Sepragel sinus (hylan B) as a postsurgical dressing for endoscopic sinus surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of Sepragel sinus, a hylan B gel (cross-linked hyaluronic acid molecule), when used as a postoperative dressing after endoscopic sinus surgery as a facilitator of healing and a preventative for scarring and stenosis. STUDY DESIGN: Ten patients undergoing bilateral endoscopic ethmoidectomy in an outpatient specialty hospital operating room underwent complete filling of a randomly selected right or left ethmoidectomy cavity with Sepragel sinus. Outcome measures were synechiae, middle meatal stenosis, mucosal status, mucosal regeneration, transparency of Sepragel sinus, and subjective pain and congestion. RESULTS: Sepragel sinus significantly improved all outcome measures by week 2 and remained statistically significant for reduction of synechiae and stenosis. CONCLUSION: Sepragel sinus is useful as a space-occupying gel stent to separate sinus mucosal surfaces. The data strongly support the superiority of Sepragel sinus over no treatment in the control of postethmoidectomy synechiae and middle meatal stenosis, as well as early improvement in mucosal healing and postoperative pain. SIGNIFICANCE: Because of its biocompatibility, lack of inflammatory response, transparency, and ability to fill any complex volume, Sepragel sinus offers distinct advantages over currently used stenting materials.

Cholesteatoma: a molecular and cellular puzzle.

HYPOTHESIS: There are at least three possible molecular models of cholesteatoma pathogenesis. Cholesteatoma may arise as a result of 1) the induction of a preneoplastic or neoplastic transformation event; 2) a defective wound-healing process; and/or 3) a pathologic collision of the host inflammatory response, normal middle ear epithelium, and a bacterial infection. BACKGROUND: There have been a number of speculations concerning the factors that foster the development of cholesteatoma. Before resolving the molecular basis for the pathogenesis of cholesteatomas, it is important to present and test plausible models that could explain how a cholesteatoma becomes invasive, migratory, hyperproliferative, aggressive, and recidivistic. METHODS: The authors evaluated by various techniques (e.g., immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and image analysis) a large number of cholesteatomas of all types (e.g., primary and secondary acquired, recurrent, and congenital) and a range of normal tissues (tympanic membrane, canal wall skin, and postauricular skin) for the expression of various proteins (e.g., p53, ectopeptidases, tryptase) and for the presence of DNA aneuploidy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The authors' published and unpublished studies to date support several suppositions concerning the pathology of cholesteatomas. First, cholesteatoma epithelium behaves more like a wound-healing process than a neoplasm. The available evidence to date does not indicate that cholesteatomas have inherent genetic instability, a critical feature of all malignant lesions. Second, the induction of hyperproliferative cells in all layers of the cholesteatoma epidermis implicates a potential idiopathic response to both internal events as well as external stimuli in the form of cytokines released by infiltrating inflammatory cells. Third, the presence of bacteria may provide a critical link between the cholesteatoma and the host, which prevents the cholesteatoma epithelium from terminating specific differentiation programs and returning to a quiescent state in which it becomes minimally proliferative, nonmigratory, and noninvasive. Fourth, none of our data suggest that there are any obvious molecular or cellular differences among the various types of cholesteatomas (e.g., primary and secondary acquired, recidivistic, and congenital). Continued research should delineate the precise molecular and cellular dysfunction involved in the pathogenesis of cholesteatomas and how this knowledge can be useful in the clinical management of cholesteatomas.

Management of osteomas of the paranasal sinuses.

Craniofacial osteomas are benign tumors of the skull base, often involving the paranasal sinuses. The frontal sinus is the most common site of involvement, followed by the ethmoid, maxillary, and sphenoid sinuses, respectively. The growth rate is very slow, and it may take many years for osteomas to become clinically apparent. The origin of these tumors has been ascribed to embryologic tissue maldevelopment, trauma, or infection. The tumors are hard and lobulated with an ivory-like appearance, often mixed with a coarse granular component. The bone is compact or cancellous, with vascular or connective tissue components. The complications of osteoma growth are obstruction of sinus ostia, extension into adjacent bones and the intracranial cavity, and displacement of anatomic structures. Management of uncomplicated sinus osteomas is controversial, since surgery involves serious potential risks. When surgery is performed, these tumors can be successfully managed via endoscopic, open, or combined techniques. This article reviews the clinical findings, diagnostic studies, and treatment of 16 patients with paranasal osteomas. The indications for surgical intervention are discussed.

Aural tuberculosis.

Since the advent of antituberculous therapy, tuberculosis of the ear has decreased in incidence; but of late, cases of both pulmonary and otologic tuberculosis are on the rise. In addition, the treatment of aural tuberculosis is now more difficult due to resistance to one or more of the routinely used antituberculous pharmacotherapeutic agents. Urban areas and selected populations have been particularly endangered by the re-emergence of this disease. In light of this developing situation, three cases of aural tuberculous infections are presented. Typical and atypical presentations of the disease, including history, signs, symptoms, and radiographic findings are discussed, as are treatment options. The importance of aural tuberculosis as part of the general increase in incidence and resistance of the disease is examined.

The risk to olfaction from nasal surgery.

Implicit in all types of nasal surgery is the potential for worsening of olfactory function. Not only can injury occur to the delicate olfactory neuroepithelium itself, but also more indirect disturbances are engendered by pharmacologic agents, distortions of intranasal anatomy, persistent mucosal edema or crusts, and other processes. This study examined 93 patients undergoing various types of nasal surgery, including ethmoidectomy, polypectomy, Caldwell-Luc procedure, open reduction of nasal fracture, closed reduction of nasal fracture, rhinoplasty, and septoplasty. Factors considered as contributing to loss of olfactory acuity were age, gender, use of general anesthesia, and type of operation. The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), a 40-item, microencapsulated scratch-and-sniff procedure, was used to ascertain olfactory ability. Sixty-one patients (66%) had either improved or unchanged UPSIT scores after surgery; the remaining 32 patients (34%) had a decline in score. One patient (1%) became anosmic. Statistical treatment of outcome data using analysis of covariance with repeated measures showed no effect of age, gender, type of operation, or anesthetic.

Evaluation of cefixime in the treatment of bacterial maxillary sinusitis.

The efficacy and safety of cefixime, the first oral third-generation cephalosporin, were evaluated in a multicenter clinical trial involving 118 adult patients with acute sinusitis or acute exacerbations of chronic sinusitis. Patients received a single daily dose of 400 mg of cefixime for a mean duration of 10 days; 106 patients completed a course of therapy. Clinical cure and improvement were achieved in 90% of these patients (61% cured and 29% improved). Among the patients evaluated again 2 weeks after therapy, 91% had a sustained clinical cure or improvement. Sinus exudate specimens were obtained from all patients by transantral puncture before therapy. Pathogens were isolated from 76 patients (66%), the most common pathogens being Haemophilus influenzae, alpha-hemolytic streptococci, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Eighty-six percent of pathogens were presumed eradicated. Three patients discontinued therapy because of side effects. The most frequently reported adverse effects were gastrointestinal, with 20% of patients reporting diarrhea. Cefixime was effective in the treatment of bacterial sinus infections in adults and was well tolerated.

Convergence of olfactory and nasotrigeminal inputs and possible trigeminal contributions to olfactory responses in the rat thalamus.

To elucidate the role of trigeminal input on the olfactory system, field-evoked potentials were measured following electrical stimulation of the nasociliary branch of the trigeminal nerve in the olfactory-related structures in the rat brain. Significant potential changes were recorded in the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus and the lateral hypothalamic area. In the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, the neurons responding to olfactory bulb electrical stimulation also responded to trigeminal nerve stimulation. Single neuronal responses of mediodorsal thalamic neurons following odorant stimulation were enhanced by blockade of the trigeminal nerve with procaine. These results suggest that olfactory and trigeminal pathways converge on the same neural elements within the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus and that the trigeminal input may modulate olfactory input in this nucleus.