Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale
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Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital · Feb 1997
[Inhalation of foreign bodies: epidemiological data and clinical considerations in the light of a statistical review of 92 cases].
In the present work 92 patients were studied all of whom had inhaled a foreign body (FB) into one of the tracheobronchial branch. The following factors were evaluated: sex, age, nature of the FB, localization in the respiratory tree, clinical symptoms, radiological findings, time lapse between diagnosis and removal. The peak incidence (61.9%) was in children under 3 years of age with a male-female ratio of 2:1. ⋯ In all cases the FB was removed using stiff bronchoscopy under either local or general anesthesia. The authors feel that, even if no clinical signs are found and radiography proves negative, one must always consider the possibility of a FB in the tracheal-bronchial branches, particularly in patients within the age range most at risk (under 3 years) and in those having a highly suspicious clinical history. In addition, the authors assert that the use of corticosteroids before and after the bronchoscopy markedly decreases the incidence of post-operative subglottic edema which would require an emergency tracheotomy.
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Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital · Feb 1997
Case Reports[Benign symmetrical lipomatosis: Madelung's disease].
Multiple symmetrical lipomatosis, or Madelung's disease, is a rare disease of unknown etiology. It is characterized by the presence of loose adipose tissue deposits localized in the cervical region and in the upper body. The neoformations grow slowly and their initial consequence is purely esthetic. ⋯ It is thought that this pathology originates from an alteration in lipid metabolism. Surgical removal of the lipomatose mass is the treatment of choice even though there are frequently recurrences. A case is presented of a rare laryngeal localization of this disease and diagnosis and treatment are discussed.