[Voice disorders in childhood].

Voice disorders in the pediatric population are relatively common. The education of families, teachers and clinical staff on etiology and treatment of pediatric voice disorders have led to greater attention being paid to hoarseness in childhood and improving early detection of pediatric voice disorders. Pediatric voice problems can have a number of causes.

[Subjective and objective hearing test results for children with orofacial clefts].

Objective: The hearing status of children with orofacial clefts was analysed using objective hearing tests over an average of 38.7 months following soft palate closure. We investigated the influence of: timing of closure, type of cleft, importance of grommets insertion and concomitant craniofacial syndromes such as Pierre Robin (PRS).

[Update oropharyngeal dysphagia part 1: Physiology, pathology and diagnosis].

Swallowing is a complex mechanism with many muscles and nerves needed. If this is disturbed, oropharyngeal dysphagia may be caused, especially in the elderly. There is a wide range of causes.

[Update oropharyngeal dysphagia part 2: etiology and therapy].

Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a common problem, especially in the elderly. There is a wide range of causes: neurological disorders (such as stroke), osteophytes of the cervical spine, malignancies of the head and neck, as a consequence of radiotherapy or side effect from medication or simply "dysphagia of aging". Where oral feeding is sufficiently impaired then this route may have to be bypassed by percutaneous enteral gastrostomy.

[Fusobacterium necrophorum--cause of a mastoiditis with skull- and mandibular joint osteomyelitis].

Background: The typical clinical manifestation of an infection with the obligate anaerobic, gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria Fusobacterium necrophorum is the Lemierre syndrome. As the cause of osteomyelitis and mastoiditis factors of the normal bacteria flora are more likely to be found than Fusobacterium necrophorum. Nevertheless, Necrobacillosis is an important differential diagnosis of complicated courses of mastoiditis.

[Fungal sinusitis].

The incidence of fungal sinusitis is subjected to significant geographical variation. Basically, invasive and non-invasive fungal sinusitis is distinguished. Invasive fungal sinusitis is observed mainly in immunocompromised hosts.

[An anatomic facsimile model with origin inner ear structures for temporal bone preparations].

Background: Microsurgical dissection exercises are essential in otosurgery training. Human temporal bone specimens are rarely available for necessary extensive preparation steps up to the cochlea. This requires the development of new Anatomical Facsimile Models (AFM) of the temporal bone with its diffizil internal structures.

[Insertion results for Contour™ and Contour Advance™ electrodes: are there individual learning curves?].

The aim of our study was to evaluate results of insertion following cochlear implantation with Contour™ and Contour Advance™ electrode arrays in adult patients and to analyze individual insertion results for three experienced surgeons. We performed a retrospective analysis of postoperative 3D volume tomography results in 223 adult patients. The intracochlear electrode position was evaluated to be in scala tympani, scala vestibuli or with a dislocation from one scala to the other.

Induction chemotherapy with TPF (Docetaxel, Carboplatin and Fluorouracil) in the treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) presents at a locally advanced (LA) stage in many patients. Chemotherapy, which is one fundamental therapy mode for local disease control of inoperable disease or if organ preservation is desired, has become an important factor of first line treatment regimens either during or prior to radiotherapy (RT). Patients with locoregionally advanced inoperable, recurrent or metastatic disease still have a poor prognosis, which enforces the need for new treatment approaches and new drug therapies, adjusted to the different settings of the disease.

Age dependence of otoacoustic emissions: the loss of amplitude is primarily caused by age-related hearing loss and not by aging alone.

The amplitude of otoacoustic emissions (OAE) is known to decrease with increasing age, but it is still unclear whether this is due to aging alone or to age-related hearing loss. This study describes the exploration of a large database (5,142 patients from 0.4 to 89.

Tracheostomy cannulas and voice prosthesis.

Cannulas and voice prostheses are mechanical aids for patients who had to undergo tracheotomy or laryngectomy for different reasons. For better understanding of the function of those artificial devices, first the indications and particularities of the previous surgical intervention are described in the context of this review. Despite the established procedure of percutaneous dilatation tracheotomy e.

[Temporomandibular joint dysfunction. A consequence of whiplash-injury].

Background: In 10-20% of patients with a simple whiplash-injury without severe structural lesions, a chronification of the complaints occurs. The question is whether some unidentified pathogenic factors exist.

Scientific Question: Investigations have demonstrated that mandibular and head-neck movements are coordinated and centrally controlled and that a craniocervical dysfunction (CCD) can lead to a temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) by reflex action and vice versa.

[Diagnostic value of color-coded Doppler sonography in neuro-otologic disorders].

Purpose: The successful introduction of Doppler and Color-Coded Doppler Sonography (CCDS) in the field of Otorhinolaryngology has improved the diagnostic sonographic value for several diseases of the head and neck region, e. g. in hemangiomas and vascular malformations.

Early detection of hearing loss.

The universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) is currently spreading in Germany, as well, even though there can be no talk of a comprehensive establishment. The introduction of UNHS in several federal states such as Hamburg, Hessen, and Schleswig-Holstein can be ascribed to the personal commitment of individual pediatric audiologists. Apart from the procurement of the screening equipment and the training of the staff responsible for the examination of the newborns, the tracking, i.

Indication for the need of flexible and frequency specific mapping functions in cochlear implant speech processors.

Categorical loudness scaling of electric and acoustic stimuli was performed in cochlear implant (CI) recipients equipped with Nucleus systems in order to achieve a normal loudness perception in the whole dynamic range of acoustic input. For each electrode, the lower and upper limits of electric stimulus were defined by the values corresponding to "very soft" and "too loud". Within this dynamic range, the stimulus strength intervals associated to the verbal categories "soft", "medium", "loud" and "very loud" were determined.

The role of S100A1 in external auditory canal cholesteatoma.

S100 proteins were reported to be involved in different biological activities such as transduction of intracellular calcium signalling. It has been reported that each member of the S100 protein family exhibits a distinct tissue-specific pattern of expression. Furthermore, altered S100 protein expression and function correlate with many diseases.

[Subcranial resection of malignant tumors infiltrating the anterior skull base].

Background: Survival and quality of life after subcranial resection of malignant tumors infiltrating the anterior skull base should be evaluated.

Methods: Data were acquired retrospectively from patient charts and by telephone interview. Quality of life was assessed with the EORTC QLQ30 and H&N35 modules.

Contact endoscopic findings in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Background: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is characterized by angiodysplastic lesions. So far, knowledge is limited on the vascular architecture and rate of occult manifestation of telangiectases. Contact endoscopy has not been used for this task before.

[Routine otorhinolaryngological examination in patients with cystic fibrosis].

Objectives: Data on the prevalence of otorhinolaryngological (ORL) symptoms in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are limited. A standard annual examination would be useful for definition of risk factors and/or management alternatives for these symptoms.

Study Design: Prospective observational study of an unselected group of CF patients.

[Quality of life in patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma. Gender influences the subjective evaluation].

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of patient characteristics and surgical interventions on quality of life (QoL) after primary surgery and postoperative irradiation in patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Patients And Methods: Between January 1997 and February 2002, 169 patients with carcinoma of the oropharynx were treated with curative intent. In September 2002, a total of 88 disease-free survivors were identified and included in this study.

[Management of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Current status].

The diagnostics and therapy of oropharyngeal dysphagia fall within the competence of ENT, phoniatrics and speech language pathology. Due to etiologic diversity, interdisciplinary management is necessary in many cases. After taking a thorough history, focused on swallowing, dynamic instrumental examination methods, i.

[A historic case of Wegener's granulomatosis: the physicist who discovered the electromagnetic waves: Heinrich Hertz].

Summary: A diary and an extensive correspondence of Heinrich Hertz and his family provide a meticulous documentation of his life, made available by Albrecht Folsing in 1997 through a carefully investigated biography, which permit the conclusion that H. Hertz died of Wegener's granulomatosis, 45 years before this disease had been explored. WEGENER'S GRANULOMATOSIS: The symptoms of the granulomatosis, that was first described by Friedrich Wegener in 1936 and 1939 are presented in short with literal quotations of the author: It begins with a refractory cold that will last until the end, then follow involvement of the paranasal sinuses, ears, mucous lining of mouth and pharynx, slight fever, weakness, in the final phase dissemination with nephritis, septic fever, arthritis, myalgia, paralyses leading to total immobility, exitus.