Faculty Bibliography

We have used a modification of the Blom-Singer technique in our last 24 tracheoesophageal punctures, performed on 20 patients. At the time of puncture a surgical stent with an indwelling Dacron polyester suture is placed to form the fistula. Forty-eight to 72 hours later the stent is backed out of the puncture site but the suture is allowed to remain. The Blom-Singer duckbill prosthesis is fitted and taped in the routine fashion. The suture is left to traverse the tracheoesophageal tract until the time of discharge, when it is removed. At discharge the patient is given a Silastic dilator, to be used if the puncture site becomes too small to allow for insertion of the duckbill prosthesis. Seventeen of the 20 patients in this group obtained good voice. Six operations would have been failures because of the loss of the patient's prosthesis in the immediate postoperative period if the modified technique had not been used

Cockayne's syndrome is a triad of dwarfism, retinal atrophy, and deafness. Over thirty cases have been presented in the literature. We have examined and audiometrically tested three patients (ages 13 to 17) with confirmed Cockayne's syndrome and have analyzed the temporal bones of another who died at age 24. To our knowledge this is the first reported temporal bone analysis of a patient with Cockayne's syndrome. Audiograms revealed bilateral symmetric sensorineural hearing loss that was greatest in the high frequencies. Temporal bone examinations revealed inner and outer hair cell losses in the basal turn of the cochlea with corresponding neuron losses in the spiral ganglion. We have found that the clinical and histopathologic features resemble those of presbycusis and conclude that this corresponds well with the generalized, rapid, premature aging process characteristic of this disease

The surgeon, medical and nonmedical staff, and the reception, consultation, treatment, surgical, and recovery areas constitute the basic elements of the office operating room complex. In reality these elements are an inseparable dynamic unit; however, for the purpose of discussion they have been examined separately to study their particular aesthetic and nonaesthetic psychological contributions to outpatient surgery. Knowing why a patient forms certain attitudes about the doctor, the office staff, and the office or suite and having some insight into how a patient perceives these same elements are very important to the young practitioner of facial plastic surgery. It is possible that in the contemporary medical world where there are many surgeons of equal ability, success may depend on understanding these psychological aspects

A Norton metal endotracheal tube with a Merav parachute cuff cemented to the distal end has solved many of the problems involved in administration of anesthesia for laser surgery of the upper aerodigestive tract. The tube is fireproof and provides an air-tight seal for positive pressure ventilation without the impediment of a cuff channel. It is ideal for laser surgery of the oral cavity and pharynx and may be used effectively for glottic lesions in many instances

Since December 1980, over 2,000 cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been reported. The charts of 72 patients admitted to the New York University Medical Center with a diagnosis of AIDS were reviewed with particular emphasis on presenting signs, symptoms and laboratory values. Symptoms tended to be non-specific and most often resembled an upper respiratory infection. Over 95% of the patients presented with either diffuse adenopathy, oral or facial lesions consistent with Kaposi's sarcoma, white oral lesions, or anergy. Laboratory findings included leukopenia, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, thrombocytopenia and anemia. The in-hospital mortality rate was 26%. The current status of our knowledge concerning AIDS is reviewed and discussed. The frequency and types of presenting signs and symptoms in the head and neck are reported in order to alert the otolaryngologic community to this entity

In patients with acoustic neurinomas protruding less than 2 cm from the porus acusticus and free of the brain stem, hearing can often be preserved. Our neurosurgical/otologic team uses the combined suboccipital/transmeatal approach with the patient in the seated position. This operation has been attempted on 21 patients from 1974 to 1982. Nine had tumors larger than 2 cm that touched the brain stem; one had useful hearing preserved. Of the 12 patients with tumors smaller than 2 cm, hearing at or near the preoperative level was preserved in seven. In one patient, hearing was improved. There have been up to 7 years of follow-up with no recurrences of the neurinomas or diminution of hearing evident on computed tomographic scan. All had preservation of the seventh cranial nerve, while complications were mild and comparable to the remainder of our 101 patients operated on during the same period. We will review the surgical technique and audiologic results in detail

Chondrosarcoma arising in the nasal septum has been previously described only 11 times. In this report, another case occurring in an 89-year-old man is discussed. The rarity of such a tumor arising in previously normal cartilage is emphasized. Prognostic factors and surgical treatment are discussed