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Objectives: Otological solutions have long been
used in the treatment of the bacterial and fungal
infections of the ear. We investigated antibacterial
activity of some otic solutions against the most common
bacteria isolated from discharging ears.
Study Design: Three solutions were used
(Castellani’s, Burrow’s, and 2% salicyl alcohol) for
20 fresh isolates of each of the following organisms:
Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and
Enterobacter spp.. The activity of each solution was
determined by the size of the zone of inhibition of
bacterial growth.
Results: The Castellani’s solution showed significantly
larger average inhibition zones than the other
solutions did (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The Castellani’s solution may be considered
a good option against bacterial or mixed
infections (bacterial and fungal) of the ear.

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Objectives: We investigated the relationship between
positive skin test results and serum eosinophilic cationic
protein (ECP), nasal eosinophilia, and total IgE levels
in patients with allergic rhinitis.
Patients and Methods: The study included 36 patients
with allergic rhinitis (26 females, 10 males; mean age 32.8
years; range 17 to 60 years) and with a positive skin test
result. Serum ECP, nasal eosinophilia, and serum total
IgE levels were assessed and compared with a control
group of 18 healthy volunteers (15 females, 3 males;
mean age 30.3 years; range 20 to 49 years) and correlation
was sought with skin test results.
Results: Twenty-five patients were sensitive to only seasonal,
four patients to only perennial, and seven patients to
both seasonal and perennial allergens. Twelve patients
were sensitive to one allergen, seven patients to two, and
17 patients to three or more allergens. Compared to controls,
the mean serum ECP, nasal eosinophilia, and serum
total IgE values were significantly higher in the patient group
(p<0.05). These parameters did not show significant relationship
with the type and number of allergens (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Serum ECP, nasal eosinophilia, and
serum total IgE levels increase in patients with allergic
rhinitis. These parameters are not affected by sensitivity
to seasonal or perennial allergens.

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Objectives: We investigated the prevalence of allergic
rhinitis in the adult urban population of Denizli.
Study Design: A survey study was conducted to cover
1010 adults above 19 years of age, representing the
urban population of Denizli district, Turkey. The questionnaire
was designed to collect data on sociodemographic
features, symptoms of allergic rhinitis, duration
of symptoms, and any prior diagnosis of allergic rhinitis
made by a physician. Interviews were made with randomly
chosen adults from three socioeconomically different
urban areas.
Results: Interviews were completed for 951 adults
with ages ranging from 19 to 65 years (414 males,
mean age 36.3±12 years; 537 females, mean age
35.2±12 years). The frequency of self-reported allergic
rhinitis was 10.8%, and 5.2% had allergic rhinitis
diagnosed by a physician. Two or more symptoms of
allergic rhinitis were found in 7.2%. The prevalence
of allergic rhinitis was higher in females. There was
no relationship between the frequency of allergic
rhinitis and age.
Conclusion: The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in the
adult urban population of Denizli is between 5% to
10%, with a higher frequency in females.

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Objectives: We assessed the efficacy of submucosal
application of radiofrequency to the inferior
turbinate for the treatment of vasomotor rhinitis.
Patients and Methods: Twenty patients with vasomotor
rhinitis (9 males, 11 females; mean age 29.2
years; range 20 to 40 years) were treated with
radiofrequency applied to the inferior turbinate.
Symptoms such as nasal obstruction, sneezing, and
watery nasal discharge were graded with the use of
a visual analog scale (VAS) before, and on days 1,
3, 7, 30, 60, 90, and 180 after the treatment.
Results: The severity of symptoms began to
decrease following the first week after the application.
Maximum relief was achieved between 30 to 60 days
after the intervention. The highest rate of improvement
(85.4%) was reported in sneezing, followed by nasal
obstruction (76.4%) and nasal discharge (67.7%). The
mean VAS scores showed a significant improvement
in all symptoms between 7 to 180 days after the procedure
(p<0.05). The rate of patient satisfaction was
90% for the relief of nasal obstruction and sneezing,
and 80% for nasal discharge. Complaints about vasomotor
rhinitis increased up to a severity near the pretreatment
level in eight patients on the 180th postoperative
day and the procedure was repeated.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that radiofrequency
may be used as an alternative treatment
option in patients with vasomotor rhinitis.

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Objectives: Many studies have been carried out to
investigate the individual effects of vitamin C, vitamin
E, and ibuprofen on flap viability, with favorable results.
This study aimed to determine the effect of combined
use of these agents on flap viability.
Design and Methods: Sixty Wistar rats weighing
250-300 grams were divided into six groups, equal
in number, to receive saline solution (group 1, control),
vitamin C (group 2), vitamin E (group 3), vitamin
C and E (group 4), ibuprofen (group 5), and vitamin
C, vitamin E, and ibuprofen (group 6).
Following ketamine anesthesia, a caudally based
reverse McFarlane flap on the back of the rats, 3x10
cm in size, was elevated and sutured back. The
agents were administered intraperitoneally once
daily for seven days, after which viable flap areas
were estimated.
Results: The percentages of the viable area of the
flaps in groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were 58.0%, 68.1%,
61.4%, 73.4%, 69.1%, and 80.5%, respectively. The
use of vitamin C, vitamin E, and ibuprofen in combination
resulted in a significantly greater flap viability compared
to individual uses.
Conclusion: Administering vitamin E and vitamin C
together has a greater effect on flap viability than
used alone; however, the benefit is the greatest with
the addition of ibuprofen.

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Pilomatrixomas are benign neoplasms of the hair
follicle, presenting as a mass in the head and neck
region. Those arising from the parotid region may
pose diagnostic challenge. We present six patients
(age range 6 to 68 years) with pilomatrixoma in the
head and neck region. The lesions were located in
the preauricular region in two cases, and in the periorbital
region, the forehead, the neck, and in the dorsum
of the nose in the other patients, respectively.
The main complaint was a hard, slow-growing mass
in all the cases. All the patients were treated surgically.
Histopathologic diagnosis was pilomatrixoma.
No recurrences or surgery-associated complications
were observed in the follow-up period.

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Myoepitheliomas of salivary glands are rare neoplasms,
accounting for less than 1% of all salivary
gland tumors. They are classified into four cells
types: epithelioid, spindle, clear, and plasmacytoid.
Among them, the plasmacytoid cell type appears to
have a predilection for the oral cavity, especially the
palate. We presented a 32-year-old man with plasmacytoid
myoepithelioma arising in the soft palate,
together with a brief discussion of the clinicopathologic
features and differential diagnosis in the light
of the literature.

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A congenital cystic mass was detected at the
suprasternal notch of a seven-month-old male infant.
After radiologic examinations including ultrasonography,
computed tomography, and magnetic resonance
imaging, the cyst was excised and diagnosed as a
dermoid cyst. Dermoid cysts of the head and neck
are rare lesions, but a midline location is characteristic
for these congenital masses. To our knowledge,
only two reports have been published, which were
similar to our case in localization. Dermoid cysts
should be included in the differential diagnosis of
midline cysts.