Abstract des Autors

An assessment was made of the ear, nose, and throat diseases observed, and their incidence, in athletes practising water sports. The data were obtained from clinical records for 704 athletes examined between 1969 and 1979 at the CONI Sports Medicine Institute. Only 234 (30.1 ) were examined otorhinolaryngologically. In addition to the most commonly noted forms (deviation of the septum, perforation of the eardrum, otitis media and externa, etc., separate attention was devoted to the incidence of adenotonsillectomy (329 subjects, or 46.79 ), and its chronological correlation with the commencement of sport. Stress is laid on the importance of frequent, careful, and thorough examination of the ears, nose, and throat of persons engaged in water sports since the nonimpairment of these organs is vital to their performance in matches and the continuity of their training. Lastly, emphasis is placed on the undoubted correctness of the employment of modern diagnostic techniques, such as rhinorheomanometry, tympanometry, and investigation of the stapedial reflex, as nonroutine measures in more complicated cases.