; the mean air-bone gap from 0.25 to 1 kHz was 12.9 dB HL, whereas the higher frequencies were still affected by the disease. DPOAEs increased in amplitude in 4 patients, but this was not significant. It remains unclear why DPOAEs are not detected despite a subjective hearing improvement and a sufficiently closed air-bone gap at least in middle and low frequencies. The results of our study show that DPOAEs cannot replace behavioral threshold tests; they may only be included in a battery of tests for a complete clinical follow-up for efficiency monitoring after stapes surgery.
Progress in orthodontics, 2005
The aim of the study was to evaluate if RME (Rapid Maxillary Expansion) therapy could improve bot... more The aim of the study was to evaluate if RME (Rapid Maxillary Expansion) therapy could improve both the patency of the nasal airways and the Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome (OSAS). 42 children with a case history of oral breathing, snoring and night time apnoeas were studied. Selection criteria were: no adenotonsillar hypertrophy, Body Mass Index (BMI) below 24 and a malocclusion characterised by a narrow upper jaw, determined by postero-anterior cephalometric evaluation. Patients underwent an ENT visit with auditory and respiratory tests including daytime a sleepiness questionnaire, a 19-channel polysomnography, and an orthognatodontic examination; finally the patient underwent X-rays investigations. All the investigations were carried out before orthodontic therapy (T0), after one month (T1) with the device still on, and 4 months after the end of the orthodontic treatment which lasted for about 6-12 months (T2). All the changes induced by RME on the upper jaw and nasal septum wer...
ORL, 1990
The possible occurrence of inner-ear trauma linked to stapedectomy was studied by scanning electr... more The possible occurrence of inner-ear trauma linked to stapedectomy was studied by scanning electron microscopy of the medial (or labyrinthine) side of human stapedial footplates after performing a hole with different instruments. The anatomic variations induced experimentally by the different procedures are presented in detail and discussed. Manual instruments were shown to induce irregularities on the rim of the hole, whilst the utilization of either electric or pneumatic drills produced more regular margins. Finally, laser-produced holes were also examined. Rather neat rims were observed, but the thermal effect produced by this device has to be considered the major parameter involved in a possible inner-ear postoperative trauma.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 1993
Hearing Research, 1994
The distribution of the two cytoskeletal proteins, filamentous actin (F-actin) and fodrin, was in... more The distribution of the two cytoskeletal proteins, filamentous actin (F-actin) and fodrin, was investigated along the organ of Corti of the chinchilla using laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy. High intensity labeling of F-actin was seen in outer and inner hair cells, including the stereocilia. High intensity staining was also seen for fodrin in outer and inner hair cells, but not in their stereocilia. Staining intensity of both proteins along the lateral cell wall of the outer hair cells appeared to be greater in the middle and basal cochlear turns than in the apical turn. Pillars and Deiters cells also exhibited high intensity labeling of F-actin. The lack of significant differences in the distribution of fodrin between outer and inner hair cells makes the role of this protein in the active processes still unclear. Comparison of the distribution of F-actin and fodrin in the chinchilla with those reported in the guinea pigs suggest possible species differences.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1997
Scandinavian audiology. Supplementum
Recent investigations have demonstrated that in animal models repeated exposures to mid-intensity... more Recent investigations have demonstrated that in animal models repeated exposures to mid-intensity noise induce a progressive reduction of the temporary threshold shift (TTS) following the exposures. This phenomenon is named "conditioning" and it is actually able to reduce the permanent threshold shift (PTS) following exposure to high intensity noise; this finding is named "toughening". In the present work the fundamental steps of the research concerning the toughening are reviewed and the biological mechanisms supposed to be underlying this phenomenon discussed. The few preliminary results of the studies on humans are also reported.
European review for medical and pharmacological sciences
The antero-lateral thigh flap (ALTF) has become one of the workhorses of reconstructive procedure... more The antero-lateral thigh flap (ALTF) has become one of the workhorses of reconstructive procedures of the head and neck. The cosmetic result of this flap is uncertain during the main reconstructive procedure, so free flap contouring in head and neck reconstruction following cancer ablation is usually performed at the end of therapy. To obtain an adequate symmetry of the flap a safe thinning during the primary inset or a secondary defatting may be performed. The study includes 45 patients underwent reconstruction with ALTF for head and neck tumors. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (20 patients underwent a primary thinning of the flap), Group 2 (25 patient underwent a secondary debulking of the flap). Patients were evaluated in terms of total number of cosmetic reconstruction procedures performed, hospital stay and aesthetic satisfaction. Epidemiological analysis showed an average age of 51 years old in patients. Patients were affected by squamous cell carcinoma in 33 ca...
European review for medical and pharmacological sciences, 2012
Frontal recess is the anatomical region most difficult to manage in endoscopic frontal sinus surg... more Frontal recess is the anatomical region most difficult to manage in endoscopic frontal sinus surgery due to the extreme variability of the cell patterns that may be observed in this area. CT has always been the gold standard in preoperative evaluation, but especially in the assessment of the causes of frontal recess obstruction and surgical failure. In recent years, this accredited and reliable method has been complemented by computed tomography cone beam (CBCT), which provides similarly detailed anatomical information with a lower dose of radiation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and validate the use of CBCT in the study of frontal recess, and especially its anatomical variants in a youth population. We analyzed 500 CBCT images of paranasal sinuses of young subjects with sinus inflammation pathology between 2009 and 2011. We observed that the method is very sensitive in detecting anterior and posterior recess cells, also in a youth population and then report on some signif...
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 1999
Free oxygen radicals cause particularly severe tissues and organ damage. They appear to play an i... more Free oxygen radicals cause particularly severe tissues and organ damage. They appear to play an important role in the cochlea, mediating noise-exposure damage. In the present study 16 guinea pigs were implanted with permanent electrodes to record cochlear action potential. Eight animals were exposed to a 2-3 kHz, 125 dB SPL noise pulse, at a rate of 4 stimulations per second for 1.8 hours. Prior to noise exposure four out of eight animals were treated with a known dose of allopurinol. The remaining eight animals were used as controls. Endolymphatic malondialdehyde concentration was used as indicator of the lipid peroxidization processes exerted by the free radicals. No significant difference was found between the variations in hearing threshold and malondialdehyde concentration in the animals treated with allopurinol and then exposed to noise vs. the control group. The electophysiological and biochemical results have, therefore, demonstrated that preventative administration of allop...
Molecular Medicine Reports, 2015
Vestibular schwannomas, also known as acoustic neuromas, are benign tumors, which originate from ... more Vestibular schwannomas, also known as acoustic neuromas, are benign tumors, which originate from myelin‑forming Schwann cells. They develop in the vestibular branch of the eighth cranial nerve in the internal auditory canal or cerebellopontine angle. The clinical progression of the condition involves slow and progressive growth, eventually resulting in brainstem compression. The objective of the present study was to investigate the expression level and the localization of the pro‑inflammatory cytokines, transforming growth factor‑β1 (TGF‑β1) interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6 and tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α), as well as the adhesion molecules, intracellular adhesion molecule‑1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in order to determine whether these factors are involved in the transformation and development of human vestibular schwannoma. The present study investigated whether changes in inflammation are involved in tumor growth and if so, the mechanisms underlying this process. The results of the current study demonstrated that pro‑inflammatory cytokines, including TGF‑β1, IL‑1β and IL‑6 exhibited increased expression in human vestibular schwannoma tissue compared with normal vestibular nerve samples. TNF‑α was weakly expressed in Schwann cells, confirming that a lower level of this cytokine is involved in the proliferation of Schwann cells. Neoplastic Schwann cells produce pro‑inflammatory cytokines that may act in an autocrine manner, stimulating cellular proliferation. In addition, the increased expression of VEGF in vestibular schwannoma compared with that in normal vestibular nerve tissue, suggests that this factor may induce neoplastic growth via the promotion of angiogenesis. The present findings suggest that inflammation may promote angiogenesis and consequently contribute to tumor progression. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that VEGF and pro‑inflammatory cytokines may be potential therapeutic targets in vestibular schwannoma. Further studies are necessary to confirm the involvement of these factors in the growth of neoplasms and to develop inhibitors of pro‑inflammatory cytokines as a potential treatment option in the future.
Audiological Medicine, 2005
... Ettore Cassandro 1 , Giuseppe Chiarella 1 , Giuseppe Attanasio 2 , Maurizio Barbara 2 ... s... more ... Ettore Cassandro 1 , Giuseppe Chiarella 1 , Giuseppe Attanasio 2 , Maurizio Barbara 2 ... system 5,6. In those experimental studies, the activation of the crossed olivocochlear bundle (OCB) was shown to reduce the temporary effects of acoustic overstimulation in guinea pigs. ...
International Journal of Audiology, 2003
Temporary threshold shift (TTS) and permanent threshold shift (PTS) may follow prolonged noise ex... more Temporary threshold shift (TTS) and permanent threshold shift (PTS) may follow prolonged noise exposure. Several reports suggest that noise-induced damage to the cochlea may be related to the activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Drugs that scavenge or block ROS formation also protect the cochlea. Guinea pigs, treated with allopurinol, were exposed to white noise (120 dB SPL) or impulse noise (114 dB SPL) for 2 and 5 h. The protective effect of allopurinol was confirmed, but, at these levels of sound, it was present only after noise exposure up to 2 h. This study also offers evidence suggesting that allopurinol does not influence the establishment of PTS.
Acta Oto-laryngologica, 1997
Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 2003
To investigate the protective effect of two anti-reactive oxygen species (ROS) substances, copper... more To investigate the protective effect of two anti-reactive oxygen species (ROS) substances, copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) and allopurinol, in impulse noise-exposed guinea pigs. Allopurinol or CuZn-SOD were administered intraperitoneally before exposure to 125 dB SPL noise centered at 2.0-3.0 kHz, with a repetition rate of 4/s, for 1.8 h. Hearing thresholds were tested by means of electrocochleography after implanting the animals with permanent electrodes. The presence of lipoperoxides in the guinea pig cochleae exposed to noise-induced oxidative stress was determined by means of the dosage of malondialdhyde, evaluated by measuring the content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in perilymph samples. Acoustic stress induced ROS formation and both allopurinol and CuZn-SOD exerted a protective effect on the cochlea. Comparison of compound action potential thresholds in different animal groups showed that the temporary threshold shift was significantly lower in treated animals than in those without pharmacological protection. The protective effect of the antioxidant agents demonstrates that, even at a high level of impulse noise exposure, a metabolic mechanism of cochlear damage may still play an important role in noise-exposed sensorineural hearing loss.
Acta oto-laryngologica, 2015
The present study shows that AGE, DELAY, and PTA_PRE may be considered factors influencing therap... more The present study shows that AGE, DELAY, and PTA_PRE may be considered factors influencing therapeutic success in intra-tympanic steroid therapy. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between the therapeutic success of intra-tympanic prednisolone therapy and age, in patients affected by idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL), considering the influence of factors such as delay, gender, and pure tone average (PTA) pre-therapy. This retrospective study involved 402 consecutive patients, affected by unilateral ISSNHL between January 2009 and January 2014. Patients were divided into two groups based on age: group one with 94 patients aged over 65 years and group two with all 402 patients enrolled in the study, including those over 65. PTA recorded before the beginning of the therapy (PTA_PRE) in group one was worse than for group two. In both groups the therapy was significantly effective in improving hearing thresholds, even if PTA_PRE was significant and n...
Acta Oto-Laryngologica
The efferent cochlear system, composed of both ipsi- and contralateral bundles, runs along with t... more The efferent cochlear system, composed of both ipsi- and contralateral bundles, runs along with the vestibular nerve and may serve as protection for the inner ear. Sectioning of the vestibular nerve could thus create an experimental model for further in-depth study of such a protective role. A personal surgical approach is described, involving a suboccipital (or retrosigmoid) route to the postero-medial aspect of the guinea-pig temporal bone, chosen because of its use for the induction of endolymphatic hydrops in the same species. The crucial step in this approach is the separation of the sigmoid sinus in its entirety, through an intra-dural access with a minimal removal/retraction of cerebellar tissue. This did not affect either the post-operative recovery of the animal or its hearing threshold level as assessed via auditory brainstem responses.
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 2006
Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the head and neck region is a rare malignant tumour comprising app... more Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the head and neck region is a rare malignant tumour comprising approximately 3% of all plasma cell tumours. Approximately 80-90% of extramedullary plasmacytomas involve the Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue of the upper airways, 75% of these involve the nasal and paranasal regions. Radiotherapy is considered the treatment of choice, surgery being limited to biopsy and to excision of residual disease. A case of extramedullary plasmacytoma of the nasal cavity and ethmoid sinus is reported, in which surgical excision is followed by complementary radiotherapy on the site of the tumour.
Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, 2015
The present study was designed to verify the correlation between tinnitus and temporomandibular j... more The present study was designed to verify the correlation between tinnitus and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.86 consecutive patients were enrolled in the study, all affected by subjective tinnitus without hearing impairment, from both genders, age between 18 and 60 years old.
The Scientific World Journal, 2014
This individual prospective cohort study aims to report and analyze the symptoms preceding and ac... more This individual prospective cohort study aims to report and analyze the symptoms preceding and accompanying the facial paresis in Bell's palsy (BP). Two hundred sixty-nine patients affected by BP with a maximum delay of 48 hours from the onset were enrolled in the study. The evolution of the facial paresis expressed as House-Brackmann grade in the first 10 days and its correlation with symptoms were analyzed. At the onset, 136 patients presented postauricular pain, 114 were affected by dry eye, and 94 reported dysgeusia. Dry mouth was present in 54 patients (19.7%), facial pain, hyperlacrimation, aural fullness, and hyperacusis represented a smaller percentage of the reported symptoms. After 10 days, 39.9% of the group had a severe paresis while 10.2% reached a complete recovery. Dry mouth at the onset was correlated with severe grade of palsy and was prognostic for poor recovery in the early period. These outcomes lead to the deduction that the nervus intermedius plays an important role in the presentation of the BP and it might be responsible for most of the accompanying symptomatology of the paresis. Our findings could be of important interest to early address a BP patient to further examinations and subsequent therapy.
Advances in Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 2007
The aim of the study was to investigate changes in middle ear dynamic characteristics caused by b... more The aim of the study was to investigate changes in middle ear dynamic characteristics caused by both otosclerosis and stapes surgery (platinotomy, prosthesis positioning, ossicular chain maneuver) and to evaluate distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) before and following surgery. The study included 15 patients (12 women, 3 men; mean age 51 years; range 32-69 years) with advanced otosclerosis. All the patients were evaluated with the use of pure-tone audiograms (preoperatively, 5 and 30 days after surgery), stapedial reflexes (preoperatively), and DPOAE recordings (preoperatively, at the end of surgery, and 5 and 30 days after surgery). Changes in the hearing thresholds and in the DPOAE amplitudes were compared. Preoperative tests showed conductive hearing loss, with a mean air-bone gap of 36.6 dB HL ranging from 0.25 to 1 kHz, and no stapedial reflexes were detected. DPOAEs were not measurable preoperatively, and they were detected only in 2 patients at the end of surgery, with low amplitudes in a narrow frequency range. No significant changes occurred in DPOAEs 5 days postoperatively. A month after surgery, improvement in conductive hearing loss was observed; the mean air-bone gap from 0.25 to 1 kHz was 12.9 dB HL, whereas the higher frequencies were still affected by the disease. DPOAEs increased in amplitude in 4 patients, but this was not significant. It remains unclear why DPOAEs are not detected despite a subjective hearing improvement and a sufficiently closed air-bone gap at least in middle and low frequencies. The results of our study show that DPOAEs cannot replace behavioral threshold tests; they may only be included in a battery of tests for a complete clinical follow-up for efficiency monitoring after stapes surgery.