Infections of the Nasal Accessory Sinuses and Their Modern Treatment

Bain, William (1934) Infections of the Nasal Accessory Sinuses and Their Modern Treatment. MD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

In summarising the various points brought out in a consideration of sinusitis one feels it necessary to emphasize the importance of an accurate diagnosis based on the combined findings of the various methods and that even when all the findings have been negative the possibility of latent sinusitis must still be kept in mind. The agreement of Harper and Watson Williams on the point that latent infection may be produced by non pus forming organisms is impressive and one feels that a strict scrutiny must be made of the nasal mucosa, if latent sinusitis has to be discovered. It has been established that sinusitis may be and very frequently is associated with conditions due to focal sepsis, but however, balance must be maintained and it should not be thought that an infected sinus must be followed by a secondary illness, but that it is nevertheless a potential cause of such conditions as rheumatoid arthritis, gastritis, asthma and bronchitis. The treatment of sinusitis is not be regarded as a cure altogether, but rather as an honest endeavour to lessen chronic invalidism. The etiology is fairly clearly cut, the common causes being coryza associated with intra nasal hypertrophies and Influenza in adults, and in children diseased and hypertrophied tonsils and adenoids with measles taking a part as a causative factor. My experience of treatment in children is that attention to tonsils and adenoids, is in most cases sufficient but that lavage may be necessary in the cases which fail to respond, and that there is cause to hope that a few early cases may react satisfactorily to intranasal medication and general treatment aimed at raising the resistance to infection. The treatment of adults is at the present time greatly influenced by surgery and that is favourable because in no other way can satisfactory drainage be established. But it is borne in mind that there are two s chools of thought the conservative which although believing in the free opening of an infected sinus stops short at the actual wholesale removal of mucosa.

• Item Type: Thesis (MD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Medicine, Pathology
• Date of Award: 1934
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1934-80029
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 03 Mar 2020 10:05
• Last Modified: 03 Mar 2020 10:05
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/80029