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Biomedical subjects

D N Traquina

Publications and source records attributed to D N Traquina.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Neuralgic amyotrophy presenting with bilateral vocal cord paralysis in a child: a case report.

Acute stridor and bilateral vocal cord paralysis is not uncommon in the neonate but is unusual in the older child. We report the first case of bilateral vocal cord paralysis secondary to neuralgic amyotrophy, a peripheral polyneuropathy, in a 5-year-old child. An extensive workup revealed a paralyzed right hemidiaphragm, arm weakness and an EMG pattern consistent with neuralgic amyotrophy. Neuralgic amyotrophy is an uncommon disorder in pediatric patients which may involve cranial and peripheral nerves including the phrenic nerves and rarely the recurrent laryngeal nerves. We propose that the diagnosis be considered in children who present with bilateral vocal cord paralysis and other associated neurologic findings.

Brachial Plexus↗
PubMed1998

Pediatric bilateral facial paralysis.

Bilateral facial paralysis is an unusual clinical entity that occurs in less than 1% of patients with facial paralysis. In children bilateral facial paralysis is even more rare, and establishing its etiology can be challenging. Four pediatric patients ranging in age from 3 to 17 years are presented who developed bilateral facial paralysis as a result of acute otitis media, Lyme disease, recurrent central nervous system leukemia, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. The diagnosis and treatment of pediatric bilateral facial paralysis are reviewed, as well as the pertinent literature.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

Inflammatory pseudotumor: an unusual cause of recurrent pneumonia in childhood.

Recurrent pneumonia in the pediatric population may be caused by a variety of etiologies. If persistent, a referral to an otolaryngologist is often made for assistance in the diagnosis and treatment of such a problem. Bronchoscopy is frequently necessary to establish a diagnosis. Although foreign bodies, as well as infectious processes, are most often encountered, benign and malignant tumors must be considered. We report a case of a 10-year-old male who was found to have an inflammatory pseudotumor which presented with recurrent pneumonia. The importance of suspecting tumors, and including them in the differential diagnosis is emphasized.

Bronchoscopy↗
PubMed1992

Experience with the audiologic assessment of infants and toddlers.

Experience with the behavioral assessment of hearing sensitivity is reported for 211 babies and toddlers aged 6-24 months. The visually reinforced head-turn procedure, visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA), was utilized to obtain threshold estimates for infants evaluated for both research and clinical purposes. At the initial test session, 90% of the infants and toddlers provided useful audiometric threshold data for air-conducted tonal signals; 84% could be assessed using standard earphones. The equipment arrangement described allows a single audiologist to complete the VRA assessment. The behavioral test technique offers the clinician a simple, efficient procedure for the routine audiometric assessment of the vast majority of very young children.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1989

Delayed diagnosis and treatment of acoustic neuroma.

The records of 25 patients who underwent excision of acoustic neuroma between 1980 and 1987 were reviewed. All patients originated from southern New England. Facial nerve function was preserved in 92% of all patients, and 42% of patients with tumors less than 2.0 cm retained residual hearing postoperatively. These rates compare favorably with those found in larger series. Our series demonstrated that 60% of patients complained of hearing loss for longer than 2 years prior to tumor diagnosis. The mean duration of hearing loss prior to diagnosis was 4.2 years. Although sophisticated diagnostic methods were generally available, early detection of tumors did not occur, despite the early onset of auditory symptoms. The emergence of sophisticated computer-assisted diagnostic tests and the development of technologically advanced operative methods have reduced operative morbidity, but interestingly, have had little influence on early tumor diagnosis. Late detection of acoustic neuroma in an otherwise medically sophisticated community suggests the need for improved awareness among patients and their primary care providers. Failure of early detection may occur more commonly than generally appreciated, despite the availability of technologically advanced methods of diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Voice intensity of patients using a Communi-Trach I cuffed speaking tracheostomy tube.

Voice intensity levels produced by 20 patients with cuffed speaking tracheostomy tubes (Communi-Trach I) at three different airflow rates were investigated. Results indicated that audible and intelligible speech was produced with significantly greater intensity over ambient room noise at 5 l/minute, 10 l/minute, and 15 l/minute of airflow. Criteria for use, common causes of malfunctioning, and rehabilitation techniques necessary for the successful use of cuffed speaking tracheostomy tubes are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Results of aortic grafting in occlusive vs aneurysmal disease.

Recent demographic and biochemical studies have suggested that there may be significant differences in the population of patients undergoing reconstruction for an aortic aneurysm (AA) or atherosclerotic occlusive disease (OCC) of the abdominal aorta. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the results of aortic surgery in these different patient groups. One hundred three patients undergoing aortic grafting were reviewed. Twenty-four patients underwent reconstruction for OCC, 65 selectively for asymptomatic aneurysms (EAA), and 14 for ruptured aortic aneurysms (RAA). The mean age for OCC patients (54 years) was significantly lower than that for EAA (68 years) or RAA patients (71 years). Patients with AA were predominantly male (92%) compared with those with OCC (62%). Despite the age and sex differences, there were no significant differences between the groups in the incidence of cardiac disease, hypertension, smoking history, diabetes mellitus, or renal or pulmonary disease. In addition, there were no significant intraoperative differences in terms of operative and clamp times, fluid administration, urine output, hypotension, or subsequent postoperative morbidity and mortality. We conclude that despite AA and OCC patients being demographically distinct, there is essentially no difference in elective aortic bifurcation graft surgery between these two populations.

Age Factors↗