Biomedical subjects
M Hawkshaw
Publications and source records attributed to M Hawkshaw.
Voice disorders.
Many other diagnoses and treatments are of particular importance in caring for voice patients. Those discussed in this article are among the most common. The exacting demands of a professional singer or actor, his or her acute ability to analyze the body's condition, and his or her professional athlete's need for a nearly perfect result provide special challenges and gratification for physicians. However, a great many of our non-singer/actor patients are also extremely dependent on voice quality and endurance. Consequently, every patient with a voice complaint should be treated as Pavaroti or Sutherland would be treated, and every voice evaluation should be carried out systematically until a diagnosis has been made on the basis of positive evidence. The emergence of interdisciplinary teams, advanced instrumentation, and voice laboratories has made dramatic improvements in the standard of voice care, and the rapid development of voice as a subspecialty promises continuing advances in the care of voice disorders.
Laser surgery of the larynx: the case for caution.
Laser surgery has been advocated for treatment of many laryngeal lesions. Although the CO2 laser has many advantages, its safe use requires special education of the surgeon and operating room team, and considerable surgical skill. Several dangers inherent in laser use for laryngeal surgery must be considered. These include vocal fold scarring secondary to thermal injury, loss of histopathologically important tissue through vaporization, airway fire and others. Laser-related complications must be considered whenever use of this instrument is contemplated.
Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Otolaryngologic manifestations.
Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CDLS) is characterized by multiple congenital malformations and mental retardation. New studies have documented otolaryngologic abnormalities. We examined 45 patients with CDLS. Virtually all had hearing loss, and most had impaired language development. Other otolaryngologic abnormalities, including external auditory canal stenosis and cleft palate, were also common. Because of the high incidence of otolaryngologic abnormalities, and the need for early intervention, it is important for otolaryngologists to recognize CDLS manifestations in the head and neck.
Histoplasmosis of the larynx.
INTRODUCTION: Laryngeal histoplasmosis was first described in 1952. Since then, fewer than 100 cases had been reported. This dimorphic fungus is endemic in the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys. The yeast phase is responsible for human infection. METHODS: We report a 44-year-old woman who developed laryngitis. The markedly abnormal larynx, which could have been mistaken for papillomatosis, was biopsied, at which time the diagnosis of histoplasmosis was confirmed. Treatment with oral ketoconazole was instituted. RESULTS: Objective voice assessment showed abnormalities of maximum phonation time, speaking fundamental frequency, perturbation, percent voicing, mean flow rate, and spectral pattern. Subsequent to antifungal therapy, objective measures were improved. CONCLUSION: This represents the first case of laryngeal histoplasmosis in which response to therapy is documented by objective vocal assessment.