Get an ENT to the White House: Experts discuss presidential struggles with otolaryngologic disorders

Even as John McCain and Barack Obama face the wear and tear of the campaign trail, the men who preceded them in the White House might warn of the various ear, nose, and throat ailments that plagued their terms in office. Presidential otolaryngologic health will be the topic of discussion during a roundtable mini-seminar during the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL. The session, to be held Tuesday, September 23, 2008, addresses, among other things, George Washington's premature and sudden death, which may have stemmed from a acute complication of tonsillitis (peritonsillar abscess).

Another topic will cover William Howard Taft's difficulties with sleep apnea, a then-unknown disease, which is blamed for a four-year Presidential term without a single good night's sleep.

Finally, there will be a discussion detailing two presidents who battled head and neck cancer while in office, with quite opposite results, illustrating the marked improvement in treating the malady during the short time between their presidencies.

Source: American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery