1/137. Sudden recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis due to apoplexy of parathyroid adenoma.Neoplastic lesions of the parathyroid are rare, and most of these are adenomas. Even rarer is a secondary involvement of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. A case is presented of sudden onset hoarseness in a 64-year-old man caused by acute vocal cord paralysis due to bleeding within an adenoma of the lower right parathyroid gland. Acute onset of vocal cord paralysis is rarely associated with benign processes; the current case is only the second report associated with parathyroid adenoma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cord (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/137. Botulinum toxin: adjunctive treatment for posterior glottic synechiae.INTRODUCTION: Synechiae formation of the posterior glottis can result in tracheostomy dependence secondary to airway obstruction. Stenosis is caused by total or partial fixation of the vocal folds in adduction resulting from scar contracture. The treatment poses a management dilemma because of recurrent scar formation, made worse by mobility of the vocal folds. Although various treatment options from conservative endoscopic repair to open procedures have been proposed, the results are not satisfactory and patients often require multiple procedures. methods: We present the trial of a conservative approach that includes microscopic CO2 laser resection of the scar with concomitant botulinum toxin injection of the interarytenoid and thyroarytenoid muscles of the more mobile cord. This results in a temporary paresis of the adductor muscles and hence prevents overadduction in the posterior commissure during the postoperative healing period. STUDY DESIGN: We present the surgical technique and results in three patients who underwent the procedure. RESULTS: Treatment in all three patients was successful. CONCLUSIONS: The appropriate use of botulinum toxin may help improve the treatment outcome of posterior synechiae of the larynx without sacrificing any laryngeal components.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = cord (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/137. Complete fusion of the vocal cords; an unusual case.A case is presented of a woman who sustained a 35% body surface area mixed depth cutaneous burn, together with a significant inhalational injury. The patient required emergency resuscitation with endotracheal intubation and subsequently tracheostomy. This resulted in an unfortunate complication of a total adhesion between the vocal cords which extended into the subglottic area, causing complete occlusion of the airway.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.5keywords = cord (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/137. vocal cord dysfunction in a child.vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) involves paradoxical adduction of the vocal cord during the respiratory cycle. This usually occurs during inspiration, but can also be seen in expiration. Vocal cord appositioning produces airflow obstruction sufficient to cause wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. These symptoms often imitate the respiratory alterations of asthma, thus leading to inappropriate treatment; intubation or tracheotomy may prove necessary. An 11-year-old girl was admitted with intractable dyspnea. She had been diagnosed with atopic asthma, although she failed to respond to an increase in antiasthma medication, including high-dose oral steroids. Flow-volume loops were abnormal, with evidence of variable extrathoracic airway obstruction, manifested as a flat inspiratory loop. No structural abnormalities were seen with either computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Fibroscopy revealed paradoxical adduction of the vocal cords during the respiratory cycle, no obstructive disorder being observed. After the diagnosis of VCD, the clinical manifestations resolved with psychiatric treatment. Adduction was not demonstrable at repeat fibroscopy after treatment. VCD may simulate bronchial asthma; it may also be associated with that disorder, thus masking the diagnosis. It should be suspected in patients with recurrent wheezing who fail to respond to usual asthma treatment. An early diagnosis avoids unnecessary aggressive management. Treatment should consist of respiratory and phonatory exercises; psychotherapy may be useful.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = cord (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/137. Laryngeal aspergillosis following high dose inhaled fluticasone therapy for asthma.The case history is presented of a 75 year old man with chronic asthma who was treated with inhaled fluticasone propionate in a daily dose of 2 mg using a Diskhaler. After three years of treatment he developed progressive hoarseness. Both vocal cords were colonised by aspergillus fumigatus which formed a white slough on the surface. biopsy specimens showed changes suggestive of laryngeal aspergillosis with an ulcerated epithelium, fibrinopurulent debris, and colonies of fungal hyphae. A slow recovery occurred after three months of treatment with topical amphotericin and with cessation of inhaled corticosteroids. laryngoscopy is recommended if hoarseness occurs during treatment with fluticasone.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = cord (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/137. 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 = 0.5keywords = cord (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/137. Laryngeal involvement in the Dowling-Meara variant of epidermolysis bullosa simplex with keratin mutations of severely disruptive potential.The clinical features of the Dowling-Meara variant of epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS-DM) can, in an infant, be indistinguishable from other severe forms of epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Two unrelated infants with no family history of skin disease are described who, within hours of birth, developed extensive blistering of skin and oral mucosae and who both subsequently developed hoarse cries. Despite this superficial resemblance to other forms of EB, electron microscopy revealed a basal cell rupture and keratin aggregates characteristic of EBS-DM in the skin of both infants and in the vocal cord epithelium of one. Molecular analysis confirmed the diagnosis by identification of mis-sense point mutations in basal cell keratin genes in both cases. One patient carries a point mutation in keratin 14 (converting arginine at position 125 to histidine) and the other has a novel point mutation in keratin 5 (converting serine at position 181 to proline). hoarseness is not a well documented feature of EBS-DM and is usually associated with junctional EB. These two patients demonstrate that the presence of a hoarse cry in an infant affected by severe EB does not necessarily indicate a poor prognosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = cord (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/137. Inspiratory vocal cord dysfunction, a new approach in treatment.vocal cord dysfunction is a well recognized respiratory condition in which adduction of the vocal cords during either inspiration or expiration, or both, causes functional airways obstruction. Diagnosis is usually made by laryngofibreoscopy, however treatment of this condition has generally been unsatisfactory, requiring a multi-disciplinary approach consisting of speech therapy, psychological counselling, sedatives and anaesthetic agents. Here we use an innovative approach which requires relatively inexpensive and simple anaesthetic equipment in order to manipulate airways resistance and thus reduce any vocal cord dysfunction as it occurs. The patient involved found instant relief when using this simple device which is easy to use and is portable.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3.5keywords = cord (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/137. Unilateral vocal cord paralysis as a result of a nocardia farcinica laryngeal abscess.nocardia farcinica is an emerging pathogen in immunocompromised hosts, accounting for 20% of nocardia isolates in the USA and 13-44% of isolates in europe. The case of a 72-year-old lymphoma patient with a laryngeal abscess caused by nocardia farcinica is presented. The initial clinical manifestation was unilateral vocal cord paralysis, which improved following surgical drainage of the abscess and therapy with imipenem. The English-language literature on human nocardia farcinica infection is reviewed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.5keywords = cord (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/137. Supraesophageal complications of gastroesophageal reflux.Supraesophageal complications of GERD have become more commonly recognized or suspected by physicians. However, the direct association between these complications and GERD has often been difficult, if not impossible, to establish. Furthermore, the majority of patients with suspected supraesophageal complications of GERD do not have either the characteristic symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation or the definitive findings of esophageal inflammation, which would help reinforce the suspicion of a connection between the supraesophageal complications and GERD. Frequent acid reflux has been shown in patients with various bron-chopulmonary, laryngopharyngeal, or oral cavity disorders. GERD is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints in the population. It is possible that the supraesophageal problems and acid reflux are mutually independent disorders that occur in the same person. The suspected mechanisms of GERD-related supraesophageal complications appear to be directed through two pathways: by a vagal reflex between the esophagus and tracheobronchial tree triggered by acid reflux or by microaspiration that causes contact damage to mucosal surfaces. The most useful diagnostic modality available to the clinician to aid in the diagnosis of supraesophageal GERD complications is the ambulatory pH recording technique. However, the sensitivity and specificity of this test for recording esophageal or pharyngeal acid reflux events has been critically challenged. Despite the many clinical studies that support the theory that GER has a role in suspected supraesophageal complications, only 1 long-term prospective controlled study of a large group of patients with asthma has shown the positive effects of the elimination of acid reflux. With the focus now on "outcomes medicine," there is a serious need for appropriately designed, controlled studies to answer the many questions surrounding a cause-and-effect association between acid reflux and supraesophageal disorders. Because of the lack of convincing proof between acid reflux and suspected supraesophageal complications, the physician must resort to an intent-to-treat strategy as both a primary therapy and a diagnostic trial. High-dose PPI therapy for prolonged periods is the recognized conservative therapy. Operative therapy (i.e., fundoplication operation) is the procedure of choice when overt regurgitation occurs or when medical therapy, although successful, is not practical for long periods. Controlled, well-designed clinical trials and more sophisticated techniques to measure and quantify acid reflux are crucial in the future to help determine which patients with suspected supraesophageal complications actually have acid reflux as a primary cause. The medical community needs to be alerted to the possibility of an association between GERD and supra-esophageal complications so that patients with a GERD-related complication will be recognized and effectively treated.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cord (Clic here for more details about this article) |
| | Next -> |