1/276. hypoglossal nerve injury as a complication of anterior surgery to the upper cervical spine.Injury to the hypoglossal nerve is a recognised complication after soft tissue surgery in the upper part of the anterior aspect of the neck, e.g. branchial cyst or carotid body tumour excision. However, this complication has been rarely reported following surgery of the upper cervical spine. We report the case of a 35-year-old woman with tuberculosis of C2-3. She underwent corpectomy and fusion from C2 to C5 using iliac crest bone graft, through a left anterior oblique incision. She developed hypoglossal nerve palsy in the immediate postoperative period, with dysphagia and dysarthria. It was thought to be due to traction neurapraxia with possible spontaneous recovery. At 18 months' follow-up, she had a solid fusion and tuberculosis was controlled. The hypoglossal palsy persisted, although with minimal functional disability. The only other reported case of hypoglossal lesion after anterior cervical spine surgery in the literature also failed to recover. It is concluded that hypoglossal nerve palsy following anterior cervical spine surgery is unlikely to recover spontaneously and it should be carefully identified.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = upper (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/276. Crohn's disease and the melkersson-rosenthal syndrome.A 30-year-old woman with a 10-year history of recurrent bloody diarrhea and documented colitis of the descending colon, consistent with Crohn's disease, presented with an exacerbation of her gastrointestinal disease and an 18-month history of recurrent facial and genital swelling. Her course evolved to include severe ear pain, dysphagia and colonic dysmotility. She was diagnosed with melkersson-rosenthal syndrome and treated with multiple agents. The neurological aspects of her presentation are highlighted, and the melkersson-rosenthal syndrome is reviewed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.083049433902022keywords = pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/276. Cricopharyngeal achalasia: case reports and review of the literature.Primary cricopharyngeal achalasia (a = absence, chalasia = relaxation) is a rare cause of swallowing disorders in newborns. Two cases are reported which were successfully treated by a myotomy of the cricopharyngeal muscle. A thorough history is essential in differential diagnosis as well as observation of the feeding infant. Presence of anatomical obstruction to swallowing and existence of neurological defects should be ruled out. cineradiography with lateral views by an experienced radiologist is the best diagnostic technique. Esophageal manometry may provide information regarding other esophageal dyskinetic problems. However, these studies are difficult to perform in neonates and infants. endoscopy may be helpful to exclude vocal cord paralysis or mechanical obstruction. Balloon dilatation has been reported as being successful in several reports; however no comparison of efficacy has been made in any series between dilatation of the upper esophagus and surgical myotomy which remains in our mind, the optimal treatment of cricopharyngeal achalasia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.16666666666667keywords = upper (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/276. Laparoscopic removal of an Angelchik prosthesis.The use of Angelchik prosthetic rings for the surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease has been associated with frequent complications, including dysphagia and migration, erosion, or disruption of the ring. Although reports of the laparoscopic insertion of Angelchik rings have been published, there have been no descriptions of the laparoscopic removal of rings inserted at open laparotomy. Our group recently removed an Angelchik ring laparoscopically in an 80-year-old woman with progressive, refractory dysphagia and esophageal narrowing due to an Angelchik ring originally placed in 1981 via an upper midline incision at open operation. Upper endoscopy and dilatation had failed to provide symptom relief. An extensive adhesiolysis was performed laparoscopically, and the Angelchik ring was dissected free from the proximal stomach, diaphragm, and liver. The fibrous pseudocapsule enclosing the ring was divided, and the prosthesis was removed from around the esophagus and abdominal cavity. Intraoperative upper endoscopy confirmed resolution of the esophageal stricture. There were no intraoperative complications, and the patient was discharged home on the 3rd postoperative day tolerating a regular diet. Postoperatively, she experienced resolution of her dysphagia and complained only of mild reflux symptoms, which were easily controlled with famotidine and antireflux precautions. This case suggests that laparoscopic removal of Angelchik prosthetic rings is feasible for surgeons familiar with advanced laparoscopic procedures of the esophageal hiatus and should be considered for symptomatic patients, even if the ring was inserted via an open operation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = upper (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/276. Posterior sternoclavicular dislocations--a diagnosis easily missed.Posterior dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint is a relatively rare injury and can be difficult to diagnose acutely. We report 3 cases of posterior dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint who presented to the Accident & Emergency Department within a 3 month period. All 3 patients had sustained a significant injury to the shoulder region and complained of pain around the medial clavicle. Two patients had also complained of dysphagia following the injury. Plain x-rays of the shoulder and chest were reported as normal by junior and senior medical staff. The diagnosis was delayed until CT scans were performed, and once this was established, open reduction and stabilisation was performed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.13377758947821keywords = pain, chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/276. Saccular descending thoracic aortic aneurysm with dysphagia.A 76 year old woman had suffered from chest pain, back pain, and dysphagia for 8 months. She was diagnosed as having a thoracic aortic aneurysm by chest X-ray and chest enhanced computed tomography. Simultaneously, severe dysphagia developed. Chest enhanced computed tomography and chest aortic aortography at our hospital demonstrated a saccular descending thoracic aortic aneurysm. Esophagography demonstrated that the esophagus was compressed by the aneurysm; therefore, a graft replacement for the saccular descending thoracic aortic aneurysm was performed on February 17th, 1998. A left sided 6th intercostal approach was made, and graft replacement for the aneurysm using a 22 mm Hemashield prosthetic graft was performed under temporary bypass from the thoracic aorta just distal to the left subclavian artery and to the left femoral artery. The postoperative course was uneventful, the severe dysphagia improved dramatically, but a pleural effusion of 1000 ml collected 3 weeks after the operation. Surgical cases of saccular descending thoracic aortic aneurysm with dysphagia are rare, and with this in mind, we report this case to the the medical literature.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.3690114901088keywords = pain, chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/276. Medication-induced oesophageal injury leading to broncho-oesophageal fistula.Medication-induced oesophageal injury is one of the least recognised side-effects of oral medication and, in contrast to other oesophageal pathologies, is rarely considered in the differential diagnosis of chest pain. We describe a case of medication-induced oesophageal injury with a rare complication in which the diagnosis was not considered until the characteristic features were demonstrated at endoscopy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.13377758947821keywords = pain, chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/276. Achalasia: diagnosis and management.Achalasia is a primary esophageal motor disorder of unknown cause that produces complaints of dysphagia, regurgitation, and chest pain. The current treatments for achalasia involve the reduction of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure, resulting in improved esophageal emptying. calcium channel blockers and nitrates, once used as an initial treatment strategy for early achalasia, are now used only in patients who are not candidates for pneumatic dilation or surgery, and in patients who do not respond to botulinum toxin injections. Because of the more rigid balloons, the current pneumatic dilators are more effective than the older, more compliant balloons. The graded approach to pneumatic dilation, using the Rigiflex (boston Scientific Corp, boston, MA) balloons (3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 cm) is now the most commonly used nonsurgical means of treating patients with achalasia, resulting in symptom improvement in up to 90% of patients. Surgical myotomy, once plagued by high morbidity and long hospital stay, can now be performed laparoscopically, with similar efficacy to the open surgical approach (94% versus 84%, respectively), reduced morbidity, and reduced hospitalization time. Because of the advances in both balloon dilation and laparoscopic myotomy, most patients with achalasia can now choose between these two equally efficacious treatment options. Botulinum toxin injection of the LES should be reserved for patients who can not undergo balloon dilation and are not surgical candidates.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.13377758947821keywords = pain, chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/276. Anesthetic management of a patient with laryngeal amyloidosis.A 73-year-old woman who suffered from progressive hoarseness for 6 years and dysphagia without pain for 1 year presented with a soft tissue deposition on the posterior region of the vocal cords and narrowing in the subglottic area. biopsy of this soft tissue and histological examination revealed laryngeal amyloidosis. A tracheostomy and partial removal of the amyloid were performed with general anesthesia. The airway was secured with a smaller diameter endotracheal tube, which was inserted atraumatically with Magill's forceps. The larynx is a rare site for amyloidosis. Laryngeal amyloidosis is fragile and hemorrhagic. Therefore, massive bleeding may occur during intubation. Anesthetists should take care in intubating the tracheas of these patients and be aware of other systemic diseases in laryngeal amyloidosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.083049433902022keywords = pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/276. Acute reversible dysphagia and dysphonia as initial manifestations of sarcoidosis.A 60 year-old white woman presented with sudden painless dysphagia, hoarseness and dysphonia. A diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made based on bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, gallium uptake, elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels, as well as non-caseating granulomatous lymphadenitis in a prescalenic node. Symptoms were attributed to isolated vagus neuropathy, a rare form of presentation of neurosarcoidosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.083049433902022keywords = pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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