No abstract

A stepwise approach to the surgical treatment of frontal sinusitis, trauma, and selective benign tumors yields successful results as defined by specific criteria which vary from 79% to 97.8%. The details of specific techniques are discussed, essential points emphasized, and author variations noted.

Fifty-six patients with a complete stenosis of the nasolacrimal duct were treated by endoscopically controlled intranasal dacryocystorhinostomy according to West. Forty-four patients had idiopathic stenosis and 12 had posttraumatic scarring. Revision surgery was done in 11 of these 56 cases (8 patients with a previous external Toti procedure, and 3 patients with previous endonasal surgery). Altogether, 95% of the patients were symptom-free (86%) or felt improved (9%) postoperatively. Surgical revision was successful in 82%. Of patients with an "idiopathic" stenosis, 84% were healed and an additional 11% were improved. The success rate in the 12 patients with posttraumatic stenosis was 92%. Endoscopic duct surgery is a highly successful procedure with a low complication rate, the worst complication being persistence of symptoms.

Under conditions of balanced circulatory parameter, equal blood loss and endoscopic vision can be achieved with both tested anesthetic regimens. During extended operations demonstrated thrombocyte impairment by propofol may become clinically relevant.

Twenty-two patients underwent partial or complete ethmoidectomies and were subjected to standardized postoperative follow-ups including endoscopic photography of healing tissues. Sequential biopsies were also taken from the regenerating mucosa and compared with endoscopic findings. On this basis wound healing could be divided into four different phases, allowing for the diagnosis of healing disturbances and clinical planning of stage-dependent therapy. Additionally, a model of wound healing in the maxillary antrum of the rabbit was developed for better understanding the clinical observations. Regeneration of standardized mucosal defects was studied with three-dimensional histomorphological analysis. Circular wounds were found to regenerate concentrically, with wound closure starting by epithelial migration. Within 120 h, granulation tissue covering the wound surface started to become hyperplastic and bone apposition occurred with the formation of osteoid. The systemic application of prednisolone (2 mg/kg per day i.m.) and topical 5% dexpanthenol ointment resulted in an acceleration of late epithelial wound closure together with a reduction in hyperplastic granulation tissue. Local applications of "epidermal growth factor" had no significant effect.