p style=text-align: justify;strongOBJECTIVE:/strong 1) To describe patterns of Filipino Voice Handicap Index (VHI) scores in relation to the demographic data of dysphonic patients; 2) To describe patterns of Filipino VHI scores in relation to the different pathologies of dysphonia as determined by videostroboscopy.br /br /strongMETHODS: br /Design:/strong Cross-sectional study br /strongSetting:/strong Tertiary Government Hospitalbr /strongPopulation:/strong Adult patients (? 18 years olrd), proficient in Filipinobr /br /A group of 124 dysphonic patients seen at the Videostroboscopy Unit completed the Filipino VHI. Demographic data were collected Videostroboscopy diagnoses were classified into six goups: normal, mass, lesions, inflammatory, mucosal irregularities, functional and neurogenic. The T-test was used to determine differences in scores among the demographic parameters and the pathology groups. ANOVA one-way factor was used to determine difference of subscaleo scres within each pathology group, and to determine difference of pathology scores in each subscale. Differences were considered statistically significant if plt;0.05. RESULTS: /strongStatistical analyses showed that Fiipino VHI scores were affected by age, gender, educational status and occupation. Younger patients significantly scored higher than patientsgt;40 years old. Females had significantly higher scores than males in the functional, physical and total subscales. Patients with lower educational status scored higher compared to college graduates. Voice professionals significantly scored higher than the non-voice professionals. Dysphonic patients significantly scored higher than normal volunteers. Among the pathological groups, neurogenic lesions had the highest scores. Physical subscale scores were significantly higher in all lesions except in functional lesions.br /br /strongCONCLUSION:/strong The Filipino VHI is comparable to the other versions of the VHI, with patterns similar to other versions. It gives the clinician a measure of a dysphonic patient's handicap, and is an invaluable tool in quantifying severity of dysphonia./p
Human ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Voice Disorders ; Dysphonia ; VOICE

Objective: 1) To describe patterns of Filipino Voice Handicap Index (VHI) scores in relation to the demographic data of dysphonic patients; 2) To describe patterns of Filipino VHI scores in relation to the different pathologies of dysphonia as determined by videostroboscopy. Methods: Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Tertiary Government Hospital. Population: Adult patients (?18 years old), proficient in Filipino. A group of 124 dysphonic patients seen at the Videostroboscopy Unit completed the Filipino VHI. Demographic data were collected. Videostroboscopy diagnoses were classified into six groups: normal, mass lesions, inflammatory, mucosal irregularities, functional and neurogenic. The T-test was used to determine differences in scores among the demographic parameters and the pathology groups. ANOVA one-way factor was used to determine difference of subscale scores within each pathology group, and to determine difference of pathology scores in each subscale. Differences were considered statistically significant if p<0.05. Results: Statistical analyses showed that Filipino VHI scores were affected by age, gender, educational status and occupation. Younger patients significantly scored higher than patients >40 years old. Females had significantly higher scores than males in the functional, physical and total subscales. Patients with lower educational status scored higher compared to college graduates. Voice professionals significantly scored higher than the non-voice professionals. Dysphonic patients significantly scored higher than normal volunteers. Among the pathological groups, neurogenic lesions had the highest scores. Physical subscale scores were significantly higher in all lesions except in functional lesions. Conclusion: The Filipino VHI is comparable to the other versions of the VHI, with patterns similar to other versions. It gives the clinician a measure of a dysphonic patient’s handicap, an is an invaluable tool in quantifying severity of dysphonia.
DYSPHONIA

AIMVarious forms of social adversity have been implicated in the development and emergence of psychosis. However, how and when these events exert their influences are not clear. In this paper, we attempt to examine these putative psychosocial factors and place them in a temporal context and propose a neurobiological mechanism linking these factors.

METHODSMedline databases were searched between 1966 and 2007 followed by the cross-checking of references using the following keywords: psychosocial, stress, stressors, life events, psychological, combined with psychosis and schizophrenia.

RESULTSWhile some findings are conflicting, there are a number of positive studies which suggest that factors like prenatal stress, urban birth and childhood trauma accentuate the vulnerability for schizophrenia and other psychoses while other factors like life events, migration particularly being a minority group, and high expressed emotions, which occur later in the vulnerable individual may move the individual towards the tipping point for psychosis.

CONCLUSIONOverall, there is evidence to implicate psychosocial factors in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. These factors may act via a common pathway, which involves stress-induced dysregulation of the HPA axis and the dopaminergic systems. To establish the causal relationship of the various factors would require prospective studies that are adequately powered.

Humans ; Nervous System ; physiopathology ; Psychology ; Schizophrenia ; physiopathology

INTRODUCTION: The impact of noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) on the risk of malignancy (ROM) in fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) per The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology has not been well reported in Singapore. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 821 thyroid nodules with preoperative FNAC from 788 patients out of 1,279 consecutive thyroidectomies performed between January 2010 and August 2016 in a tertiary general hospital in Singapore. Possible cases of NIFTP were reviewed for reclassification and the impact of NIFTP on ROM was analysed. RESULTS: The incidence of NIFTP was 1.2% (10 out of 821). If NIFTP is considered benign, ROM in Bethesda I through VI were 8.6%, 3.5%, 26.3%, 20.0%, 87.7%, 97.0% versus 8.6%, 4.2%, 28.1%, 26.7%, 89.2% and 100% if NIFTP is considered malignant. Eight patients with NIFTP had follow-up of 15 to 110 months. One had possible rib metastasis as evidenced by I131 uptake but remained free of structural or biochemical disease during a follow-up period of 110 months. None had lymph node metastasis at presentation, nor locoregional or distant recurrence. CONCLUSION Classifying NIFTP as benign decreased ROM in Bethesda II through VI, but the benignity of NIFTP requires more prospective studies to ascertain. The impact of NIFTP on ROM in our institution also appears to be lower than that reported in the Western studies.
Adenocarcinoma, Follicular/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Thyroid Neoplasms/epidemiology*