International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology
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Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Feb 2011
Comparative StudyOverall intelligibility, articulation, resonance, voice and language in a child with Nager syndrome.
The purpose of this study was to provide a description of the language and speech (intelligibility, voice, resonance, articulation) in a 7-year-old Dutch speaking boy with Nager syndrome. To reveal these features comparison was made with an age and gender related child with a similar palatal or hearing problem. ⋯ According to the results of this study the speech and language management must be focused on receptive and expressive language skills and linguistic conceptualization, correct phonetic placement and the modification of hypernasality and nasal emission.
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Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Feb 2011
Case ReportsCongenital cricopharyngeal achalasia in a 4.5-year-old managed by cervical myotomy: a case report.
Congenital cricopharyngeal achalasia (CCA) is a rare disorder in children characterized by inappropriate contraction of the cricopharyngeus muscle, resulting in the inability to relax the upper esophageal sphincter during deglutition. We report the diagnostic process and management of a relatively older patient who underwent cricopharyngeal myotomy at the age of 4.5 years. ⋯ Our patient is one of the oldest children reported to have undergone myotomy, recovered quickly, and had no difficulty swallowing at any time following surgery. We suggest transcervical cricopharyngeal myotomy as the preferred treatment due to its lasting effects and repeated success in relieving dysphagia in young patients with CCA.
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Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Feb 2011
Comparative StudyVitamin D and tonsil disease--preliminary observations.
To estimate the prevalence of 25(OH) vitamin D deficiency in children undergoing (adeno)tonsillectomy. ⋯ Seventy-eight percent of Auckland children undergoing (adeno)tonsillectomy had a 25(OH) vitamin D level<75nmol/L, a level which is associated with an increased incidence of upper respiratory tract infection. Low 25(OH) vitamin D levels were related to a darker skin, increased BMI and larger assessed tonsil size. The association of larger tonsil size with lower 25(OH) vitamin D status needs further evaluation but offers a potential explanation why black and Hispanic children are more likely than white children to have (adeno)tonsillectomy for snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea.