BMJ case reports
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Bilateral vocal cord paralysis is a known possible complication following thyroid surgery. It owes to the close relationship between the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the thyroid gland. The most feared complication of bilateral vocal cord paralysis is airway compromise. ⋯ We postulate that the cause was attributed to bilateral vocal cord paresis due to the use of the intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) whose high setting throughout the surgery was overlooked. She made a complete recovery without the need of a tracheostomy. We share our lessons learnt from this case.
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Case Reports
Recovery of chylous pulmonary congestion in tuberous sclerosis complex-associated lymphangioleiomyomatosis.
Chyloptysis and chylous pulmonary congestion are extremely rare complications of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). We report a case of a 50-year-old woman with tuberous sclerosis complex-associated LAM, who presented with expectorating milky-white bronchial casts. ⋯ Her symptoms and lung infiltration were improved by oral sirolimus therapy; moreover, serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) levels paralleled the symptoms and lung infiltration of these complications. We suggest that serum KL-6 may be a useful monitoring biomarker of chyloptysis and chylous pulmonary congestion in LAM.
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A 3-month-old infant was admitted to the respiratory unit for dyspnoea and vomiting after her second DTaP-Polio vaccine shot. The chest X-rays showed a white right lung with a left mediastinal shift. A pleural aspiration assessed the diagnosis of chylothorax. ⋯ Ten months later, her physical and biological conditions were normal and her chest X-rays dramatically improved. This case highlights the difficult management of infant chylothorax. Although conservative treatment has to be tried first, surgical procedures as pleuroperitoneal shunting and rarely pleurodesis have to be discussed.
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Treatment of a dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF), which is difficult to access by either the surgical or endovascular approach, is challenging. A hybrid technique, combining a microsurgical approach and endovascular embolization, can provide less invasive management of dural AVFs in a modern neurosurgical hybrid operating suite. We present a case of intracerebral hemorrhage in the left cerebellum secondary to dural AVF, Cognard type IV with numerous tiny feeders from the ascending pharyngeal artery branches. ⋯ The hybrid technique, combining keyhole pterional craniotomy and embolization with n-butyl cyanoacrylate glue injection via direct cannulation of the periclival venous plexus, succeeded in obliterating the dural AVF. Intraoperative angiography showed successful embolization of the dural AVF without any complication. This report illustrates the usefulness of the neurosurgical hybrid operating suite for the treatment of difficult dural AVFs.
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Periorbital ecchymosis is due to extravasations of blood into the periorbital skin and the subcutaneous tissues around the eyes. 'raccoon eyes' or 'panda sign' is a distinctive type of periorbital ecchymosis where the bruising is characterised by tarsal sparing. This sparing is due to an anatomical structure called the orbital septum, which limits the spread of the discolouration beyond the tarsal plate. ⋯ The differential diagnosis varies from trivial benign conditions to serious life-threatening illnesses. We describe a case of recurrent bilateral periorbital ecchymosis and facial bruising due to vomiting.