INTRODUCTION The Israeli Scientific Council is responsible for the physician's training process and the residency exams. These are performed in two phases: Stage A (written examination) and Stage B (the final Board oral examination)....
moreINTRODUCTION The Israeli Scientific Council is responsible for the physician's training process and the residency exams. These are performed in two phases: Stage A (written examination) and Stage B (the final Board oral examination). The COVID-19 pandemic started in Israel a few weeks before the scheduled spring 2020 Stage B exams and had a major impact, not only on the health and economic systems in Israel, but also on the residency exams. AIMS To describe the efforts of the Israeli Scientific Council to execute the spring 2020 Stage B exams during the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison to the worldwide data, and to deduce the appropriate management during potential future crises. METHODS We present a description of the activity of the Israeli Scientific Council since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic according to documents and other sources, An internet search was conducted on the destiny of residency examinations throughout the world, and a comparison between them. RESULTS Due to rapid worsening in the restrictions enforced in Israel, the spring 2020 oral board exams were cancelled. However, a decision was made to execute them in the summer. This new schedule dictated a delay in the schedule of other residency examinations and forced condensation of 5 periods into 10 months instead of 14. The examination team prepared the new summer exams period under the assumption that heavy restrictions will still be implemented. Indeed, COVID-19 was still around and the restrictions were still enforced. Despite that, all oral Board examinations were perfectly executed. This contrasts with the rest of the world, in which most residency exams were cancelled, even without a solution or an alternative date. CONCLUSIONS Recruitment of all involved and preparation for the worst-case scenario enabled the perfect execution of the previously cancelled exams, and will enable the execution of future residency exams under conditions of potential health or war crises. DISCUSSION To the best of our knowledge, the Israeli Scientific Council is the only communal body in the world which organized an alternative period for the cancelled oral exams, only 4 months after the cancelled dates. Due to an enormous effort and rigorous preparations, Israel is also the only place in which oral exams were successfully executed, physically, under an active disease and very heavy restrictions.
A patient with acute vertigo, and normal findings on neurologic examination, was found to have vertebral artery dissection (VAD). This case shows that the clinical picture of VAD can mimic vertigo of labyrinthine (ie, peripheral) origin.
Examinations are an integral part of the process of medical specialization in the State of Israel and a resident cannot receive an expert degree without passing the exams. The Scientific Council is the body responsible for the physician's...
moreExaminations are an integral part of the process of medical specialization in the State of Israel and a resident cannot receive an expert degree without passing the exams. The Scientific Council is the body responsible for the physician's training process, and the Higher Examinations Committee for the exams. Professional examinations committees are subject to the professional guidance by the Higher Examinations Committee. The residency exams are performed in two phases: Stage A (written examination) and Stage B (oral examination). Changes in Stage A exams, Stage B exams, and in the process of appeals to the exam results, are conducted after thorough thinking and testing procedures and under the guidance of professionals. During the course of the current Higher Examinations Committee, a number of significant changes were made in Stage A exams, including: 1. Reducing the number of questions in the surgical fields exams; 2. Consolidating the two parts of the exam in General Surgery, Urology, Vascular Surgery, Plastic Surgery, and Pediatric Surgery. 3. Exposing the questions and answers after the examination and altering the appeals process. There have also been changes in some specialties in Stage B exams according to the following rules: 1. Aspiration for multi-test stations; 2. Two examiners in each station; 3. Structured and unified content on all exam stations; 4. Structured evaluation forms; 5. Filling out the evaluation form by the examiners without consulting between them; 6. Automatic calculation of scores based on the percentage of accumulated points that the examinees accumulated from the maximum possible points; 7. An upfront decision on the passing score. The Higher Examinations Committee of the Scientific Council works, and will act constantly, for the construction of professional, fair, reliable and valid residency examinations.
To present a retrospective case series of displaced dental implants in the maxillary sinus. Patients with unintentional displacement of dental implants in the maxillary sinus over a 5-year period who underwent or were candidates for...
moreTo present a retrospective case series of displaced dental implants in the maxillary sinus. Patients with unintentional displacement of dental implants in the maxillary sinus over a 5-year period who underwent or were candidates for surgical implant removal were included. The patients' characteristics, medical history, clinical and imaging results, and post-removal outcome were retrospectively assessed. Out of 14 patients, 13 underwent surgical removal. In one case the implant spontaneously exiled into the nose before surgery. The timespan between dental implantation and presentation ranged from 3 months to 9 years. Imaging evaluation showed a displaced implant (100%), oroantral fistula (65%), complete opacification of the maxillary sinus (28%), circumferential opacification (21%), isolated maxillary sinus outflow obstruction (7%) and a sinus which appeared normal (43%). Symptoms and signs included nasal obstruction (36%), purulent secretions (36%), facial pain (21%), tenderness on percussion (21%) and foul smell (14%). Two patients (14%) were asymptomatic. Intraoperative inspection of nine sinuses revealed mucosal changes and purulent secretions in 55% of patients. In all cases the implant had migrated from the maxillary sinus floor towards the natural ostium. Endoscopic removal was carried out successfully in all operated cases. All sinuses eventually healed. Migration of displaced implants and mucosal changes may occur over a short period, eventually causing secondary sinusitis. We therefore favour surgical removal. Surgery should be as close as possible to displacement in order to minimise mucosal inflammation and to prevent unnecessary manipulation during surgical removal. Conflict of interest statement: None of the authors report any financial interests or potential conflict of interests.
The purpose of this study was to define the clinicopathologic features and outcome of the oncocytic variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (OVPTC) with a review of the literature. Twenty-three patients with OVPTC over a 10-year period...
moreThe purpose of this study was to define the clinicopathologic features and outcome of the oncocytic variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (OVPTC) with a review of the literature. Twenty-three patients with OVPTC over a 10-year period were studied. Demographic, clinical, and histopathologic features and outcome data were analyzed retrospectively. Seventeen women and 6 men, ages ranging from 20 to 76 years (95% confidence interval, 43.0 to 54.48), were studied. Cervical lymph node involvement was found in 43.4% of the patients. Most of the recurrences were associated with thyroid masses greater than 2 cm in diameter. Evaluation of the overall survival data by the Kaplan-Meier method revealed that most recurrences took place earlier than 30 months, and the majority of patients (74%) were well, with no evidence of disease, up to 78 months after the last treatment. All of the OVPTC cases presented as nonencapsulated tumors, and 78.2% demonstrated extrathyroid stromal invasion. OVPTC is a unique variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma that has distinctive clinicopathologic features. Since OVPTC is often associated with local invasion and may involve cervical lymph nodes, it may require more extensive surgery than classic papillary thyroid carcinoma.
A prospective study was performed on 45 patients for an assessment of the use of computed tomography (CT) in the management of a suspected esophageal fish bone or chicken bone. All patients had negative findings on laryngoscopy;...
moreA prospective study was performed on 45 patients for an assessment of the use of computed tomography (CT) in the management of a suspected esophageal fish bone or chicken bone. All patients had negative findings on laryngoscopy; therefore, pharyngeal and hypopharyngeal foreign bodies were excluded from further consideration. The patients underwent radiographic examination with plain films and a cervical CT scan without contrast material. Patients with positive findings were taken to the operating room, where they underwent rigid esophagoscopy under general anesthesia, while those with negative findings remained for observation for 24 hours. Thirty CT scans were positive for an esophageal foreign body, and in all cases but 1, a foreign body was found during the operation. Fourteen of 15 patients with normal CT scan findings managed well with no further intervention. One patient with persistent complaints underwent esophagoscopy, but no foreign body was found. Our conclusion is therefore that CT is a simple and reliable method for diagnosing esophageal bone impaction and may reduce the rate of unnecessary esophagoscopies.
Blunt neck trauma is fairly commonly encountered in otolaryngology practice. However, hyoid bone fracture (HBF) secondary to blunt trauma is an uncommon condition.' The patient's history, mechanism of injury, and physical...
moreBlunt neck trauma is fairly commonly encountered in otolaryngology practice. However, hyoid bone fracture (HBF) secondary to blunt trauma is an uncommon condition.' The patient's history, mechanism of injury, and physical examination are important sources of information in the evaluation ofneck injuries. Imaging studies are required for making the diagnosis of HBF. A case of isolated HBF secondary to sports trauma is presented.
Blast trauma can have devastating effects on the ear, including tympanic membrane perforation, ossicular chain damage, perilymphatic fistula, and cochlear or vestibular injury. I Blast trauma can also be the cause of cholesteatoma,...
moreBlast trauma can have devastating effects on the ear, including tympanic membrane perforation, ossicular chain damage, perilymphatic fistula, and cochlear or vestibular injury. I Blast trauma can also be the cause of cholesteatoma, typically in the middle ear cavity. Blast injury causing an intracranial cholesteatoma has not been described thus far. A case of middle cranial fossa cholesteatoma occurring 29 years after blast trauma is presented.
Cochlear involvement manifested by sensorineural or mixed-type hearing loss (HL) has been reported to occur in 30-67% of patients suffering from myringitis bullosa (MB). The goal of this study was to investigate the incidence and nature...
moreCochlear involvement manifested by sensorineural or mixed-type hearing loss (HL) has been reported to occur in 30-67% of patients suffering from myringitis bullosa (MB). The goal of this study was to investigate the incidence and nature of vestibular involvement in MB. All adult patients presenting to Hadassah University Hospital with MB between 2000 and 2002 were evaluated for inner ear involvement. Audiometry, tympanometry and electronystagmography (ENG) were performed within the first 48 h after presentation. The affected ears were examined on a regular basis and audiometric studies were repeated every other day. ENG was not repeated but a detailed questionnaire was administered and a thorough physical examination performed to rule out persistent vestibular dysfunction. Thirteen patients (17 ears) were diagnosed as suffering from MB. All 13 patients reported HL in the affected ears and 7 (54%) reported a sensation of vertigo at presentation. Audiometric tests revealed HL in all 17 affected ears: sensorineural HL in 2, mixed-type HL in 12 and conductive HL in 3. ENG was normal in only two cases, both of whom did not suffer from vertigo. Four patients with no vestibular symptoms whatsoever had an abnormal electronystagmogram. All seven patients who complained of vertigo had an abnormal electronystagmogram and recovered fully after treatment. All but two patients recovered their auditory function. Not only is the cochlear part of the inner ear affected in patients suffering from MB, but the vestibular part as well. Sensorineural HL and vestibular abnormalities should both be considered as manifestations of MB.
The cochlear ototoxicity of several ear drops is well documented in the literature, but very few studies exist on the vestibular ototoxicity of these topical drugs. To develop an animal model for the assessment of the vestibular...
moreThe cochlear ototoxicity of several ear drops is well documented in the literature, but very few studies exist on the vestibular ototoxicity of these topical drugs. To develop an animal model for the assessment of the vestibular ototoxicity of ear drops. Two animal groups, consisting of five fat sand rats (FSRs) each, underwent unilateral labyrinthectomy. Normal saline was topically applied into the middle ear cavity of rats in the first group for 7 days (control group). Rats in the second group were treated in the same way by topical gentamicin solution. Cochlear function was assessed by the recording of auditory evoked potential (ABPs) thresholds, and vestibular function was assessed by the recording of vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) to angular accelerations. In the control group, except for the amplitude of the first wave, there was no significant difference in the VsEPs recorded before and after topical application. In the gentamicin group, VsEPs could not be recorded after 7 days, and ABPs were recorded in one case only, with a threshold of 100 dB sound pressure level (SPL). VsEPs seem to be a reliable measure for evaluating the vestibular ototoxicity of topical ear drops.
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is frequently classified as ‘idiopathic’ since the causative factor responsible for its onset is not identified in most cases. In the present study, we determined whether SSNHL is clinically...
moreSudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is frequently classified as ‘idiopathic’ since the causative factor responsible for its onset is not identified in most cases. In the present study, we determined whether SSNHL is clinically associated with serum anti-heat shock protein-70 (anti-HSP70) and antiphospholipids (anti-PLs) autoantibodies and whether these autoantibodies have an impact on the prognosis of SSNHL. Sera from 63 patients with SSNHL were screened prospectively for the presence of anti-HSP70 and anti-PLs autoantibodies by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. Anti-PLs antibodies in this study consisted of anticardiolipin, and anti-β2-glycoprotein-1 antibodies. Serum was assayed for anti-HSP70 IgG antibodies using recombinant human HSP70. Demographic, clinical, and audiometric variables were analyzed to find the possible role of serum autoantibodies in SSNHL patients. Sixteen patients (25.4%) had demonstrable anti-HSP70 antibodies in serum. Twenty-one patients (33.3%) showed a positive result for at least one isotype (IgM or IgG) of anti-PLs. In 19% of the patients, anti-HSP70 and anti-PLs antibodies were positive in two combinations. A statistically significant association was found between anti-HSP70 antibodies and the Siegel recovery grade subgroup. SSNHL patients who were positive for anti-HSP70 antibodies showed a significantly higher rate of complete recovery and incomplete but partial recovery than SSNHL patients without anti-HSP70 antibodies (p = 0.0496). Statistically significant association was found between total anticardiolipin, total anti-β2-glycoprotein-1, total anti-PLs, and anti-PLs in combination with anti-HSP70 antibodies and age (p = 0.0229). The detection of autoantibodies to HSP70 and PLs offers a pliable explanation for the immune-mediated mechanism of SSNHL. The present study confirms and supports previous studies regarding the association between anti-HSP70 and anti-PLs antibodies with SSNHL, and is the first to identify a positive association between anti-HSP70 antibodies and a positive outcome of SSNHL. Further studies are necessary in order to identify and further clarify the immunologic role of the presence of autoantibodies and their impact on the prognosis of SSNHL.
BackgroundEctopic teeth in maxillary sinus is rare and are usually removed via sub-labial trans-canine fossa approach (SLCFA). The aim of our study was to present our experience with extraction of ectopic teeth in the maxillary sinus via...
moreBackgroundEctopic teeth in maxillary sinus is rare and are usually removed via sub-labial trans-canine fossa approach (SLCFA). The aim of our study was to present our experience with extraction of ectopic teeth in the maxillary sinus via transnasal endoscopic approach (TEA). Material and Methods Rhinologists were asked to share their experience in the management of ectopic teeth in the maxillary sinus. Data were reviewed retrospectively. Results Eleven cases were reported in 10 patients from 2010 to 2019, six males and four females with a mean age of 33.5 +/-17 years (range 16 to 61). Seven patients complained of sinonasal symptoms, two were diagnosed incidentally during routine dental work-up, and one had oro-antral fistula. In eight patients, a cyst coexisted within the maxillary sinus. Teeth were located arbitrarily within the sinus. All cases were operated by TEA. One patient had self-limited periorbital emphysema, one had transient cheek numbness, and one had early post-operative bleeding that stopped after endoscopic cauterization. Long-term follow-up revealed good clinical outcomes. ConclusionsTransnasal endoscopic removal of ectopic teeth from the maxillary sinus is a feasible and rational approach when SLCFA is contraindicated. Key words:Ectopic teeth, dentigerous cyst, endoscopic sinus surgery, Caldwell-Luc.