[Cholesteatoma surgery. Cavity repair. Personal technique]. / Cirugía del colesteatoma. Rehabilitación de cavidades. Técnica personal.

We report the cases of 158 ears treated surgically for cholesteatoma in the past 6 years. Early diagnosis makes more conservative surgery possible (retraction pockets, reconstructive techniques). However, many interventions still produce large cavities that must be repaired. The use of autologous and heterologous materials in the reduction of these large cavities has been described. Failure of these filling techniques as a result of resorption or intolerance in some cases leads to chronic ear discharge or residual cholesteatomatous growth between the cavity and the filling tissue which requires reoperation. We describe our surgical technique, which aims to produce a wide, well-ventilated outer ear canal with adequate drainage of epithelial debris. A meatal skin flap is created, which is followed by a wide meatoplasty and the creation of a musculoaponeurotic flap using this meatal skin flap as pedicle. The musculoaponeurotic flap is sutured to the subcutaneous tissue and to the temporal muscle. This produces a wide external ear canal when the meatal skin flap is moved to repair the cavity.

[Electroneurographic study in facial paralysis]. / Estudio electroneurográfico en las parálisis faciales.

We studied the facial electroneurography (facial ENoG) in 20 normal subjects and 37 patients with facial palsy and their different etiologies. Facial ENoG was performed for the first time within 3 days after palsy onset. We carried out anamnesis, physical and functional exploration (Schirmer's test, stapedial reflex and electrogustometry) as well as motor valuation and facial ENoG. These last two test were performed, not only in the first 72 hours after the onset, but also 7, 15 and 21 days later, in the first month and in successive months until complete recovery of the facial movement or for six months in cases of partial recovery. We studied two parameters of facial ENoG: amplitude and latency. We discovered that the ENoG revealed the progression of the Wallerian degeneration in the distal nerve beginning from the lesion. Therefore, we consider that the amplitude is the most reliable data in the facial ENoG.

[Chondroma of the larynx. Apropos of a case]. / Consideraciones sobre el condroma de laringe. A propósito de un caso.

Tumours originating from the laryngeal skeleton are a rarity. We present a case report of an 82 year old male with chondroma in the larynx. 23 years before, the tumour was diagnosed when the patient was asymptomatic. 10 years later he was operated up on with conservative surgery when the tumour grew to a size that caused permanent dyspnoea and dysphonia. After regular examinations, 13 years later, there is no evidence of recurrence of the mass. Chondromas are rare. Surgical extirpation is the essential line of treatment for tumours of the cricoid cartilage.