Document Detail


Otoscopic findings in hypercholesterolemic subjects.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20681365     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to verify the extent of a previously cited relationship between tympanosclerosis and atherosclerosis by investigating subjects with dysfunction in lipid metabolism but no clinically apparent symptoms of atherosclerotic disease. METHODOLOGY: Forty hypercholesterolemic patients were submitted to Doppler ultrasound examination of carotid and vertebrobasilar arterial regions; results were matched to otoscopic findings. Otoscopy was performed to evaluate for sclerotic plaques of the tympanic membrane, which represent the most common, clinically non-relevant manifestation of tympanosclerosis. A control group of 41 randomly chosen healthy subjects were also included. RESULTS: Nine (22.5%) of 40 subjects with hypercholesterolemia showed tympanic sclerotic plaques at otoscopy compared to 2 (4.9%) out of 41 control patients. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.02). An even stronger association (p = 0.01) was found between tympanic and arterial plaques in the study group, as we identified tympanic sclerotic plaques in 7 (41.2%) out of 17 patients with positive Doppler ultrasound signals for arterial plaques. Only two (8.7%) out of 23 subjects without plaques on Doppler ultrasound examination had tympanic sclerotic plaques. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm the existence of a link between tympanosclerosis and atherosclerosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a link between these findings in preclinical atherosclerotic conditions.
Authors:
A Pirodda; C Bruzzi; G G Ferri; G C Modugno; A Gaddi
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  B-ENT     Volume:  6     ISSN:  1781-782X     ISO Abbreviation:  B-ENT     Publication Date:  2010  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-08-04     Completed Date:  2010-09-14     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101247842     Medline TA:  B-ENT     Country:  Belgium    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  123-6     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Specialist Surgical and Anaesthesiological Sciences, ENT Section, S.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy. antonio.pirodda@unibo.it
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Aged
Carotid Arteries / ultrasonography
Female
Humans
Hypercholesterolemia / pathology*
Male
Middle Aged
Otoscopy
Sclerosis
Tympanic Membrane / pathology*
Ultrasonography, Doppler

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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