Transsphenoidal pituitary surgery has evolved over the past several decades, because advances in technology have been the catalyst for minimally invasive surgeries. Less invasive approaches, such as the transnasal approach with endoscopic resection of tumor and the completely endoscopic .technique have less morbidity and a shorter hospital stay than traditional sublabial approaches. Continued follow-up is needed to confirm long-term benefits and similar recurrence rates.

Although endoscopic repair of SB defect remains largely successful, certain factors should alert the surgeon to the potential for failure of repair or need for secondary SB defect repair.

Lacrimal canaliculitis is an infection of the lacrimal duct system. The classic features of lacrimal canaliculitis are mild to severe swelling of the canaliculus, mucopurulent discharge from the punctum, and a red, pouting punctum. Canaliculotomy with systemic or topical antibiotics is the most appropriate treatment for this disorder.

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The influence of irrigation on bone cutting was determined by measuring the biomechanical performance of a bone cutting saw during irrigation with various solutions. Solutions of 0.9% saline and 10, 20, and 30% poloxamer-188 were used as the irrigant. A 10% solution of poloxamer-188 was judged to be the superior irrigant because it successfully maintained bone temperature at a controlled level without interfering with the rate of bone removal.

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Introduction: Surfactant-associated proteins (SPs) play a crucial role in the innate defense system and serve as the initial step in the immune response to inhaled pathogens. SP-A and SP-D expression and function are altered in a variety of inflammatory and infectious diseases of the lungs, such as asthma, allergies, and cystic fibrosis, but their presence and function in the sinonasal cavity has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to test our hypothesis that SP-A and SP-D are present in the human sinus. Materials and Methods: Sinus mucosal biopsies were performed in 8 patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, pituitary tumors, and cerebrospinal fluid leak repairs. Expression of SP mRNA and protein by the sinus mucosa was detected by RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis, respectively. Results: Analyses of mucosal biopsies from these patients revealed the presence of SP-A and SP-D mRNA and protein in all specimens. Conclusion: SP-A and SP-D are expressed in both normal and diseased human sinus tissue. Understanding the role of SPs in diseased and healthy states may elucidate their possible roles in innate immunity in the upper airway and allow us to develop novel treatments for sinonasal pathologies.

The purpose of this study was to compare the biomechanical performance of new powder-free commercially available synthetic examination gloves to that of commercially available powder-free latex examination gloves. The synthetic gloves were significantly thinner than the latex gloves. Despite the decreased thickness, all three nitrile gloves, as well as the polyvinyl chloride glove, exhibited a greater resistance to glove puncture. The glove donning forces varied considerably among all gloves, and wet donning forces were greater than dry donning forces. Under dry conditions, the donning forces for the synthetic gloves were less than or equal to the forces for the latex gloves. Because of their increased puncture resistance and similar donning forces, synthetic gloves are a safe alternative to latex examination gloves.