Peripheral arteriovenous fistula as a cause of neonatal cardiac failure

A newborn infant presented with cardiac failure secondary to a peripheral cavernous haemangioma. She was successfully treated surgically but was later diagnosed as having GM1 gangliosidosis.     

Alcohol and sleep apnea

Acute ingestion of ethanol induces vasodilation and swelling of respiratory mucosa; it depresses respiratory centers resulting in hypotonia of oropharyngeal dilator muscles and inducing or aggravating sleep apnea. However, no association between the sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) and Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) has been demonstrated.     

Thoracoscopic excision of mediastinal parathyroid adenomas: a report of two cases and review of the literature

Background:Most abnormal parathyroid glands can be removed through a standard cervical incision; even those in the superior mediastinum. Those located in certain areas of the mediastinum, for example posteriorly or in the aortopulmonic window, historically have required excision through a median sternotomy or thoracotomy. Angioablation is a nonsurgical alternative to management of these lesions.Study Design:We present two case reports of mediastinal parathyroid adenomas that were excised thoracoscopically, and review the literature regarding the management of mediastinal parathyroid adenomas.Results:Both patients who underwent precise localization and thoracoscopic excision of their mediastinal parathyroid adenomas had resolution of their hypercalcemia with minimal associated morbidity and shortened recovery periods.Conclusions:We suggest that thoracoscopic excision of mediastinal parathyroid adenomas is the better means of controlling hypercalcemia secondary to parathyroid adenoma in those patients considered for either median sternotomy, thoracotomy or angiographic ablation where the exact location of the lesion can be established preoperatively.     

Auditory screening of infants

Within the last 20 years, infant hearing screening has progressed from a laudable goal to a state-mandated reality in many areas of the United States. The high risk register provides a means by which history and neonatal physical examination can be used to identify the infant at risk for hearing loss. Two procedures (crib-O-gram and auditory brainstem-evoked response) have been the most common methods of screening for hearing loss in the newborn or in intensive care nurseries. Evoked cochlear emissions reportedly are identifiable in 90 to 100% of normal-hearing infants. This observation has lead to the use of evoked otoacoustic emissions as a hearing screening procedure with infants.