Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T O Wilcox.
Dermoid cysts of the lateral neck are rare, with the majority of head and neck dermoids occurring in the midline. The demonstration of a fat-fluid level on MRI or CT is diagnostic for a cervical dermoid cyst. The treatment of choice remains surgical excision.
This paper describes hearing loss and recovery as well as cochlear damage in chicks, after a 200-h exposure to an intense pure tone, and compares the results to similar data following a 48-h exposure to the same sound. The results revealed that the magnitude of initial hearing loss and the rate of recovery were nearly the same for both exposures. The initial cochlear damage produced by the 200-h exposure, however, was less severe than that seen after the 48-h exposure. In addition, new hair cells were observed in the lesion area immediately after the 200-h exposure. However, after the 48-h exposure, they were first identified after several days of recovery. These observations were consistent with the conclusion that cochlear repair began during the longer exposure itself. The fact that hearing loss and recovery was the same for the two exposure conditions, while the level of cochlear damage differed, suggests that functional recovery depended on processes other than the regeneration or repair of hair cells and supporting cells. These other processes are considered.
Perilymph fistula, an abnormal communication between the inner ear and the middle ear, is an enigmatic otologic disorder which may present with auditory or vestibular symptoms. It is typically located at the oval or round windows, but several other locations have been suggested. It may be congenital or spontaneous, or due to trauma or surgery. It often poses a diagnostic dilemma because of the lack of a definitive test. Among the differential diagnoses of the perilymph fistula are Ménière's disease, infection, tumor and central nervous system disorders. Clinically, the definitive diagnosis of a perilymph fistula can only be made by exploratory tympanotomy. A current review of the etiology, diagnosis and management of perilymph fistula is presented.