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Anterior mediastinal tracheostomy (AMT) is a rare but challenging operation associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate mainly related to the invasiveness of the procedure. In order to provide a more conservative technique with a lower risk of major postoperative complications, we proposed: (1) to reduce the extent of chest wall resection to only a trapezoidal segment of the manubrium; (2) to use a simple pedicle pectoralis major flap instead of myocutaneous or omental flaps; and (3) to perform a simple relocation of the residual trachea (RT) below the brachiocephalic artery instead of artery ligation, percutaneous stent placement or replacement by cadaveric allograft. This technique was used in a patient with cancer recurrence at the cervical stoma after total laryngectomy. Despite a short 2.5-cm RT, it was possible to perform AMT without any tension at the mediastinal stoma. Postoperative course showed only regressive minor complications. There was no late complication related to the procedure with a one-year follow-up. This more conservative technique for AMT could be used as an alternative to previously described procedures in order to reduce postoperative complications and mortality rate after sub-total resection of the trachea.

The causes of transient hypocalcemia after thyroid surgery are not fully understood. In 95 consecutive patients undergoing total thyroidectomy (n = 30), subtotal thyroidectomy (n = 14), or hemithyroidectomy (n = 51), we serially measured total calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and proteins before surgery and 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after surgery, and we calculated the corresponding ionized calcium levels. In the whole population, there was a statistically significant decrease of PTH, total calcium, and proteins at nearly every time of blood withdrawal, when compared with the preoperative levels. The PTH decreased earlier and total calcium levels were significantly lower after total thyroidectomy than after hemithyroidectomy (at 48, 72, and 96 hours). Ten patients had on 2 occasions serum calcium levels below or equal to 2 mmol/L and were defined as having severe hypocalcemia. Severe hypocalcemia was found in 8 patients after total thyroidectomy, compared with 2 after hemithyroidectomy (p < .05), and was present in 3 of the 5 patients with thyroid carcinoma, compared with 7 of the 90 patients with nonmalignant thyroid diseases (p < .01). Despite careful preservation of the parathyroid glands and their blood supply, thyroidectomy was often followed by transient hypocalcemia, the determinants of which are hypoparathyroidism and hemodilution. No patients had persistent symptoms of hypocalcemia from 2 to 3 months after surgery.

While multichannel implants can produce far better results than single-channel implants, the results of a multichannel implantation are impossible to predict accurately preoperatively. Single-channel implants, which produce average and constant results, still have a major merit in that their cost is much lower. Since extracochlear implantation with transcutaneous approach is innocuous, we have been promoting this type of implantation as a temporary procedure until much more effective systems are found in the future, or as a definitive implantation.

There is theoretically no major surgical problem for implantation. The basic techniques all include on an approach through the windows. The authors describe a solution (which has already been used previously) for cophotic hollowing-out cavities, with a suprapetrosal way and an approach on the hidden aspect of the cochlea. The transcutaneous passage can be displaced from the ear lobe to a depression of the auricle.

The experience with cochlear implantation at Avicenne hospital prompted us to carry out a retrospective study on tinnitus in a population of operated patients. Improvement or disappearance of the symptoms was noted in all cases. These results, which partly match those found in the literature, are probably produced by rehabilitation inhibiting the "deafferentation" mechanisms in analogy with pain phenomena. In some precise cases, which are described, they led us to proposing implantation even though the main, if not sole, complaint of the patient was tinnitus.

The insertion of reliable extracochlear single-canal cochlear implants in cophotic and subcophotic patients allows the electrical stimulation of the acoustic nerve for rehabilitation, as well as audiovestibular explorations that are no longer possible in the acoustic mode. The authors therefore aim at replacing all these examinations with their Electrical equivalent: --early evoked potentials (E-BERA), --medium-latency evoked potentials (E-MLR), --Event-related evoked potentials (E-P300), for which, to our knowledge, theses are the first recordings, --electrical stapedial reflex, --vestibular stimulations. The method, results and clinical and physiological applications of each method are given, as well as its prospects.

Satisfactory results were obtained in a case of laryngeal paraganglioma following surgery preceded by angiography and embolization. Clinical, arteriographic and histologic features of vascular malformations of the larynx are discussed, localized and isolated laryngeal angiomas being distinguished from those classified among cervicofacial angiodysplasias. Laryngeal vascular malformations are all capillarovenous angiomas. Treatment has been facilitated by the availability of arteriography and embolization methods, and consists of injections of a sclerosing agent (such as "ethybloc") together with surgery in some cases.

Diagnosis in a suspected case of laryngeal pseudo-actinomycosis was confirmed by examinations conducted in the Pasteur Institute. This capricious and misleading affection is reviewed, its treatment requiring only simple but prolonged antibiotic therapy.

The authors report six cases of rare ear diseases: fibrous dysplasia of the tympanum mimicking an partially obstructive osteoma of the external auditory canal. The authors draw a parallel between the rarity of these monostotic forms of the temporal bone which are strictly localised to a single region (tympanum-mastoid-atrium) and the diffuse forms which involve several regions at the same time; extensive papillomatosis of the external and middle ear, a rare condition with serious repercussions; two ceruminomas with very different clinical presentations and outcomes; an atrial pseudo-tumoral aspergilloma which was easily excised ans repaired with a myringoplasty with a good long term result; hypoplasia of the tympanum, which constituted a spontaneous évidement, discovered at operation for an attic cholesteatoma. This finding was sufficiently unusual to warrant reporting.

The authors undertook a study of changes in bone conduction (BC) during 800 operations carried out over a 5 years period (1979-1984) for chronic otitis or sequelae of chronic otitis. After elimination of ears with deafness (47) and cases unsuitable for evaluation (39), they finally included 714 records in the study. Only comparison of free and post-operative BC was made and using 4 conversational frequencies, not taking into account a deviation of 5 DB for each of these 4 frequencies. The study involved 317 myringoplasties: In 271 (i.e. 85,5%) there was no change in BC. Amongst them, 37 patients nevertheless showed a transient fall in BC. Of particular importance is the fact that almost 1/3 (11 to be exact) recovered only during the 2nd semester following surgery, a period which was even exceeded in the other 5 cases. 46 (i.e. 14.5%) were classified as "permanent" falls in BC. Amongst these in only 17 (i.e. 5%) were there "only" the three standard aggression factors for the I.O.: aspiration--scraping--manipulation of the tympano-ossicular system, without it being possible to attribute a predominant role to one more than the other. With regard to reaming of the E.A.M., those cases in which this could be considered responsible appeared to be infinitesimal. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference (reduced deviation test--"chi"2 test) between the number of falls in BC seen following myringoplasty with or without reaming. 83 tympanoplasties by Piston-Malleus, study of which led to the same conclusions as for myringoplasties. 118 masto-atticotomies, including 23 with posterior tympanotomy. Despite peri-labyrinthine and peri-ossicular scraping, results were essentially identical. 196 evacuation cavities (227-31 deafness) of which somewhat less than half only (46%) were ears undergoing surgery for the first time. Percentage of unchanged BC was here much more unfavourable, with 49 "permanent" falls in BC, i.e. 25%, of which, it must be said, 5 were minimal falls, and with, in 25 cases, a follow-up of less than 3 months.

The authors report their experience of tubal insufflation in the post-operative care of cavity évidement. Their indications consist of évidement cavities with persistent residual muco-purulent otorrhoea or "glue ear" from the atrial area which remains thickened, while the rest of the cavity is healed (about 15% in their statistics). The technique is simple, consisting essentially of insufflations of air by means of an Itard catheter, which are repeated at regular intervals for a variable period of time. In some cases, drugs, in particular corticosteroids, are injected into the cavity via the catheter. In a series of 17 operated patients, the authors report: 9 excellent results in which drying of the cavity was obtained in record time; 4 good results in which drying of the cavity required numerous insufflations associated with systemic treatment (vaccine therapy, crenotherapy); 1 moderate result with transient persistent otorrhoea; 3 failures.

The authors report 27 new cases of osteomatous chronic otitis, with (15) or without (12) cholesteatomas, with perforated (13) or intact (14) drum, the latter sometimes having a very atypical appearance (2), frankly purulent or simply inflammatory. This results in a wide range of clinical appearances. There are two macroscopic forms: the diffuse attico-antral form and localized forms (drum - C.S.C.L.). The authors emphasize: the primordial interest of tomography (or CT scan), the keystone of their discovery, as well as the dangers of their surgical treatment. In addition to review of these known concepts, two forms have been identified: 1) Osteomatous attico-chain monoblock, where the ossicles of the ear are adherent in their entirety, either to the external attical wall or, much more rarely, to the medial attical wall. They describe 13 cases, the pattern of which is very different, according to whether the diagnosis is one of cholesteatomatous chronic otitis or not. In the absence of cholesteatoma (8 cases), the clinical picture is suggestive of otospongiosis or of chronic otitis with intact drum. The surgical procedure is related to these findings: 1 completion of myringoplasty, 7 piston-malleus. In cases of cholesteatomatous chronic otitis (5 cases), the picture is completely different, the cholesteatoma developing at leisure, behind the impenetrable osteomatous shield. Once again, the surgical procedure is modified: 4 vast evacuation cavities and one mastoatticotomy for giant cholesteatoma with intact drum. 2) Diffuse and "progressive" osteomatous stenosis of the walls of the E.A.M. The authors describe 6 cases occurring either during cholesteatomatous chronic otitis, or within a few weeks, simulating chronic otitis with intact drum.

The authors report 15 cases collected over a period of 13 years (1972 - 1984) of a particularly serious eventuality affecting certain evacuation cavities: Early recurrence of diffuse hypertrophic osteitis (E.R.D.H.O.). This is a rare complication, occurring in 1.5% of cases of chronic otitis. However, the fact of having operated upon 7 cases in 1984 alone, whilst during the previous 12 years, only 8 had been seen, raised the alarm. The classical pattern of this complication occurs in 3 stages, each involving surgical operation: at the outset, chronic otitis with cholesteatoma or osteitis, most often mixed, for which an "inadequate" surgical procedure is performed. then, after a variable period which may exceed 10 years, a very large evacuation cavity was created by the authors. finally, 3rd and final stage: within 6 months, this cavity filled progressively and, at operation, the authors discovered a cavity virtually completely filled with a "fantastic" "moist sugar" osteitis, requiring a new evacuation cavity, even larger than that created before. In all cases, a successful result was obtained within a varying period, sometimes accompanied by spectacular improvement in general condition. The most plausible etiopathogenic hypothesis advanced to attempt to explain this phenomenon is that of secondary infection by a varied microbial flora, including, on the one hand, aerobic organisms usually discovered in such cases (pseudomonas pyocyaneus, proteus mirabilis) and, secondly, this being of essential importance, "anaerobic" bacteria, the bacteriological diagnosis of which requires application of a strict protocol. The authors have taken three decisions following their bibliographic investigations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Vesicular and papillovesicular thyroid cancers provoke metastases in bone, but also of the pseudo-aneurysmal lymph node type. When the latter develop in the craniocervical region, they are often diagnosed as vascular tumors (arteriovenous malformation, glomus tumor). It is now possible, by embolization, to excise these lesions although this involves therapeutic audacity. Surgery is not always sufficient, and complementary 131-Iodine treatment should be used routinely, but it is justified for this type of metastasis as shown by survival rate in these patients.

Three patients were noted to have unusual zones of osteitis during salvage myringoplasty. The first case involved the whole upper wall of the bony canal and was camouflaged by a weeping mucopolypoid carpet. In the second case there was a wide zone of osteitis of the posterosuperior angle of the canal and another smaller zone in the anteroinferior tympanic region. The osteitis in the third case had invaded the total mastoid cortex producing a vast plaque of superficial osteitis which could be removed without difficulty. Diffuse osteomatous reaction of the wall of the canal had resulted. In all three cases a salvage myringoplasty was possible after elimination of the osteitic lesions, although a glue ear persisted with a punctiform perforation in one patient, suggesting tubal dysfunction.

44 cases of tympanic involvement in the context of chronic otitis are described. 34 occurred during active chronic otitis. This is a rare possibility (approximately 4% of our own cases of chronic otitis). The following may be mentioned amongst them: 21 cases of osteitis, for which the following concepts should be borne in mind: the extreme severity of the chronic otitis responsible, in most instances, ears which had undergone multiple surgery (17/21), lesions exclusively of osteitis, but very extensive in 2/3 of cases (14/21). 7 cases of osteolytic disease, occurring severe or atypical cholesteatomatous chronic otitis and quite often involving associated osteolysis affecting the main VII, the promontory, the bulb of the internal jugular vein, or even the carotid canal. 4 cases of diffuse sub-obstructive osteomatous disease of the walls of the E.A.M., "progressive" development of which over several months was noted in 3 cases. Finally, 2 cases of mixed disease: (osteitis--osteomatoma and osteitis--osteolysis). 8 cases occurred following myringoplasty: this is a rare eventuality (approximately 1%), 1 case only of osteolysis due to iatrogenic cholesteatoma, 7 cases of osteitis, either highly localized and not preventing further myringoplasty (4 cases), or very extensive, finally resulting in a vast evacuation cavity. In 2 cases, a malformation is the origin of involvement of the tympanic at the origin of chronic otitis was felt probable, without it being possible to reach any definite conclusion concerning auriculobranchial fistula or Huschke foramen.

Amongst the various sites for stimulation of the internal ear, in monocanal-extra-cochlear system, the fenestra ovale has virtually never been used. The authors suggest a cup-shaped electrode placed at the end of an incudo-vestibular prosthesis, such as a teflon piston, after stapedectomy and interposition of connective tissue. The immediate advantage of such a method is the fixation of the electrode. Tolerance is excellent and electrical impedance remained stable at very satisfactory levels. The future perspective appearing most promising is based upon simultaneous use of electrical and acoustic stimulation.