ABSTRACT
To study the otorhinolaryngological clinical characteristics of COVID-19 positive patients. A prospective cross sectional study on sixty five patients who were SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive, and completed 14 days of isolation period were surveyed with a questionnaire. The responses were evaluated and assessed. Sixty five SARS-Cov-2 PCR positive cases were included in the study. There were 57 (87.6%) males and 8 (12.3%) females. Thirty five (53.8%) were in home isolation, whereas, 30 (46.2%) were under institutional care. Forty five patients (72.6%) presented with mild symptoms, and 4 (6.4%) developed moderate symptoms. Thirteen (21%) were asymptomatic. Overall, 46 patients (70.7%) presented with upper airway symptoms with or without general symptoms. More than half of the patients experienced pharyngodynia or sorethroat, smell and taste dysfunction as common symptoms (66.7%, 61.4% and 50.7% respectively). Severe headache was noticed by eighteen (27.7%) patients. Other respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, rhinorrhoea, sneezing, facial pain, etc. were present with less frequency. In more than half of the patients (61.5%), all the symptoms recovered within 5 days, in 12 (18.5%) between 5 and 8 days, and in 9 (13.8%), between 9 and14 days. However, in four patients, symptoms lasted for 28-30 days. In seven patients (10.7%), symptoms recurred after the period of isolation, however, the retest was negative. Fever, cough and or shortness of breath are the commonly reported prominent symptoms of COVID-19, however, there is a changing trend of clinical presentation towards variable otorhinolaryngologic manifestations. Pharyngodynia, taste and smell dysfunctions are common in patients with COVID-19, and could represent potential characters.
ABSTRACT
Tracheostomy is a common life-saving surgical procedure, which has its own short- and long-term surgical complications. Occasionally, after being in place for several years, the tube may fracture, causing a foreign body reaction in the bronchus followed by life-threatening pneumonia. We report a rare case of a 29-year-old man with a known leukodystrophy disorder whose tracheostomy tube was never changed in 14 years. He presented with signs of sepsis and respiratory distress. The management and intraoperative findings, including recommendations for tracheostomy care, were described.
ABSTRACT
Intranasal lobular hemangioma of the inferior turbinate is a rare occurrence in children. A 12-year-old girl presented with a two-month history of multiple epistaxis episodes. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a large nasal mass in the right nasal cavity. Endonasal endoscopic excision of the hemangioma with cauterization of the feeding vessel was performed to remove the lesion completely. There was no recurrence at 11 months follow-up.
