Theognosia Chimona

In this work we evaluate a neural based speech intelligibility booster based on spectral shaping and dynamic range compression (SSDRC), referred to as WaveNet-based SSDRC (wSSDRC), using a recently designed Greek Harvard-style corpus. The corpus has been developed according to the format of the Harvard/IEEE sentences and offers the opportunity to apply neural speech enhancement models and examine their performance gain for Greek listeners. wSSDRC has been successfully tested for English material and speakers in the past. In this paper we revisit wSSDRC to perform a full scale evaluation of the model with Greek listeners under the condition of equal energy before and after modification. Both normal hearing (NH) and hearing impaired (HI) listeners evaluated the model under speech shaped noise (SSN) at listener-specific SNRs matching their Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) - a point at which 50 % of unmodified speech is intelligible. The analysis statistics show that the wSSDRC model ha...

Objective To assess the effectiveness of three vestibular rehabilitation protocols in patients with chronic unilateral vestibular hypofunction. Study Design Prospective randomized trial. Setting Audiology-neurootology laboratory in a general public hospital. Patients Eighty-one patients were randomly allocated into three groups: adaptation exercises (AEs), habituation exercises (HEs), and combined exercises (AE-HEs). Intervention(s) Each patient completed an 8-week vestibular rehabilitation program with exercise, depending on their allocation group. Main Outcome Measure(s) Evaluations performed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks with (a) Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), (b) Mini-BESTest, (c) Vestibular Rehabilitation Benefit Questionnaire, and (d) Dizziness Handicap Inventory. Results FGA and Mini-BESTest scores showed significant improvement between the baseline and 8-week scores in all groups (p < 0.001), except for the FGA score in the HE group. The AE-HE group showed better s...

Objective: The investigation of supervised vestibular rehabilitation treatment role for individuals with dizziness and imbalance due to peripheral, unilateral vestibular disorders. Databases Reviewed: Cochrane, PubMed, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) were utilized to identify relevant studies. Methods: The key search terms used were “Vestibular Rehabilitation and Unilateral Vestibular Hypofunction,” “Vestibular Rehabilitation and Unilateral Vestibular Loss,” and “Vestibular Rehabilitation and Supervision.” A manual search was performed by exploring the references of included articles to identify studies not captured through the computer-based searches. The quality of the studies was assessed according to the PEDro scale. Inclusion criteria were: 1) studies with patients, aged from 18 to 80 years, with acute or chronic dizziness and disequilibrium due to unilateral vestibular dysfunction, 2) randomized control trials (RCTs), 3) studies comparing supervised vestibular rehabilitation program with an unsupervised vestibular rehabilitation program or home-based training or standard care or placebo, and 4) articles written in the English language. Studies reporting cases of vertigo and imbalance due to possible recurrent pathologies, acute benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or central neurological/orthopedic deficits, were excluded. Results: A total of 448 articles were retrieved from the systematic database search strategy. Five of them were included in the systematic review after full-text analysis, plus one more after manual searching of their references. All studies involved supervised vestibular rehabilitation treatment programs compared with unsupervised home training, the performance of daily activities and, standard care. Based on PEDro's scoring system, one study rated as high-quality RCT, three studies were considered of fair quality and one scored as low-quality RCT. Conclusions: Although most RCTs report better outcomes with a supervised vestibular rehabilitation treatment program regarding the emotional status, dizziness, and balance improvement, this systematic review failed to provide a strong evidence that supervision is superior to unsupervised protocols in patients with UNH. The self-reported subjective measures used by the included RCTs represent a serious limitation of their results.

Einleitung: In den letzten Jahrzehnten zeigte die Mobiltelefonie eine grosse Entwicklung. Deswegen werden viele Fragen für die wissenschaftliche Gemeinschaft über mögliche gesundheitliche Folgen der elektromagnetischen Strahlung auf Gehörgang und Zentrales Nervensystem gestellt. [for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]

According to Greek mythology, medicine has its origins in the ancient Greek period. The history of medicine in ancient Greece is lost in Homer's period. The first citation of disease in Greek literature appears in Homer's Iliad, which was composed in the eighth century BC. In the Odyssey, another of Homer's works, descriptions about wounds and lesions management are found. The most developed sections of Homeric medicine were anatomy and traumatology.

Einleitung: Die Gleichgewichtsstörungen sind selten im Kindesalter im Gegensatz zu den Erwachsenern. Die Diagnose ist sehr schwierig im Kindesalter wegen den altersbedingten Faktoren und der klinischen Pathologie, die eine Gleichgewichtsstörung bereiten. Methode: Von Januar 2007 bis November[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]

Arachnoid cysts most frequently occur in the middle cranial fossa and when they are symptomatic, patients present with central nervous symptoms. Nevertheless, a large proportion of arachnoid cysts are incidentally diagnosed during neuroimaging in cases with nonspecific symptoms. The cases of two males with middle cranial fossa arachnoid cysts with nonspecific inner ear symptoms were retrospectively reviewed. The first patient presented with mild headache, nausea, vertigo, unsteadiness, and tinnitus on the left ear while the second patient's main complaint was left sided tinnitus. Both patients (initially managed for peripheral disorders) underwent a thorough clinical and electrophysiological evaluation. Because of the patients' persistent clinical symptoms, and indications of CNS disorder in the first case, neuroimaging by brain MRI was performed revealing a middle cranial fossa arachnoid cyst in both patients. Occasionally, patients with arachnoid cysts may present with mil...

Touch imprint cytological diagnosis of nodal Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare neoplasm of the mononuclear phagocytic immunoregulatory system of unknown aetiology. Nodal involvement is uncommon. Cytological findings have seldom been described. A case study of LCH, arising in a submandibular node of a 42-year-old female, is reported. Fine needle aspiration smears were highly cellular and composed of a mixed cell population including eosinophils, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages. Imprint slides from the surgical specimen of the excised node exhibited Langerhans cells with nuclear grooves, leading to a diagnosis suggestive of LCH. Immunohistochemical staining of the node sections with CD1a and S-100 confirmed this diagnosis. In conclusion, cytology may favorably contribute to the diagnosis of LCH.

The accessory parotid gland is salivary tissue separated from the main parotid gland and lying on masseter muscle. It has secondary duct emptying into the Stensen's duct. The accessory parotid gland exists in 21-61% of individuals. However, the appearance of an accessory parotid tumor is rare, with a reported frequency of 1-7.7% of all parotid gland tumors. Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma arises from a pre-existing benign mixed tumor. Most of these tumors will have malignant epithelial component, but not malignant stromal component. Reports of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytological (FNAC) diagnosis of malignant mixed tumor are uncommon and have been limited to cases arising in the parotid. We report a case of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma of the accessory lobe of the parotid, and address the cytopathology features and pitfalls of this condition. A 73 aged female presented with a right nontender midcheek mass. The lesion had been present 18 months, with a recent increase in size....

Thyroglossal duct cysts are remnants of the embryonic thyroglossal duct that may occur anywhere from the base of the tongue to the thyroid gland. The majority, however, are found at the level of the thyrohyoid membrane, under the deep cervical fascia. They are midline or just off the midline, and move up and down upon swallowing. This paper presents five case reports of TDC seen in the Department of Ear-Nose-Throat Surgery Regional Hospital Of Chania, Crete, Greece. It also discusses the different diagnostic approaches and differential diagnoses of the lesion. The medical records of patients admitted from 1995-2006 were reviewed for patients treated for TDC. History and examination reports were studied. When possible, results and reports of special investigations were obtained and the investigations were re-evaluated. Surgical operation notes and histology reports were obtained and the histologic slides were re-examined as necessary. Five cases of thyroglossal duct cyst treated in o...

Neck nodal metastases from occult primary constitute about 5%-10% of all hosts harboring carcinoma of unknown primary site. Metastases in the upper and middle neck (levels I-II-III-IV-V) are generally attributed to head and neck cancers, whereas the lower neck (level IV) involvement is often associated with primaries below the clavicles. Diagnostic procedures include a careful clinical evaluation and a fiberoptic endoscopic examination of the head and neck mucosa, biopsies from all suspicious sites or blindly from the sites of possible origin of the primary, computerized tomography (CT) scan, and magnetic resonance radiology (MRI). The most frequent histological finding is squamous cell carcinoma, particularly when the upper neck is involved. We report three cases of patients presented with nodal metastases of the neck from unknown primary site and we also describe the diagnostic and therapeutic approach employed in each one. One patient harbored a neuroendocrine metastatic deposit,...

Due to increasing experience and technological improvement, the selection criteria for cochlear implantation have improved. Cochlear implant application can now be performed in selected patients with pathological middle ear lesions. The surgical approach to a patient with a history of bilateral radical mastoidectomy is addressed in detail. The benefits of cochlear implantation in this case are also discussed.

ABSTRACT Background and Aim: The incidence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in Europe ranges between 5 and 15% of the general population, whereas in the United States the percentage of citizens younger than 45 years old with symptoms of CRS is approximately 12%. The pathophysiology of CRS still remains unclear, and many theories are proposed. Thus, a variety of medical and surgical treatments are used. Moreover, although there is a strong indication of relationship between CRS and asthma, the nature of this link still remains under investigation, and the role of CRS treatment in patients with CRS and asthma is not proved. The aim of this study is to prove the impact of endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with asthma and CRS with or without nasal polyps. Material and Methods: Twenty-seven patients with CRS and asthma (according to EPOS and ARIAS criteria) underwent endoscopic sinus surgery. All patients were treated before surgery with intranasal steroids (fluticasone twice a day for 30 days) and oral prednisone 0.5 mg/kg once a day for 5 days without any symptom improvement. Postoperatively, all patients were on intranasal steroids, oral antibiotics (clarithromycin 500 mg twice a day for 10 days) and alkaline nasal douching. Results: The available data analysis demonstrates that the overall symptom control of chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyps is considerably improved after endoscopic sinus surgery, and the overall asthma control demonstrates a significant statistical improvement. Conclusion: The role of endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps is still under survey. Our study aims to propose new knowledge and data on this topic.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with or without nasal polyps is a frequent and significant health problem. The 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) is a valid, disease-specific health status instrument translated into several languages. The translation into Greek has been considered essential for the individual assessment of the patients' symptoms and a reliable tool for quality of life evaluation. Methods: Our study included 40 patients with CRS without nasal polyps and 40 healthy individuals as control group recruited from the ENT Allergy and Endoscopy Clinic of Chania General Hospital. Assessment included full ENT examination and nasal endoscopy. In the study, we compared the patients' examination and reexamination results with the results of the control group, and thus estimated test-retest reliability, internal consistency (determined by Cronbach's alpha) and validity. Results: The statistical significance level calculated by the paired t test was p &lt...

Objective: To assess the long‐term efficacy of canalith repositioning procedure (CRP) in the treatment of patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).Background: Alternative theories for the pathophysiology of BPPV have been redefined in the past few years. CRP is considered to be the standard technique for its management. However, long‐term follow‐up results have been minimally reported in the literature.Patients/Methods: Five hundred ninety‐two patients, 290 (49%) men and 302 (51%) women, were enrolled in this prospective study; their ages ranged from 18 to 84 (mean 59) years. At the time of their first examination, patients reported the duration of symptoms varied from 1 day to 18 months. Inclusion criteria were patient history compatible with BPPV and positive provocative maneuver (either Dix‐Hallpike or Roll test). A variant of Epley and Barbeque maneuver was used. The Epley maneuver was used for posterior and anterior canal involvement, and “Barbeque roll” was us...

Objectives: Assessment of the histopathologic effect of transtympanic and intramuscular administration of dexamethasone in an in vivo experimental animal model of middle-ear mucosal inflammation.Methods: Fifty healthy rabbits weighting 1500–1800 g were randomly divided in three groups. In 10 animals (control group), 0.5 ml of a 20 mg/ml histamine solution was injected transtympanically. In 20 rabbits (group A), histamine challenge followed a three day intramuscular pretreatment with dexamethasone at 1 mg/kg per day. In 20 rabbits (group B), histamine challenge followed pretreatment with dexamethasone via a transtympanic route (0.3 ml, 1.2 mg dexamethasone). Middle-ear mucosa was obtained for histopathology 30 minutes after histamine administration. The following parameters were assessed: inflammation, acute inflammatory component, presence of eosinophils, inflammatory activity and fibrosis.Results: Oedema, vascular dilatation and congestion, inflammation, the presence of an acute (p...

We report the case of a 57-year-old man complaining of headaches and adult onset seizures. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a process which proved to be a huge frontal sinus mucocele, eroding the posterior wall of the frontal sinus and compressing the left frontal lobe. An osteoplastic flap procedure with cranialization and obliteration of the frontal sinus was performed. The seizures and headache disappeared postoperatively. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis and surgical approaches for grand frontal sinus mucoceles are briefly discussed.