Ear, nose, & throat journal
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Thyroid storm is a potentially life-threatening endocrinologic emergency characterized by an exacerbation of a hyperthyroid state. Several inciting factors can instigate the conversion of thyrotoxicosis to thyroid storm; trauma is one such trigger, but it is rare. Patients with thyroid storm can manifest fever, nervous system disorders, gastrointestinal or hepatic dysfunction (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or jaundice), and arrhythmia and other cardiovascular abnormalities. ⋯ Initial medical and supportive therapies are directed at stabilizing the patient, correcting the hyperthyroid state, managing the systemic decompensation, and treating the underlying cause. Once this has been achieved, definitive treatment in the form of radioactive ablation or surgery should be undertaken. We describe a case of thyroid storm in a young man that was precipitated by a motor vehicle accident.
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Case Reports
Extragonadal germ-cell tumor: a rare differential diagnosis of a cervical lump in a young man.
In this case report, we discuss the potential diagnostic difficulty of identifying the cause or origin of a cervical swelling, a clinical situation often encountered in otolaryngology patients. A 30-year-old man came to us with a painless left cervical lump that he had noticed 8 weeks earlier. ⋯ We eventually identified the mass as an extragonadal germ-cell tumor. The diagnosis was established only after additional serologic testing and detection of tumor markers specific for extragonadal germ-cell tumor.