Salah D. Salman

Chronic maxillary atelectasis.

Chronic maxillary atelectasis is a descriptive term that refers to a persistent decrease in the sinus volume of the maxilla from inward bowing of the antral walls. Case reports with comparable clinical presentations have appeared sporadically in the literature; however, this disorder has remained poorly defined. The purpose of this study is to provide a formal definition of this condition by the establishment of diagnostic and staging criteria. A 10-year case analysis identified 22 adults, and a review of the literature revealed another 25. The average age at presentation in our study was 38.3 years. Most patients were symptomatic, and some presented with diplopia and hypoglobus. Inward bowing of the antral wall(s) and persistent opacification on computed tomography made the diagnosis. Chronic maxillary atelectasis was separated into three stages according to the degree of wall deformation. While most patients were symptomatic, a past history of absent or mild symptoms referable to the nose and sinuses was encountered more often in those patients with osseous wall deformation (p = .041). Mild or absent symptoms at the time of diagnosis should not be considered a negative risk factor for the development of facial deformity, especially if the sinus has features consistent with complete pneumatization. A middle meatal antrostomy appears to relatively safely correct the sinus problem, while orbital floor reconstruction for hypoglobus, found in stage III of the disease, can be accomplished effectively via a transconjunctival approach using a combination of bone allograft and porous polyethylene sheets.

Manometric Study of Complete Ostial Occlusion in Chronic Maxillary Atelectasis

The effect of complete ostial occlusion on static pressure within the human maxillary sinus has not been previously studied. In this study, a novel way to directly determine maxillary sinus pressure is described. Maxillary sinus pressures were measured in five patients with chronic maxillary atelectasis (CMA); these values were compared to values obtained from the contralateral side and from patients with chronic sinusitis.

Maxillary Sinus Mucoceles: Clinical Presentation and Long‐Term Results of Endoscopic Surgical Treatment

Objective: To describe the clinical presentation of maxillary sinus mucoceles, understand their pathogenesis, and determine the long‐term efficacy of the endoscopic surgical treatment.

SELECTION OF ANTIBIOTICS AFTER INCISION AND DRAINAGE OF PERITONSILLAR ABSCESSES

Despite the fact that peritonsillar abscess is the most common complication of acute tonsillitis, the treatment of peritonsillar abscess remains controversial. One element of controversy is the choice of antibiotics after drainage of the abscess. In an attempt to assess the effect of antibiotic choice on the treatment of peritonsillar abscess, we conducted a retrospective review of records from patients with peritonsillar abscess treated with incision and drainage. Our review identified 103 patients, comprising two groups: 58 patients treated with broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics and 45 patients treated with intravenous penicillin alone. These patients were hospitalized after incision and drainage, and therefore their clinical courses and responses to therapy could be rigorously assessed. Characterization of illness based on patient age, temperature, and white blood cell count revealed similar severity of illness between the two groups. Comparison of clinical outcomes with respect to hours hospitalized (mean 44.3 ± 6.6 and 38.3 ± 7.1 hours, 95% confidence interval, for broad-spectrum and penicillin groups, respectively) and mean hours febrile (16.9 ± 5.0 and 13.3 ± 4.2 hours, 95% confidence interval) were not statistically significantly different (p = 0.222 and 0.269, respectively) between groups, indicating that broad-spectrum antibiotics failed to show greater efficacy than penicillin in the treatment of these patients. The microbiologic characteristics of these infections, failures of therapy, and complication rates were similar to those reported in the literature. These results suggest that intravenous penicillin remains an excellent choice for therapy in cases of peritonsillar abscess requiring parenteral antibiotics after drainage.

Ophthalmic Complications of Endoscopic Ethmoid Surgery and Their Management

PURPOSE The proximity of the paranasal sinuses to the orbit puts the anterior visual pathways at risk during sinus surgery. Although the ophthalmic complications of sinus surgery are well known to the otolaryngologist, they are rarely encountered in clinical practice. Several recommendations will help the surgeon performing intranasal sinus surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS To study the incidence of orbital complications of intranasal ethmoid surgery, a retrospective review of 372 cases, most of them bilateral, was performed. RESULTS Our series of 372 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery showed five orbital complications. CONCLUSION several recommendations may help the surgeon to avoid any ophthalmic complication. When orbital wall dehiscence is suspected, either by CT scan or at surgery, especially in a previously operated case, extreme care should be taken not to penetrate the periorbita. If orbital fat protrudes into the operative field, it should not be pulled or twisted in an attempt to remove it. The surgeon should seek the cooperation of the anesthesiologist working the case. A knowledge of the variable anatomy is essential to avoid iatrogenic injury. The surgeon should be aware of the different complications for early recognition and management.

Ethmoid Mucocele as a Late Complication of Endoscopic Ethmoidectomy

OBJECTIVE Our goal was to describe ethmoid mucocele as a late complication of endoscopic ethmoidectomy. STUDY DESIGN This was a retrospective review of 14 patients who were diagnosed with ethmoid mucoceles after endoscopic ethmoidectomy. Reviewed data included patient demographics, indication for the original surgery, presenting symptoms, computed tomography results, surgical treatment, operative findings, and recurrence of disease. RESULTS The mucoceles were diagnosed 1 to 13 years after endoscopic ethmoidectomy. The most common presenting symptom was facial pressure or pain. Twelve patients had middle meatal adhesions. A round mass was seen by endoscopy in the ethmoid cavity in 5 patients. Nine mucoceles were located in the anterior ethmoid and 3 were located in the posterior ethmoid, and 2 involved both. The mucoceles were marsupialized via revision endoscopic ethmoidectomy in 12 patients, whereas 2 had both external and endoscopic approaches taken. CONCLUSION Ethmoid mucocele can form as a late complication of endoscopic ethmoidectomy. It is commonly associated with middle meatal adhesions.

Head and neck war injuries: 10-year experience at the American University of Beirut Medical Center

Lebanon has witnessed over the past 10 years fierce outbreaks of violence resulting in heavy casualties. Head and neck injuries secondary to bullets, shrapnel, and/or glass were quite frequent: 1,357 injuries in 1,021 patients were taken care of by members of the Department of Otolaryngology between 1975 and 1984. They were distributed as follows: (Formula: see text). Fractures of the mandible were treated by closed reduction in 54% of cases and by open reduction in 46%; 74% healed well and 26% required secondary surgery. Primary repair of oral cavity injuries resulted in healing in 68% of cases; 32% had dehiscences or fistulae. In around one-third of the orbital injuries, the orbital contents herniated into the maxillary sinus, so orbital floor repairs had to be done with good results in 82% of cases. The nasal fractures were treated by closed reduction in 75% of cases and open reduction when the wound was open in the rest. The overall infection rate was 12%. The most common offending organisms were, in order of frequency, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli.

Bacteriology of Nontraumatic Maxillary Sinus Mucoceles Versus Chronic Sinusitis

Objective To compare the bacteriology of maxillary sinus mucoceles to chronic sinusitis and understand the pathogenesis of nontraumatic maxillary sinus mucoceles (NTMSM).

Impact of gender on clinical presentation of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without polyposis

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of a patients gender on the clinical presentation of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyposis. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Prospective study of 514 adult patients who presented with chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyposis. The patients were divided into two groups based on gender: female (n = 273) and male (n = 241). The following data were collected: presenting symptoms, co-morbidities, nasal endoscopy and sinus computed tomography findings, diagnosis, and outcome of surgery. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS Facial pain and headache were more prevalent among women, while nasal obstruction was more prevalent among men (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of environmental allergy, asthma, psychiatric illness or anatomical variants obstructing the osteomeatal unit, comparing the genders. Chronic rhinosinusitis without polyposis was the more common diagnosis among women, while chronic rhinosinusitis with polyposis was the more common diagnosis among men (p < 0.05). Following surgery, a higher percentage of male patients reported improvement in nasal obstruction (p < 0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of the other presenting symptoms, comparing the genders. CONCLUSION Women who suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis are more likely to complain of facial pain or headache on presentation and to be diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis without polyposis. On the other hand, men are more likely to complain of nasal obstruction, to be diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis with polyposis, and to report improvement in nasal obstruction following surgery.

Rhinoscleroma treated with ciprofloxacin: A case report

Rhinoscleroma, a chronic progressive infection of the nose and associated structures caused by Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis, has posed a therapeutic dilemma since its identification in the late 1800s. Although a number of antibiotics have been found to be effective in this relapsing disorder, 1‐6 the lengthy duration of treatment can lead to problems with adverse effects and compliance, especially with the traditional therapies of streptomycin and tetracycline. We report on a patient with extensive nasal rhinoscleroma who achieved pathologic and bacteriologic resolution during treatment with oral ciprofloxacin after previous courses of tetracycline and trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole. Ciprofloxacin may prove to be useful in the therapy of rhinoscleroma because it is convenient for oral administration, achieves good tissue levels, is concentrated in macrophages, 7 and is generally well tolerated as long‐term therapy. As mentioned in a recent review of patients with rhinoscleroma at the Mayo Clinic, the fluoroquinolones deserve further study as potentially highly effective agents for this uncommon but significant infectious condition.8