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Adult-onset nasopharyngeal diphtheria: an uncommon but rapidly progressive and potentially fatal infection

Ding CH, Wahab AA, Marina Z, Leong CL, Umur N, Wong PF

Trop Biomed, 2021 Jun 01;38(2):119-121.
PMID: 34172699 DOI: 10.47665/tb.38.2.045

Nasopharyngeal diphtheria is an acute infectious upper respiratory tract disease caused by toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae. We report a case of a young adult who presented to us with a short history of fever, sore throat, hoarseness of voice and neck swelling. He claimed to have received all his childhood vaccinations and had no known medical illnesses. During laryngoscopy, a white slough (or membrane) was seen at the base of his tongue. The epiglottis was also bulky and the arytenoids were swollen bilaterally. The membrane was sent to the microbiology laboratory for culture. A diagnosis of nasopharyngeal diphtheria was made clinically and the patient was treated with an antitoxin together with erythromycin, while awaiting the culture result. Nevertheless, the patient's condition deteriorated swiftly and although the laboratory eventually confirmed an infection by toxin-producing C. diphtheriae, the patient had already succumbed to the infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness/microbiology
Adult Transglottic Haemangioma with Upper Airway Obstruction: Preservation of Airway and Voice

Mahmud KA, Zakaria R, Azman M, Mat Baki M

ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec, 2021 05 05;83(4):295-298.
PMID: 33951656 DOI: 10.1159/000515424

Adult laryngeal haemangioma is normally seen in the supraglottic or glottic region. Transglottic haemangioma is unusual, and treatment with primary endolaryngeal surgical excision may lead to undesirable bleeding and poor voice outcomes. A 25-year-old female presented with hoarseness and progressive upper airway obstruction symptoms. Videoendoscopy showed haemangioma involving all unilateral subunits of the larynx obstructing half of the subglottis. The transglottic haemangioma was treated with endolaryngeal ethanol injection with prior tracheostomy under local anaesthesia. Endolaryngeal laser surgery was performed later on to remove small residual haemangioma and granuloma. The haemangioma resolved; however, the ethanol injection to the paraglottic space results in vocal fold immobility but with favourable position and good muscle tone and bulk. The patient was successfully decannulated. Post-intervention subjective and objective voice assessments showed normal parameters except slight impairment of voice handicap index-10 with a total score of 12. Adult transglottic haemangioma can cause upper airway obstruction and requires intervention. Excision of the lesion endoscopically without sacrificing voice is achievable.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Usage of airway ultrasound as an assessment and prediction tool of a difficult airway management

Adi O, Fong CP, Sum KM, Ahmad AH

Am J Emerg Med, 2021 04;42:263.e1-263.e4.
PMID: 32994082 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.09.011

Airway assessment is important in emergency airway management. A difficult airway can lead to life-threatening complications. A perfect airway assessment tool does not exist and unanticipated difficulty will remain unforeseen. Current bedside clinical predictors of the difficult airway are unreliable but airway ultrasound can be used as an adjunct to predict difficult laryngoscopy. We report a case of a 60-year-old man presenting to the emergency department with shortness of breath, hoarseness of voice and stridor. Airway ultrasound revealed a large laryngeal mass narrowing the upper airway, extending to bilateral vocal cords with heterogenous echogenicity. In view of impending complete upper airway obstruction, acute respiratory distress and airway ultrasound findings, urgent emergency tracheostomy was chosen as definitive airway over endotracheal intubation or surgical cricothyroidotomy. Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) was used to evaluate this patient with severe upper airway obstruction. A laryngeal mass was detected by ultrasound and this pointed towards the presence of a difficult airway. POCUS was a good non-invasive tool used for airway assessment in this uncooperative and unstable patient. Ultrasound predictors of the difficult airway include the inability to visualize the hyoid bone, short hyomental distance ratio, high pretracheal anterior neck thickness and large tongue size. Besides airway assessment, ultrasound can also help to predict endotracheal tube size, confirm intubation and guide emergency airway procedures such as cricothyroidotomy and tracheostomy. Point of care ultrasound of the upper airway can be used in airway assessment to identify distorted airway anatomy, pathological lesions and guide treatment decisions.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness/etiology
Fulltext An unusual first presentation of hypopharyngeal carcinoma as thyroid abscess: Case report of a diagnostic challenge

Tan HY, Sanudin SH, Lum SG, Wong EHC

Int J Surg Case Rep, 2021 Apr;81:105723.
PMID: 33713999 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2021.105723

BACKGROUND: Hypopharyngeal carcinoma can involve thyroid gland due to their close proximity. However, an initial presentation as a thyroid abscess is rare in this malignancy. To our knowledge, this is the second reported case in the English literature.
CASE PRESENTATION: We described a 45-year-old female who presented with dysphagia, hoarseness and anterior neck swelling. The initial CT scan revealed a right thyroid abscess which was incised and drained with no malignancy found in the biopsy of the thyroid tissue. Patient presented one month later with worsening dysphagia, weight loss and a fungating anterior neck mass. Further investigation revealed a locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma extending to the right thyroid, upper oesophagus, prevertebral muscles and bilateral cervical lymph nodes (T4bN2cM0). Unfortunately, the patient passed away prior to initiation of treatment.
CONCLUSION: Clinicians should have raised index of suspicion of a possible underlying hypopharyngeal carcinoma in patients presenting with thyroid abscess and proceed to further investigations in order to ensure early diagnosis and treatment of the malignancy.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Dysphonia and reflux in children: A systematic review

Saniasiaya J, Kulasegarah J

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 2020 Dec;139:110473.
PMID: 33137676 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110473

OBJECTIVE: Aim of this review is to evaluate the relation between reflux (either laryngopharyngeal or gastroesophageal) and dysphonia in children.
DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Scopus, Embase.
REVIEW METHODS: A literature search was conducted over a period from January 1990 to March 2020. The following search words were used either individually or in combination: voice disorders, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and gastroesophageal reflux. The search was conducted over a period of a month: April 2020.
RESULTS: Five clinical research were selected based on our objectives and selection criteria. Four studies were of level III evidence. Altogether, a total of 606 patients were pooled with male predominance of 63%. In all studies, reflux was suggested to have strong relation with dysphonia. Majority of cases used 24-h pH monitoring to confirm reflux which yielded positive results in 69%. The top three most common endoscopic findings include: interarytenoid erythema and edema (32/38), vocal cord erythema and edema (160/231) and postglottic edema (141/337). Vocal cord nodules were found in 28% of our patients. Acoustic analysis and perceptual assessment of voice was performed in only 1 study. No complication from any procedure was mentioned in any of the studies. Outcome of treatment was mentioned in 1 study, whereby after 4.5 months of follow-up, 68% of children showed improvement in symptoms.
CONCLUSION: Current evidence shows that there is strong relation between reflux and dysphonia in children. Most common laryngoscopic findings suggestive of reflux includes interarytenoid erythema and edema, vocal cord erythema and edema and postglottic edema.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Fulltext Lessons of the month: A forgotten classic: Delayed diagnosis of mitral stenosis presenting initially as Ortner's syndrome

Shariff RER, Abidin HAZ, Kasim SS

Clin Med (Lond), 2020 11;20(6):e267-e268.
PMID: 33199335 DOI: 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0750

We present a rare case of delayed diagnosis of mitral stenosis, initially presenting with hoarseness in her voice due to left recurrent laryngeal nerve (LRLN) compression. A 60-year-old woman presented to the otorhinolaryngology department following complaints of progressive hoarseness in voice over a 6-month period. There was dysphonia but no additional evidence of a cranial nerve IX or X palsy on examination, with subsequent flexible nasopharyngolaryngoscopy demonstrating left vocal cord palsy. She was referred for a cardiology consult following findings of atrial fibrillation on electrocardiography. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed an enlarged left atrium with evidence of severe mitral stenosis. A diagnosis of Ortner's syndrome was made and the patient underwent mitral valve replacement. Common causes of Ortner's syndrome include mitral stenosis with left atrium compression of the LRLN, but it can occur due to other causes including pulmonary hypertension or aortic aneurysm compression, among others. There are few data at present to conclude that regression of left atrial enlargement and pulmonary arterial hypertension with symptoms are associated with Ortner's syndrome. Therefore, it remains pertinent for clinicians to be aware of clinical features linked to mitral stenosis including its more uncommon presentations, such as in our case, as earlier intervention may improve prognosis.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness/etiology
Fulltext Covido-pedago-phobia

Eachempati P, Ramnarayan K

Med Educ, 2020 08;54(8):678-680.
PMID: 32473029 DOI: 10.1111/medu.14257
Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness/etiology*
Fulltext Stridor Secondary to Acquired Subglottic Cyst: Rarity Makes it Missed

See GB, Mesran I

Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 2019 Oct;71(Suppl 1):45-48.
PMID: 31741928 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-016-0992-2

Subglottic cysts (SGCs) are a rare cause of airway obstruction in children. Medical advances, higher survival rates for preterm infants, and improved diagnostic equipment have increased the number of reported cases of SGCs over the last three decades, the majority occurring in infants who had been extremely premature neonates and had suffered from respiratory distress, therefore having been intubated and managed in neonatal ICUs. Symptoms of laryngeal cysts depend on the size and the location of the cyst and include a change in the tone of voice, dysphonia, hoarseness, dysphagia, stridor, and dyspnea. This condition is often misdiagnosed as laryngomalacia, asthma, croup, or other diseases, due to the fact that it manifests as recurring respiratory infections, stridor, and wheezing. Death can occur in severe cases that are not treated. When present, it may account for severe inspiratory stridor that compromise the airway. The accepted gold standard treatment is direct laryngoscopy with marsupialization of the cyst to prevent recurrence. Two cases of subglottic cyst in our centre are described here. Although all cases presented differently, but in both of our cases, which have previous history of intubation with prematurity were initially diagnosed as laryngomalacia and croup.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Fulltext Point-of-Care Airway Ultrasonography Prior to an Emergency Cricothyroidotomy: Case Report

Iqhbal M, Noor JM, Karim NA, Ismail I, Sanib H, Mokhtar MA, et al.

Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J, 2018 May;18(2):e219-e222.
PMID: 30210855 DOI: 10.18295/squmj.2018.18.02.017

The use of ultrasonography in acute and critical care medicine is becoming increasingly common. However, use of an airway ultrasound as an adjunct to determine the type of intervention needed and assess complications is not common practice. We report a 56-year-old male who presented to the Emergency Department of the Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia, in 2015 with hoarseness, stridor and impending respiratory failure. A point-of-care ultrasound performed to assess the neck and vocal cords indicated a heterogeneous echogenic mass in the larynx, thus ruling out a cricothyroidotomy. The patient was therefore referred for an emergency tracheostomy. This case highlights the importance of point-of-care airway ultrasonography in the assessment of patients with stridor. This imaging technique not only helps to detect the cause of the stridor, but also to determine the feasibility of a cricothyroidotomy in emergency cases.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness/etiology
Laryngeal giant cell tumour presenting as a tongue base lesion causing severe dysphagia

Saud MRM, Salahuddin Z, Hassan A, Yunus MRM, Mohamad I, Zulkifli MM

J Taibah Univ Med Sci, 2018 Apr;13(2):201-204.
PMID: 31435324 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2017.10.002

Giant cell tumours are benign lesions that are uncommonly found in the larynx. Patients with these tumours may present with dysphagia, hoarseness and anterior neck swelling. Giant cell tumours are extremely rare and only a few cases have been reported. We present a case of an elderly woman who presented with severe dysphagia and a mass at the base of her tongue. The mass was found to be a laryngeal giant cell tumour and was successfully treated with chemotherapy.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Thyroid Gland

Ibrahim MI, Jusoh YR, Adam NN, Mohamad I

Iran J Otorhinolaryngol, 2018 Jan;30(96):65-68.
PMID: 29387667

Introduction: Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the thyroid gland is one of the rarest types of all reported thyroid malignancies worldwide. It is very aggressive in nature and carries a poor prognosis. The surgical resection with adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy is the most recommended treatment despite its poor reported outcome.
Case Report: A 74-year-old woman presented with a rapidly progressive neck swelling, with hoarseness and compressive symptoms. Physical examination revealed a multilobulated firm thyroid mass with unilateral vocal cord palsy. Histopathological findings confirmed the diagnosis of SCC while radiological investigations and panendoscopy findings ruled out the possibility of other primary tumors. A surgical intervention was performed; however, the patient eventually succumbed to death prior to undergoing an oncological treatment.
Conclusion: With no standard consensus to guide the management plan, SCC of the thyroid gland presents a great challenge for the managing team to come up with the best treatment option, due to its unfavorable rate of survival.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Fulltext Single rare central lesion with triple common aerodigestive symptoms

Mohamad I, Mohamad IS, Nik Hassan N

Malays Fam Physician, 2018;13(1):57-58.
PMID: 29796215 MyJurnal

An elderly gentleman with a known history of
well-controlled hypertension presented with
a three-week history of hoarseness associated
with mild breathlessness. There was no episode
of cyanosis, no noisy breathing, and no
reduction in effort tolerance. There was also no
history of chest pain or orthopnea. He denied
any feeling of food stuck in his throat or chest,
and he had no history of choking sensations
during meals. He, however, was unable to
count from 1 to 10 in one breath, and lung
auscultation revealed reduced air entry on both
sides. A chest radiograph was then obtained. (Copied from article).

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Fulltext Denture Induced Submandibular Hematoma in a Patient on Warfarin

Boon Tat Y, Muniandy RK, Ng Mooi Hang L

Case reports in anesthesiology, 2018;2018:4245809.
PMID: 30647972 DOI: 10.1155/2018/4245809

A 79-year-old lady, who was taking warfarin, presented to the Emergency Department with a painless anterior neck swelling, which was associated with hoarseness of voice, odynophagia, and shortness of breath. She first noticed the swelling after she removed her dentures in the evening. On examination, she had an increased respiratory rate. There was a large submandibular swelling at the anterior side of her neck. Upon mouth opening, there was a hematoma at the base of her tongue, which extended to both sides of the tonsillar pillars. The patient was intubated with a video laryngoscope due to her worsening respiratory distress. Intravenous vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma were given immediately. The patient was admitted to the ICU for ventilation and observation. The hematoma subsided after 2 days and she was discharged well.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Fulltext Coughing on palpation: a rare complication of vagal schwannoma

Samarakkody, Z.M., Sayuti, K.A., Mat Zin, A.A., Wan Abdul Wahab, W.N.N., Mohamad, I.

Malaysian Family Physician, 2018;13(3):40-43.
MyJurnal

Cervical vagal schwannoma is an uncommon, benign neoplasm. It is usually asymptomatic and
presents as a painless, palpable mass in the neck. However, large schwannomas can cause dysphagia,
dysphonia or dyspnea as a result of compression. We report a case of an extremely rare complication
of vagal schwannoma in which neck palpation induced the patient to cough. As the patient refused
any surgical intervention, conservative management was used.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Fulltext Isolated unilateral vocal fold palsy following skull base fracture: a case report

Marina M.B., Hazleigh N.M., Thean, Y.K., Sani A.

International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2018;17(3):95-98.
MyJurnal

Isolated lower cranial nerve (CN) palsy affecting the CN X resulting from a skull base fracture is very rare. The clinical manifestation and natural history is related closely to the complex anatomy of this region and mechanism of injury. Here, we report a case of a 54 year-old man who presented with a delayed onset of dysphonia and dysphagia with aspiration following a closed head injury sustained from a motor vehicle accident. Injection laryngoplasty was implemented to alleviate symptoms of his CN X palsy, which eventually almost completely resolved. High index of suspicion should be maintained when investigating possible skull base fractures, especially with a suggestive clinical presentation of lower CN palsies affecting one or all the lower CNs. Delayed onset of these CN palsies are likely to have more favourable outcomes.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Fulltext Coughing on palpation: A rare complication of vagal schwannoma

Samarakkody ZM, Sayuti KA, Mat Zin AA, Wan Abdul Wahab W, Mohamad I

Malays Fam Physician, 2018;13(3):40-43.
PMID: 30800234

Cervical vagal schwannoma is an uncommon, benign neoplasm. It is usually asymptomatic and presents as a painless, palpable mass in the neck. However, large schwannomas can cause dysphagia, dysphonia or dyspnea as a result of compression. We report a case of an extremely rare complication of vagal schwannoma in which neck palpation induced the patient to cough. As the patient refused any surgical intervention, conservative management was used.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Fulltext Case report: Unusual cause of difficulty in intubation and ventilation with asthmatic-like presentation of Endobronchial Tuberculosis

Seevaunnamtum SP, Mohd Ariff Ghazali NA, Nazaruddin WM, Besari AM, Fariza NHN, Omar SC, et al.

Respir Med Case Rep, 2017;22:292-294.
PMID: 29159029 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmcr.2017.10.011

Endobronchial Tuberculosis is hazardous in causing circumferential narrowing of tracheobronchial tree despite the eradication of tubercle bacilli in the initial insult from Pulmonary Tuberculosis. They may present as treatment resistant bronchial asthma and pose challenge to airway management in the acute setting. We present a 25 year-old lady who was newly diagnosed bronchial asthma with a past history of Pulmonary Tuberculosis that had completed treatment. She presented with sudden onset of difficulty breathing associated with noisy breathing for 3 days and hoarseness of voice for 6 months. Due to resistant bronchospasm, attempts were made to secure the airway which led to unanticipated difficult intubation and ventilation. Subsequent investigations confirmed the diagnosis of Endobronchial Tuberculosis and patient was managed successfully with anti TB medication, corticosteroids and multiple sessions of tracheal dilatation for tracheal stenosis. This case highlights the unusual cause of difficulty in intubation and ventilation due to Endobronchial Tuberculosis, which required medical and surgical intervention to improve the condition.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Fulltext Thoracic aortic aneurysm as a cause of Ortner's syndrome - a case series

Zaharudin I, Azizi ZA

Med J Malaysia, 2016 Jun;71(3):139-41.
PMID: 27495889

Hoarseness due to left recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis was first described in 1897 by Norbert Ortner. Various cardiopulmonary and thoracic arch aorta pathologies associated with left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy have been described over the last 100 years and is also known as cardio-vocal syndrome. We report our experience with seven cases of Ortners syndrome due to thoracic aortic aneurysm with compression of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve and resultant hoarseness.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness*
Fulltext Gore-tex medialisation thyroplasty for unilateral vocal cord palsy: a tertiary centre 7 years experience

Dayangku, N.P.S., Marina, M.B., Mawaddah, A., Sharifa Ezat, W.P., Abdullah, S.

International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2016;15(2):13-17.
MyJurnal

Background: The resultant dysphonia and aspiration in unilateral vocal cord palsy can be overcome with
medialisation thyroplasty. With this background, we aim to determine the aetiology of the unilateral vocal
cord palsy and effectiveness of the phonosurgical procedure with Gore-Tex as a sole treatment. Methods:
Within a seven year period, 37 Gore-Tex medialisation thyroplasty were performed for unilateral vocal cord
palsy at our institution and medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Results: There were 18
males and 19 females with mean age of 48.7 years (range 19–81 years). The predominant aetiology was
thyroidectomy (43.2%) with benign thyroid disease predominates (n=13) over thyroid malignancy (n=3). Voice
outcome was evaluated subjectively using visual analogue scoring system, results indicating that Gore-Tex
medialisation thyroplasty was effective in addressing dysphonia in 62.5% (n=15) patients. However it alone
cannot address aspiration seen in those with high vagal nerve lesion. Airway compromise occurred in two
cases postoperatively (5.4%) presenting as acute stridor. Conclusion: In unilateral vocal cord palsy, Gore-Tex
medialisation thyroplasty can effectively improve the resultant dysphonia and often accompanying aspiration
which would otherwise be disabling for the patients.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness
Fulltext Hoarseness as the sole symptom of an impending thoracic aneurysm rupture?

Jaafar R, Mohamad I

Malays Fam Physician, 2014;9(1):25-7.
PMID: 25606294 MyJurnal

Unilateral vocal cord palsy secondary to thoracic aortic aneurysm is a rare occurrence. Direct compression of the enlarging thoracic aneurysm on the left recurrent laryngeal nerve causes neuronal injury of the nerve, which is manifested as hoarseness. We present a rare case of unilateral vocal cord palsy in a 60-year-old healthy gentleman caused by a large thoracic aortic aneurysm. This rare presentation, with a serious underlying pathology might be misdiagnosed or delayed. Therefore, it is important for us to have high index of suspicion in cases with a rare presentation such as this.

Matched MeSH terms: Hoarseness

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