Neuro-otologic findings in the lightning-injured patient.

Although lightning injuries are common, neuro-otologic sequelae are infrequently reported. The most common otologic injury encountered in the lightning strike victim is tympanic membrane rupture; the most common vestibular disturbance documented is transient vertigo. A variety of other clinical findings have been described in this population of patients. They include sensorineural hearing loss, conductive deafness, tinnitus, basilar skull fracture, avulsion of the mastoid bone, burns to the external auditory canal, and peripheral facial nerve palsy. The initial treatment of the lightning strike victim consists of basic life support measures. Once stabilized, the patient should undergo a complete otologic and vestibular evaluation. The majority of otolaryngologic problems encountered can be managed expectantly, with periodic re-evaluation. Tympanoplasty should be delayed for 6 to 12 months because of the frequent delay in spontaneous healing.

Hepatic failure associated with imipramine therapy.

Imipramine, a widely used antidepressant, has rarely been associated with hepatic abnormalities. In the majority of reported cases, hepatic effects have been transient and readily reversible on discontinuation of the drug. We cared for an 11-year-old boy with hepatic failure and massive cell necrosis which followed treatment with imipramine for enuresis. This therapy led to fulminant hepatic failure and subsequent liver transplantation.

Idiopathic thromboembolism associated with triphasic oral contraceptives.

Oral contraceptives are one of the most effective and widely used of the reversible contraceptive methods. Thromboembolic disease associated with the use of oral contraceptives has been widely reported. In recent years, attempts to understand the pathogenesis of oral contraceptive-induced thromboembolic disease have found a correlation between larger estrogen doses and increased risk for a thrombotic event. Because the newer triphasic oral contraceptives provide effective contraception with a method of administration that mimics normal hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, some prescribers may infer that these products are associated with a decreased incidence of adverse effects over alternative oral contraceptives. We present two cases of idiopathic thromboembolism associated with the use of a triphasic oral contraceptive with a discussion of the proposed pathogenic mechanisms for these events.

PIP: 2 cases of thromboembolism in young women with no risk factors except use of triphasic oral contraceptives are reported. A 21-year old White woman, Gravida I Para I, presented to the emergency room with a painful, blue, mottled right lower leg after pain in the hip and buttock for 1 week. She had taken a triphasic oral contraceptive containing 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 0.5, 0.75, 1 mg norethindrone for 1 month, and had no other related history. Doppler and venogram tests showed thrombosis of the ileal, femoral, popliteal and infrapopliteal veins. She was treated with heparin, streptokinase, and urokinase without success and recovered after ileal, femoral and popliteal thrombectomy. The 2nd case was a 30-year-old Gravida III Para I Black woman who had taken a pill containing 50 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 500 mcg norgestrel for 13 years and had recently switched to the triphasic pill described above. She had dull midepigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and chills, for 1 week. Physical exam was negative except for abdominal tenderness and a heart murmur. Abdominal ultrasound revealed portal venous thrombosis extending to the splenic and superior mesenteric veins. She was treated with transhepatic urokinase without effect and celiotomy was performed. She was discharged with an occluded right branch of the portal vein. These cases point out the fact that the estrogen dose in triphasic pills is not lower than that in low dose combined oral contraceptives.