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The electrodeposition of ZnO nanorods on ZnO:Al films with different orientations is reported. The influence of the total charge exchanged during electrodeposition on the nanorod's geometry (length, diameter, aspect ratio and surface density) and the optical transmission properties of the nanorod arrays is studied on a [0001]-oriented ZnO:Al substrate. The nanorods are highly vertically oriented along the c axis, following the lattice matching with the substrate. The growth on a [1010] and [1120] ZnO:Al-oriented substrate with c axis parallel to the substrate leads to a systematic deviation angle of 55 degrees from the perpendicular direction. This finding has been explained by the occurrence of a minority orientation with the [1011] planes parallel to the surface, with a preferential growth on corresponding [0001] termination. Substrate crystalline orientation is thereby found to be a major parameter in finely tuning the orientation of the nanorod array. This new approach allows us to optimize the light scattering properties of the films.

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OBJECTIVES: A prospective study was conducted in 1996-1997 in 100 patients who underwent thyroid surgery and who were randomly assigned to receive drainage or not. No statistical difference in complication rate was observed. The aim of the present retrospective study was to assess the consequences of this attitude in patients undergoing surgery since that time and to determine the number of postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and type of thyroidectomy where cervical drains still appear to be indicated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Total or partial thyroid surgery was performed in 264 patients between June 1997 and October 2000. Neck dissection was associated with 24 patients. RESULTS: Cervical drains were used in 29 patients (10.9%). Postoperative complications were comparable to those commonly reported. CONCLUSION: Except for neck dissection and mediastinal extension, thyroidectomy can be safely performed without drainage. This attitude reduces the overall hospital stay.

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A pharmacokinetic study was carried out to determine moxifloxacin concentrations in sinus tissue, after oral moxifloxacin 400 mg once daily for 5 days to patients with chronic sinusitis, undergoing elective sinus surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to one of seven treatment groups, in which tissues were sampled 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, 24 or 36 h post-dose. A control group with non-infected nasal polyps was also included. Forty-eight patients (13 female, 35 male, mean age 47.1 years) were allocated to one of each active treatment group (n = 42) or to the control group (n = 6). Tissue and plasma samples were taken simultaneously and stored frozen until assayed by HPLC. Thirty-nine patients were fully valid for pharmacokinetic analysis. The geometric mean moxifloxacin plasma concentration increased from 2.32 mg/L at 2 h to a maximum of 3.37 mg/L at 4 h post-dose, decreasing to 0.37 mg/L at 36 h post-dose. The moxifloxacin concentration in sinus mucosa was consistently greater than that in plasma being 4.56-5.73 mg/kg from 2 to 6 h and 2.81-1.25 mg/kg from 12 to 36 h post-dose. The elimination rates in plasma and sinus tissues were similar. The tissue/plasma ratio was c. 200% between 2 and 6 h, and up to 328.9% at 36 h. Results were similar whatever the site of tissue sampling (maxillary sinus, anterior ethmoid sinus or nasal polyps). Tissue levels exceeded the MIC(90) of all pathogens commonly causing acute sinusitis (e.g. 5-30 x MIC for Streptococcus pneumoniae: 0.25 mg/L). These results sup-port the use of moxifloxacin 400 mg once daily as a regimen for the treatment of sinus infections.

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Between November, 1996 and May, 1997 a series of 100 consecutive unselected patients undergoing all types of thyroid surgery--including even those inducing large dead space e.g. substernal goitre and carcinoma thyroid with recurrent nerve dissection--were randomly allotted to either receive drainage (n = 43) or not (n = 57). Patients with cervical dissection for lymph node metastasis were not included. Severe intra-operative haemorrhage was not a reason for exclusion. No complications such as haematoma or seroma were found in the undrained group whereas only minor complications such as haematoma (n = 4) were noted in the drained group. Whatever the group, none of the patients required re-exploration. The difference in overall hospital stay (1.72 days in the group of undrained patients versus 2.09 days in the drained group) was not statistically significant.

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The purpose of this report is to study the incidence of two main complications in thyroid surgery without systematic search for recurrent laryngeal nerve, by intracapsular thyroidectomy: temporary and chronic laryngeal recurrent paralysis (after six months), temporary hypoparathyroidism and chronic hypoparathyroidism (unrecovering normal function after six months). We have retrospectively analysed 588 patients from 1981 to 1994. There were 247 total or subtotal thyroidectomies and 341 loboisthmectomies (isolated thyroid nodules). We obtained over this 588 cases 0.3% of chronic laryngeal paralysis and 1.4% of chronic hypoparathyroidism. If the cost of surgery for thyroid nodules is low (0.3% of chronic recurrent paralysis and 0% of chronic hypoparathyroidism), it is more important for total or subtotal thyroidectomies (respectively 1.2% and 3.2%). We conclude that in thyroid surgery, there is no higher risk for the recurrent nerve without dissection of this one, but we note that, without obvious explanation, rates of permanent hypoparathyroidism are not better than in others publications.

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The authors list the main modalities for medical therapy proposed for sero-mucous otitis. Treatments such as antibiotherapy, corticotherapy and antihistamines have not proved to be effective, although they are useful at certain stages of the disease. The authors present a study of a mucolytic, carbocysteine, for the treatment of sero-mucous otitis. The study was performed using a double blind procedure against placebo in 44 children aged from 30 months to ten years. Monitoring included a clinical examination, impedancemetry, and audiometry. With carbocysteine, the auditive recovery was significantly faster on the side of the least affected ear. When transtympanic drainage had to be performed, the mucolytic effect in vivo on the fluidity of the secretions was directly noted. An improved ear evacuation was obtained. Tolerance was perfect in prolonged treatment with a high posology in young children.

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Between March 85 and November 86, 20 patients underwent treatment for sudden deafness [19] or bilateral tinnitus [1] by Pentoxifylline (1 200 mg/24 Hrs, including 400 mg IV over 24 Hrs) and Carbogen sessions (2 or 3/24 Hrs), during six days on an in-patient basis, followed by 1 200 mg/24 Hrs orally during another eight days. The results, assessed by clinical examination, audiometry, and erythrocyte filtration time (using the Reid and Dormandy method) on the first, sixth, and fourtheenth days, were: -- good or very good a little more than 75%, -- moderate: 5%, -- poor: a little fewer than 20%. Filtration times in a group of asymptomatic patients, determined by the same method, were used as a reference.

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The authors report the case of a 62 years old patient who presented a squamous laryngeal carcinoma 8 years after the discovery of amyloidosis localized to one vocal cord. In this patient, a relationship would seem to exist between the two pathologies, with degeneration of amyloidosis being responsible, though a random coexistence cannot, of course, be completely excluded. After a review of laryngeal amyloidosis and its management, this particular case is discussed in relation to other cases described in the literature.

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The authors have perfected the method of needle catheter jejunostomy introduced in 1973 for enteral feeding. Using the Seldinger technique reduces the risks of leakage, intra-operative haematoma and fistula following removal of the catheter. The operative procedure is described and the preliminary results are reported.

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The authors present the results of 10 hypoglosso-facial anastomoses performed according to the technique of J.M. Sterkers and J.M. Pelisse. In 9 cases regularly followed up: - Muscle tone reappeared between 4 and 5 months and was symmetrical in all cases. - Motility of the half of the face was visible between 4 and 7 months after the anastomosis. In 8 cases out of 9 the definitive result was good with muscle testing varying between 17 and 23/30. In one case palpebral occlusion was incomplete with testing at 13/30. Paralysis of one half of the tongue was invariably well tolerated. Hypoglosso-facial anastomosis has the value of reliability superior to other techniques, in particular facio-facial anastomosis.

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The organic causes having been eliminated, the possibility of nervous tension as a cause of otologic diseases is discussed. The interest of sedatives and anxiolytic therapy is stressed.

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The indication of facial nerve surgery are wider than currently believed. The incision of the fibrous sheath, the suture termino-terminal, the nervous graft even very long, the hypoglosso anastomosis give all better results than all other surgical technics. The potentiality of nervous regeneration exist in old people and after very long delay.

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Topographical diagnosis using Schirmer's test and measurement of the stapes reflex was carried out in a series of 45 cases of Bell's palsy. The aim of this study was to define the exact location of the nerve lesion in order to guide the possible choice of surgical decompression of the facial nerve. The authors noted the existence of a geniculate or suprageniculate lesion in 62% of cases. A study of the literature shows marked disagreement between the various publications. This leads to discussion of the value and interpretation of topographical tests.

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A total of 6 cases of bilateral vestibular areflexia due to Gentamycin are reported. Vestibular destruction was associated with deafness in only 3 of the patients. Two patients had no signs of renal insufficiency. Galvanic vestibular exploration showed complete and bilateral lack of excitability in 3 out of 4 cases, which could be due to the co-existence of nerve or nuclei lesions. In one case, galvanic excitability was within normal limits, and severe equilibrium problems presisted. The presence of an asymmetry on galvanic examination could be an unfavourable prognostic sign in vestibular toxicity due to Gentamycin.

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A case is reported of total bilateral cochleo-vestibular destruction following instillation of Framycetin into the middle ear, under pressure, through a transtympanic drain. Toxicity of Framycetin after local use is exceptional and only one case, reported by Ransome, was found in the published literature. The interest of this observation is that, by using puncture of the foot of the stapes, it was possible to find Framycetin in the perilymphatic liquid three weeks after the injection of the product.

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A case is reported of gustatory sudation of the cheek without previous parotid lesions. The results of pharmacological tests confirmed the neurogenic origin, blocked by atropine and stimulated by A.C. The published literature is reviewed and a tentative explanation suggested, based on the physiopathological mechanisms involved in Freis syndrome, that the lesion was of neuritic type but had not been recognized.

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It is well-known today that there is a cisternal "no man's land" between the petrous bone and the cerebral trunk in which a tumour can develop insidiously. The clinical signs are very variable and often in contradiction with those described for larger tumours. Tomodensimetry is indicated, but it is not conclusive if the mass is limited to the internal auditory canal or if it extends into the angle for less than 15 mm. Opaque meato-cisternography alone, gives the following information: 1. When a pseudo-tumoural syndrome is present, the auditory canal and cisterna are well opacified. 2. If there is a tumour which extends for more than 20 mm into the cisterna, the oil has a rounded, interrupted contour, and other radiological examinations are useful in this case. 3. When the tumour extends for less than 20 mm into the angle a rounded continuous contour is seen, and Hirtz's axial incidence can be used to measure the tumour diameter. 4. Finally, when temporary opacification faults have been eliminated (after retilting), opaque meato-cisternography is the only examination able to demonstrate the early stages of a tumour, in the intra-canal stage. This early diagnostic procedure has enabled one of us to excise tumours of moderate of even very small volume, under the best surgical conditions, and with functional and vital results which we would not have obtained at a later date.

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