Vocal fold cryptococcal granuloma: A rare occurrence in immunocompetent patient.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Cryptoccous infection or cryptococcosis is a severe opportunistic infection occurring mainly in immunocompromised patients. Laryngeal cryptococcus infection is rare. In an immunocompetent patient, inhaled corticosteroid was reported to be a possible risk factor. CASE PRESENTATION: We discuss a case of right vocal fold cryptococcus infection in a healthy, immunocompetent 71-year-old man with no history of inhaled corticosteroid, presented with hoarseness and intermittent aspiration symptom for 1 year duration. Further examination showed right anterior vocal fold mass with presence of right vallecular cyst. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Patient underwent direct laryngoscopy, excision of right vocal fold mass and marsupialization of vallecular cyst. Histopathological examination revealed cryptococcal infection. Patient subsequently treated with oral fluconazole 400 mg daily for 6 months. To date, hoarseness and aspiration symptoms have resolved. CONCLUSION: We are sharing our experience in managing laryngeal cryptococcus infection in an immunocompetent patient where the associated risk factors discussed in previous literatures are absent.

Findings from a Malaysian multicentre study on oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In addition to the conventional aetiologic agents of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) such as tobacco usage, alcohol consumption and betel quid usage, it has been established that a proportion of OPSCC are driven by persistent oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. Currently, there is a lack of data on the burden of HPV- associated OPSCC in Asian countries including Malaysia. METHODS: A cross-sectional multicentre study with tissue analysis of Malaysian patients diagnosed with primary OPSCC within a five-year period, from 2015 to 2019 between 01/01/2015 to 31/12/2019 was undertaken. Determination of HPV status was carried out using p16INK4a immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays constructed from archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. RESULTS: From the cases identified, 184 cases had sufficient tissue material for analysis. Overall, median age at diagnosis was 63.0 years (IQR = 15) and 76.1% of patients were males. In our cohort, 35.3% of patients were Indian, 34.2% were Chinese, 21.2% were Malay and 9.2% were from other ethnicities. The estimated prevalence of HPV-associated OPSCC in our cohort was 31.0% (CI 24.4-38.2%). The median age for the HPV-associated OPSCC sub-group of patients was not significantly lower than the median age of patients with HPV-independent OPSCC. More than half of HPV-associated OPSCC was seen in patients of Chinese ethnicity (54.4%). Patients with HPV-associated OPSCC had a much better overall survival than patients with HPV-independent OPSCC (Log rank test; p < 0.001). Patients with HPV-associated OPSCC with no habit-related risk factors such as smoking, were found to have much better overall survival when compared to all other sub-groups. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from our study suggests that prevalence of HPV-associated OPSCC in Malaysia, though not as high as some developed countries, is however on an upward trend. HPV-associated OPSCC appears to be more frequently encountered in patients of Chinese ethnicity. Conventional risk-factors associated with OPSCC such as smoking, alcohol consumption and betel quid chewing should still be considered when estimating prognosis of patients with HPV-associated OPSCC.

Letter to the Editor: "Rosai Dorfman: Rare Cause of Cervical Lymphadenopathy".

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.

Total Laryngectomy Following Severe Laryngeal Trauma: A Case of Surgical Dilemma.

External laryngeal trauma is a rather rare occurrence, and comprises a varying severity of injuries. Every laryngeal injury is unique and the management can be invariably complex. For the most severe forms of external laryngeal trauma, reparative procedures and laryngeal stenting (after control of the airway) are considered standard treatment. We present a case of a complex laryngeal trauma with extensive loss of tracheal cartilage and soft tissues which was treated with total laryngectomy.

An Unusual Delayed Complication of Rib Graft Microtia Reconstruction After Two Decades: A Case Report.

Microtia comprises a spectrum of congenital malformation characterized by partial deformities of the auricular components to complete absence of pinna. Surgical reconstructions of this anomaly are often complex and technically challenging. Infection, hematoma, and skin necrosis with resultant exposed cartilage graft tend to occur in the early phase of post-operative care. Herein, we report a case of a spontaneous auricular abscess with exposed cartilage framework 20 years following rib cartilage reconstruction. To our knowledge, this is the first case of such an occurrence. The treatment options are discussed, along with the review of the literature.

Supraglottic Schwannoma: Dilemma and Challenges in Management.

Laryngeal schwannomas are rare lesions that represent less than 1.5% of all benign laryngeal tumors. Its slow and submucosal growth may cause a delay in consultation and management. Herein, a case of right supraglottic schwannoma is diagnosed in a 34-year-old lady who was unconcerned about hoarseness for 10 years. She was referred to otorhinolaryngology clinic for assessment when hoarseness was detected during consultation for a gynecology surgery. Apart from hoarseness, there were no noisy breathing, shortness of breath or aspiration symptoms. Flexible nasopharyngolaryngoscopy showed a submucosal bulge at the right vestibular fold obscuring the vocal fold causing an airway concern. Computer tomography scan of the neck revealed a heterogenous enhancing mass centered at the right supraglottis measuring 2.6 × 2.7 × 2.7 cm. There were no erosions of the adjacent thyroid and arytenoid cartilages. Subsequently, complete excision of the lesion was done endoscopically. Definitive diagnosis of schwannoma was obtained via histopathology examination. This paper presents our approach and operative steps in the excision of this lesion using microlaryngoscopy with cold instruments.

Diagnostic Yield of Computed Tomography in the Evaluation of Idiopathic Vocal Fold Paresis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic yield of computed tomography (CT) in establishing an etiology in patients with idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paresis (IUVFP). To determine the proportion of CT scans yielding incidental findings requiring further patient management. STUDY DESIGN: Case series with chart review. SETTING: Tertiary laryngology practice. SUBJECTS: Laryngology clinic patients under the care of the 2 senior authors. METHODS: All clinic patients were identified who had a diagnosis of IUVFP and underwent CT of the skull base to the upper mediastinum from 2004 to 2014. Demographic, historical, examination, and investigation data were extracted. CT reports and endoscopic recordings were reviewed. Patients were excluded if there were insufficient clinical findings recorded or if there was a known neurologic disorder, complete vocal fold immobility, or bilateral involvement. RESULTS: A total of 174 patients with IUVFP who had also undergone contrast-enhanced CT were identified. Of the 174 patients, 5 had a cause for their paresis identified on CT. This equated to a diagnostic yield of 2.9% (95% confidence interval, 0.94% to 6.6%). Of the 174 patients, 48 had other incidental lesions identified that required further follow-up, investigation, or treatment. This equated to an incidental yield of 27.6% (95% confidence interval, 21.1% to 34.9%). CONCLUSION: This is the second and largest study to evaluate the diagnostic yield of CT in the evaluation of IUVFP. It demonstrates a low diagnostic yield and a high incidental yield. These findings suggest that the routine use of CT in the evaluation of idiopathic vocal fold paresis should be given careful consideration and that a tailored approach to investigation with good otolaryngologic follow-up is warranted.

Outpatient endoscopic removal of gutta-percha from the maxillary sinus using a sublabial antroscopy: a rare entity.

Any foreign body in the paranasal sinuses can cause chronic complications. It is therefore important to remove these foreign bodies meticulously. Various approaches are available to accomplish this. This article is a case report of a patient who had gutta-percha as a foreign body in left maxillary sinus, after a gutta-percha point had been used to trace a sinus to confirm that it was an oroantral fistula. Traditional surgical approaches to the maxillary sinus require invasive techniques, such as radical antrostomy and the Caldwell-Luc approach. These may result in further complications and morbidity. The gutta-percha point in this case report was removed endoscopically in an otolaryngology clinic with local anaesthesia using a sublabial antroscopy. There is only one case reported in the dental literature regarding the endoscopically-assisted technique for removal of displaced gutta-percha using the sublabial antroscopy approach (Yura S, Ohga N, Ooi K, Izumiyama Y. Procedure of endoscopic removal of a gutta-percha point in maxillary sinus mucosa by ultrathin arthroscope. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2004;104:e58-60).

Synovial sarcoma: a rare presentation of parapharyngeal mass / 癌症

Synovial sarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma of the head and neck region involving the parapharyngeal space. The diagnosis of synovial sarcoma can be very challenging to the pathologists. We present a rare case of parapharyngeal synovial sarcoma in a young female patient who had a two-month history of left cervical intumescent mass at level II. The fine needle aspiration cytology of the mass was proved inconclusive. Transcervical excision of the mass was performed and the first case of parapharyngeal sarcoma was identified in our center by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique. Repeat imaging revealed residual tumor. The patient successfully underwent a second excision of the residual tumor and received adjuvant radiotherapy.