RESUMO
Head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment's toxicities impact several health domains. Exercise training (ET) may be beneficial. This prospective observational study (NCT04996147) aimed to analyse the acute impact of HNC curative multimodal treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), nutritional status, physical and cognitive functions, and ET preferences. Eighteen patients with stage III/IV HNC were evaluated at baseline (T0), and 10 patients were evaluated at the end of treatment (T1), 7 of them after radical chemoradiotherapy (rCRT). At T0, the majority referred a good HRQoL on the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire (median score: 70.8), were moderately malnourished or at risk of malnutrition (78%), recognized the benefits of an ET program, and were willing to participate (78%). After rCRT, there was worsening in HRQoL (75 vs. 50 score, p = 0.014), dysphagia severity (Eating Assessment Tool: 7 vs. 31, p = 0.027; Functional Oral Intake Scale: 6 vs. 4, p = 0.041), handgrip strength (dominant: 40.9 vs. 35.8 kgf, p = 0.027; nondominant: 37.2 vs. 33.9 kgf, p = 0.043), and nutritional status (Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment: 7 vs. 18, p = 0.028). HNC patients subjected to radical treatment represent a vulnerable population that might benefit from multimodal supportive care strategies including an ET program.
RESUMO
Anatomical variations of the cervical part of the internal carotid artery (ICA) are not rare in the general population. They are usually asymptomatic and more common in the elderly. We report the case of a 70-year-old Caucasian woman who was referred to our department due to chronic cough. We performed a flexible nasofibrolaryngoscopy that demonstrated the presence of a pulsatile mass in the hypopharynx. After performing a cervical contrast-enhanced CT, the mass turned out to be an aberrant variation of the cervical part of the ICA. This case is intended to alert otolaryngologists, anaesthesiologists, radiologists and surgeons for this accidental finding and the possible consequences for the patient if not diagnosed and properly oriented.
