International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology
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Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Apr 1994
Intrinsic and extrinsic factors relevant to the morphology of the growing cricoid ring after a combined anterior and posterior cricoid split: an experimental study in rabbits.
The effects of a Rethi procedure upon the cricoid is investigated in young rabbits. An anterior and posterior cricoid split carried out upon the larynx of a young rabbit was demonstrated to result in an enlarged cricoid lumen in the adult stage due to an enhancement of both the anterior and posterior transversal diameter of the ring. These changes are ascribed to a release of interlocked stresses in the cricoid cartilage and the action of the cricopharyngeal and cricothyroid muscle.
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Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Mar 1994
General illness and need of medical care in otitis prone children.
The frequency of acute infectious diseases and allergy was investigated in a group of 'otitis prone' children and a control group. A total of 252 children born between 1977 and 1981, prospectively followed and with six or more episodes of acute otitis media (AOM), were defined as an 'otitis prone' group. Of the children, 61% were boys and 39% were girls. ⋯ The 'otitis prone' children accounted for 2-4 times as many diagnoses of rhinopharyngitis, bacterial rhinitis/sinusitis and tonsillitis as controls, and significantly more diagnosed episodes of broncho/pulmonary, gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections. There were twice as many children in the 'otitis prone' group with allergic diseases as in the control group (37% vs. 17%). The findings showed the 'otitis prone' children to be more susceptible than the controls to different acute infectious diseases.
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Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Dec 1993
The intrinsic response of the cricoid cartilage to vertical division.
The explanation for the separation in the cricoid cartilage after the anterior cricoid split procedure has been a matter of speculation. Whether it is caused by extrinsic factors such as stenting, contraction of laryngeal muscles, fibrosis, or whether it is due to the intrinsic nature of the cricoid cartilage itself has yet to be defined. ⋯ Our results showed the cricoid cartilage to immediately separate, and that separation to markedly increase during whole organ culture. These results suggest that while extrinsic factors may modify the gap after the anterior cricoid split procedure, the intrinsic nature of the cricoid cartilage itself results in the gap formation.
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Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Oct 1993
Sensory organization of balance responses in children 3-6 years of age: a normative study with diagnostic implications.
The effect of altered sensory environments on balance was studied in 82 healthy children between 3 and 6 years of age. The purpose was to obtain normative measurements of postural stability during early stages of development for use in clinical posturography. Subjects were tested in three visual conditions (eyes open, blind-folded, and sway-referenced visual enclosure) during stance on either a fixed or sway-referenced force platform (EquiTest). ⋯ In addition, postural stability was greater when visual inputs were sway-referenced compared to conditions that manipulated the support surface compliance. These data suggest that the predominance of visual-vestibular control of balance gives way to a somatosensory-vestibular dependence by age 3, but that the transition to adult-like balance responses is not complete for all sensory conditions even by age 6. The use of posturography to enhance the assessment of pediatric vestibular and sensory integration deficits is discussed.
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Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Aug 1993
Airway endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial tracheitis in children.
Children with bacterial tracheitis present with the symptoms of viral laryngotracheobronchitis or epiglottitis, but do not respond to appropriate therapy for these diseases and frequently develop acute respiratory decompensation. Since the treatment and outcome of bacterial tracheitis differ so much from those of viral laryngotracheobronchitis and epiglottitis, prompt and accurate diagnosis is essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of different diagnostic characteristics in a group of eleven patients and to compare the results to those recently reported in the pediatric and otorhinolaryngologic literature. ⋯ If bacterial tracheitis is suspected a direct laryngoscopy and rigid tracheobronchoscopy should be performed under general anesthesia, as prompt diagnosis and adequate treatment are essential to survival. The cultures of the purulent tracheal secretions frequently revealed Staphylococcus aureus in combination with various pathogens, particularly the involvement of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was noted in two patients. Our data imply a susceptibility of children with Down's syndrome or immunodeficiency to bacterial tracheitis.