Notes to the Text

1.be essential for…=be of necessjty for…对于……是必不可少的 Radiological examination is essential for detection and Iocalisation of forcign bodies in the respiratory tract. 放射线检查对于寻找呼吸道异物并确定其位置是必不可少的。     

Notes to the Text

1. when the damage is in the auditory nerve proper, anywhere between its fiber at the base of tho hair cells and the auditoty nuclei. a. auditory nerve (proper)=belonging specially to the auditory nerve.     

Fractionation modification: a way to increase the biological dose?

This review addresses the possibilities and limitations of fractionation modification such as: hyperfractionation, pure accelerated fractionation and hybrid accelerated fractionation.     

Over-injection of autologus fat in the vocal fold: how to remove the excess?

Chordal injection of autologous fat is useful in treating incomplete closure of the glottis on phonation, because it is simple, uses an intraoral approach and is mostly effective. However, when excess fat is injected, the removal of the excess is generally much more difficult than the injection. A 48-year-old man underwent intrachordal injections of autologous fat twice bilaterally for vocal fold atrophy. He came to our hospital because his hoarseness became worse after every operation. Three-dimensional computed tomography revealed that a large amount of fat was injected in the bilateral subglottal and glottic regions. These findings indicated that his dysphonia was due mainly to the excessive injected fat, and removal of the fat was planned. Under local anesthesia, we partially removed the excess fat through a window made in the thyroid cartilage, without touching the vocal folds. The voice and laryngeal findings were monitored during the surgery according to fiber-stroboscopic findings. Postoperatively, a significant improvement was seen in the voice and vibration of the vocal folds, although the results were not completely satisfactory.     

Delivery of nasal drops to the middle meatus: which is the best head position?

BACKGROUND: Chronic sinusitis and intranasal polyps require long-term topical drug therapy. The issue of drug delivery to the critical area of the middle meatus is rarely addressed. AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the delivery of drops to the middle meatus using four different head positions (Mecca, Mygind, Ragan and Head back). The study also assessed the discomfort with each position whilst administering the nasal drops. METHODS: Nine nostrils in five healthy volunteers were studied to compare the delivery of drops to the middle meatus using the four different head positions. A neurosurgical patty was placed under direct vision in the middle meatus using a rigid nasendoscope. Six drops of dyed-saline were administered into each nostril. Upon removal, a quantitative assessment was made of the amount of dye absorbed and discomfort assessed. The direction of flow of the nasal drops in the nose was also demonstrated. RESULTS: The 'Mygind' and 'Ragan' positions were superior to the 'Mecca' and 'Head back' positions in delivery of drops to the middle meatus. The 'Mecca' position was the most uncomfortable. CONCLUSION: We recommend that the 'Mygind' or 'Ragan' position should be used for nasal drop administration.     

Foreword to the Journal of Otology

The hearing organ is one of the most important sensory organs for man. In an informational era as our time is, humans depend on hearing more than ever. In many senses, disrupted communication from hearing disorders has a greater impact on one's life today…     

Canal wall down mastoidectomy: A long term commitment to the outpatients?

BACKGROUND: Canal wall down and canal wall up mastoidectomy represent two surgical approaches to middle ear cleft pathology. Very few studies have examined the effects of these procedures both on the patients' well being and on the resources needed to maintain that state. In this study the authors report the outpatient attendance pattern of canal wall down mastoidectomy patients METHODS: This is a retrospective case-note review of 101 patients who underwent a CWD mastoidectomy at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, UK. All surgery was performed by the senior author (PCW-T) between 1985 and 1997. The main outcome measures were the frequency of outpatients' visits, clinical problems at visit and the percentage of discharged patients. RESULTS: The studied patients made a total of 1341 outpatient visits between November 1985 and December 1998 with an average of 13.3 visits per patient (median of 11 visits). Almost two thirds of the group still attend for regular follow up. The greatest number of visits occurred in the first 24 months after surgery. The commonest reasons for outpatient visits were the removal of the clinical features of chronic cavity inflammation. Residual/recurrent cholesteatoma, residual perforations and structural cavity problems were infrequent. CONCLUSION: CWD mastoidectomy carries an intrinsic morbidity resulting in a long term attendance in the outpatients.     

Letter to Editor concerning the “Therapeutic strategies in the treatment of Meniere’s disease: the Italian Experience”

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - In this letter, we discuss possible alternatives and future perspectives in the therapy of Meniere’s disease. Special attention should be paid to...