Currently, some monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are being studied for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Three anti-IL-5 mAb: mepolizumab, reslizumab and benralizumab, have been tested through randomized clinical trials. In this real-life study, we aimed to describe the nasal effects of a cohort of asthmatic adults treated with anti-IL-5 mAb. Methods: We carried out an observational study in adults (≥18 years) on anti-IL-5 mAb treatment. Variables included ACT and SNOT−22 questionnaires, nasal polyps score, blood total IgE levels and blood eosinophil count. Results: Overall, 38 participants were included in the study; 19 patients received mepolizumab, 17 were treated with benralizumab and 2 patients were given reslizumab. There was a statistically significant difference in the ACT and SNOT−22 scores before and after mAb treatment. ACT score increased from 11.05 to 21.5 after treatment (p < 0.001). SNOT−22 decreased from 57 to 37.3 after treatment (p = 0.004). No statistically significant differences between mAb groups were observed regarding the ACT or the SNOT−22 (p = 0.775) response (p = 0.775). In addition, 60.53% of patients obtained a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in SNOT−22. Conclusions: A significant clinical response based on SNOT−22 score evolution after anti-IL-5 mAb treatment was observed. This study also demonstrated that blood eosinophil count, rather than serum total IgE levels, is the best predictor of asthma symptom improvement, which was assessed through the ACT and SNOT−22 questionnaires.

Hearing loss constitutes a major disability that hinders communication and quality of life. Recent evidence has uncovered its impact on cognitive decline, thus highlighting its multifactorial dimension and the outstanding need for creating multimodal hearing datasets that further cover clinical data across different health domains. The aim of this study is to develop a multi-collaborative database to systematically collect and analyze interdisciplinary data for audiological research, including auditory thresholds, speech tests, auditory evoked potentials, cognitive and quality-of-life tests, and medical images, among others. The database has been implemented in the Otorhinolaryngology Service of the Virgen Macarena University Hospital in Seville, integrated in the Intranet of the Andalusian Health Service, connected to the electronic patients’ medical records. This database relies on open-source software and complies with national and international guidelines on data protection. A specific registry module has been designed to automatically import auditory thresholds and auditory evoked potentials from clinical devices into the platform. A mobile app has also been implemented to collect questionnaires from patients remotely. A demo web version of the platform is freely available to the audiology community. The multimodal platform developed paves the way towards a multi-collaborative and unified framework for audiology research in Spain. Nevertheless, support from clinicians and healthcare stakeholders remains critical to develop more evidence and high-quality multimodal open datasets in hearing research.

Introduction: Salivary gland tumors (SGT) represent 6 to 8 percent of head and neck tumors. The cytologic diagnosis of SGT is performed by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) with variable sensitivity and specificity. The Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology (MSRSGC) categorizes the cytological results and provides the risk of malignancy (ROM). The aim of our study was to evaluate the cytological findings with the definitive pathological findings to assess the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of FNAC in SGT according to MSRSGC classification. Method: An observational, retrospective, single-center study was carried out at a tertiary referral hospital over a period of 10 years. Patients that underwent FNAC for major SGT and that have undergone surgery to remove the tumor were included. A histopathological follow-up was performed on the surgically excised lesions. Results from the FNAC were categorized into one of the six MSRSGC categories. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and diagnostic accuracy of FNAC for determining benign and malignant cases were calculated. Results: A total of 417 cases were analyzed. The cytological prediction of ROM was 10% in nondiagnostic, 12.12% in non-neoplastic, 3.58% in neoplasm benign group, 60% in AUS and SUMP groups, and 100% in suspicious and malignant group. The statistical analysis of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy for determining benign cases was 99%, 55%, 94%, 93%, and 94%, respectively, and for determining malignant neoplasm was 54%, 99%, 93%, 94%, and 94%, respectively. Conclusion: In our hands, MSRSGC is highly sensitive for benign tumors and highly specific for malignant tumors. The low sensitivity to differentiate malignant from benign cases makes it necessary to apply an adequate anamnesis, physical examination, and imaging tests to consider surgical treatment in most cases.

Background: Traditional audiological assessment often does not properly reflect the challenges experienced by cochlear implant (CI) users in complex listening environments. Deficits in speech recognition and sound localization ability persist despite clinically satisfactory audiometric thresholds. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of acoustic environment complexity on speech recognition and sound localization ability in CI users compared to normal-hearing (NH) individuals and to assess subjective auditory performance using validated questionnaires. Methods: Thirty-four unilateral CI users and fifty NH participants were evaluated in a sound environment audiometric room equipped with an eight-speaker 360° array. The variables examined were pure-tone average (PTA), word recognition score (WRS) in quiet and noise (sea, traffic, cafeteria), sound localization ability, and the SSQ-12 auditory quality questionnaire. Correlation, regression, and MANOVA analyses examined associations among objective and subjective outcomes. Results: CI users exhibited significantly lower WRS in quiet and noise conditions, reduced sound localization, and decreased SSQ-12 scores compared to NH participants, with performance declining as noise complexity increased. Pre-implant PTA was the strongest predictor of post-implant speech recognition. No significant differences were observed between unilateral CI users and those with bimodal fittings. The SSQ-12 questionnaire correlated with objective measures, supporting its clinical relevance. Conclusions: CI users exhibit persistent deficits in ecologically valid listening conditions not demonstrated by standard audiometry. Integrating sound field testing and validated hearing quality questionnaires may provide a more comprehensive assessment to guide personalized rehabilitation and device programming.

Background: Pure-tone audiometry (PTA) does not fully capture functional hearing difficulties. This study examined relationships between audiometric thresholds, self-reported hearing quality (SSQ12), and cognitive screening in patients with auditory complaints, as well as the association of other factors such as age and noise exposure with these measures. Methods: Data from 178 patients complaining about subjective hearing loss (mean age 55 ± 17.4 years; 43.3% male), including PTA and SSQ12, were analyzed. A subgroup of 60 patients aged ≥ 60 years also completed the Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (MiCog/SuCog). Associations were assessed via bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression analyses. Results: Age was independently associated with higher PTA4 thresholds in both ears (right: B = 0.60 dB HL per year, 95% CI 0.47–0.73; left: B = 0.61 dB HL per year, 95% CI 0.48–0.74; p < 0.001). SSQ12 scores correlated with PTA (right ear ρ = −0.532) and age (ρ = −0.283; both p < 0.001) and were lower in noise-exposed participants after adjusting for PTA, age, sex and tinnitus (B = −1.005, 95% CI −1.565 to −0.446, p < 0.001). In the cognitive subgroup, right-ear PTA showed an unadjusted correlation with MiCog (ρ = 0.332, p = 0.010); in the adjusted model, neither PTA nor any other predictor was independently associated with MiCog (PTA: B = 0.095, 95% CI −0.075 to 0.264, p = 0.266). No significant association was found between MiCog and the SSQ12 total score (Pearson r = −0.166, p = 0.204; Spearman ρ = −0.241, p = 0.064). Conclusions: Audiometric thresholds, self-reported hearing quality, and cognitive screening capture partially distinct, interrelated dimensions of auditory function. Self-reported measures revealed noise-related difficulties undetected by audiometry. These findings support incorporating patient- and informant-reported outcomes alongside audiometry to support a more comprehensive, patient-centered approach to hearing and cognitive care.