[Atelectasis of the maxillary sinus. Analysis of progression stages. Apropos of 4 cases]. / Processus atélectasique du sinus maxillaire. Analyse des stades évolutifs. A propos de 4 cas.

We analyzed atelectasic processes occurring in the maxillary sinus. Several publications in the literature have tempted to analyze the pathogenesis. Clinically the processes are often silent and only revealed when the major opthalmological complication, enophthalmia, becomes patent. In other cases there is a long history of chronic sinusitis. There is a spectacular retraction of the maxillary sinus walls leading to collapse of the orbital floor and enophthalmia. We report four cases of maxillary sinusitis with atelectasia of the sinus walls at different stages of progression. These observations and data in the literature emphasize the importance, whatever the state of development, of endoscopic osteal decompression to avoid ophthalmological complications.

[Sudden deafness: apropos of 19 cases. Results of treatment with pentoxifylline. Value of erythrocyte filtration time]. / Surdités brusques: a propos de 19 cas. Résultats du traitement par la pentoxifylline. Intérêt de la mesure du temps de filtration erythrocytaire.

Between March 85 and November 86, 20 patients underwent treatment for sudden deafness [19] or bilateral tinnitus [1] by Pentoxifylline (1 200 mg/24 Hrs, including 400 mg IV over 24 Hrs) and Carbogen sessions (2 or 3/24 Hrs), during six days on an in-patient basis, followed by 1 200 mg/24 Hrs orally during another eight days. The results, assessed by clinical examination, audiometry, and erythrocyte filtration time (using the Reid and Dormandy method) on the first, sixth, and fourtheenth days, were: -- good or very good a little more than 75%, -- moderate: 5%, -- poor: a little fewer than 20%. Filtration times in a group of asymptomatic patients, determined by the same method, were used as a reference.

[Medical treatment of seromucous otitis]. / Traitement médical de l'otite séromuqueuse.

The authors list the main modalities for medical therapy proposed for sero-mucous otitis. Treatments such as antibiotherapy, corticotherapy and antihistamines have not proved to be effective, although they are useful at certain stages of the disease. The authors present a study of a mucolytic, carbocysteine, for the treatment of sero-mucous otitis. The study was performed using a double blind procedure against placebo in 44 children aged from 30 months to ten years. Monitoring included a clinical examination, impedancemetry, and audiometry. With carbocysteine, the auditive recovery was significantly faster on the side of the least affected ear. When transtympanic drainage had to be performed, the mucolytic effect in vivo on the fluidity of the secretions was directly noted. An improved ear evacuation was obtained. Tolerance was perfect in prolonged treatment with a high posology in young children.