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Our role The Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department is concerned with pathologies of the ears, nose and throat.   "This anatomical region is at the crossroads of a number of functions: hearing, swallowing, sense of smell, balance, phonation (production of language sounds), breathing, etc. We therefore diagnose and propose treatment for diseases that affect the organs, tissues and functions of the ENT region."  Depending on the case, the treatment can be medical, surgical or paramedical (speech therapy, vestibular physiotherapy, etc.)   Image Image Our specialities The activities of the Erasmus Hospital ENT Department span 4 clinics:   The Otology Clinic that is concerned with ear, hearing and balance problems. For example: deafness, tinnitus, chronic infections, etc.   The Rhinology Clinic that is concerned with problems of the nose (e.g. chronic tinnitus and rhinitis, nasal tumours, etc.) and sleeping problems (e.g. sleep apnoea, snoring, etc.)    The Laryngology Clinic that is concerned with voice and swallowing problems, including of a cancerous origin (e.g.: dysphagia, dysphoria, etc.)   The Paediatric ENT Clinic that is situated on the HUDERF site. The ENT field being an anatomical crossroads, the care is very often multidisciplinary. ENT doctors therefore cooperate regularly with other departments: neurology, pneumology, ophthalmology, stomatology-dentistry, etc. Our team Our specialists Focus The ENT Department proposes joint consultations for certain pathologies. In this case the patient is seen at the same time by two specialist doctors:   An ENT doctor and a neurologist for dizziness and balance problems (e.g. Ménière disease)An ENT doctor and a pneumologist for problems relating to respiratory immuno- allergology  (e.g. allergic asthma, chronic rhinitis, nasal polyposis, etc.)    Research The ENT Department participates in several research programmes. It cooperates, for example, with the ULB's Institute of Neurosciences and in particular with the Functional Brain Mapping Laboratory. ENT doctors from the Erasmus Hospital study in particular :speech understanding problems, in particular in a noisy environment, neuromuscular problems involved in difficulties in swallowing, ageing of the balance function, etc.  Publications Lien vers Array Cortical Tracking of Speech-in-Noise Develops from Childhood to Adulthood Authors : Vander Ghinst M, Bourguignon M, Niesen M, Wens V, Hassid S, Choufani G, Veikko J, Riita H, Goldman S, De Tiège XJournal : J Neurosci 2019 Apr 10;39(15):2938-2950. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1732-18.2019. Epub 2019 Feb 11. Lien vers Array Left Superior Temporal Gyrus Is Coupled to Attended Speech in a Cocktail-Party Auditory Scene Authors :  Vander Ghinst M, Bourguignon M, Op de Beeck M, Wens V, Brice M, Hassid S, Choufani G, Veikko J, Riita H, Van Bogaert P, Goldman S, De Tiège XJournal : J Neurosci. 2016 Feb 3;36(5):1596-606. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1730-15.2016. Lien vers Array RHOJ controls EMT-associated resistance to chemotherapy Authors : Debaugnies M, Rodriguez-Acebes S, Blondeau J, Parent M-A, Zocco M, Song Y, de Maertelaer V, Moers V, Latil M, Dubois C, Coulonval K, Impens F, Van Haver D, Dufour S, Uemura A, Sotiropoulou P, Méndez J, Blanpain CJournal : Nature. 2023 Apr;616(7955):168-175. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-05838-7. Epub 2023 Mar 22. Lien vers Array Structural and metabolic brain abnormalities in COVID-19 patients with sudden loss of smell Authors : Niesen M, Trotta N, Noel A, Coolen t, Favard G, Leurkin-sterk G, Delpierre I, Henrard S, Sadeghi N, Goffard J-C, Goldman S, De Tiège XJournal : Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imagin. 2021 Jun;48(6):1890-1901. doi: 10.1007/s00259-020-05154-6. Epub 2021 Jan 4.

Pet therapy is progressively becoming part of hospital life where it is increasingly appreciated. The practice uses interactions with animals to improve the health and well-being of patients, both physically and psychologically. At the Erasmus Hospital, Yuki brings joy to patients and staff alike. Our four-legged friend joined the team at the intensive care unit 2 years ago, on 25 December 2022. A heartwarming story for this festive season!  Pet therapy:  many benefitsAt the H.U.B., non-pharmacological approaches to managing stress, pain and more widely the quality of life of patients in intensive care is of primordial importance. Every Sunday Yuki spends quality time with each patient who wishes to see him while never forgetting the animal’s welfare. The presence of an animal has a calming effect, soothing anxiety. It also benefits the physical and emotional health of patients by reducing their sense of isolation. Patients can simply spend a little time with him, stroking and patting him and also playing with him in a way that requires some basic but important movements.  Yuki has already helped 110 of our patients in this way. A very strict hygiene protocol is of course respected prior to each hospital visit and between visits to each patient.    Tika, the neighbour at the Children’s HospitalSupported by the H.U.B, Claire, a nurse at the Erasmus Hospital and initiator of the Yuki project, has now built on the same initiative at the Children’s Hospital where she has organised the arrival of Tika, a Dachshund puppy aged 8 months. Tika is currently being trained with a dog trainer familiar with the hospital environment and animal-assisted therapy and is now slowly starting her bedside visits to our young patients. Like Yuki, she is beginning at the intensive care unit. Her presence in a  paediatric care environment is having the same positive impact: reduction of stress and anxiety, improved mood, emotional support, stimulation of social interaction and assistance with rehabilitation for our young patients. 

Discover the “#investigation” report produced by RTBF This report highlights a real challenge: the well-being of seniors and health care systems must work together At the start of the report, meet the volunteers from the Erasmus Hospital who work every day for the well-being of patients. We would like to thank them once again for their dedication, their good humor and their daily presence! A special note for Jacqueline: the oldest of our volunteers who will be celebrating her 90th birthday this year! Article and report

The Department of Gynaecology recently inaugurated a new fully equipped unit dedicated to outpatient hysteroscopy at the Erasmus Hospital. The H.U.B is the third French-speaking centre in Belgium to propose this operative procedure during consultations for patients with abnormal uterine bleeding due to an intracavitary pathology. Dr. Ludovica Imperiale, gynaecologist specialised in minimally invasive surgery and head of the H.U.B Bleeding Clinic, discusses the benefits of offering such an integrated approach to hysteroscopy. Interview with Dr. Ludovica Imperiale What is the nature of the treatment pathway of a patient who is to undergo a hysteroscopy?Normally we propose a hysteroscopy to patients with a potential pathology of the uterine cavity, such as fibriols, polyps or endometrial cancer. It can also be proposed to patients who have given birth or had a miscarriage and who have retained placenta. The point in common between all these pathologies is that they cause abnormal uterine bleeding  in the patients. That is why a hysteroscopy is a procedure carried out at the H.U.B’s Bleeding ClinicThe treatment pathway first involves an appointment with a gynaecologist who carries out a full examination and an ultrasound so as to view the uterus in its entirety. If necessary, a diagnostic hysteroscopy can be carried out during the  consultation to confirm the pathology. If the diagnostic hysteroscopy identifies an intracavitary pathology the patient returns for a second consultation for an operative hysteroscopy to treat the lesions in the uterusMost hospitals perform an operative hysteroscopy in the operating room as the procedure requires dilation of the uterus, a painful procedure that must be done under an anaesthetic. The H.U.B is the third hospital in French-speaking Belgium to propose an operative hysteroscopy during a consultation and to have acquired TruClear®, a leading edge technology developed by the Medtronic company that, thanks to its small size, makes it possible to remove polyps or any other intracavitary pathology, in most cases without pain or bleeding and without anaesthetic. This is a truly major innovation for patients who, after this painless and rapid procedure, are rapidly able to resume their day’s activities without the least side effect.  It should be stressed that an outpatient hysteroscopy is recommended in particular for “minor” pathologies. It is not a procedure that can be proposed to all patients. Operative hysteroscopy will be proposed to patients for whom the diagnostic hysteroscopy was painless and with a benign intracavitary pathology. Of course if these patients prefer a procedure under anaesthetic this solution remains accessible.  This outpatient approach is also interesting for the hospital in the sense that not using the operating rooms for hysteroscopies frees them for other procedures at the Day Hospital, thereby reducing waiting times for patients.  How do the new unit and new equipment facilitate the treatment pathway?Everything is done at a single location, at a consultation. In the new unit we have equipped for this we have a 3D ultrasound machine and instruments to carry out diagnostic hysteroscopies and, if necessary, biopsies.  We also have a TruClear® system  that is available for outpatient operative hysteroscopies as well as virtual reality headsets for hypnosis during the procedure. Also, this unit is adjacent to the Day Hospital which means, in the case of any complication, we have rapid access to the operating room. A specialised nurse, Mme Émilie Chasseriaud, is also on hand to accompany the doctors and patients during the procedure.    What expertise does the H.U.B have in this field?The H.U.B has real expertise in this field with a team of 6 gynaecologists from the Gynaecology Clinic (myself, Dr. Soria, Dr. Vanneste and Dr. Zingarelli) and from the Fertility Clinic (Dr. Moutard and Dr. Rabattu). We are all specialised in  minimally invasive surgery and trained in the procedure. Together, we carry out 500 diagnostic hysteroscopies and 200 operative hysteroscopies a year.MAR is another field in which hysteroscopy certainly has a place as patients who go to the Fertility Clinic often need an examination that includes an examination of their intrauterine cavity before commencing their MAR treatment.The Department of Haematology  is also integrated in the Bleeding Clinic treatment pathway so as to rule out coagulation disorders as being the cause of abnormal uterine bleeding  in a patient or to treat iron deficiency anaemia caused by abundant bleeding.  What message would you like to give to gynaecologists and GPs?  The H.U.B now proposes a consultation that is completely integrated in outpatient hysteroscopy at the Erasmus Hospital every day with short waiting times. We can act rapidly in treating patients with:•    Abnormal uterine bleeding during or between periods;•    Abnormal uterine bleeding in menopausal women;•    Iron deficiency anaemia with no evident cause identified in a blood test;For any urgent request for an appointment or opinion for a patient, the gynaecology consultation can be contacted directly  by mail to Cons [dot] Gyn-Obs [dot] erasme [at] hubruxelles [dot] be (Cons[dot]Gyn-Obs[dot]erasme[at]hubruxelles[dot]be)   Contact and information Dr. Ludovica ImperialeHead of the H.U.B Bleeding Clinicludovica [dot] imperiale [at] hubruxelles [dot] be (ludovica[dot]imperiale[at]hubruxelles[dot]be) 

What is pancreatic cancer? Pancreatic cancer is the 4th cause of cancer deaths. In recent years the incidence of pancreatic cancer has continued to increase and today it accounts for 10-12 cases/100,000 persons. Pancreatic cancer develops from pre-cancerous lesions some of which are in the form of pancreatic cysts. Together with certain family factors, risk factors for this cancer are smoking, diabetes, alcohol consumption and obesity.   Care At our institutions we have developed a Fast Track care pathway for screening/diagnosing pancreatic cancer in all persons presenting a clinical (unexplained weight loss, jaundice, abdominal pain, decompensated diabetes) or radiological suspicion of cancer as well as for persons screened who are  at increased risk of pancreatic cancer (family history, chronic hereditary pancreatitis).  Following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis a complete medical check-up is carried out and the results discussed at a multidisciplinary meeting so as to decide on the line of treatment. If the pancreatic cancer is considered to be localised and resectable, pancreatic surgery can be envisaged, possibly  following  induction treatment (chemotherapy +/- radiotherapy). If it is non-resectable or metastatic, chemotherapy is proposed, possibly in the framework of study protocols. In Belgium, pancreatic surgery has been centralised since July 2019 at 15 experienced hospitals (including 6 French-speaking hospitals) with a high volume of pancreatic interventions so as to improve the care quality. The Erasmus Hospital is the leading French-speaking hospital in terms of the annual number of pancreatic surgery operations.     Research The HUB is active in developing new treatment approaches and initiated a multicentric study ((STEREOPAC) to assess the impact of stereotaxic radiotherapy (radiotherapy targeted at the tumour) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the case of localised pancreatic cancer .The Digestive Oncology Department is linked to the Laboratory of Experimental Gastroenterology (LGE) of the ULB’s Faculty of Medicine and to the Jules Bordet Institute’s GI Lab where a number of research projects are carried out, in particular on the immune-molecular impact of pancreatic cancer treatment.   A number of our doctors are members of various national and international groups of experts, namely :  the Belgian Group of Digestive Oncology, the Belgian Pancreatic Group, the Belgian Pancreatic Cancer Group, the European Society of Digestive Oncology and the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Our specialists Image Multidisciplinary bilio-pancreatic pathology group Associated services Publications Preoperative treatment with mFFX or GemNab and iHDSBRT (STEREOPAC trial) Authors : Bouchart et al Journal : BMC Cancer NAC associated with iHD-SBRT does not increase complications after PD Authors : Navez J et al Journal : J Surg Oncol Stratification of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas Based on Tumor and Microenvironment Features Authors : Puleo et al Journal : Gastroenterology Assessment of response to chemotherapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Comparison between diffusion-weighted MR quantitative parameters and RECIST Authors : Bali et al Journal : Eur J Radiol