Cavernous hemangioma is a noncancerous vascular growth that arises from different parts of the head and neck region. However, parapharyngeal space contributes a very small percentage for its occurrence. We present a case of right parapharyngeal cavernous hemangioma, a very rare clinical presentation. This is a 57-year-old female presented with throat discomfort for 3 months. Examination finding showed a soft, diffuse, and non-pulsating mass over the right upper jugulodigastric region. A contrasted computed topographic scan revealed multiple calcifications in right parapharyngeal space. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed right parapharyngeal space mass with high signal and multiple phleboliths and dynamic angiogram unremarkable. Surgical resection done via transcervical approach and histopathological report revealed cavernous hemangioma with calcified thrombi. In conclusion, surgical intervention is the mainstay treatment and transcervical approach which is adopted in this case is the commonest approach used in surgical resection of cavernous hemangioma.
SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Pulsatile tinnitus with erythematous tympanic membrane mass suggests vascular pathologies such as dural arteriovenous fistula, glomus tympanicum, or aberrant carotid artery. Jugular bulb aneurysmatic diverticulum is rare but should be suspected in a case with the presence of aneurysm in other organs. An imaging study is mandatory to confirm the diagnosis. Patient must avoid digging ear as it can cause profuse bleeding. Treatment option can be open surgery or endovascular treatment.
We read with great interest the article by Kobayashi KE et al. published in 2023 entitled: "Presentation of external ear Rosai-Dorfman disease with laryngeal involvement" and wish to reconnoiter Rosai-Dorfman Disease's (RDD) clinical entities and the possible implications from the perspective of otology.
A physically independent and mentally competent 61-year-old gentleman was diagnosed with left upper alveolar spindle cell carcinoma. He underwent left infrastructure maxillectomy with reconstruction and had bismuth iodoform paraffin paste packed in the post-operative cavities. The patient subsequently exhibited labile emotions and acute delirium. Further investigation showed that his urine iodine level was highly elevated. He eventually made a full recovery and returned home.
Treating an acutely injured recurrent laryngeal nerve by primary nonselective laryngeal reinnervation (LR) during thyroidectomy is encouraged to minimize postoperative morbidity. Performing a concurrent transoral temporary injection laryngoplasty (IL) may improve the patient's voice while waiting for the effect of successful reinnervation. Chronological multidimensional voice outcomes (qualitative and quantitative) and combination of the primary nonselective LR with concurrent transoral IL were not explicitly demonstrated in previous cases that published the literature. In this study, the authors presented the multidimensional voice parameters of 3 patients undergoing primary nonselective LR with concurrent IL during thyroidectomy. The parameters were measured at different time points (2 weeks and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months) following the surgery. Laryngeal electromyography was done at 1 to 2 months and 12 months postsurgery. The results showed that the voices, qualitatively and quantitatively, were within normal range at within 3 months postintervention. The parameters were slightly beyond the normal limit at 3 months and returned to normal at 6 months postintervention and beyond. The LEMG depicted evidence of successful reinnervation in which the motor unit was normal comparable to the opposite normal vocal fold.
Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is an aggressive soft-tissue malignancy, notorious for its metastasis to other tissues. A considerable number of cases in the head and neck have been reported but not in the hypopharynx. We describe a 31-year-old man with an incidental finding of a hypopharyngeal mass. Flexible laryngoscopy revealed a fleshy mass 2 × 2 cm2 originating from the left hypopharynx and overlying the epiglottis. Computed tomography scan demonstrated a soft tissue mass in the left wall of the oropharynx measuring about 2.2 × 1.8 cm2, projecting into the hypopharyngeal air space. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a significant thickening of the left hypopharyngeal wall forming a mass lesion occupying the left pyriform sinus and abutting the left aryepiglottic fold. Histopathology indicated that tumor cells were polygonal and epithelioid, with abundant eosinophilic to clear flocculent cytoplasm, eccentric nuclei, and prominent nucleoli. The tumor was positive for smooth muscle actin with rare cells staining for Human Melanoma Black (HMB45). Fluorescence in situ hybridization for transcription factor E3 was also performed and supported the above diagnosis. Our study reports the first case of ASPS in the hypopharynx.
Though a common symptom, epistaxis should never be overlooked as the implications may be consequential. Nasal leech infestation represents an unusual etiology of recurrent epistaxis. The leeches release enzymes to anaesthetize the attachment site to facilitate the feeding process. Given the inconspicuous area of infestation and the absence of pain, there is often a delayed treatment. A detailed history taking and physical examination remain paramount in the assessment of recurrent epistaxis.
Intracranial complications secondary to chronic otitis media (COM) include otogenic brain abscess and sinus thrombosis. Intravenous antibiotics and imaging have significantly reduced the incidence of intracranial complications secondary to COM. However, the same does not apply to a developing country like Malaysia, which still experiences persisting otogenic complications. This case series describes 3 patients with COM and intracranial complications. All 3 patients had COM with mastoiditis, with 1 of the 3 having a cholesteatoma. Postulated reasons for the continued occurrence include poor access to health care, poor compliance with medication, and the lack of pneumococcal vaccination during childhood. In conclusion, public awareness and a timely specialty referral can reduce the incidence of intracranial complications of COM.
Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common type of benign salivary gland tumor. It can also be found in the larynx, ear, neck, and nasal septum. It is rarely found in the maxillary sinus, and it has never been reported in the frontal sinus. We report a case of pleomorphic adenoma of the frontal sinus that masqueraded as a mucocele. We discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this patient, and we review the literature.
Lipoblastoma is extremely rare and mainly occurs in children younger than 3 years old. It is predominantly found in the extremities and trunk. Head and neck region occurrences are rare; only 4 such cases involving patients who presented with stridor have been previously reported. We report the fifth case of lipoblastoma of the neck with stridor in a 9-year-old girl, which had gradually worsened over the previous year. Imaging showed a retrotracheal mass extending superiorly to the thyroid level and inferiorly to below the carina of the trachea. Total resection of the tumor was performed, and the histopathologic findings were consistent with lipoblastoma. Postoperatively, the patient was well with no complications.
Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare subtype of squamous cell carcinoma. To date, only 95 cases of sinonasal BSCC have been reported in the English-language literature, and they account for 5% of all cases of head and neck BSCC. We describe what we believe is only the second reported case of a sinonasal tract BSCC that metastasized to the liver. The patient was a 36-year-old woman who presented with right-sided nasal obstruction and a foul-smelling discharge. Clinical examination and imaging identified a large, lobulated, enhancing mass in the right nasal cavity. Following excision of the mass, the patient was scheduled for radiotherapy. However, before it could be administered, follow-up imaging detected a metastasis to the liver and lung, and the patient was switched to chemotherapy. Initially, she responded well clinically, but at 5 months postoperatively, a follow-up CT showed an increasing metastatic presence in the liver and bone. The patient died of her disease 1 year after surgery.
Approximately 25% of all cases of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) occur in the head and neck region; NHL of the external auditory canal (EAC) and thyroid gland are rare. Specific immunohistochemical staining of the excised tissue is required to confirm the final pathologic diagnosis. We report the case of a 53-year-old woman with underlying systemic lupus erythematosus and autoimmune hemolytic anemia that were in remission. She presented with chronic left ear pain, a mass in the left EAC, and rapid growth of an anterior neck swelling that had led to left vocal fold palsy. High-resolution computed tomography (CT) of the temporal bone and CT of the neck detected a mass lateral to the left tympanic membrane and another mass in the anterior neck that had infiltrated the thyroid gland. The patient was diagnosed with simultaneous B-cell lymphoma of the left EAC and thyroid gland. She was treated with chemotherapy. She responded well to treatment and was lost to follow-up after 1 year. To the best of our knowledge, the simultaneous occurrence of a lymphoma in the EAC and the thyroid has not been previously described in the literature.
We encountered a patient with a tongue base lymphoma that we initially diagnosed as a lingual tonsil in view of its benign appearance. We established the correct diagnosis of Waldeyer ring lymphoma by histology. This case led us to conduct a study of all cases of Waldeyer ring lymphoma that had been treated at our center during a 10-year period. We retrospectively examined our case records and found 35 such cases. From this group, we excluded 5 cases because of incomplete data. Thus our final study group was made up of 30 patients-14 males and 16 females, aged 14 to 76 years (mean: 51.6; median 54). The primary presenting signs and symptoms were dysphagia (n = 17 [57%]), a neck mass (n = 7 [23%]), nasal symptoms (n = 5 [17%]), and pain (n = 1 [3%]). Only 4 patients (13%) had B symptoms. A total of 20 patients (67%) presented with tonsillar involvement, 8 (27%) with nasopharyngeal involvement, 1 (3%) with tongue base lymphoma, and 1 with anterior tongue involvement. Most patients (77%) presented at an early stage. Histologically, 25 patients (83%) had high-grade diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 4 (13%) had T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, and 1 (3%) had follicular lymphoma. Twenty-one patients (70%) were treated with chemotherapy, 4 (13%) received adjuvant chemotherapy with either radiotherapy or surgery, 3 (10%) resorted to other forms of treatment (primarily traditional remedies), and 2 (7%) declined treatment altogether. There were 14 patients (47%) alive at the end of the study period.