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Biomedical subjects

A Fiebach

Publications and source records attributed to A Fiebach.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

[Fronto-basal fractures in the child].

The particularities and the authors' management of frontobasal fractures in children are discussed on the basis of cases treated at the authors' department during the last five years. Fifteen children aged between four and 16 years (mean eight years) made up 14.5% of all frontobasal fractures. The causes of the injury were equally divided between falls from a height of at least 2 m and traffic accidents. All children except one were treated immediately after the accident. The exception was a child with an accident two and a half years before operation and two episodes of late onset meningitis. The diagnoses were mainly made with the help of high resolution computer-tomographies, which permitted a correct localization of the fractures site. The exact course of the fracture was recognized correctly in seven of eleven cases. Each case was managed in interdisciplinary fashion together with the neurosurgeon and the general surgeon. If nonoperative management was chosen, a computer-tomography about six weeks after the injury had to demonstrate the return to normal appearance of the paranasal sinus. If a dural tear was ascertained, a repair with a rhinosurgical approach was favored and, thereby, a definite closure was obtained in seven out of nine cases. One case was primarily managed by a combined rhino- and neurosurgical approach, while two cases were reoperated neurosurgically because of persistent cerebrospinal fluid leakage after the rhinosurgical repair. No other postoperative complications, such as meningitis or a third operation, were encountered. The authors believe that these favorable results were obtained because of individual management of each case by an interdisciplinary team working closely together.

Adolescent

[Frontobasal fractures in children].

In 1987, four children between 5 and 13 years of age with severe frontobasal trauma and dural tears were treated operatively. A CSF rhinorrhea was manifest clinically in only two cases. In addition high-resolution computerised tomography was essential in diagnosis and planning of the operation. In each of the cases an intracranial pneumatocele indicating dural laceration was shown. The fractures were confirmed during surgery in: Case 1. The roof of the ethmoid sinus and the roof of the orbit. Case 2. Both the sphenoid sinuses. Case 3. The roof of the ethmoid sinus and the posterior wall of the frontal sinus. Case 4. The roof of the ethmoidal sinus and the posterior wall of the frontal sinus. The ontogenetically oldest part of the paranasal sinuses in the floor of the anterior cranial fossa forming the anterior part of the roof of the ethmoid bone is the site of predilection for fractures, even in children. The anterior cranial fossa was exposed in each case through a paranasal subfrontal access, in the first case combined with a frontal craniotomy by a neurosurgeon, because of the fracture of the roof of the orbit. In the second case the dural injury had to be closed at a second neurosurgical operation, because of a recurrence of the CSF leak. The third and fourth cases were treated by nasal surgery alone.

Adolescent

[Duration and complications following grommet insertion in childhood].

We report 1000 insertions of ventilation tubes in 534 children for secretory otitis media (SOM) within a period of 6 years. In 77.5% of the cases, the air-bone gap was greater than 20 dB. The grommets are allowed to undergo spontaneous expulsion which happened in 319 ears, about 7 months after insertion. SOM recurred in 32.6% of the cases once, in 5.0% of the cases twice, and in 1.9% three times, requiring re-insertion of grommets. Recurrence appeared between 4 and 65 months after the first insertion. In three cases perforations of the tympanic membrane persisted and required tympanoplasty. Tympanometric examination and pure tone audiometry are necessary, in addition to pure tone audiometry to follow up successfully ventilated middle ears and to show recurrence as early as possible. Pre-existing but unsuspected sensorineural hearing loss was discovered in 10 cases. The deprivation of neural auditory pathways in early childhood and the possible retardation of speech development caused by SOM are mentioned. Normal hearing is the most important goal of therapy in children suffering from SOM, and insertion of ventilation tubes is the preferred method of achieving that goal safely. Adenoidectomy and treatment of upper airway infections are indispensable parts of the therapy of SOM. Regular follow up after insertion of grommets and even after their expulsion is necessary because of the high rate of late recurrence of SOM. Induction of cholesteatoma by grommets was not observed.

Acoustic Impedance Tests

[Intensity of the vestibulo-ocular reflex as a response to thermal labyrinth stimulation with water and air. Comparative studies of the stimulus intensity in thermal vestibular assessment in healthy probands].

In 22 otoneurologically healthy subjects (44 ears) the response of the labyrinthine system to stimulation was studied for the method using water, standardized according to Mulch and Scherer (1980), and for our method of stimulation by air. The mean values of the speed of the slow phase and of the total amplitude of the vestibular nystagmus were significantly lower in case of air stimulation. If we consider each stimulus modality separately, the nystagmus parameters correlate significantly in the right-left comparison, and likewise the right predominant nystagmus with the left predominant nystagmus. However, on comparing the data measured for air stimulation and for water stimulation, no correlation could be established. The reason is thought to be an energetic one, since the method using air depends on heat capacity and heat transfer, whereas the method employing water depends on heat transfer only. Calculation shows that the energetic conditions of the method employing air are of the same order of magnitude as the roughly quantitative minimal rinse when filling the auditory meatus with water of moderate temperature. Hence, thermal stimulation of the labyrinthine system with air reacts very sensitively to changes in experimental conditions, so that all conditions must be strictly adhered to and standardised and the examination methods must be repeatable within narrow tolerance limits. On account of its low mean values and great susceptibility to variation, the method of air stimulation should be discouraged, especially in the assessment of patients who are suspected of suffering from a disease of the vestibulum auris.

Adolescent

[Septum deviation and concomitant sinusitis].

It is generally assumed that there is a relation between nasal obstruction due to deformities of the nasal septum and disease of the paranasal sinuses. We investigated patients with septal deviation and rhinomanometrically determined nasal obstruction and checked the sinuses before septal surgery by radiography, ultrasonography, and endoscopy. The results of our investigation on 150 unselected patients during 1983 support the hypothesis. We found that non-invasive diagnostic methods, i.e. radiography and ultrasound were sufficiently reliable. Furthermore we found that more men are afflicted with deformities of the nasal septum than women. Nearly half of the number of patients needed therapy for the paranasal sinuses. Therefore preoperative diagnosis of sinusitis is essential before nasal septum surgery.

Adult

[Differential diagnostic reflections on sudden deafness: rupture of the round window membrane].

The rupture of the round window membrane has been the origin of sudden deafness in two cases that are described in this presentation. We are able to verify the rupture of the round window membrane before surgery by using differential diagnostic criteria, though there existed only relative slight hearing losses of about 40 dB. After surgery we found normal hearing in one case and a decreased hearing loss in the other. Vestibular symptoms have been leading to the diagnosis in both cases and the middle ear effusion in one case.

Adult