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A Welge-Lüssen

Publications and source records attributed to A Welge-Lüssen.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

[Olfactory dysfunctions. Epidemiology and therapy in Germany, Austria and Switzerland].

INTRODUCTION: Olfactory dysfunction has been reported to affect more than 200,000 patients a year in the USA. The aim of this survey was to obtain comparable epidemiological data and treatment information on olfactory dysfunction in German speaking countries. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to all otorhinolaryngology departments in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; 52% of hospitals completed the survey. RESULTS: An average of 46 patients with olfactory dysfunction were treated per hospital every month. Hyp- and anosmia were most commonly caused by inflammatory diseases of the nose/paranasal sinuses (53%), respiratory dysfunction (19%), or postviral conditions (11%). Steroids were used most frequently for pharmacological treatment (topically 82%; orally 65%). Approximately one third of the clinics used B vitamins, or zinc; 80% of the hospitals performed surgery to treat underlying diseases. Acupuncture and smell training was used by approximately 20%. CONCLUSION: A total of 79,000 patients per year are treated for olfactory dysfunction in German hospitals. The vast majority of these disorders (72%) is caused by sinunasal diseases. The quality control of therapeutic strategies is urgently needed.

Austria↗
PubMed2004

[Olfactory dysfunction. Epidemiology, pathophsiological classification, diagnosis and therapy].

The present manuscript is the result of a collaborative effort within the framework of the Working Group of Olfactology and Gustology of the German Society for ENT, Head and Neck Surgery. It provides a comprehensive overview about the current views on the epidemiology, terminology, diagnostics, and therapy of olfactory dysfunction, and aims to offer a framework for the standardized procedures for the diagnosis and therapy of olfactory disorders.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2004

[Etiology, diagnostic and therapeutic management of taste disorders].

Taste disorders can be subdivided in ageusia, which is the inability to detect any qualitative gustatory sensation and hypogeusia, which is a decreased sensitivity to all tastants. Dysgeusia or pargeusia is a distortion or perversion in the perception of a tastant in contrast to phantosmia, which is a perception of taste that occurs in the absence of a tastant. The site of lesion can usually be determined by history and clinical examination. History taking should always include the assessment of current and former medication. Conditions that interfere with access of a tastant to the taste bud are differentiated from conditions that either injure the receptor cell or damage the gustatory afferent nerves and the central pathways. Psychophysical taste evaluation includes identification of quality using sprays or taste strips and testing of intensity perception measuring threshold using the 3-drop technique. Moreover, measurement of taste in localized areas can be performed either with conventional chemicals or using an electrogustometer. Gustatory evoked potentials are not yet routinely elicited. Therapy has to be planned according to the cause of the disorder.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed2000

Sniffin'Sticks: a new olfactory test battery.

The olfactory test battery "Sniffin'Sticks" comprises a perception threshold test, an odour discrimination test and an odour identification test. The purpose of this study was to examine the suitability of the Sniffin'Sticks for use in everyday practice and to obtain (at least provisional) normal values. Thirty normosmic and 15 anosmic volunteers were examined with the Sniffin'Sticks and the "University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test" (UPSIT). All three Sniffin'Sticks tests distinguish between normosmics and anosmics in a highly significant manner. The good correlation of the individual tests with each other and with the results of the UPSIT documents the reliability of the test results. Critical mention must be made of the overly complex determination of the olfactory threshold. In conclusion, the Sniffin'Sticks test battery provides a validated instrument adapted to European conditions for the examination of olfactory disorders. It has proven successful in everyday clinical practice and constitutes a major aid for compiling medical certificates.

Humans↗
PubMed1999

[Acute toxoplasmosis in coexistent non-Hodgkin lymphoma].

There are many reasons for cervical lymph node enlargement. In particular, the large group of infectious diseases must be considered along with malignant diseases. The coexistence of an uncommon infectious disease with malignant disease is a rare event. We report the case of an otherwise healthy 69-year-old man with marked enlargement of his cervical lymph nodes. A diagnosis of a recent toxoplasmosis infection was made based on positive IgG and IgM toxoplasma titers and the results of fine-needle aspiration from a lymph node. Since the enlarged lymph nodes persisted for more than weeks, the lymph node was excised. Histological examination revealed a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. IgM titers in toxoplasmosis can persist up to 1 year. In cases with rare infectious diseases like toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients, swollen lymph nodes that persist or grow should lead to the suspicion of additional disease. A diagnosis can be confirmed by removing a lymph node for histology.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Antibiotic prophylaxis in laterobasal fractures].

A retrospective study over 5 years evaluated the medical records of 78 patients who had suffered lateral skull base fractures. The purpose of the present study was to answer the question of whether antibiotic prophylaxis reduced the risk of meningitis. Fifty-five of 78 patients (71%) were given no antibiotics, among whom four developed meningitis. In 29% of patients treated with antibiotics, two developed meningitis. This difference was not significant. Even when cases with uncomplicated ("simple") lateral skull base fractures were separated from those with severe additional lesions related to their injuries, no significant correlation was found in the occurrence of meningitis despite the use of an antibiotic. Eight of 14 patients with initial otoliquorrheas were treated with antibiotics, with two of these 8 patients developing meningitis. None of the patients who did not receive antibiotics developed meningitis. Our findings shows that it is not advisable to treat patients who have suffered from lateral skull base fractures with prophylactic antibiotics. Instead, these patients should be examined frequently and appropriate antibiotic therapy prescribed at the first clinical symptoms of meningitis.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1997

[Speech audiometry with logatomes].

BACKGROUND: Logatomes are nonsense syllables used for analyzing the confusion of phonemes by hearing impaired listeners. They can provide a precise differentiation of phonemic confusions which may be useful in the exact adjustment of programmable hearing aids. METHODS: In this study, two lists of logatomes with 108 three-sound combinations with a structure of consonant-vowel-consonant (c-v-c) and vowel-consonant-vowel (v-c-v) were recorded on a compact disk. Twenty normally hearing adults and 28 patients with a sensorineural hearing loss were tested at a comfortable listening level of about 25 +/- 5 dB above the mean audiometric thresholds at 0,5. 1,0 and 2,0 kHz. An index of reduction of speech perception was calculated. RESULTS: A significant relationship between reduction of logatome perception and pure-tone audiometric thresholds at 1,2,3, and 4 kHz was demonstrated. Moreover, it was possible to distinguish between different groups of hearing impairment. CONCLUSIONS: The logatome test helps to analyze specific effects that hearing loss can have on the recognition of acoustic speech signals. The logatome test may become a valuable addition to speech audiometric tests with further standardization.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Esophageal obstruction after laxative administration].

Esophageal obstruction caused by food or foreign bodies is not uncommon in elderly patients. The esophageal obstruction is rarely caused by bulk laxatives, even though they are regularly prescribed to elderly patients. We report a case of a 69-year-old woman presenting as an emergency complaining of retrosternal discomfort and the inability to swallow or drink. Directly before contracting the problem, she had taken two teaspoons of Colosan mite, a laxative containing sterculia. We performed a rigid esophagoscopy, which revealed a complete obstruction by a gum like substance in the area of the upper esophagus sphincter. The laxative could be removed and the patient recovered without problems.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1996

[3-year follow-up after endonasal microscopic paranasal sinus surgery in migraine and cluster headache].

BACKGROUND: Migraine and cluster headache can both be triggered by sensitive intranasal areas. METHODS: Endoscopic nasal surgery was performed in 20 patients with chronic migraine without aura or cluster headaches that were refractory to other forms of treatment for a mean period of 18 years (range of 1-45 years). The selected patients showed clinical and radiographic evidence of contact between the middle turbinate and the nasal septum. All patients experienced immediate relief of pain following topical application of cocaine to the presumable triggering area. Five patients with cluster headache and 15 patients with migraine were treated. RESULTS: All patients with cluster headache were free of symptoms after surgical intervention and for a mean follow-up period of three years. Six of the 15 patients with migraine were completely free of symptoms after a mean follow-up period of three years; five had improved more than 50% in the duration and frequency of their attacks. Treatment was unsuccessful in four patients. CONCLUSION: This trial established a likely relationship between nasal trigger areas and cluster headache through the trigeminovascular system and a possible relationship to some type of migraine without aura.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Multiple biopsy in diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma].

BACKGROUND: The fate of patients suffering from laryngeal carcinoma is influenced strongly by the stage of the tumor at the time of diagnosis. This factor is also critical for preservation of the organ. It may be impossible to diagnose the tumor with the first biopsy even though the clinical and macroscopic aspect suggests a malignancy. METHODS: In a retrospective study, we examined 468 patients with laryngeal carcinoma who were treated at the departments of otorhinolaryngology at the University of Basel (B) (198 patients from 1983-1992) or in Giessen (G) (270 from 1990-1995). The number of biopsies necessary to confirm the diagnosis was analysed and the follow-up of the patients was evaluated. Thirty of 32 negative histologic samples were reexamined. RESULTS: Of 468 patients, 32 (7%, 27 [B] 14%; and 5 [C] 2%) required two to six biopsies to confirm the clinically suspected diagnosis: Twenty patients (designated as Group 1) were diagnosed within one to three months, and no patient showed a change of tumor stage within that time. Their first biopsies have to be considered as "nonrepresentative". Eight patients (Group 2) were diagnosed within four to 24 months and four patients (Group 3) more than 24 months after the first biopsy. Final treatment and outcome in patients from Group 1 was unchanged by the time delay in diagnosing the tumor. Seven of eight patients in Group 2 experienced an obvious progression of their tumor during the diagnostic period, which led to laryngectomy in several cases. In four patients, diagnosis was confirmed more than two years after the first biopsy. These were special cases such as development of cancer out of a papillomatosis or chronic laryngitis. CONCLUSIONS: A time delay of three months in diagnosing cancer of the larynx does not have a significant influence on organ preservation and prognosis, even though especially in small tumors suspicion of cancer should lead to a new representative biopsy as fast as possible to preserve the larynx.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

[Cervical lymphadenitis due to Mycobacterium malmoense in a child: case report and differential diagnosis of cervical lymphadenitis and lymphadenopathies].

Cervical lymphadenitis and lymphadenopathy are common in children and may be caused by local or systemic infection. There are a large number of possible etiologies. We report the case of a five-year-old boy with unilateral cervical lymphadenitis who was in good health and showed neither clinical nor laboratory signs of systemic infection. Despite repetitive empirical antimicrobial treatment, the lymph nodes increased in size. After surgical excision Mycobacterium malmoense grew from the lymph node culture. Based on a literature search (Embase and Medline 1980-1992), the most frequent infectious etiologies of pediatric cervical lymphadenitis and lymphadenopathies are summarized. Nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis is most frequent in children between one and five years of age, and is more common in girls than boys. The treatment of choice is surgical excision. In immunocompetent children treatment with antimycobacterial drugs is not needed even if relapse occurs.

Child, Preschool↗