On 20 cases of cystic hygroma of the neck in infancy

431

ABSTRACTS

chord presenting as a rounded mass covered with normal mucosa. Treatment consisted in exploration of the trachea through a midline anterior incision. injection of cortisone into the mass, and tracheostomy. Repeated injections of cortisone were performed under general anesthesia through a laryngoscope. One and a half months after treatment, the mass and the resptratory obstruction disappeared. ‘The tracheostomy was kept open for 4 mo. C. A. Montagnani Clinical

and

Isolated

Immunologic

Response

Tracheal

Secretions

From

to

Bacteria

Fifteen patients without previous pulmonary infection had tracheostomies. They were studied bacteriologically and for immunologic response. Pseudomonas and Proteus were the predominant organisms in the tracheal aspirate in the six patients who developed pneumonia. There was a variety of organisms in patients who had only tracheobronchitis. The serum antibody titers increased in all patients with pneumonia while they did not in patrents with tracheobronchitis. Immunoglobulins and antibodies in tracheal secretions did not change significantly in either group. In the patients with initial high serum antibody titer to P.teudomonn.s there was less chance of developing pneumonia. It was suggested that P\eudomona.r vaccine may be of value in the future. ~Thorna.5 M. Holder

laryngeal

Dysphagia

Nerve

and

Recurrent

Palsy.

R. D. Henderson, A. Boszko, ond A. W. P. YCI” Nostrand. J. Thoroc. Cardiovosc. Surg. 68507-512, 1974. Eighteen patients (all adults) with recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy are presented. Many developed dysphagia at the time of vocal cord paralysis. The recurrent nerve supplies the and cricopharyngeus. proximal esophagus Aspiration was a prominant clinical feature and in three patients pharyngoesophageal myotomy relieved all symptoms of aspiration. Thornus M Branchial

M.

Cleft

Cysts

Twenty-two

Years’

Management

Experience

in

Juvenile

of

the

Medical

Thyrotoxicosis.

Vonitho A. Vaidyo, Alfred M. Rongiovanni, John Tenore, and Rebecca 1. Kirkland. Pediatrics 54565-570 (November), 1974.

S. Parks, Alfred

Ninety-five patients with juvenile thyrotoxicosis have been studied over the period I952 1974. Medical treatment with propylthiouracil has been the treatment of choice Of 75 who have been adequately followed, 40’ ,, have achieved remission with medical treatment alone. The average duration of medical treat-ment was 3.2 yr. Toxic reactions have been few and mild. Thirty-two patients were treated surgically. I3 because of noncompliance with drug treatment and 13 because of recurrence after discontinuation of the drug. In the absence of exceptionally skilled surgical services drug treatment is to be preferred and may be continued virtually mdefinitety in the absence of drug reaction. according to the authors. s. L. Gan5 On 20 Cases of Cystic Infancy. M. Montinori, 36, 1974.

Hygroma

of the

Neck

Iin 16:28--

Riv. Chir. Pediatr.

Five of 20 cervical lymphangiomas operated upon are described and illustrated by micr’oscopic slides and the gross appearance of the mass. No ography.

mortality is reported. C‘. .4. Monragnani

Ciood

bibll-

THORAX Present

Criteria

for

Lung

Surgery

in

Infancy.

E.

Sontoro, G. f. Colon;, P. C. Mineo, and C. R&i, Riv. Chir. Pediat. 16:58-84, 1974.

Holder

Buckinghorn Clin. Proc. 49:172-175

John

Ganr

Following

Tracheostomy, H. Espinoza, D. 1. Palmer, A. 1. Kisch, J. Ulrich, 6. Eberle, and W. P. Reed. J. Thorac. Cordiovasc. Surg. 68:432-439 (September), 1974.

Pharyngoesophageal

1972, when 35 children received surgrcal treatment for branchial cleft remnants. The anatomtc types and sites are described and surgical treatment is outlined. Only one incision was needed in every patient except one. in whom the “stepladder” incisions were used Otherwise the surgical techniques differ little from those described by other authors. The incidence of infection was high, occurring in I4 01 35 patients. This supports the recommendation that operation should be undertaken at an earl+ s. 1 age once the dragnosis has been made.

and

Sinuses

in

Children.

and Hugh 6. Lynn. Mayo (March), 1974.

This paper reports the experience of the Mayo Clinic during the period 1961 through

Out of X7 cases submrtted to surgery of the lung. 52 were affected with echinococcus cysts, I8 with bronchiectasis. five with tuberculosis, one with a lung abscess, two with lobmar emphysema. three with polycystic disease 01