Faculty Bibliography

Successful management of frontal sinus fractures depends on correct identification of structural pathology, which may lead to inflammatory complications. Obstruction of the frontonasal duct is a significant factor predisposing to such complications and its evaluation is thus critical in the management of these fractures. Specific radiographic CT criteria and an intraoperative dye irrigation test are presented to determine the likelihood of frontonasal duct injury. Eighteen cases of frontal sinus fractures are reviewed, which have been treated based on these principles. A scheme is presented outlining the management of frontal sinus trauma using these methods

A prospective comparison of the microbiologic safety of Merocel versus NuGauze nasal packing in 119 surgical patients is presented. Presurgical and postsurgical nasal cultures were obtained, analyzed, and compared. The importance of a preoperative nasal culture isolate of Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin Number 1 (TSST-1) producing Staphylococcus aureus in predicting postoperative toxigenic S. aureus isolation and Toxic Shock Syndrome symptomatology is demonstrated. An in vitro comparison of the ability of NuGauze and Merocel to amplify TSST-1 production was performed

Carotid sinus hypersensitivity secondary to the presence of head and neck carcinoma has been recently reviewed in the otolaryngologic literature. We present a case of carotid sinus hypersensitivity coupled with glossopharyngeal neuralgia due to tonsillar carcinoma invading the parapharyngeal space. Medical management with atropine, carbamazepine, and transvenous pacing was only moderately successful in controlling the symptomatology. Surgery appeared to offer a more permanent solution to the problem

Preoperative evaluation of parotid tumors still poses difficult problems for the head and neck surgeon. The complex anatomy of the parotid space leads to difficulty in localizing these tumors. In addition, physical examination will rarely determine whether a parotid lesion is benign or malignant. High resolution CT scanning with contrast and fine needle aspiration can provide enough preoperative information to enable the surgeon to counsel his patient concerning possible risks and the extent of surgery that may be indicated. We are able to determine tumor location, multiple or bilateral masses, associated adenopathy, and often specific tumor histology. Forty-two parotid aspirates and 26 CT scans were reviewed and correlated with their postoperative pathology specimen. Parotid aspiration cytology was found to be a highly accurate and safe procedure for preoperative determination of parotid pathology. However, the CT scan was specific only in defining the anatomic localization and extent of a parotid mass

An unusual slow-growing tumor was found in the superficial lobe of the right parotid gland. It was multilobulated and encapsulated and consisted of sheets of epithelial oncocytes and minor foci of myoepithelium and ducts. Psammoma bodies were abundant. An antibody directed against keratin protein was localized in all tumor cells and in ductal but not acinar elements of adjacent parotid tissue. Ultrastructurally, the neoplastic cells proved to be ductal epithelial and myoepithelial oncocytes

Cricopharyngeal myotomy is an effective procedure for the treatment of swallowing disorders due to dysfunction of the upper esophageal sphincter and pharyngeal musculature. Eight patients with documented pharyngeal and sphincteric dysfunction have undergone myotomies with significant improvement in swallowing associated with restoration of oral feeding without aspiration in 5, while 3 patients have not improved. The preoperative work-up and evaluation is discussed as well as criteria that may identify those patients most likely to benefit from this treatment

Facial hemihypertrophy, first described by Beck in 1836, aroused some interest in the early part of this century among European and American clinicians. However, a search of the otolaryngologic literature failed to reveal hemihypertrophy of the head and neck area as a well-recognized entity. We recently encountered a case of hemifacial hypertrophy in a 2-year-old. The child presented with airway compromise and swallowing difficulty. The treatment of this child and a review of associated head and neck findings are discussed

Thromboses in Trousseau's syndrome are typically confined to the vascular system of the extremities and viscera. The authors report a case of sequential bilateral internal and external jugular-vein thromboses secondary to this paraneoplastic hypercoagulable state. The etiologies of commonly encountered head and neck venous thromboses are infection, trauma, and obstruction. This article purports that head and neck venous thromboses without a proximal inflammatory or mechanical cause may be the initial manifestation of an occult malignancy. Upon establishing the presence of a hypercoagulable state, further evaluation may lead to the early diagnosis of such an occult malignancy