Diagnosis and management of allergic fungal sinusitis with orbital involvement.

PURPOSE: Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is a noninvasive disease characterized by recurrent sinusitis. This condition is commonly treated with surgical debridement and several months of systemic corticosteroids. The treatment of AFS is examined in this study. METHODS: A retrospective case series of three patients with AFS. RESULTS: All three patients were treated with surgical debridement and less than one month of systemic corticosteroids. The patients then were treated with intranasal corticosteroids and monitored closely. Antifungal therapy was not used. All three patients remained disease-free during follow-up ranging from 12 months to 36 months. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical debridement and systemic corticosteroids for less than four weeks followed by intranasal corticosteroids may provide long-term control of AFS. Additional study is recommended to examine further the optimal treatment for AFS.

Permeability of tympanotomy tubes to ototopical preparations.

Myringotomy with tube placement is the most frequently performed otolaryngologic procedure in the United States, and purulent otorrhea after this procedure is not uncommon. Believing that ototopical preparations have proved useful in treating this malady, our group was compelled to examine whether and in what quantities these preparations are able to penetrate tympanotomy tubes. To this end, models were constructed and in vitro testing carried out with several popular formulations.

Airway obstruction secondary to rhinoscleroma during pregnancy.

Dyspnea is a fairly common complaint during pregnancy. However, if one excludes allergic nasal congestion of pregnancy, upper airway obstruction is a distinctly uncommon cause of dyspnea in the pregnant patient. Three cases of laryngeal rhinoscleroma in pregnant women requiring tracheostomy for airway management are reported. All three delivered healthy infants vaginally. Postpartum, two of the three were successfully decannulated, while the third became pregnant again before decannulation was accomplished. Treatment options and a review of the literature are presented.

Primary closure of persistent tracheocutaneous fistula in children.

Thirty-six patients with persistent tracheocutaneous fistula (TCF) after pediatric tracheotomy were managed at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago between June 1987 and July 1992. Persistent TCF was managed with surgical excision and primary closure. The mean patient age was 5 years 7 months, and the mean duration between decannulation and fistula closure was 21 months. There were no major complications and four minor complications. While most surgeons advocate other techniques, we feel that excision with primary closure is the preferred method for persistent TCF. The technique requires an airtight tracheal closure with loose closure of the peristomal soft tissue. Careful preoperative evaluation, postoperative monitoring, and wound drainage are stressed.

Cystic fibrosis--an otolaryngologic perspective.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal genetic disorder in white patients. The protean manifestations of the disease result from exocrine gland dysfunction and include chronically debilitating pulmonary and pancreatic compromise and clinically inconsequential (although diagnostically extremely important) sweat electrolyte abnormalities. The subject of this article is the otolaryngologic manifestations of the disease, based on a retrospective analysis of 450 cases. Nasal polyposis and sinusitis occurred in 10% and 11% of patients, respectively, and polypectomy was, after laparotomy, the most common surgical procedure these children underwent. The extent of intranasal surgery for polyposis was found to be inversely proportional to the recurrence rate. A simple polypectomy was relatively ineffective treatment; when performed in conjunction with a Caldwell-Luc and either an intranasal or extranasal ethmoidectomy, the recurrence rate was less than 13%. Otologic problems, found in 8% of patients, included chronic otitis media (2.5%) and acute otitis media (5.5%). Only five patients required pressure-equalizing tubes. Recent genetic advances of immense importance are also described. Although the basic gene defect has yet to be elucidated, by use of a technique known as restriction-fragment-linked polymorphism, the gene associated with CF has been found in the middle of the long arm of chromosome 7. By following gene markers closely associated with this gene, it is possible to do carrier tests within affected families and, if certain criteria are met, perform prenatal diagnosis. Eventual isolation and characterization of the gene will follow, hopefully making prevention possible and treatment more effective.

Long-term results of sphenopalatine ganglioneurectomy for facial pain.

Hemifacial pain associated with increased ipsilateral autonomic discharge can be both a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. Although frequently treatable with medication, some patients require surgical therapy in the form of sphenopalatine ganglion neurectomy. We report our experience with this procedure in 12 patients with long-term follow-up. Although there is a high incidence of pain recurrence, the pain is usually less severe and can be managed with medications.