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Biomedical subjects

I F Lin

Publications and source records attributed to I F Lin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and ischemic stroke in the elderly: the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study.

CONTEXT: Elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels have been shown to be protective against cardiovascular disease. However, the association of specific lipoprotein classes and ischemic stroke has not been well defined, particularly in higher-risk minority populations. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between HDL-C and ischemic stroke in an elderly, racially or ethnically diverse population. DESIGN: Population-based, incident case-control study conducted July 1993 through June 1997. SETTING: A multiethnic community in northern Manhattan, New York, NY. PARTICIPANTS: Cases (n = 539) of first ischemic stroke (67% aged >/=65 years; 55% women; 53% Hispanic, 28% black, and 19% white) were enrolled and matched by age, sex, and race or ethnicity to stroke-free community residents (controls; n = 905). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Independent association of fasting HDL-C levels, determined at enrollment, with ischemic stroke, including atherosclerotic and nonatherosclerotic ischemic stroke subtypes. RESULTS: After risk factor adjustment, a protective effect was observed for HDL-C levels of at least 35 mg/dL (0.91 mmol/L) (odds ratio [OR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-0.72). A dose-response relationship was observed (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.47-0.90 and OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.21-0.46) for HDL-C levels of 35 to 49 mg/dL (0.91-1.28 mmol/L) and at least 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L), respectively. The protective effect of a higher HDL-C level was significant among participants aged 75 years or older (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.27-0.94), was more potent for the atherosclerotic stroke subtype (OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.08-0.50), and was present in all 3 racial or ethnic groups studied. CONCLUSIONS: Increased HDL-C levels are associated with reduced risk of ischemic stroke in the elderly and among different racial or ethnic groups. These data add to the evidence relating lipids to stroke and support HDL-C as an important modifiable stroke risk factor.

Aged↗

The body weight-walking distance product as related to lung function, anaerobic threshold and peak VO2 in COPD patients.

The product of walking distance and body weight (D x W) mimics the work of walking. We hypothesized the superiority of D x W to walking distance (D) alone in any correlation with lung function, anaerobic threshold (AT) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). We further hypothesized that the D x W product for a 6-min walk test (6 MWT) would correlate with the AT and VO2max because all three are markers of exercise ability. Thirty-three male chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with mean forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) of 1.2+/-0.4 l (range 0.58-1.86 l) were enrolled. Six patients were excluded due to inability to achieve a maximal test. Lung function and self-assessed every-day activities using a oxygen-cost diagram were evaluated before entry of the study. A maximal effort ramp-pattern cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and a 6 MWT were conducted in random order. Borg score, heart rate, and O2 saturation with pulse oximetry (SpO2) were measured during both exercise tests. VO2 AT and minute ventilation were also measured during the CPET. Correlations were sought between the distance covered in the 6 MWT, and the D x W product with AT, VO2max and other variables. The average D and D x W were 456 m and 27.5 kg km(-1), respectively. D x W was superior to D alone when correlated with the VO2max and AT determined from the CPET, while modestly correlated with the change (delta) in Borg score and delta SpO2 in the 6 MWT and self-assessed every-day activities. Distance x weight product was correlated with the AT and VO2max. In addition, D x W was better correlated with diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide and vital capacity than D alone. We conclude that D x W mimics the work of walking better than D and is suggested as a parameter for evaluation of patients' fitness if gas exchange measurements are not available.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Matched case-control data analysis with selection bias.

Case-control studies offer a rapid and efficient way to evaluate hypotheses. On the other hand, proper selection of the controls is challenging, and the potential for selection bias is a major weakness. Valid inferences about parameters of interest cannot be drawn if selection bias exists. Furthermore, the selection bias is difficult to evaluate. Even in situations where selection bias can be estimated, few methods are available. In the matched case-control Northern Manhattan Stroke Study (NOMASS), stroke-free controls are sampled in two stages. First, a telephone survey ascertains demographic and exposure status from a large random sample. Then, in an in-person interview, detailed information is collected for the selected controls to be used in a matched case-control study. The telephone survey data provides information about the selection probability and the potential selection bias. In this article, we propose bias-corrected estimators in a case-control study using a joint estimating equation approach. The proposed bias-corrected estimate and its standard error can be easily obtained by standard statistical software.

Bias↗

Race-ethnic disparities in the impact of stroke risk factors: the northern Manhattan stroke study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke risk factors have been determined in large part through epidemiological studies in white cohorts; as a result, race-ethnic disparities in stroke incidence and mortality rates remained unexplained. The aim in the present study was to compare the prevalence, OR, and etiological fraction (EF) of stroke risk factors among white, blacks, and Caribbean Hispanics living in the same urban community of northern Manhattan. METHODS: In this population-based incident case-control study, cases (n=688) of first ischemic stroke were prospectively matched 1:2 by age, sex, and race-ethnicity with community controls (n=1156). Risk factors were determined through in-person assessment. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted ORs in each race-ethnic group. Prevalence and multivariate EFs were determined in each race-ethnic group. RESULTS: Hypertension was an independent risk factor for whites (OR 1.8, EF 25%), blacks (OR 2.0, EF 37%), and Caribbean Hispanics (OR 2.1, EF 32%), but greater prevalence led to elevated EFs among blacks and Caribbean Hispanics. Greater prevalence rates of diabetes increased stroke risk in blacks (OR 1.8, EF 14%) and Caribbean Hispanics (OR 2.1 P<0.05, EF 10%) compared with whites (OR 1.0, EF 0%), whereas atrial fibrillation had a greater prevalence and EF for whites (OR 4.4, EF 20%) compared with blacks (OR 1.7, EF 3%) and Caribbean Hispanics (OR 3.0, EF 2%). Coronary artery disease was most important for whites (OR 1.3, EF 16%), followed by Caribbean Hispanics (OR 1.5, EF 6%) and then blacks (OR 1.1, EF 2%). Prevalence of physical inactivity was greater in Caribbean Hispanics, but an elevated EF was found in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence, OR, and EF for stroke risk factors vary by race-ethnicity. These differences are crucial to the etiology of stroke, as well as to the design and implementation of stroke prevention programs.

Aged↗

Predictors of resource use after acute hospitalization: the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine demographic and clinical predictors of discharge destinations following acute care hospitalization for stroke in the community of northern Manhattan. METHODS: A group of 893 patients (mean age, 70 +/- 12 years; 56% women; 51% Hispanic, 30% African-American, 19% white) who survived acute care hospitalization for a first ischemic stroke were followed prospectively. Stroke severity was assessed by the NIH Stroke Scale and categorized as mild (< or = 5), moderate (6 to 13), and severe (> or = 14). Polytomous logistic regression was used to determine predictors for rehabilitation and nursing home placement versus returning home. RESULTS: Among the survivors of acute stroke care hospitalization, 611 (68%) patients were discharged to their homes, 168 (19%) to rehabilitation, and 114 (13%) to nursing homes. Patients with moderate and severe neurologic deficits had more than a threefold increased risk of being sent to a nursing home and more than an eightfold increased risk of being sent to rehabilitation. Age over 65 and cognitive impairment were associated with placement to a nursing home (age over 65: OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.0 to 5.6; cognitive impairment: OR, 2.9; 95%, CI 1.4 to 5.7), and rehabilitation (age over 65: OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.9; cognitive impairment: OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.4 to 5.7). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that one-third of patients with acute stroke from the community of northern Manhattan required placement in a temporary or a long-term disability care institution following acute care hospitalization. Severity of stroke is an important factor that influences discharge planning following acute care hospitalization and its reduction can improve health care resource usage.

Aged↗

Bivariate binary data analysis with nonignorably missing outcomes.

One of the objectives in the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study is to investigate the impact of stroke subtype on the functional status 2 years after the first ischemic stroke. A challenge in this analysis is that the functional status at 2 years after stroke is not completely observed. In this paper, we propose a method to handle nonignorably missing binary functional status when the baseline value and the covariates are completely observed. The proposed method consists of fitting four separate binary regression models: for the baseline outcome, the outcome 2 years after the stroke, the product of the previous two, and finally, the missingness indicator. We then conduct a sensitivity analysis by varying the assumptions about the third and the fourth binary regression models. Our method belongs to an imputation paradigm and can be an alternative to the weighting method of Rotnitzky and Robins (1997, Statistics in Medicine 16, 81-102). A jackknife variance estimate is proposed for the variance of the resulting estimate. The proposed analysis can be implemented using statistical software such as SAS.

Biometry↗

Chlamydia pneumoniae and the risk of first ischemic stroke : The Northern Manhattan Stroke Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Serological evidence of infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae has been associated with cardiovascular disease in multiple epidemiological studies. The data on its association with ischemic stroke are limited. We sought to determine whether chronic C pneumoniae infection is associated with ischemic stroke in a multi-ethnic population. METHODS: The Northern Manhattan Stroke Study contains a population-based, case-control study component. Cases had first ischemic stroke and matched control subjects were derived through random digit dialing. Titers of IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies specific for C pneumoniae were measured with the use of microimmunofluorescence, and titers >/=1:16 were considered positive. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) after adjustment for medical, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: Eighty-nine cases and 89 control subjects were selected. Mean age among cases was 68.5+/-12.8 years; 53% were women and 15% of the subjects were white, 28% were black, and 54% were Hispanic. Elevated C pneumoniae IgA titers were significantly associated with risk of ischemic stroke after adjusting for other stroke risk factors (adjusted OR 4. 51, 95% CI 1.44 to 14.06). IgG titers were less strongly associated with stroke risk (adjusted OR 2.59, 95% CI 0.87 to 7.75). The association of IgA with stroke risk was detected in both younger and older groups, in men and women, and in whites, blacks, and Hispanics. There was also a significant continuous increase in risk associated with the log-transformation of the titer for IgA (adjusted OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.66) but not IgG. CONCLUSIONS: Serological evidence of chronic infection with C pneumoniae is associated with risk of ischemic stroke in an urban, multi-ethnic population. IgA titers may be a better marker of this risk than are IgG titers. This association is independent of other vascular disease risk factors. Further prospective epidemiological studies of the effect of this infection on stroke risk are warranted.

Aged↗

Association of hyperandrogenemia and hyperestrogenemia with type 2 diabetes in Hispanic postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: Accumulating evidence suggests that hyperandrogenemia may be a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) in women. The present study was carried out to test the hypothesis that hyperandrogenemia is associated with type 2 diabetes in women and thus may contribute to the increased risk of CHD in women with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Sex hormones, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and risk factors for CHD were measured in 20 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes and in 29 control subjects. All of the diabetic and control subjects were Hispanic women aged >55 years who were not taking hormone replacement therapy lipid-lowering drugs, or insulin and who were otherwise randomly chosen from a cohort of stroke-free subjects from the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study RESULTS: Mean age, BMI, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and smoking were not significantly different between cases and control subjects, but waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was significantly higher in the diabetic subjects (P = 0.01). The mean levels of free testosterone (FT) (P = 0.01), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (P<0.04), and estradiol (P = 0.01) (controlled for WHR) were significantly higher in the diabetic subjects; with the statistical outliers removed, the testosterone (P = 0.05) and androstenedione (P = 0.002) levels (controlled for WHR) were also significantly higher in the diabetic subjects. The mean levels of estrone, cortisol, and SHBG were not significantly different. The results were similar in the 10 diabetic subjects treated with diet only Significant positive correlations (controlled for age and BMI) were observed between FT or testosterone and cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Postmenopausal Hispanic women with type 2 diabetes had both hyperandrogenemia and hyperestrogenemia, and testosterone or FT correlated positively with risk factors for CHD. Hyperandrogenemia may be a link between diabetes and CHD in women.

Aged↗

Otogenic brain abscess--a case report.

Brain abscess is one of the life-threatening complications of otitis media. Mortality and morbidity have decreased with the advent of antibiotic therapy. More frequently encountered in cases of acute otitis media in the preantibiotic era, in recent years otogenic brain abscess was noticed almost only in patients of chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma. A case of brain abscess in a 49-year-old female was initially diagnosed as a headache. A high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan of the temporal bones later revealed that there were two abscesses over the right side temporal lobe. A modified radical mastoidectomy was performed. Cultures of the middle ear cholesteatoma later grew Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Strenotrophomonas maltophilia. Antibiotic therapy was carried on for three months postoperatively. The patient improved but retained a conductive hearing loss.

Brain Abscess↗

The protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption on ischemic stroke.

CONTEXT: Moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to be protective for coronary heart disease, but the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and ischemic stroke is more controversial. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between alcohol consumption and risk of ischemic stroke. DESIGN: Population-based case-control study conducted between July 1993 and June 1997. SETTING: Multiethnic population in northern Manhattan, New York, NY, aged 40 years or older. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Cases (n = 677) had first ischemic stroke and were matched to community controls (n = 1139) derived through random digit dialing by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Mean +/- SD age of cases was 70.0+/-12.7 years; 55.8% were women; 19.5% were white, 28.4% black, and 50.7% Hispanic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: First ischemic stroke (fatal or nonfatal). RESULTS: Moderate alcohol consumption, up to 2 drinks per day, was significantly protective for ischemic stroke after adjustment for cardiac disease, hypertension, diabetes, current smoking, body mass index, and education (odds ratio [OR], 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-0.67). This protective effect of alcohol consumption was detected in both younger and older groups, in men and women, and in whites, blacks, and Hispanics. In a quadratic model of stroke risk, increased risk of ischemic stroke was statistically significant among those consuming 7 or more drinks per day (OR, 2.96; 95% CI, 1.05-8.29). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate alcohol consumption was independently associated with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke in our elderly, multiethnic, urban subjects, while heavy alcohol consumption had deleterious effects. Our data support the National Stroke Association Stroke Prevention Guidelines regarding the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption.

Adult↗

Lipid and lipoprotein levels remain stable in acute ischemic stroke: the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study.

Serum lipoproteins including lipoprotein(a), Lp(a), are emerging as possible biological markers for cerebrovascular disease. Existing data on Lp(a) and serum lipids levels following acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are however equivocal. To determine whether serum Lp(a) and other lipid levels obtained within 24 h of acute ischemic stroke onset changed over the ensuing 4 weeks and whether these levels are related to an acute phase response, acquired nutritional deficiency, and neurovascular data, we conducted repeated measurement analyses among 19 subjects (mean age 65.0 +/- 12.1 years; 32% women) presenting with AIS (evaluated within 9.7 +/- 12.7 h). Eleven of the subjects had a moderate-to-severe stroke, defined by NIH stroke severity scale, and seven patients had a large cerebral infarction. Seven serial measurements of Lp(a), total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and other lipoproteins, major acute phase reactants and albumin levels were collected for each subject over 4 weeks. The mean initial levels, (mg/dl), of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, Lp(a), apolipoproteins A-I and B were: 225 +/- 57.6, 154 +/- 56.0, 40 +/- 10.4, 181 +/- 93.7, 52 +/- 28.6, 130 +/- 24.6, and 141 +/- 46.1, respectively. There were no significant changes in mean serum lipid, apolipoprotein or Lp(a) levels over the 4-week study period, analyzed by a random effects model to test for time trend. In addition, there were no significant changes in established acute phase or nutritional markers (C-reactive protein, alpha 1-glycoprotein, haptoglobin or serum albumin). Our findings suggest that serum lipid, apolipoprotein and Lp(a) levels remain stable following AIS, consistent with the absence of acute phase response or nutritional deficiency.

Acute Disease↗

Leisure-time physical activity and ischemic stroke risk: the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Physical activity reduces the risk of premature death and cardiovascular disease, but the relationship to stroke is less well studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between leisure-time physical activity and ischemic stroke in an urban, elderly, multiethnic population. METHODS: The Northern Manhattan Stroke Study is a population-based incidence and case-control study. Case subjects had first ischemic stroke, and control subjects were derived through random-digit dialing with 1:2 matching for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Physical activity was recorded through a standardized in-person interview regarding the frequency and duration of 14 activities over the 2 prior weeks. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals after adjustment for medical and socioeconomic confounders. RESULTS: Over 30 months, 369 case subjects and 678 control subjects were enrolled. Mean age was 69.9 +/- 12 years; 57% were women, 18% whites, 30% blacks, and 52% Hispanics. Leisure-time physical activity was significantly protective for stroke after adjustment for cardiac disease, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, alcohol use, obesity, medical reasons for limited activity, education, and season of enrollment (OR = 0.37; 95% confidence interval=0.25 to 0.55). The protective effect of physical activity was detected in both younger and older groups, in men and women, and in whites, blacks, and Hispanics. A dose-response relationship was shown for both intensity (light-moderate activity OR = 0.39; heavy OR = 0.23) and duration (<2 h/wk OR = 0.42; 2 to <5 h/wk OR = 0.35; > or =5 h/wk OR = 0.31) of physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Leisure-time physical activity was related to a decreased occurrence of ischemic stroke in our elderly, multiethnic, urban subjects. More emphasis on physical activity in stroke prevention campaigns is needed among the elderly.

Aged↗

Cigarette smoking as a determinant of high-grade carotid artery stenosis in Hispanic, black, and white patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We sought to investigate the association of cigarette smoking with high-grade carotid artery stenosis in Hispanic, black, and white patients with cerebral ischemia in two independent samples. METHODS: Prospectively collected data from the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study (NOMASS) (n=431) and the Berlin Cerebral Ischemia Databank (BCID) (n=483) were used separately for a cross-sectional study estimating the association between cigarette smoking and high-grade carotid stenosis (defined as a luminal narrowing of > or =60%, diagnosed by duplex and/or Doppler ultrasound). In both studies, cerebral ischemia patients with normal sonographic findings or nonstenosing plaques of their carotid arteries served as a comparison group. Multivariate logistic regression models were used for statistical tests to determine the association between smoking and the dependent variable for high-grade carotid stenosis. Age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and race/ethnicity were considered potential confounders. Further analyses of the NOMASS data estimated the effect of the amount of cigarette use and the impact of race/ethnicity. RESULTS: High-grade carotid stenoses were found in 14% of the NOMASS and in 21% of the Berlin patients. In Berlin the entire sample was white, whereas in New York only 19% of the cohort were white. In both samples, smoking was independently associated with severe carotid stenosis (NOMASS: odds ratio [OR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 2.0; BCID: OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 2.4 to 6.4). Patients smoking 20 pack-years or more showed a significant association (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.9), whereas no significant effect was found for lower amounts of cigarette use. In NOMASS, white smokers displayed a significant (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.1 to 8.9) association with high-grade carotid stenosis, the association for black smokers was less strong, and no association was found among Hispanics. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is an independent determinant of severe carotid artery stenosis in patients with focal cerebral ischemia. The association differs by race/ethnicity, with the greatest effect observed among whites.

Adult↗

Race-ethnicity and determinants of carotid atherosclerosis in a multiethnic population. The Northern Manhattan Stroke Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis have been studied in white populations but infrequently in multiethnic cohorts. The aim of this study was to determine the importance of race-ethnicity and other factors associated with carotid atherosclerosis in a mixed population of Hispanics, blacks, and whites. METHODS: As part of the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study, 526 stroke-free community residents (aged > or = 40 years; 41% men, 59% women; 46% Hispanic, 31% black, 23% white) were recruited through random-digit dialing and had vascular risk factor evaluations. Maximum internal carotid artery plaque thickness (MICPT) was measured with B-mode ultrasound. The frequency distribution of MICPT was examined in the three race-ethnic groups, and multivariate regression was performed to identify factors that were independently associated with MICPT. RESULTS: Mean MICPT in the entire sample was 1.5 +/- 1.4 mm, increased directly with age, and was greater in whites and blacks than Hispanics. Other independent determinants of MICPT included smoking, glucose, LDL cholesterol, and hypertension. After we controlled for these covariates, Hispanic (versus non-Hispanic) race-ethnicity was still an independent determinant of less carotid plaque. There was a significant interaction between race-ethnicity and LDL cholesterol, with a greater effect of increasing LDL cholesterol among Hispanics. CONCLUSIONS: Atherosclerotic risk factors were predictive of MICPT in this mixed-ethnic cohort. Hispanics had significantly less carotid plaque after adjustment for other known risk factors, but they also had a greater impact of increasing LDL cholesterol.

Adult↗

Fluoride in drinking water and the bone mineral density of women in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: The current evidence on effect of fluoridation in drinking water on bone is inconsistent. This study was undertaken to assess the effect of fluoride concentration in drinking water on bone mineral density (BMD) in Taiwanese women. METHODS: The study subjects included 248 women aged > or = 40 years who reside in naturally fluoridated and adjacent areas. The individual fluoride concentration of the drinking water and the BMD of the subjects' lumbar spines were assessed. RESULTS: Women aged 46-65 years living in areas which have fluoride levels < 0.6 mg/l (mean = 0.18 mg/l; n = 130) had slightly lower bone densities than women living in areas with levels > or = 0.6 mg/l (mean 0.98 mg/l, n = 118). Only the age groups 46-50 and 61-65 years proved to be statistically significant. After controlling for age and body mass index, the BMD of those who had a dose > or = 1.0 mg/l is notably higher than the reference group (< or = 0.6 mg/l). After stratification by menopausal status, fluoride appeared to have no association with bone density in postmenopausal women. CONCLUSIONS: The BMD of the subjects from the area with a fluoride dose > 1 mg/l were significantly higher than those from the reference group (fluoride < 0.6 mg/l) for premenopausal women. There is no significant association between BMD and fluoride for postmenopausal women in Taiwan.

Adult↗

The mucoceles or pyoceles of the paranasal sinuses.

Fifty-five mucopyoceles in 53 patients were diagnosed during the 10-year period from 1982 to 1992 in our department. These included 8 from the frontal sinus, 25 from the maxillary sinus, 10 from the ethmoidal sinus, 1 from the maxillary and ethmoidal sinuses, 7 from the frontoethmoidal sinuses and 4 from the sphenoethmoidal sinuses. The patients ranged in age from 8 to 78 years (mean 47.1 years). The ratio of males to females was 31 to 22. The rhinologic symptoms occurred most often in maxillary mucopyoceles and were rare in the other groups whereas ophthalmic symptoms were noticed in most of the cases. All of the cases received surgery and postoperatively most of the initial symptoms subsided except that two patients still had occasional diplopia and one did not recover at all from complete blindness. Two cases had a recurrence and one suffered from subarachnoid hemorrhage shortly after discharge. Surgery is the only treatment modality for mucopyoceles and the building of a new patent communication between the lesion and nasal cavity is important for the success of this surgery.

Adolescent↗

[High-resolution computed tomography evaluation of congenital anomalies of the temporal bone].

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was used to study 23 patients with congenital temporal bone deformities. One patient had an inner ear abnormality and 3 patients were combined together with inner, middle and external ear malformations. Embryological development of the outer and middle ears is linked. Development of the inner ear occurs independently. These abnormalities included vestibule dilatation in 2 patients, a lateral semicircular canal defect in 1 case, dilatation of lateral and superior semicircular canals in 1 patient, only dilatation of the lateral semicircular canal in 1 case, oval-window non-development in 3 cases, oval aqueduct dilatation in 1 patient and inner ear abnormalities in 1 case. The study also included 17 cases of unilateral external auditory canal atresia, 5 cases of bilateral atresia, and 1 normal external auditory canal. There were 8 cases of unilateral and 2 cases of bilateral bony atresia. There were 9 unilateral and 1 bilateral cases of membranous atresia. Two cases had bony atresia on one side, with contralateral membranous atresia on the other. Nine unilateral and 2 bilateral cases were positioned superiorly and posteriorly of the mandibular condyle. Thick atresic plate were found in 10 unilateral and 2 bilateral cases. Small tympanic cavities were found in 12 unilateral and 2 bilateral patients; 7 unilateral and 2 bilateral cases had acellular and hypoplastic mastoids. Ossicular deformities were seen in 14 unilateral and 2 bilateral patients. One patient had no ossicle. Anteriorly located descending facial nerve canal was noted in 9 unilateral and 2 bilateral cases. Congenital cholesteatoma was identified in 2 patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

[A new external canal wall-preserving method for aural cholesteatoma surgery--the osteocutaneous flap].

There are three major results of successful aural cholesteatoma surgery. They are called cavity opened, cavity obliterated and cavity closed (Table 1). Cavity opened or cavity closed, call for the use of canal wall down (CWD) or canal wall up (CWU), respectively. With an obliterated cavity, either the canal wall down or canal wall up method may be used. An intermediate form for management of the canal wall is called temporary CWD and two methods of this form have been used. One is the temporary posterosuperior canal wall resection method and the other is the one the author describes here, the osteocutaneous flap for wall preservation. The author used this method after deciding to cut down the canal wall in the case of difficult removal of cholesteatoma in the epitympanum or the middle ear recesses under the CWU procedure. In fifteen cases in the past 2 years this method has been used to complete operations which initially began with the CWU procedure. The results included short healing time, less post-operation care, fair hearing recovery and optimal conditions for a smooth and safe 2nd operation. The osteocutaneous flap method gives us one more choice in the many different methods of cholesteatoma surgery.

Cholesteatoma↗