Ear, nose, & throat journal
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External laryngeal trauma is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all trauma cases seen at major centers. We report the case of a man who experienced multiple injuries, including an external laryngeal trauma. ⋯ On long-term followup, his voice quality and airway patency improved. This case illustrates the importance of rapid identification and early management of laryngotracheal trauma in a patient with multiple injuries.
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We analyzed the outpatient otologic surgery experience at our institution to identify those factors that are associated with a high risk of postoperative complications that require an unplanned hospital admission. We found that among a group of 662 patients who underwent group II otologic procedures (i.e., tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy, stapedotomy, and middle ear exploration), the overall admission rate was 4.7%, of which 3.9% were unplanned. A significantly larger percentage of children were admitted than adults (5.7 vs. 2.3%), primarily for nausea and vomiting. ⋯ The choice of antiemetic administered (ondansetron or droperidol) and the specific agents used for general anesthesia did not appear to have any significant impact on unplanned admissions. We recommend that the three predisposing factors be taken into consideration when formulating the treatment plan. Scheduling an inpatient procedure for patients who have risk factors for complications requiring hospitalization would avoid the extra costs and stress associated with unplanned admissions.
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Despite the otolaryngologist's most diligent efforts to prevent it, hemorrhage is the most common, albeit sporadic, significant complication of tonsillectomy. For this retrospective study of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage rates, we examined the charts of 430 consecutive tonsillectomy patients who had been operated on by one of two general otolaryngologists at our institution. The two surgeons used the same removal technique (cold dissection and snare), but slightly different methods of hemostasis. ⋯ It appears that one controllable variable in preventing delayed bleeding following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy might be related to certain details of hemostatic technique. Vasoconstrictors and "field" cauterization might be associated with an increased temporal and spatial application of coagulating current. Although this technique is very effective in preventing primary hemorrhage, it does result in a deeper and more extensive zone of necrosis and the exposure of more and larger vessels when sloughing of the eschar occurs.
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Vocal fold paralysis as a result of a thyroid abscess is extremely rare. In this article, we report only the second documented case of such a finding. The paralysis was discovered after our patient, a 40-year-old woman, had come to the office with a complaint of discomfort in the right lower neck. ⋯ Fine-needle aspiration did not identify any inflammatory or suspicious cells. The abscess was treated with hemithyroidectomy, and the paralysis resolved 3 weeks later. There has been no recurrence after 4 years.
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Dermoid cysts of the oral cavity are rare. When they do occur, the most common site is the floor of the mouth. Intralingual dermoid cysts are even more rare, and until now, there were only 15 such reports in the English-language literature. ⋯ Magnetic resonance imaging is extremely helpful in establishing a differential diagnosis. Surgical excision is recommended to correct deglutition and speech problems. Its rarity notwithstanding, dermoid cyst should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tongue masses in the younger population.