[Serous otitis in children. A manifestation of atopy?]. / Otite séro-muqueuse de l'enfant. Une manifestation de l'atopie?

A study in a consecutive series of children aged 10 months and 2 and 4 years, attending for general health examinations, allowed comparison of a group of 94 children with serous otitis with a control group of 85 children. About 100 parameters, including past history, and results of clinical and paraclinical examinations, were compared, and findings used for statistical analysis. Results confirmed the usual clinical picture of serous otitis in children. In addition, four criteria were demonstrated that were all related to an allergic diathesis: a previous history of familial allergy, spasmodic nocturnal cough, blood hypereosinophilia and maxillary rhinosinusitis. Allergy appears, therefore, to play a role in the physiopathology of serous otitis and should be the object of screening with the aim of prevention and therapy.

Methacrylate-embedded bone marrow particle histology.

Histological sections of methacrylate-embedded bone marrow biopsies allow exact evaluation and classification of the cellular marrow components. We describe a simple method for preparation of sections of aspirated bone marrow particles following embedment in methacrylate. Comparison of histological sections from marrow particles and marrow biopsies demonstrated identical quality. Thus, preparation of methacrylate-embedded particle histologies will frequently abrogate the need for marrow biopsies performed in addition to a marrow aspiration. Routine preparation of both cytological and histological preparations from aspirated bone marrow allows more exact assessment of the bone marrow than cytological evaluation only.

[Cysts and fistulas of the first branchial cleft with parotid symptomatology]. / Kystes et fistules de la première fente branchiale à symptomatologie parotidienne.

On the basis of two cases, one a fistula and the other a cyst of the first brachial cleft with chiefly parotid manifestations, a review of the embryology is given which explains the anatomical features. The elements in their clinical diagnosis, complemented by fistulography and sialography are compared with operative findings, the essential steps in which are as follows: 1) Identification of the facial nerve which by necessity overlies the lesions. 2) Partial resection of the superficial lobe of the parotid. 3) The essential resection of the external auditory meatus, the keystone of radical cure of these cysts and fistulae.