Otitis media with effusion (OME) occurs in the setting of eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction. Previous studies have demonstrated a predominance of T helper 2 (Th2) mediators in the middle ear effusions (MEEs) of atopic children, suggesting that allergy plays a role in the pathogenesis of OME. Given that the middle ear is contiguous with the upper airway, the allergic inflammation seen in the middle ear of atopic patients with OME may also have been observed in the nasopharynx.We hypothesize that atopic children have different cellular and cytokine profiles in MEE compared with nonatopic patients and that this allergic inflammation occurs in both the middle ear and the nasopharynx.Forty-five patients undergoing both ventilation tube placement for OME and adenoidectomy for adenoid hypertrophy were recruited. The atopic status was determined for each patient using standard skin testing. The cellular and cytokine profiles of the MEEs and the torus tubarius and adenoid tissues were investigated using immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization.Our results indicate that, within the atopic patient, there is a similar cellular and cytokine profile within the three regions sampled, with a predominant expression of interleukin-4 (a Th2 cytokine) and an increased infiltration of eosinophils compared with the nonatopic patient.These findings confirm the association of allergy with MEE and support the hypothesis that the middle ear may be an integral part of the United Airway Concept.
Two hundred and sixty‐one cases of acute epiglottitis treated at the Montreal Children's Hospital between 1951 and 1980 are reviewed. Clinical features of the disease are described. Treatment protocol at a major children's hospital is presented. Statistics related to age, season and sex are analyzed. The authors compare nasotracheal intubation and tracheostomy as primary treatment. Bacteriology and antibiotic treatment are updated.
Orbital complications of sinusitis are uncommon but can result in significant morbidity if not appropriately managed.This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and outcome of orbital complications of sinusitis in children treated at our institution over a 10-year period.The study retrospectively reviewed cases of 139 children with evidence of orbital complications of sinusitis admitted to the Montreal Children's Hospital between January 1990 and March 2000. Factors assessed included the clinical presentation, radiologic findings, management, and outcome (length of admission, complications). Complications were classified as preseptal if they did not penetrate the periorbita. Postseptal complications were defined as those penetrating the periorbita and were further subdivided into cellulitis and abscess categories.Seventy-two percent of patients presented with preseptal cellulitis, 19% with orbital cellulitis, and 9% with subperiosteal abscess. Ophthalmoplegia and proptosis at presentation were found to be predictors of postseptal disease, although computed tomography (CT) was necessary to differentiate between cellulitis and abscess. Preseptal disease resolved with antibiotics in all cases. Postseptal disease was treated medically and in some cases surgically, although surgery did not affect outcome.Preseptal complications of sinusitis can be diagnosed clinically without a CT scan and should be treated with an appropriate course of intravenous antibiotics. Postseptal complications of sinusitis can be diagnosed by the presence of ophthalmoplegia or proptosis and mandate a CT scan to differentiate abscess from orbital cellulitis. Management of these patients should include intravenous antibiotics, reserving surgery for selected cases.
Two children with isolated congenital anosmia, a rare syndrome of deficient restricted neuronal migration, are presented with early diagnosis confirmed by standardized smell testing and detailed neuroimaging studies. Recognition of this disorder and its spectrum of presentations provides important insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of the olfactory system. (J Child Neurol 1998;13:168-172).
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