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Biomedical subjects

W Pirsig

Publications and source records attributed to W Pirsig.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Non-traumatic cerebrospinal rhinorrhea and chondrodystrophy.

Two chondrodystrophic males have developed a non-traumatic cerebrospinal rhinorrhea within their second decade. Hydrocephalus was the cause of cerebrospinal fluid leakage in both cases. To lower the intracranial pressure the neurosurgeon performed a ventriculocardiostomy. The fistula was closed by the rhinosurgical extradural route. With respect to the atrophic brain in cases of hydrocephalus, the fronto-nasal approach appeared to be the best and less traumatic way of exposing the frontal base of the skull.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Acoustically evoked potential: dependence upon age.

The slow components of the potentials evoked acoustically by pure tones (1 kHz, 0 to 90 dB HL) were compared between two groups of subjects. All subjects of one group were 22 years old; the members of the other group had an average age of 63 years. The P2-latencies of the older subjects were significantly shorter for 60, 75 and 90 dB HL than those of the younger group. This finding was interpreted as a sign of a decreased efferent inhibition of several nuclei of the auditory pathway in the older subjects. No significant difference between the two groups could be found for the amplitudes (N1/P2), the exponent of the intensity function, or the latencies of P1 and N1.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1979

[The injured nose of the newborn. A review (author's transl)].

In the newborn the following traumatic alterations of the nose can be seen: lesions of the soft tissues, flat noses (30--60%), damage by tubes, fixed nasal deformities (0.5%), treatable anterior septal dislocations (2--23%), and combined septal deformities (up to 50%). The literature of the last 100 years is reviewed as to the high frequency of these alterations, their etiology, diagnosis, and treatment, which is necessary within the first days of life. Therefore routine examination of each newborn by an oto-rhino-laryngologist is recommended.

Birth Injuries↗
PubMed1979

Morphologic aspects of the injured nasal septum in children.

Biopsies from the septal cartilage in children have been examined histologically to study the influence of trauma, surgery, septal abscess, and transplantation on the growing cartilage. Loss of cartilage, complete, but mostly incomplete regeneration of the defects are the main reactions. A regenerative potential mainly arising from the perichondrium plays an important factor for restoring the septal structure, often in a deforming and excessive way. Even preserved cartilage implanted immediately into the septal abscess, may be transformed into autogenous cartilage if the perichondrium is preserved.

Abscess↗
PubMed1978

[Long-term results of submucous septal resection (author's transl)].

250 adults were checked-up 1 to 19 years following submucous septal resection, most of them after 4 to 6 years. In two thirds of these cases the nasal obstruction was abolished, and in 60 to 80 per cent sequelae of nasal blockage (otitis, non-specific rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis) were reduced or healed. The positive influence of the resection on allergic rhinitis and headache was less (20 to 40%). 33 per cent of the patients complained of permanent nasal obstruction instead of surgery. In 45 per cent of these cases the obstruction appeared with a postoperative delay of 6 months and more! Deviation of the anterior septal remnant is the most frequent reason for obstruction. Other negative sequelae following submucous resection are atrophy of the mucosa (45%), hyperplasia of the inferior tubinates (38%), excessive mobility of the septum (13%), perforations (9%), and saddling of the cartilaginous nasal roof (7%). A comparison of the long-term results following submucous resection and following septoplasty show the better results by septoplasty.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[The tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome (author's transl)].

In a family 4 cases of the tricho-rhino-phalangeal sydrome are observed. The sparse hair and early baldness, the pearshaped nose, and the peripheral dysostosis are typical in the appearance of these patients. Congenital heart leasions and kidney disease, as in one of out patients, might be associated with the tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1977

Karl Wittmaack: his life, temporal bone collection, and publications. On the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Karl Wittmaack (1876-1972) was professor for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology at the universities of Jena (1908-1925) and Hamburg (1926-1946). He contributed a lot of pioneer work to experimental pathology of the ear. He left a unique collection of serial sections of temporal bones from animals (55,000 slides) and man (102, 000 slides). This paper gives some data on Wittmaack's life, his temporal bone collection and the unpublished list of his publications.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

[To Wittmaack's theory of "hearing without the organ of Corti" (author's transl)].

1911 Wittmaack had shown by experiments in cats that the organ of Corti is independent from the cochlear nerve but dependent from a normal internal auditory artery. Similar findings he could observe in his temporal bone collection in cases of acoustic nerve tumors. On the other hand many human cases with the compression phenomenon of the organ of Corti had intact cochlear nerve fibers and neurons, and nearly normal hearing. Thus Wittmaack concluded that some parameters of hearing are transmitted by the nerve endings in the organ of Corti without the haircells. This hypothesis is discussed by means of examples of Wittmaack's temporal bone collection in the light of our present knowledge.

Cochlea↗
PubMed1977

[Ultrastructural study of the chorda tympani nerve in man (author's transl)].

Chorda tympani nerve specimens of 10 patients were studied by the light and electron microscope. The nerve specimens were obtained while performing stapedectomy in 7 patients, a tympanoplasty in two patients with otitis media chronica, and from one patient whodied 8 months after hemiglossectomy, neck-dissection and radiotherapy because of squamous cell carcinoma. The chorda tympani nerve is built up by few 10 to 12 micron thick and numerous 3 to 4 micron thick myelinated fibers in the semithick sections. The 10 to 12 micron axons are largely reduced in patients with chronic middle ear infection and in older patients. In persons with otosclerosis degenerative alterations of the axons and inclusions in the cytoplasm of the Schwann cells can be demonstrated similar to those of the diabetic, alcohol induced and ischemic neuropathy. In patients with chronic middle ear disease the degenerative changes mainly occur in the myelin sheats and in axoplasma finally leading to axolysis. A total degeneration and fibrous transformation of the chorda tympani nerve can be observed after hemiglossectomy. By means of morphological criteria afferent and efferent axons can not be distinguished in this material.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

[CSF-rhinorrhea due to removal of an acoustic neuroma (author's transl)].

After removal of an acoustic neuroma by the suboccipital route cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was observed. This procedure was complicated by meningitis and pneumatocephalus. Finally, after one neurosurgical and four otosurgical interventions, the cerebrospinal fluid leak was identified in the membrane of the round window. It was plugged with a fascial graft.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Septal plasty in children: influence on nasal growth.

The results of a septoplasty because of a nasal obstruction were studied in 261 children, their ages ranging from 4 to 14. No arrest of nasal growth after the septoplasty and osteotomies was recorded. Histological examination revealed a cartilaginous regeneration at the borders of the resected septal cartilage in 15 cases in which a second rhinoplasty was necessary because of a new nasal obstruction. Often the cartilaginous growth was undirected and excessive leading to a new septal deviation. In 80 per cent of our cases good functional long-term results were obtained by one rhinoplasty only which was performed according to the techniques of Cottle and Masing.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

[The differential diagnosis of cochlear, retrocochlear and central hearing disorders, and the limitations of conventional audiometry (author's transl)].

A review is made of the difficulties of audiometric diagnosis resulting from inadequate anatomical, physiological and pathological knowledge of the auditory system and from discrepancies in audiometric technique. Even with a broad battery of tests there is in 20-40% of cases an inconsistent audiometric pattern, which differs from the expected and typical cochlear eighth nerve, brain stem and cortical responses. These are demonstrated in presbyacusis, Meniere's disease, acoustic tumours, brainstem disorders and temporal lobe disease.

Audiometry↗
PubMed1977

[Long-term results of fractured nasal bones in adults. Clinical and roentgenographic examinations (author's transl)].

In 100 adults the effect of treatment of nasal fractures was followed up after 14 to 65 months. In 30% of 53 patients with closed reduction of the nose long-term results as to shape and function of the nose were not satisfying. Nasal obstruction deformity slowly developed several months after treatment mainly because of untreated septal fractures and green-stick fractures of the nasal bones. After open reduction and septal reconstruction only 1 of 17 patients had a poor result. By roentgenographic examinations three types of fracturelines could be distinguished: osseous (40), fibrous (37), and mixed transformations (23). In all types there was found a solid nasal pyramid. The osseous transformation of the fracture-line was promoted by reduction of the fracture within the first posttraumatic days, by a small distance of the fractured ends and if the injury was not too violent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

[Atypical cysts in the area of the macula sacculi of the guinea pig (author's transl)].

In some guinea pigs cysts in the area of the macula sacculi and along the saccular nerves can be observed. They are built up by a surrounding layer of connective tissue, by a basilar membrane, cylindric epithelia, and by a central space with gelatinous contents. The cylindric epithelia are very similar to the supporting cells in the marginal area of the macula sacculi. A temporary secretory activity of these cylindric epithelia of the cysts is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

[A persistent craniopharyngeal canal combined with a meningoencephalocele (author's transl)].

The anatomical and embryological facets of the persistent craniopharyngeal canal combined with a meningoencephalocele are reviewed, and the case of a 6 year old girl is reported. Postnatal dyspnea and cyanosis improved after perforation of nasopharyngeal cyst, and adenoidectomy was performed at the age of 8 months. The second episode of meningitis led to its radiological assessment and correct diagnosis. Surgical treatment is limited because the location of the pituitary in this child is not known.

Adenoidectomy↗
PubMed1975

[The fronto-orbital approach in the treatment of post-traumatic fronto-basal cerebrospinal rhinorrhoea in children (author's transl)].

This paper deals with the advantages and limits of the paranasal (fronto-orbital) extradural approach for closing the leakage in 11 children with cerebrospinal rhinorrhoea after fronto-basal fractures. According to the classification of Escher, particularly the more localized types (II, III, IV) of lesions in the frontal base can be treated with good functional and cosmetic results: there was one partial failure out of 12 operations for closing the leakage in the frontal base of the skull.

Adolescent↗