Made by DATEXIS (Data Science and Text-based Information Systems) at Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin
Deep Learning Technology: Sebastian Arnold, Betty van Aken, Paul Grundmann, Felix A. Gers and Alexander Löser. Learning Contextualized Document Representations for Healthcare Answer Retrieval. The Web Conference 2020 (WWW'20)
Funded by The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy; Grant: 01MD19013D, Smart-MD Project, Digital Technologies
Although rare, this condition is often treatable with surgery. In most cases, the blind hemivagina is opened, and the fluid drained.
The overall complication rate following surgery is around 20%; cerebrospinal fluid leak is the most common.
The objective of irradiation is to halt the growth of the acoustic neuroma tumour, it does not excise it from the body, as the term 'radiosurgery' or 'gammaknife' implies. Radiosurgery is only suitable for small to medum size tumors.
Alezzandrini syndrome is a very rare syndrome characterized by a unilateral degenerative retinitis, followed after several months by ipsilateral vitiligo on the face and ipsilateral poliosis. Deafness may also be present.
Very few risk factors for choanal atresia have been identified. While causes are unknown, both genetic and environmental triggers are suspected. One study suggests that chemicals that act as endocrine disrupters may put an unborn infant at risk. A 2012 epidemiological study looked at atrazine, a commonly used herbicide in the U.S., and found that women who lived in counties in Texas with the highest levels of this chemical being used to treat agricultural crops were 80 times more likely to give birth to infants with choanal atresia or stenosis compared to women who lived in the counties with the lowest levels. Another epidemiological report in 2010 found even higher associations between increased incidents of choanal atresia and exposure to second-hand-smoke, coffee consumption, high maternal zinc and B-12 intake and exposure to anti-infective urinary tract medications.
Temporary alleviation can be achieved by inserting an oral airway into the mouth. However, the only definitive treatment is surgery to correct the defect by perforating the atresia to create a nasopharyngeal airway. If the blockage is caused by bone, this is drilled through and stent inserted. The patient has to have this sucked out by an air vacuum machine . And in later life as a teenager or in early twenties the hole will have to be re-drilled larger.
A stent may be inserted to keep the newly formed airway patent or repeated dilatation may be performed.
There is no treatment to correct an enlarged vestibular aqueduct. Any hearing loss will need management with amplification and support in education and at work. If the hearing loss becomes severe to profound cochlear implants can be of significant value. Vestibular disturbance is usually short-lived and associated with head trauma but significant vestibular hypofunction may require rehabilitation.
People with enlarged vestibular aqueducts are advised to avoid head trauma where possible. This usually means avoiding contact sports such as boxing and rugby, but also horse riding, trampolining and other sports where head injury may occur. Some have symptoms when flying and should limit these activities if affected.
OHVIRA, or Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich syndrome, is a rare anomaly of the Müllerian ducts. In most cases, it is presented as a double uterus with unilateral obstructed (or blind) hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis. Although the true incidence is unknown, it has been reported to be between 0.1% and 3.8%.
Hemifacial hypertrophy (also termed facial hemihypertrophy, facial hemihyperplasia, or Friedreich's disease) abbreviated as (HFH) is rare congenital disease characterized by unilateral enlargement of the head and teeth. It is classified as true HFH (THFH) with unilateral enlargement of the viscerocranium, and partial HFH (PHFH) in which not all structures are enlarged. Hemifacial hypertrophy can cause a wide spectrum of defects or may involve only muscle or bone. it is usually treated surgically. It is believed to be a minor form of hemihypertrophy.
Congenital cystic eye (also known as "CCE" or "cystic eyeball") is an extremely rare ocular malformation where the eye fails to develop correctly "in utero" and is replaced by benign, fluid-filled tissue. Its incidence is unknown, due to the very small number of cases reported. An audit by Duke-Elder of the medical literature from 1880 to 1963 discovered only 28 cases. The term was coined in 1937 by the renowned ophthalmologist Ida Mann.
Embryologically, the defect is thought to occur around day 35 of gestation, when the vesicle fails to invaginate. Dysgenesis of the vesicle later in development may result in coloboma, a separate and less severe malformation of the ocular structures.
CCE is almost always unilateral, but at least 2 cases of bilateral involvement have been described. Patients may also present with skin appendages attached to the skin surrounding the eyes. Association with intracranial anomalies has been reported.
Treatment of CCE is usually by enucleation, followed by insertion of an ocular implant and prosthesis.
Causes a ‘white reflex’ in the affected eye (leukocoria), prompting further investigation.
Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis (ECCL), otherwise known as Haberland syndrome, is a rare condition primarily affecting the brain, eyes, and skin of the head and face. It is characterized by unilateral subcutaneous and intracranial lipomas, alopecia, unilateral porencephalic cysts, epibulbar choristoma and other ophtalmic abnormalities.
It was named after Haberland and Perou who first described it.
All cases reported appear to represent sporadic occurrence. There is no specific inheritance pattern. The male-to-female ratio of affected is 1.8:1 and is often diagnosed before the age of 9. The disorder affects the right and left sides of the maxilla almost equally.
Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV), also known as Persistent Fetal Vasculature (PFV), is a rare congenital developmental anomaly of the eye that results
following failure of the embryological, primary vitreous and hyaloid vasculature to regress. It can be present in three forms: purely anterior (persistent tunica vasculosa lentis and persistent posterior fetal fibrovascular sheath of the lens), purely posterior (falciform retinal septum and ablatio falcicormis congenita) and a combination of both. Most examples of PHPV are unilateral and non-hereditary. When bilateral, PHPV may follow an autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant inheritance pattern.
It is a rare developmental disorder that affects maxilla, also known as the upper jaw in most vertebrates. The disorder is often diagnosed in early childhood. Since its original description as hemimaxillofacial dysplasia by doctors in 1987, less than 40 cases have been reported in the English literature.
Trotter's syndrome is a cluster of symptoms associated with certain types of advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The cause of pain is the mandibular nerve of the foramen ovale, through which the tumor enters the calvarium. Symptoms include the following:
1. Unilateral conductive deafness due to middle ear effusion
2. Trigeminal neuralgia due to perineural spread
3. Soft palate immobility
4. Difficulty opening mouth
Typically, testing is first done to determine the quality of hearing. This can be done as early as in the first two weeks with a BAER test (Brain Stem Auditory Response Test). At age 5–6, CT or CAT scans of the middle ear can be done to elucidate its development and clarify which patients are appropriate candidates for surgery to improve hearing. For younger individuals, this is done under sedation.
The hearing loss associated with congenital aural atresia is a conductive hearing loss—hearing loss caused by inefficient conduction of sound to the inner ear. Essentially, children with aural atresia have hearing loss because the sound cannot travel into the (usually) healthy inner ear—there is no ear canal, no eardrum, and the small ear bones (malleus/hammer, incus/anvil, and stapes/stirrup) are underdeveloped. "Usually" is in parentheses because rarely, a child with atresia also has a malformation of the inner ear leading to a sensorineural hearing loss (as many as 19% in one study). Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by a problem in the inner ear, the cochlea. Sensorineural hearing loss is not correctable by surgery, but properly fitted and adjusted hearing amplification (hearing aids) generally provide excellent rehabilitation for this hearing loss. If the hearing loss is severe to profound in both ears, the child may be a candidate for a cochlear implant (beyond the scope of this discussion).
Unilateral sensorineural hearing loss was not generally considered a serious disability by the medical establishment before the nineties; it was thought that the afflicted person was able to adjust to it from birth. In general, there are exceptional advantages to gain from an intervention to enable hearing in the microtic ear, especially in bilateral microtia. Children with untreated unilateral sensorineural hearing loss are more likely to have to repeat a grade in school and/or need supplemental services (e.g., FM system – see below) than their peers.
Children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss often require years of speech therapy in order to learn how to enunciate and understand spoken language. What is truly unclear, and the subject of an ongoing research study, is the effect of unilateral conductive hearing loss (in children with unilateral aural atresia) on scholastic performance. If atresia surgery or some form of amplification is not used, special steps should be taken to ensure that the child is accessing and understanding all of the verbal information presented in school settings. Recommendations for improving a child's hearing in the academic setting include preferential seating in class, an FM system (the teacher wears a microphone, and the sound is transmitted to a speaker at the child's desk or to an ear bud or hearing aid the child wears), a bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA), or conventional hearing aids. Age for BAHA implantation depends on whether the child is in Europe (18 months) or the US (age 5). Until then it is possible to fit a BAHA on a softband
It is important to note that not all children with aural atresia are candidates for atresia repair. Candidacy for atresia surgery is based on the hearing test (audiogram) and CT scan imaging. If a canal is built where one does not exist, minor complications can arise from the body's natural tendency to heal an open wound closed. Repairing aural atresia is a very detailed and complicated surgical procedure which requires an expert in atresia repair. While complications from this surgery can arise, the risk of complications is greatly reduced when using a highly experienced otologist. Atresia patients who opt for surgery will temporarily have the canal packed with gelatin sponge and silicone sheeting to prevent closure. The timing of ear canal reconstruction (canalplasty) depends on the type of external ear (Microtia) repair desired by the patient and family. Two surgical teams in the USA are currently able to reconstruct the canal at the same time as the external ear in a single surgical stage (one stage ear reconstruction).
In cases where a later surgical reconstruction of the external ear of the child might be possible, positioning of the BAHA implant is critical. It may be necessary to position the implant further back than usual to enable successful reconstructive surgery – but not so far as to compromise hearing performance. If the reconstruction is ultimately successful, it is easy to remove the percutaneous BAHA abutment. If the surgery is unsuccessful, the abutment can be replaced and the implant re-activated to restore hearing.
The age when outer ear surgery can be attempted depends upon the technique chosen. The earliest is 7 for Rib Cartilage Grafts. However, some surgeons recommend waiting until a later age, such as 8–10 when the ear is closer to adult size. External ear prostheses have been made for children as young as 5.
For auricular reconstruction, there are several different options:
1. "Rib Cartilage Graft Reconstruction:" This surgery may be performed by specialists in the technique. It involves sculpting the patient's own rib cartilage into the form of an ear. Because the cartilage is the patient's own living tissue, the reconstructed ear continues to grow as the child does. In order to be sure that the rib cage is large enough to provide the necessary donor tissue, some surgeons wait until the patient is 8 years of age; however, some surgeons with more experience with this technique may begin the surgery on a child aged six. The major advantage of this surgery is that the patient's own tissue is used for the reconstruction. This surgery varies from two to four stages depending on the surgeon's preferred method. A novel one stage ear reconstruction technique is performed by a few select surgeons. One team is able to reconstruct the entire external ear and ear canal in one operation.
2. "Reconstruct the ear using a polyethylene plastic implant (also called Medpor):" This is a 1–2 stage surgery that can start at age 3 and can be done as an outpatient without hospitalization. Using the porous framework, which allows the patient's tissue to grow into the material and the patient's own tissue flap, a new ear is constructed in a single surgery. A small second surgery is performed in 3–6 months if needed for minor adjustments. This surgery should only be performed by experts in the techniques involved. The use of porous polyethylene implants for ear reconstruction was initiated in the 1980s by Alexander Berghaus.
3. "Ear Prosthesis:" An auricular (ear) prosthesis is custom made by an anaplastologist to mirror the other ear. Prosthetic ears can appear very realistic. They require a few minutes of daily care. They are typically made of silicone, which is colored to match the surrounding skin and can be attached using either adhesive or with titanium screws inserted into the skull to which the prosthetic is attached with a magnetic or bar/clip type system. These screws are the same as the BAHA (bone anchored hearing aid) screws and can be placed simultaneously. The biggest advantage over any surgery is having a prosthetic ear that allows the affected ear to appear as normal as possible to the natural ear. The biggest disadvantage is the daily care involved and knowing that the prosthesis is not real.
Prominent ear, otapostasis or bat ear is an abnormally protruding human ear. It may be unilateral or bilateral. The concha is large with poorly developed antihelix and scapha. It is the result of malformation of cartilage during primitive ear development in intrauterine life. The deformity can be corrected anytime after 6 years. The surgery is preferably done at the earliest in order to avoid psychological distress. Correction by otoplasty involves changing the shape of the ear cartilage so that the ear is brought closer to the side of the head. The skin is not removed, but the shape of the cartilage is altered. The surgery does not affect hearing. It is done for cosmetic purposes only. The complications of the surgery, though rare, are keloid formation, hematoma formation, infection and asymmetry between the ears.
Large vestibular aqueduct, also known as enlarged vestibular aqueduct, dilated vestibular aqueduct or widened vestibular aqueduct is a structural deformity of the inner ear. Enlargement of this duct is one of the most common inner ear deformities and is commonly associated with hearing loss during childhood.. Some use the term enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome but this is felt by others to be erroneous as it is a clinical finding which can occur in several syndromes.
The feature is present in approximately 10.4% of the Spanish adult population, 40% of Indian adults, and 58% of Swedish school children. This acuminate nodule represents the point of the mammalian ear. The trait can potentially be bilateral, meaning present on both ears, or unilateral, where it is only present on one ear. There is mixed evidence in regard to whether the bilateral or unilateral expression is related to population, or other factors. Some populations express full bilaterality, while others may express either unilateral or bilaterality. However, bilaterality appears to be more common than unilateral as it pertains to the expression of the trait.
This lesion is usually unilateral and affects several structures in the midbrain including:
It is caused by midbrain infarction as a result of occlusion of the paramedian branches of the posterior cerebral artery or of basilar bifurcation perforating arteries.
Incontinentia pigmenti achromians (also known as "hypomelanosis of Ito") is a cutaneous condition characterized by various patterns of bilateral or unilateral hypopigmentation following the lines of Blaschko. Though the consistency of the skin findings have led to the term "hypomelanosis of Ito", it actually refers to a group of disorders with various genetic causes including polyploidies and aneuploidies. Based upon the specifics of the genetic defect, the skin findings can be accompanied by a great range of systemic findings. These include central nervous system, ocular, and musculoskeletal defects. Nonetheless, the vast majority of cases are limited to the skin. As opposed to incontinentia pigmenti, hypomelanosis of Ito affects both genders equally.
Congenital fourth cranial nerve palsy can be treated with strabismus surgery, where muscle attachment sites on the globe are modified to realign the eyes. Some eye doctors prefer conservative or no management of congenital fourth nerve palsy.
Other eye doctors recommend surgery early in a patient's life to prevent the compensatory torticollis and facial asymmetry that develop with age.
Prism lenses set to make minor optical changes in the vertical alignment may be prescribed instead of or after surgery to fine-tune the correction. Prism lenses do not address torsional misalignment and this may limit their use in certain cases. An additional consideration of prism lenses is that they must be worn at all times. Prism lenses reduce vertical fusional demands by allowing the eyes to rest in their vertically misaligned state. When they are removed the patient may experience vertical diplopia they find hard to resolve due to the rested state of their eyes.
Cases of congenital fourth nerve palsy vary in magnitude and way they affect the motion of the superior oblique muscle. Therefore different surgeries are available dependent upon the type of misalignment. Sometimes surgery on more than one eye muscle is required. In some simpler, unilateral cases a single surgery may suffice. In these cases the main problem is that the inferior oblique muscle of the same eye acts unopposed by the weakened superior oblique muscle, pulling the eye up. An example of a safe and effective procedure is a disinsertion of the inferior oblique muscle to allow it to reattach itself further down the globe of the eye. This acts to 'weaken' its action and allow the eye to move back into a more neutral alignment.
In all cases of congenital fourth nerve palsy, it is important to see an experienced strabismologist about management/treatment options. A strabismologist is an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) specialising in eye movement disorders.
Crossed dystopia (syn.unilateral fusion cross fused renal ectopia) is a rare form of renal ectopia where both kidneys are on the same side of the spine. In many cases, the two kidneys are fused together, yet retain their own vessels and ureters. The ureter of the lower kidney crosses the midline to enter the bladder on the contralateral side. Both renal pelvis can lie one above each other medial to the renal parenchyma (unilateral long kidney) or the pelvis of the crossed kidney faces laterally (unilateral "S" shaped kidney). Urogram is diagnostic.
The anomaly can be diagnosed through ultrasound of urography, but surgical intervention is only necessary if there are other complications, such as tumors or pyelonephritis.