Unusual presentation of a rare catecholamine-secreting sinonasal paraganglioma.

Our patient is a man in his mid-20s with an atypical presentation of a catecholamine-secreting sinonasal paraganglioma. He was referred to our tertiary otolaryngology unit for persistent right infraorbital numbness. A nasoendoscopic examination demonstrated a smooth mass arising from the posterior aspect of the right middle meatus. There was also right infraorbital paraesthesia. Imaging revealed a lesion in the right pterygopalatine fossa. Blood investigations revealed significantly elevated serum normetanephrine levels. The lesion was demonstrated to be octreotide-avid with no other lesions detected. The presumptive diagnosis of a catecholamine-secreting paraganglioma was made, and an endoscopic resection of the tumour was performed. Histopathology of the tumour demonstrated a 'zellballen' growth pattern consistent with a paraganglioma. Catecholamine-secreting sinonasal paragangliomas are exceedingly rare with multifaceted challenges. More studies are required to improve our knowledge of this condition.

Breast cancer treatment-related arm lymphoedema and morbidity: A 6-year experience in an Australian tertiary breast centre.

AIM: Recent surgical de-escalation of the axilla in breast cancer management has led to reduced number of immediate and delayed axillary lymph node dissections (ALND) after sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNBs). We aim to assess the postoperative impact of SLNB versus immediate and delayed ALND on arm lymphoedema and morbidity. METHODS: A retrospective analysis from a prospectively collected institutional database was performed reviewing the rates of lymphoedema and arm morbidity in terms of shoulder restriction and patient-reported functional deficit in women undergoing axillary surgery for breast cancer between 2013 and 2018. RESULTS: In this 776 patient cohort (564 SLNBs, 192 immediate ALNDs and 20 delayed ALNDs), at 12 months after surgery, the results are as follows: lymphoedema rate: SLNB (4.62%), immediate ALND (19.51%), delayed ALND (15.00%); axillary cording rate: SLNB (3.08%), immediate ALND (10.65%), delayed ALND (5.00%); new functional deficit: SLNB (5.58%), immediate ALND (13.66%) and delayed ALND (20%); pain SLNB (14.02%), immediate ALND (15.97%), delayed ALND (17.65%); shoulder flexion/abduction restrictions: SLNB (8.14%/5.14%), immediate ALND (16.45%/15.79%) and delayed ALND (17.65%/20.00%). ALND was associated with increased risk of developing lymphoedema, shoulder dysfunction and development of more than one morbidity. No statistically significant difference in lymphoedema and morbidity outcome was observed between immediate and delayed ALND. CONCLUSION: Immediate and delayed ALND have comparable outcomes, but both are associated with increased postoperative arm lymphoedema and morbidity outcomes compared to SLNB alone. Preoperative appropriate selection of patients for axillary surgery treatment may improve lymphoedema outcomes in breast cancer patients.

Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture: delayed presentation following a SCUBA dive.

Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture (TDR) is a rare yet life-threatening occurrence that remains a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Delayed presentation with associated strangulation of the contents, although uncommon, requires emergent management. A 42-year-old woman presented with constant, severe left-sided shoulder and chest pain, as well as associated upper abdominal pain following a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) dive. A chest radiograph (CXR) and CT showed a left-sided diaphragmatic hernia containing stomach. She subsequently underwent a laparoscopic repair of the diaphragmatic defect and recovered well postoperatively.

Appendiceal Diverticular Disease: A 10-year Retrospective Study of Cases from Tertiary Hospitals in Western Australia.

Background: Appendiceal diverticular disease (ADD) is typically a histological diagnosis. Our paper aims to investigate the implications of ADD compared to acute appendicitis (AA). Methods: We conducted a retrospective data collection of patients who had undergone an appen dicectomy in three tertiary hospitals across Western Australia between 2009-2019 and included patients with histopathological diagnoses of ADD and AA. Results: Thirty-seven patients with ADD and forty with AA were included. The mean age in the ADD group was significantly older (p 0.001) at 50.1 compared to the AA group (37.3). The mean white cell count (WCC) in the ADD group was lower than the AA group (11x109/L vs. 13.3x109/L, p 0.001), whereas the C-Reactive Protein (CRP) level was greater, although not statistically significant. The ADD group had a greater risk of major surgery (p 0.05) and complications such as appendiceal perforation and appendiceal mass (p 0.05). Post-operative colonoscopy also demon strated a higher incidence of polyps in patients with ADD (19% vs. 2.5%, p 0.001). Conclusion: ADD frequently presents with clinical features indiscernible from AA. Our study demonstrates that ADD is associated with higher rates of appendiceal perforation, polyps and malignancy. We recommend that patients with ADD be advised to have a colonoscopy post-opera tively to rule out underlying malignancy.