Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to P Kwok.
The clinical and radiological findings in a patient who developed a spontaneous fistula between the right temporo-mandibular joint and the external auditory canal are presented. A high resolution CT scan revealed that the fistula had developed through a congenital dehiscence in the anterior wall of the tympanic bone.
The paraseptal cartilage was first named by Spurgat in 1896. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the paraseptal cartilage of the lower and higher mammals was studied in great detail; however, very few studies were carried out on the human paraseptal cartilage. Over the past 20 years no articles have been published in the English literature on this topic. Despite all the early interest in this topic, several questions still remain unanswered about the origin of paraseptal cartilages, their ultimate fate (i.e. do they disappear or persist?) and their relationship with the vomer, the nasal capsule, and with Jacobson's organ. Eighteen human fetus heads ranging in age from eight to 32 weeks were studied and the literature reviewed. The development of the paraseptal cartilage and its clinical significance are discussed.
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Evidence from animal studies suggests that substances that lower surface tension are present in the middle ear cleft, where they may facilitate opening of the eustachian tube. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not surface-tension-lowering substances are present in middle ear effusions. Aspirates from children and adults with secretory otitis media--both serous otitis media and mucoid otitis media--were analyzed by means of two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Phospholipids, the major components of pulmonary surfactant, were present in appreciable quantities in all aspirates. Differences in total phosphate content and phospholipid composition were found when effusions from adults and children were compared.
The presence of an epidermoid-like formation located in the mucosa of the anterosuperior quadrant of the lateral wall of the developing middle ear was first described by Michaels in 1986. In a review of 41 middle ears from 20 serially sectioned fetus heads and one fetus temporal bone from our collection, six epidermoid formations were identified. Our study confirms the existence of this formation which we have decided to name Michaels' structure after Professor Leslie Michaels, the discoverer of this structure. The reasons for the different incidence of its occurrence in our series when compared to Michaels' original report, and the possible significance of Michaels' structure in the pathogenesis of congenital cholesteatoma of the middle ear are discussed.
The use of a malleable curved disposable suction cautery for the control of any persistent bleeding at the conclusion of adenoidectomy in over 1000 cases has prevented any primary postoperative hemorrhages from the nasopharynx, and obviated the need for post-nasal packing.
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Tornwaldt's bursae or nasopharyngeal bursae originate at the interface between the embryonic tissue from which the vertebrae develop (the notochord), and the developing foregut. If the opening through which the bursa drains into the nasopharynx becomes obstructed, a Tornwaldt's cyst will develop. The history, clinical and radiological findings and the operative management of a patient with an infected Tornwaldt's cyst are presented.
A pulsion hernia of the tympanic membrane is an outwardly bulging, thin, atrophic area of the tympanic membrane. Those patients who develop pulsion hernias repeatedly autoinflate the middle ear and consequently maintain a positive middle ear pressure, which pushes the thin atrophic portion of the tympanic membrane laterally beyond the normal plane of the tympanic membrane. The thinness of the tympanic membrane over the pulsion hernia suggests that the herniation has developed through a pre-existing area of weakness where the fibrous middle layer has disappeared.
Acute inflammatory edema of the uvula (uvulitis) is a relatively rare cause of upper airway distress or obstruction. The authors present a case report of a 37-year-old man who developed an acute cellulitis and edema of the uvula with upper airway distress, which was managed by an emergency uvulectomy.
The clinical and radiological findings in the first case in the literature of spontaneous, bilateral and asymptomatic herniation of soft tissue from the temporomandibular joint into the anterior wall of the external canal are presented. With the patient's mouth closed, the herniations appeared as a dome-shaped swelling located on the anterior wall of each bony external auditory canal. With the patient's mouth opened, the dome-shaped swellings were retracted anteriorly, producing an invagination of the skin of the external canal at the site of the previous herniation. A high resolution CT scan of the temporal bones revealed that the soft tissue of both temporomandibular joints was protruding through a congenital dehiscence in the anterior wall of the tympanic bones.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Smoking and alcohol ingestion were analysed in 5100 women confined in Tasmania in 1981. This represented 70% of the total number of confinements. The incidence of smoking throughout pregnancy was 33.6%, and 2.7% of the women studied smoked at some time during pregnancy. Alcohol consumption in pregnancy was recorded for 55.9% of patients. However, 99% were only occasional drinkers. There was a statistically higher incidence in smoking habits in the age group 20 years and under, the unmarried and the lower socio-economic classes, whereas the reverse was true for alcohol consumption. The analysis provides a basis for the groups toward which programmes should be directed.