The purpose of the present paper is to examine whether hypersensitivity of nasal mucosa observed in nasal allergy is cause or result of allergic reaction using the subjects with pollinosis in which the exposure period can be clearly distinguished. Subjects are 30 cases of Japanese cedar pollinosis and orchard grass pollinosis and 25 normal controls. Inferior turbinate of unilateral nasal cavity was stimulated by a piece of filter paper soaked with 0.02 ml of 0.1% and 0.5% histamine hydrochloride. Frequency of sneezing and amount of nasal secretion were measured quantatively and were compared among the subjects with pollinosis in season, off season, and normal controls. In subjects with pollinosis when stimulated with extrinsic histamine, frequency of sneezing and amount of nasal secretion were markedly enhanced in season, but during off season no apparent difference was observed compared with normal subjects. Relationship between frequency of sneezing and amount of nasal secretion indicated positive correlation (alpha less than 0.01). Positive correlation was also observed in amount of nasal secretion in ipsilateral and contralateral nasal cavity when unilateral nasal cavity was stimulated with histamine (alpha less than 0.01). Hyperrhinorrhea was closely related with hypersensitivity of nasal mucosa. The present study showed that hypersensitivity of nasal mucosa characteristic of nasal allergy is nonspecific and that it is largely a result of antigen antibody reaction, which in turn works in causing exaggeration of the allergic symptoms and allergic reaction through vicious cycle.

Surgical repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea requires the production of a seal able to resist cerebrospinal fluid pressure during the period of healing. Direct suturing, packing with muscle and fat grafts, and coverage with mucosal or muscle flaps have been effective in repairing most CSF leaks. Fibrin glue may enhance the results of a CSF leak repair by providing better adhesion of the graft and improving the initial seal during healing. A study was performed on 36 rats to assess the effectiveness of fibrin glue in repairing experimentally produced CSF leaks. CSF rhinorrhea was produced by creating a defect in the anterior cranial fossa through the region of the cribriform plate. There were four treatment groups: 1. no treatment control; 2. fibrin adhesive alone; 3. muscle packing alone; and 4. fibrin glue with muscle packing. The CSF leaks were evaluated 3 weeks after operation. Persistent CSF leakage was noted in 89% of group 1, 55% of group 2, 33% of group 3, and 22% of group 4. The reduced CSF leakage in the muscle plus fibrin glue group suggests that fibrin glue, by its adhesive sealing properties, enhances the results of muscle packing alone for the treatment of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea.

Two groups of rats were used to evaluate the results of nerve repair using fibrin tissue adhesive. In one group of 10 rats, a simple neurotomy of the sciatic nerve was performed. In the second group of 10 rats, a 1-cm segment of sciatic nerve was excised bilaterally and used as an autogenous nerve graft. The neurotomy and the nerve graft were repaired on one side by microsurgical suture technique using 10-0 nylon suture. The opposite side was repaired using fibrin adhesive. The results of the repair were assessed at 12 weeks. Functional assessment of nerve regeneration was performed in those rats with intact repair sites. Nerve-muscle twitch strengths were not significantly different (p greater than 0.05) between nerves repaired using suture and fibrin adhesive; however, compound active potential parameters were significantly better in nerve grafts repaired using suture technique (p less than 0.05).

A study was performed to evaluate whether vascular reflex participates in mucosal swelling in nasal allergy, by measuring changes in mucosal swelling in both nasal cavities and changes in blood flow in the bilateral inferior turbinates caused by antigenic challenge in one inferior turbinate. On unilateral challenge, the mucosa of the ipsilateral nasal cavity became swollen, with a concomitant increase in mucosal blood flow. In the contralat-era1 nasal cavity, however, an increase in mucosal blood flow was not necessarily accompanied by mucosal swelling. An increase in mucosal blood flow on antigenic challenge was observed even in nasal mucosa. most of the parasympathetic and sympathetic innervation to which was transected by vidian neurectomy. Vascular reflex certainly participates in nasal allergy but it is not always related to mucosal swelling. Mucosal swelling in nasal allergy is considered to be caused mainly by a direct effect of chemical mediators on nasal vasculature and partly by vascular reflex. A I fu OfolirnnRoI Y4

The purpose of this study was to further investigate the changes of pediatric nasal patency with growth. The nasal patency of Japanese children aged 6 to 14 years was measured by active anterior mask rhinomanometry in terms of effective cross-sectional area (ECSA). The total nasal ECSA of the boys studied was larger than that of the girls of the same age groups. Total nasal ECSA was significantly correlated to age and height, as not transformed, and to weight as logarithmically transformed. Moreover, our study suggests that pediatric nasal resistance is inversely proportional to the second power of age, of height, and of body weight; however, it was concluded that the parameter of height was in itself sufficient to permit an approximate calculation of the total nasal ECSA in normal subjects.