March 24, 2013 Min-Tsan Shu, MD; Kang-Chao Wu, MD; Yu-Chun Chen, MD
The retention cyst originates from the obstruction of a glandular structure and contains fluid, while the cholesteatoma contains keratinizing squamous epithelium.
A 58-year-old man was referred to our clinic for a right ear discharge and hearing disorder he had experienced since childhood. The otoscopic examination showed total perforation of his right eardrum, erosion of the ossicular chain, and a mucosa-lined, whitish, oval lesion at the anteroinferior portion of the middle ear (figure). Pure-tone...
March 24, 2013 Roshan Kumar Verma, MS, DNB, MNAMS; Rahul Modi, MS; Naresh K. Panda, MS, DNB, FRCS
Abstract
Abnormal dilation of a normal anterior jugular vein is a rare anomaly and usually presents as a neck lump. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature of such a case in which the patient presented with severe tinnitus. Excision of the dilated portion of the anterior jugular vein in our patient alleviated the severe tinnitus.
Introduction
Abnormalities of the jugular venous system are uncommon. Phlebectasia refers to an isolated abnormal fusiform or saccular dilation of a vein.1,2 The internal jugular vein is the most commonly involved, followed by the external jugular vein; rarely is the anterior jugular vein involved.2,3
March 24, 2013 Jagdeep Singh Thakur, MS; Neeti Verma, MS; Anamika Thakur, MD; Dev Raj Sharma, MS; Narinder Kumar Mohindroo, MS, DORL
Abstract
We conducted a 10-year retrospective study to determine the prognosis of necrotizing cervical fasciitis (NCF). Our study population included 38 patients-32 males and 6 females, aged 10 months to 70 years (mean: 55 yr)-who had presented for management of NCF at our tertiary care hospital between Jan. 1, 2000, and Dec. 31, 2009. We classified each case into four categories based on the duration of disease prior to presentation, the severity of disease, and other factors that influence outcomes. We found that the most important factor in determining prognosis was the time interval between the onset of NCF and subsequent presentation for specialist or surgical intervention. Patients with a higher grade of NCF had longer hospital stays. Although aggressive surgical and medical intervention is the gold standard for the management of NCF, many of our patients presented with a relatively healthy appearing wound, which could mislead the evaluating clinician and delay prompt management. We believe that our new grading system will help obviate this problem and make clinicians more vigilant when faced with a new case of necrotizing fasciitis.
March 24, 2013 Rodrigo Bayon, MD; Sandra K. Banas, MD; Barry L. Wenig, MD, MPH
Abstract
Although carcinoma of the breast has a propensity toward distant metastasis, metastasis to the head and neck is uncommon. Most patients with metastasis to the head and neck region present with cervical lymphadenopathy; however, spread to the upper aerodigestive tract has been described previously. We present a case of a patient found to have a pedunculated mass in her right piriform sinus. When she swallowed, the mass would completely prolapse into the esophagus and cause symptoms. Subsequent workup revealed widespread metastatic disease, for which the patient was treated with chemoradiotherapy. Microlaryngoscopy with excision of the mass was performed for palliation of her dysphagia, and a diagnosis of metastatic breast carcinoma was obtained. The patient healed well from the excision and went on to be treated for the metastatic breast cancer. To our knowledge, our report represents the first case of metastatic breast carcinoma presenting as severe dysphagia.
March 24, 2013 Gisele da Silva Dalben, DDS, MSc; Vivian Patricia S. Vargas, DDS; Bruno A. Barbosa, MSc; Marcia R. Gomide, PhD; Alberto Consolaro, PhD
Abstract
We report the case of a 9-year-old girl who presented with a complaint of a malodorous bloody discharge from the left naris. The patient had previously undergone a complete repair of left-sided cleft lip and palate. Clinical examination revealed hyperplasia of the nasal mucosa on the left side. X-ray examination of the nasal cavity demonstrated a radiopaque structure that resembled a tooth and a radiopaque mass similar to an odontoma that was adherent to the root of the suspected tooth. With the patient under general anesthesia, the structure was removed. On gross inspection, the structure was identified as a tooth with a rhinolith attached to the surface of its root. Microscopic examination revealed normal dentin and pulp tissue. A nonspecific inflammatory infiltrate was observed around the rhinolith, and areas of regular and irregular mineralization were seen. Some mineralized areas exhibited melanin-like brownish pigmentation. Areas of mucus with deposits of mineral salts were also observed. Rare cases of an intranasal tooth associated with a rhinolith have been described in the literature. We believe that this case represents only the second published report of an intranasal tooth associated with a rhinolith in a patient with cleft lip and palate.
Introduction
The ectopic development of teeth occurs in different areas in and around the oral cavity, as well as at distant sites. The literature contains reports of tooth development in the maxillary sinus, mandibular condyle, coronoid process, orbits, palate, mentum, and skin, as well as less common locations such as the ovaries, testes,...
March 24, 2013 Lester D.R. Thompson, MD
The extravasation type is the most common mucocele, more common in children and young adults, with a peak in the second decade of life.
The most common non-neoplastic lesion of salivary gland tissue is the mucocele (also called sialocele and ptyalocele). A mucocele is defined as the pooling of mucin in a cystic cavity. Two types of mucoceles are recognized: (1) the retention type, in which the mucin pooling is confined within a dilated excretory duct or cyst, and (2) the...
March 24, 2013 Teresa Pusiol, MD; Ilaria Franceschetti, MD; Francesca Bonfioli, MD; Francesco Barberini, MD; Giovanni Battista Scalera, MD; Irene Piscioli, MD
Abstract
We describe an unusual case of breast cancer metastatic to the middle ear in a 71-year-old woman. The metastasis was the initial sign of disseminated disease 20 years after the patient had undergone a quadrantectomy for her primary disease. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated the presence of an intratympanic mass with a soft-tissue density that was suggestive of chronic inflammation. The patient underwent a canal-wall-down tympanoplasty. When a brownish mass was found around the ossicles, a mastoidectomy with posterior tympanotomy was carried out. However, exposure of the tumor was insufficient, and therefore the posterior wall of the ear canal had to be removed en bloc. Some tumor was left on the round window membrane so that we would not leave the patient with a total hearing loss. Our case highlights the limitations of CT and magnetic resonance imaging in differentiating inflammatory and neoplastic lesions.
Introduction
Cancer metastases to the temporal bone, including the middle ear, are relatively uncommon. Affected patients are often asymptomatic for a long time. When signs and symptoms of middle ear metastasis do manifest, they may be misinterpreted as otitis media or mastoiditis. We describe a new case.
March 24, 2013 Ashok Balasundaram, BDS, DDS, MDS, MS, Diplomate ABOMR
Abstract
Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is primarily used for a variety of dental purposes, but it may also yield nondental findings that can have significant implications for patient health. For example, physicians should be aware that CBCT can identify some of the etiopathogenic causes of obstructive sleep apnea, as occurred in the case described in this report. The patient was a 76-year-old man who presented to a dentist for implant therapy. A CBCT that had been performed in preparation for dental implant placement revealed the presence of a large hypopharyngeal lesion that was obstructing the airway. An otolaryngologist excised the lesion, which on biopsy proved to be a lipoma. Following removal of the lesion, the patient's episodic sleep apnea and snoring resolved. Medical physicians should be aware of maxillofacial CBCT technology and its ability to identify lesions that could cause potential life-threatening situations.
Introduction
Lipomas are benign tumors of fat-cell origin. They are the most common of all the soft-tissue masses.1 Most occur in the upper half of the body; 13% involve the head and neck region.2 They can occur almost anywhere in the head and neck, including intraoral sites such as the palate, tongue, and tonsil. Pharyngeal involvement is...
March 24, 2013 Kent W. Cox, MD, PhD; Rob Klein, MD
Abstract
We conducted a prospective study to ascertain the prevalence of features of craniofacial and shoulder asymmetry and to determine if they are related to temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Our study population was made up of 183 patients-105 females and 78 males, aged 8 to 92 years (mean: 53.5; median: 60) who presented to a private otolaryngologic practice in a rural retirement community in Arizona. These patients completed a questionnaire to determine their self-assessment of the their body asymmetry. Next, all patients underwent a nurse evaluation for the presence or absence of asymmetry, which was based on the relative position of the ears, lateral canthi, hemimandibles, and shoulders. All patients were then evaluated independently by a physician for the presence or absence of TMD. The most important finding of this study was that asymmetry as determined by the nurse evaluation was associated with a relative risk of TMD of 5.89 (p = 0.0001); the perception of asymmetry on the patient self-assessments was associated with a relative risk of only 1.86 (p = 0.0026). We conclude that the recognition and diagnosis of TMD is significantly enhanced by a brief evaluation by a health professional who has been trained in recognizing the signs of facial and shoulder asymmetry.
March 24, 2013 Jeffrey Cheng, MD; Roberto Garcia, MD; Eric Smouha, MD
Abstract
We describe the case of a 22-year-old woman who presented with a slowly growing osseous lesion of the mastoid cortex. On computed tomography, the lesion was found to involve the mastoid cortex, with which it demonstrated similar attenuation. The indications for treatment in this case were the patient's sensation of a mass effect, the encroachment of the mass onto the external auditory meatus, and a cosmetic deformity. The tumor was removed in its entirety via a postauricular approach. Findings on histopathologic examination were consistent with a compact osteoma. Mastoid osteomas are rare, benign tumors. If their growth significantly occludes the meatus, they may cause cosmetic deformities, conductive hearing loss, and recurrent external ear infections. Several other osseous lesions of the temporal bone should be considered in the differential diagnosis. The etiology of mastoid osteomas is poorly understood. Surgical management can be undertaken with minimal postoperative morbidity.
