Outcome of orbital decompression for disfiguring proptosis in patients with Graves' orbitopathy using various surgical procedures.

AIM: To compare the outcome of various surgical approaches of orbital decompression in patients with Graves' orbitopathy (GO) receiving surgery for disfiguring proptosis. METHOD: Data forms and questionnaires from consecutive, euthyroid patients with inactive GO who had undergone orbital decompression for disfiguring proptosis in 11 European centres were analysed. RESULTS: Eighteen different (combinations of) approaches were used, the swinging eyelid approach being the most popular followed by the coronal and transconjunctival approaches. The average proptosis reduction for all decompressions was 5.0 (SD 2.1) mm. After three-wall decompression the proptosis reduction was significantly greater than after two-wall decompression. Additional fat removal resulted in greater proptosis reduction. Complications were rare, the most frequent being worsening of motility, occurring more frequently after coronal decompression. The average change in quality of life (QOL) in the appearance arm of the GO-QOL questionnaire was 20.5 (SD 24.8) points. CONCLUSIONS: In Europe, a wide range of surgical approaches is used to reduce disfiguring proptosis in patients with GO. The extent of proptosis reduction depends on the number of walls removed and whether or not fat is removed. Serious complications are infrequent. Worsening of ocular motility is still a major complication, but was rare in this series after the swinging eyelid approach.

[Actinomycosis--clinical and therapeutic considerations based on 2 personal case reports]. / Aktinomykose--Klinische und therapeutische Uberlegungen anhand von zwei eigenen Beobachtungen.

We report on two patients with actinomycosis. The first case was a 45-year-old cachectic man with extensive bilateral pulmonary infiltrates. The lesions remained unclear for 18 months and only open lung biopsy with microscopic and cultural evaluation led to the diagnosis of actinomycosis. In the second case, classic cervico-facial actinomycosis in a 69-year-old farmer is described. Diagnosis was established on the basis of microscopic findings of "sulphur granules" eroding the mandible. Furthermore, the clinical presentation, with an indurated swelling of the jaw and intraoral fistula formation, was typical. The patient had a severe combined aortic valve lesion and died after ventricular fibrillation during hospitalization. Diagnosis could not be confirmed by culture, probably due to antibiotic prophylaxis against endocarditis during tooth extraction on the first day of admission. Diagnostic difficulties and microbiologic aspects are discussed, with special focus on the rare species of Actinomyces meyeri which was cultured from biopsy specimens from the lung of the first patient. So far this species has been described in only 13 patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)