Temporary blindness and ophthalmoplegia due to local anesthetic infiltration of the nasal septum.

We report the case of a 35-year-old man who developed blindness and ophthalmoplegia during local anesthetic infiltration of the nasal septum. The complications were temporary, and the patient had full recovery without treatment. The vascular anatomy of the area and possible pathogenic mechanisms are discussed, with some suggestions on the prevention of this complication.

Neck masses confined to the submental space: our experience with 24 cases.

We conducted a study to identify the clinical and histopathologic features of masses confined to the submental space and to outline an approach to the diagnosis and treatment of these lesions. Our study population was made up of 24 patients-17 males and 7 females, aged 13 to 68 years (mean: 45.88 ± 8.48)-who had undergone surgery at our tertiary care center for the treatment of masses of the submental triangle. Our findings were based on a retrospective review of demographic data, signs and symptoms, diagnostic and therapeutic methods, histopathologic outcomes, and recurrences. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy and ultrasonography were performed on all patients as standard diagnostic procedures. Surgical excision was the mainstay of treatment, although abscesses were treated with local drainage and systemic antibiotics. Histopathology identified a wide variety of entities, including reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (n = 12), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 3), dermoid cyst (n = 3), abscess (n = 3), sarcoidosis (n = 1), hemangioma (n = 1), and lipoma (n = 1). The clinical picture was complicated by dental problems in 9 patients and by cheilitis in 2. During a follow-up of up to 74 months, no local recurrences were detected. We conclude that lesions of the submental space are most likely to occur secondary to local and benign pathologies of the head and neck. However, malignancies or systemic diseases must also be ruled out. Careful assessment of the oral cavity and nose is important, and treatment must be based on the underlying etiology.

Two cases with unusual mycetoma localizations in upper respiratory system.

Fungus balls or mycetomas are extramucosal and noninvasive accumulations of degenerating fungal hyphae. In head and neck they may localized most frequently in the paranasal sinuses, especially in the maxillary sinus. These indolent infections are mostly caused by Aspergillus spp. In this article, we present two rare fungus ball cases: one occurring in an automastoidectomy cavity of a temporal bone and the other in a concha bullosa. Typically, both patients admitted with vague symptoms consistent with chronic infection resistant to conventional antibacterial medication.

Approach to benign tumors of the palate: analysis of 28 cases.

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 28 patients-15 men and 13 women, aged 17 to 71 years (mean: 41.6)-who had undergone surgery for the treatment of a benign tumor of the hard or soft palate. The most common chief complaint was a palatal mass, which was reported by 14 patients (50.0%). Tumors were more common in the hard palate than in the soft palate by a margin of 23 to 5 (82.1 to 17.9%; p = 0.001). The most common histopathologic diagnosis was pleomorphic adenoma, which occurred in 9 cases (32.1%). Most patients were treated with local excision with clear margins, which was sufficient in almost all cases, as there were only 2 recurrences, both of which occurred in men with a hard-palate pleomorphic adenoma. For these 2 patients, a wider excision and repair with palatal islet flaps was performed, and no further recurrence or malignant transformation was observed during follow-up. Two patients with a soft-palate hemangioma were treated with an intralesional steroid injection and radiofrequency ablation, which reduced the size of their lesion considerably.

Surgical outcomes for rhinogenic contact point headaches.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the surgical outcome in patients diagnosed as having rhinogenic contact point headaches (RCPH). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-six patients (aged 17-58 years) with RCPH underwent mini functional endoscopic sinus surgery procedures. Patients' pain complaints were evaluated with a visual analog scale (VAS) both pre- and postoperatively. RESULTS: All patients reported a decrease in the intensity of pain postoperatively. Nineteen patients (52.7%) reported complete relief. The difference between the preoperative (mean 8.62) and postoperative VAS pain scores (mean 2.11) was statistically very significant (p = 0.0000). No major complications were encountered. CONCLUSION: The removal of contact points in patients with RCPH is very effective in carefully selected patients.

Nasal obstruction may alleviate bruxism related temporomandibular joint disorders.

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a collective term used to identify a group of musculoskeletal conditions of the temporomandibular region. Bruxism is a non-functional activity characterized by repeated tooth clenching or grinding in an unconscious manner. Over the time bruxism may lead to TMD by the uploading it causes. Nasal obstruction is a common complaint that necessitates mouth breathing when severe. The treatment of bruxism is frequently performed by oral appliances, which induce occlusal disengagement and relax jaw musculature and therefore reduce the force on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). We believe that nasal obstruction may indirectly have a preemptive and therapeutic effect on sleep bruxism related TMD by causing mouth breathing.

Reconstruction of full-thickness nasal defect by free anterolateral thigh flap.

CONCLUSION: Because of minimal donor region morbidity, pliability, the presence of long and large caliber vessels, and lack of visible scar, the free anterolateral thigh flap provides an ideal option for restoration of full-thickness nasal defects. OBJECTIVE: Full-thickness nasal defect reconstruction requires internal nasal lining and external cover. In large defects, internal nasal lining replacement with traditional sources may not be expedient. We describe reconstruction of full-thickness nasal defects with free anterolateral thigh flap. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From August 2005 to July 2007, six patients with full-thickness nasal defects underwent nasal reconstruction using free anterolateral thigh flap. All defects resulted from tumor resections. Four patients had a basal cell carcinoma, one an epidermoid carcinoma, and the other patient had recurrent malignant fibrous histiocytoma. RESULTS: All flaps survived completely. The average hospitalization time was 3 days. No complication was observed.

Does chronic exposure to lacrimal fluid predispose for periorbital basal cell carcinoma?

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is not only the most common cutaneous malignancy but also the most common form of cancer seen in all body. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is the most important etiologic factor and thus BCCs occur most frequently on the sun-exposed areas of the body. Approximately 5-10% of BCCs occur in periocular region, especially, in lower eyelid and inner canthus. Despite this common occurrence, inner canthus is a relatively light-protected zone where UVR cannot easily access. Tear fluid is a known irritant of the skin. Prolonged exposure to tear in epiphora leads to chronic irritation of the skin; and repetitive trauma induced by the patient due to itching of the area. We believe that lacrimal fluid contact in, especially, chronic epiphora patients may have a contributive effect in the development of periorbital BCC.

VEMP responses are not affected in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients with or without polyneuropathy.

CONCLUSION: Vestibular evoked myogenic responses (VEMPs) are not affected in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients with or without polyneuropathy. OBJECTIVE: To compare VEMP responses of NIDDM patients and healthy subjects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: VEMP responses were collected from 25 NIDDM patients with polyneuropathy (PNP), 13 NIDDM patients without PNP and 21 healthy subjects using click stimulation. After excluding ears with hearing loss (HL) (worse than 25 dB) the VEMP responses (p13 and n21 latencies and amplitude) recorded in 105 dB stimulus intensity were compared. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between groups. VEMP responses were found to be normal in NIDDM patients with or without PNP.

Non-pulsatile subjective tinnitus without hearing loss may be caused by undetectable sounds originating from venous system of the brain.

Tinnitus is a common otologic symptom, which can interfere with the daily activities of life. Subjective tinnitus is perception of sound only heard by the patient. The most common type of tinnitus is non-pulsatile subjective tinnitus (NST), which is believed to originate from auditory pathway, mostly from central nervous system. This hypothesis proposes that an important percentage of NST cases are actually misdiagnosed venous type tinnitus cases. Recent studies have demonstrated that dural-jugular system is dominant only in the horizontal body position. Jugular flow is at maximum during this position possibly making any noise generated within the dural-jugular system louder. As body assumes more vertical positions it gradually leaves its function to the extrajugular venous system of the brain. When there is an objective and/or a pulsating sound it is easier to suspect a vascular etiology and diagnose it clinically or radiologically. However, if a vascular pathology causes a non-pulsatile complaint that can not be heard by the examiner or can not be detected clinically or radiologically, it is bound to be misdiagnosed as central tinnitus. Most NST cases experience their symptoms especially at night. Night time usually allows the combination of silent ambience and horizontal body position to take place. We believe that in some NST cases, especially those without hearing loss (HL), the main cause of tinnitus is venous in origin.

Noise-induced hearing loss in mice treated with antiretroviral drugs.

The results reported here for CBA/CaJ mice describe the effects of regular dosing with a common antiretroviral drug combination on outer hair cell (OHC) function using measures of 2f1-f2 distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). Specifically, experimental mice were treated daily over a 3-mo period with the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), zidovudine (ZDV) and lamivudine (3TC), dissolved in their drinking water, while their control counterparts received untreated water. DPOAE levels and ABR detection thresholds prior to and after 12 wk of NRTI treatment did not differ between experimental and control groups. To assess whether NRTI treatment potentiates the adverse effects of noise over-exposure on OHC function, both experimental and control mice were exposed 1 wk later, while still on the drug regimen, to a 10-kHz octave-band noise (OBN) at 105-dB SPL for 1h. A major outcome of the sound over-exposure episode was that the NRTI-pretreated mice showed significantly greater permanent OBN-induced reductions in DPOAE levels at 2 wk postexposure than were observed for the untreated control animals. These findings support the notion that a synergistic relationship exists between certain NRTIs and intense sounds in that such preexposure drug treatments produced greater noise-induced decreases in DPOAE activity than did noise exposure alone. This drug/noise interaction is consistent with the known harmful effects of NRTIs on cellular mitochondrial activity.

Partial tonsillectomy with scalpel in children with obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare postoperative pain of partial tonsillectomy (PT) with scalpel and total classical tonsillectomy (TT). METHODS: Prospective, randomized study at a tertiary care institution. Ninety-six children who were diagnosed with obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy were included to the study. Children's tonsils were removed totally (Group TT) by classical dissection tonsillectomy or partially (Group PT) using scalpel and tissue scissors. The parents were instructed to fill out a form daily for nine postoperative days; recording total amount of analgesics administered that day and a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) each day assessing child's life quality and daily activities. RESULTS: Eighty-one children (2-14 years old) who completed the study were included in the analysis. Total tonsillectomy group (Group TT) consisted of 41 patients and partial tonsillectomy group (Group PT) consisted of 40 patients. There was no difference between two groups' operative parameters such as operation time [21.3 min (PT) and 22.3 min (TT)] and blood loss [44.2 ml (PT) and 46.0 ml (TT)] (p>0.05). PT group received significantly less dosage of analgesics per day; 1.18+/-1.27 vs. 2.00+/-1.45 (p<0.005). Total used analgesic dose in PT group were also lower than TT group (10.7+/-7.13 vs. 18.02+/-6.99 doses). When each day's analgesic use was compared separately a significant difference was found (p<0.05) in all days except 9th postoperative day (p>0.05). There was no difference in the pain scores between two techniques (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Unlike tonsillectomy, PT aims to remove the tonsilla palatina subtotally. It is especially performed in children with obstructive tonsils. PT with scalpel is an inexpensive and safe method necessitating only standard surgical instruments. It causes less postoperative pain than classical dissection tonsillectomy.

Lacrimal sac removal made easy by methylene blue in endoscopic dacrocystorhinostomy.

Endonasal dacrocystorhinostomy (DCR) has gained interest in the last decade. Especially when a novice surgeon is performing the surgery, difficulty in identification of the lacrimal apparatus may complicate the procedure. We investigated the efficacy of methylene blue (MB) solution as a marker for lacrimal sac (LS) in endoscopic DCR. A total of 24 endoscopic DCR cases were performed (16 primary and 8 revision cases). During surgery, LS was irrigated with MB solution. Following lacrimal bone removal, medial wall of the LS is seen with a bluish hue. When the sac is dissected, the epithelium of the LS, which is heavily stained with MB contrasts with the surrounding nasal mucosa and therefore tailoring of the extent of the LS mucosa removal is facilitated. The follow-up period of the patients was 23 +/- 7.5 months. Of the 24 cases operated, only one case needed a re-operation. Use of MB solution is effective in both identifying LS and distinguishing it from surrounding nasal mucosa in DCR.

Cerebellar abscess and meningitis, caused by Shewanella putrefaciens and Klebsiella pneumoniae, associated with chronic otitis media.

Shewanella putrefaciens is a facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, Gram-negative, non-fermentative bacterium. It is found in various environments and has been isolated worldwide. S. putrefaciens is a rare cause of brain abscesses and meningitis. This is a case report of a cerebellar abscess and meningitis caused by Shewanella putrefaciens and Klebsiella pneumoniae in a river trap fisherman.

Occult anterior skull base defect without rhinorrhea as a cause of recurrent meningitis.

BACKGROUND: We present a case of recurrent meningitis in a patient with an occult skull base defect and without clinically or radiologically demonstrable rhinorrhea. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 34-year-old female patient presented with headache, fever, and cervical pain and was diagnosed with acute purulent meningitis. Her medical history revealed another meningitis episode following an upper respiratory tract infection 4 years before. She did not have any rhinorrhea complaint. Nasal endoscopy and computerized tomography with metrizamide failed to demonstrate any subclinical rhinorrhea. However, a bony defect in the cribriform plate and a submucosal nasoseptal collection of cerebrospinal fluid behind an intact septal nasal mucosa were detected in computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging studies. An endoscopic repair of the defect at the anterior cranial fossa was performed with a composite middle turbinate graft. CONCLUSION: We suggest that even if anamnesis and radiological evaluation do not confirm rhinorrhea, dehiscence of bony roof and additional submucosal collection of fluids should be investigated in patients with recurrent meningitis.

Preservation of the mastoid aeration and prevention of mastoid dimpling in chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma surgery using hyaluronate-based bioresorbable membrane (Seprafilm).

During mastoidectomy a hollow-cavity is formed within the mastoid bone after its cortex and air cells are removed. Postoperatively, the aerated cavity is usually filled with soft tissues. Also it is not so uncommon to see cases with retraction of the mastoid area skin into the cavity causing a cosmetic problem termed as mastoid dimpling. In order to achieve an aerated mastoid cavity and minimizing the mastoid dimpling, an adhesion barrier was utilized to prevent fibrous tissue formation within the cavity. Twenty-one patients with middle ear and/or mastoid cholesteatoma, who underwent tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy (canal wall-up) with staged procedures, were included in the study. The mastoid cavity was tented and covered with an adhesion barrier (hyaluranic acid and carboxymethylcellulose, Seprafilm, (Seprafilm, GENZYME Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA) at the end of the surgery. Postoperatively, in two cases serohemorrhagic fluid collected between the adhesion barrier membrane and the subcutaneous tissues requiring drainage. Second stages were performed 4-6 months after the first stage. Two residual cholesteatoma cases were present. Patients were followed for a minimum of 2 years after the second stage. Mean follow-up was 2 years and 5 months. No wound infection was encountered postoperatively. Late follow-up of minimum 2 years after the second surgery revealed cosmetically acceptable retroauricular area with no dimpling. Mild retraction in two cases and two micro-central perforations in the neotympanic membrane were found. CT scans obtained both prior to the second stage and at the end of the second year of second stage revealed fully aerated mastoid cavities covered with periosteum in its natural position. Mastoid cortex plasty with seprafilm offers a rapid and effective solution to the preservation of mastoid space and the preservation of the contours of the mastoid bone.

Mesenchymal stem cells in iatrogenic facial nerve paralysis: a possible role in the future.

Iatrogenic facial nerve paralysis is one of the major and drastic complications of ear surgery. We report a case of a 20-year-old female patient with simple chronic otitis media who underwent mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty. During the mastoidectomy process the facial nerve was unintentionally destroyed, leaving a gap of 8-10 mm in the third segment of the intratemporal facial nerve. The nerve was repaired with a nerve cable graft obtained from the vicinity. On the 42nd day, autologous mesenchymal stem cell transplantation was performed after facial nerve trauma. The patient's facial nerve paralysis has recovered from House-Brackmann grade VI to IV within a week and then to III in the fifth month. The rapid, postoperative progress, and the early follow-up results are discussed. This case represents the first bone marrow stem cell application in a peripheral nerve, namely the facial nerve.

Massive concha bullosa pyocele with orbital extention.

Concha bullosa is the most common anatomic variant of the middle turbinate. It remains usually asymptomatic. Pyocele occurs when concha bullosa becomes infected. In the formation of a pyocele, middle turbinate may become expanded and occupy the surrounding structures with local bone destruction. Direct extension of mass from the nose into the orbit may occur, because the orbital contents are separated from the ethmoidal labyrinth only by the thin lamina papyracea. We report a case of concha bullosa pyocele with orbital extension. Orbital involvement is also associated with ocular functional loss. In this case, ocular motion and vision remained normal despite of the presence of orbital extension for 2 years.

Prevalence and risk factors of otitis media with effusion in Trabzon, a city in northeastern Turkey, with an emphasis on the recommendation of OME screening.

This cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess the prevalence and risk factors for otitis media with effusion (OME) in Trabzon, a city in northeastern Turkey, and evaluate the need for screening for OME in the normal population. In kindergartens, daycare centers, public and private schools in the rural and central areas of Trabzon, 1,077 children aged between 5 and 12 years were examined. OME prevalence was 11.14% (120/1,077). Young age, attendance at kindergarten/daycare, low economical status, the mother's working status (housewife), history of snoring and acute otitis media, antibiotic use in the previous 3 months and active upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) were found to be the risk factors for OME. A history of hearing loss reported by the parents and teachers was found significant in the diagnosis of OME despite the low predictive value. When the parents suspected that their child had experienced hearing loss (in 36 cases), they did not refer them to a healthcare facility. To conclude, the approach to OME in developing countries should be more interventional as healthcare coverage is usually low and behavioral factors such as the demand for healthcare is poor.