Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Rhys.
A case of melorheostosis affecting the C7 sclerotome is described, in association with synchronous multicentric fibromatosis. The foci of fibromatosis also affected the C7 sclerotome, suggesting a similar underlying pathogenesis for both diseases.
The change in nasalance following adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy was studied in 44 children. A subjective assessment of each child's naso-pharyngeal airway was made preoperatively based on a questionnaire completed by the parents. There was no significant change in the nasalance of children following adenoidectomy, but there was a significant increase in the nasalance following tonsillectomy (P = 0.02) and after adenotonsillectomy (P = 0.001). There was no relationship between the change in nasalance and the adenoid volume removed at operation. There was good agreement between the parental subjective assessment of the naso-pharyngeal airway and the preoperative nasalance score, with the best correlation in the adenoidectomy group (r = -0.8) and the adenotonsillectomy group (r = -0.7). Nasalance is more closely related to the size of the naso-pharyngeal airway than to the actual adenoid volume, and measurements of nasalance are of no benefit in predicting adenoid volume. Tonsillectomy had a significantly greater effect on nasalance than adenoidectomy, and adenotonsillectomy had the greatest effect. Further studies are needed to relate nasalance to the size of the naso-pharyngeal airway, but it appears to relate well to the subjective assessment of the airway and may be of use in patient selection for surgery.
This prospective study examined the influence of aspirating middle ear effusions, immediately prior to ventilation tube insertion, upon the subsequent development of otorrhoea and tympanosclerosis. 50 children were studied and aspiration of effusions did not influence the incidence of purulent otorrhoea or ventilation tube obstruction within 1 month of surgery. The development of tympanosclerosis did not correlate with effusion aspiration, but in those ears which had an effusion aspirated there was a relation between operative bleeding and the development of tympanosclerosis.