The Journal of craniofacial surgery
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In the neck or face, there are different causes for subcutaneous emphysema such as injury to the sinuses, the hypopharynx, the laryngotracheal complex, the pulmonary parenchyma, the esophagus or the presence of gas-forming organisms. However, factitious subcutaneous emphysema, a rare cause, must be considered in the differential diagnosis. ⋯ After 2 years of work-ups, including a period of close observation in the intensive care unit, self air injection by syringe was found as the cause of recurrent subcutaneous emphysema of the face, and the patient was labeled as having factitious recurrent subcutaneous emphysema. Therefore, when a patient presents with unexplained recurrent subcutaneous emphysema, one should suspect self-infliction and examine for puncture marks.
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Foreign objects frequently have been reported in the nasal structures, often these foreign bodies are occasionally inhaled by children or they are often inserted in nasal cavities after various accidents. Frequently, the presence of foreign bodies in the nose represents an emergency, particularly for pediatric patients where the incidence is high. The report in this article described an unusual nasal foreign body in an adult discovered incidentally during a cranial radiography. ⋯ The finding was accidental; moreover the patient was an adult and did not present a clear symptomatology. Through careful clinical and fibroscopy exam, valuating also the site of the foreign body, it is necessary an intranasal surgery treatment. The results of the treatment is connected to a combined use of different branches of learning with the aim of obtaining positive results from both a clinical and legal point of view.
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The infraorbital nerve (ION) is the terminal branch of the maxillary nerve; it supplies the skin and mucous membranes of the middle portion of the face. This nerve is vulnerable to injury during surgical procedures of the middle face. Severe pain and loss of sense are noted in patients whose infraorbital nerve is damaged. ⋯ We were able to classify four types of branching pattern of the external and internal nasal branch and the medial and lateral sub-branches of the superior labial branch of the ION at the site of their emergence through the infraorbital foramen (types I-IV). Type I, where all four branches are separated occurred the most frequently (42.1%). These findings will help to preserve the ION while performing certain types of maxillofacial surgery, such as removal of a tumor from the upper jaw and fracture of the upper jaw.
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Deformational Plagiocephaly (DP) is a multi-planar deformity of the cranium occurring either pre-or postnatally in infants. In the last decade, the incidence of DP has increased substantially due to a number of factors, including supine sleeping positioning to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the use of child carriers that increase supine positioning. Clinical questions persist about which children should be treated for DP and how to intervene, questions that are difficult to answer without accurate documentation of three-dimensional (3-D) head shape. ⋯ The study identified four variables as particularly important in assessing the head shape of infants with plagiocephaly: the cranial vault asymmetry index, radial symmetry index, posterior symmetry ratio, and overall symmetry ratio. Ninety-six percent or more of subjects in the treatment group showed improvement in each variable. These data document the utility of a 3-D scanning device and the effectiveness of treatment with a cranial remolding orthosis.
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The successful management of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain remains elusive. Often the initial relief of pain is complicated by recurrence of the symptoms. This time frame suggests that the pain may be related to neuromas of the nerves that innervate the TMJ. ⋯ A medial and lateral denervation of the TMJ joint was done. The successful results of this surgery are presented at one-year follow-up. The technical considerations of this approach and risk to the facial nerve are discussed.