RELEASE DATE: September 2, 1997 (Embargoed)
CONTACT:
Kenneth Satterfield
(703) 519-1563
(415) 978-3504 (9/5/97-9/10/97)
Email: [email protected]
NEW RESEARCH STUDIES OFFER GUIDELINES FOR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT DISORDERS IN HIV-POSITIVE PATIENTS
SAN FRANCISCO -- Ear, nose, and throat specialists have completed two new research studies regarding the diagnosis and treatment of otolaryngologic medical disorders in patients with HIV infection or AIDS. One study assesses the risks of otologic surgery to the HIV/AIDS patient; the second study identifies ear, nose, and throat disorders found among patients recently diagnosed with HIV.
The results of the research were presented at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery Foundation which is being held at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA on September 7-10, 1997. The meeting is the largest gathering for otolaryngologists, physicians who specialize in the medical and surgical treatment of the ears, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck.
Otologic Surgery in Patients with HIV-1 and AIDS was examined by Renato Giacchi, MD, and Darius Kohan, MD, both from New York, NY. They determined that the decision to operate on an HIV-infected individual who would benefit from major otologic (ear) surgery is a balance between the risks of the procedure and the benefit to the patient. Accordingly, their study evaluated the outcome of otologic procedures both elective and urgent among this population group.
Methodology: This series was a seven year retrospective analysis of New York University patients known to be HIV positive at the time of otologic surgery. Thirteen patients were identified, and their medical records were analyzed according to HIV status, immune status, diagnostic modalities, procedure performed, and outcome.
Results: The medical charts of nine males and four females were reviewed, seven of whom met the CDC criteria for AIDS. Six of the patients required surgery for mastoiditis and six for chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma. Other procedures included repair of a CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leak in two patients, and one patient required a stapedectomy.
The two specialists concluded that the severity and extent of the HIV infection impacted on the postoperative course and management of the patient. The CD4 (cluster of differentiation 4) count and presence of infections that attack HIV patients prepare the surgeon for appropriate patient counseling.
Presenting Signs and Symptoms of HIV Infection in the Head and Neck: A Review of 176 Patients: The research conducted by a New York team of physicians provided a profile of otolaryngologic complaints first encountered by patients recently diagnosed as HIV-positive. Jordan Stern, MD, Jeffrey Ginsberg, MD, and Jennifer Bellows from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary co-authored the report.
Methodology: From 1990 to 1995, 176 patients in an otolaryngology clinic underwent testing for the HIV virus based on the patient's symptoms or request. Some 109 of the patients were male, 67 female. Testing positive for HIV were 61 patients, with ages ranging from 24 to 65 years.
Results: Ear complaints (hearing loss), otalgia (earache), tinnitus, and fluid in the ear were the most common complaints and accounted for 61% of initial complaints. Some 45 percent of the patients were diagnosed with neck masses and 27 percent were found to have masses located near the ear. The study concluded that neck masses, hearing loss, and nasal obstructions were the most common otolaryngologic disorders found in newly diagnosed HIV patients.
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(Editor's Note: For additional information regarding this research and the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting, contact Ken Satterfield at (703) 519-1563 or at the annual meeting newsroom, (415) 978-3504).
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