Management of Upper Airway Leech Infestations.

PURPOSE: Upper airway foreign body is one of the most encountered clinical situations in otolaryngology practice. In rare conditions, a living organism may be a foreign body in the upper airway. In this study, we demonstrate 19 patients with leech infestations in nose, nasopharynx, and larynx. METHODS: This study was enrolled with 19 patients between 2012 and 2016 in a regional state hospital. All of the patients were admitted to clinic with these complaints: epistaxis, hemoptysis, coughing, foreign body sensation, and bloody stool. RESULTS: There were 12 male and 7 female patients. The leech was in the nose in 12 patients, in nasopharynx in 6 patients, and in the larynx in only 1 patient. All leeches are removed under local anesthesia (except laryngeal presentation). No bleeding and complication were seen after extraction of leech. CONCLUSION: Leech can be easily diagnosed and managed in the upper aero-digestive tract without any complication and leech-associated disease.

Pulmonary air leak syndrome associated with traumatic nasopharyngeal suctioning.

We describe a healthy 7-month-old female infant who developed spontaneous pneumomediastinum (PM) and subcutaneous emphysema after traumatic nasopharyngeal suctioning (NPS) while hospitalised for respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pulmonary air leak syndrome associated with traumatic NPS in a healthy infant affected by bronchiolitis. Although NPS is currently the mainstay of treatment in patients admitted with bronchiolitis in the USA, currently there are minimal data regarding the safety and effectiveness of the procedure in patients with bronchiolitis. Physicians should consider the possibility of pulmonary air leak as a complication of NPS and have high suspicion in a decompensating infant after suctioning who is afflicted with bronchiolitis.

Nasopharyngeal perforation by a new electromagnetically visualised enteral feeding tube.

Enteral nutrition is the preferred route of feeding in critically ill patients. It has multiple advantages over parenteral nutrition and potentially improves patients' outcome. Enteral nutrition is delivered via gastric or postpyloric (small intestine) feeding tubes. The latter option used to be a more challenging choice to achieve unless the feeding tube is placed endoscopically or by interventional radiology. Multiple technical advances have facilitated postpyloric feeding, including a new electromagnetically visualised jejunal feeding tube system (CORTRAK Enteral Access System). We are presenting a case of a 50-year-old woman who suffered a nasopharyngeal perforation caused by this novel technology. The complication was recognised promptly and managed successfully with conservative measures. This case illustrates the importance of recognising patients at high risk for feeding tube placement complications, meticulous placement technique and appropriate follow-up once the tube has been inserted.

Dental avulsion due to direct laryngoscopy during the induction of general anaesthesia and avulsed teeth in nasopharynx.

General anaesthesia was induced to a 32-year-old female patient. During direct laryngoscopy, the four upper front incisors were avulsed and fell into the patient's oral cavity without fracture. After endotracheal intubation, her oral cavity was searched laryngoscopically but the teeth were not found. Radiological findings of her chest and abdomen obtained by the C-armed x-ray device and endoscopic findings of the oesophagus were normal. Her head and neck imaging revealed a radiopaque lesion in the nasopharyngeal area. Later, the nasopharyngeal area was examined endoscopically and the teeth were removed following adenoidectomy. We emphasise that preoperative evaluation is essential for dental injuries, and patients with a risk of dental injury must be detected before surgery. The localisation of the broken teeth must be identified and removed, and one must keep in mind that the dental fragments can travel to the nasopharynx.

Unusual nasopharyngeal foreign body: a hooked iron rod.

Foreign bodies lodged in the nasopharynx are rare. We report a case of an unusual foreign body in the nasopharynx: a hooked iron rod. The patient was a 5-year-old girl. The foreign body had to be removed under general anesthesia. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no similar published report of a hooked iron rod in the nasopharynx.

Cleft palate secondary to an ingested foreign body: a learning experience.

BACKGROUND: Cleft palate has usually been described as a congenital anomaly. Acquired clefting of the palate is rare and is usually due to penetrating trauma. OBJECTIVE: To report a case of cleft palate developing after ingestion of a coin due to prolonged impaction in the nasopharynx. CASE REPORT: A 4 1/2-year-old child presented with nasal regurgitation and nasal twang of voice. The parents reported a history of ingestion of a coin 2 years prior, which was undetectable on neck and chest X-ray study done at that time. Examination revealed a triangular cleft of soft palate. A diagnosis was made of an acquired cleft palate secondary to prolonged impaction of the coin in the nasopharynx. Under general anesthesia, the palatal defect was repaired in three layers. CONCLUSION: The case highlights the fact that ingested foreign bodies can get lodged in the nasopharynx and that nasopharynx X-ray study should always be done in cases of a disappearing foreign body in the aerodigestive tract.

A complication of nasotracheal intubation after mandibular subcondylar fracture.

Among the potential risks of nasotracheal intubation are nasal bleeding, sinusitis, bacteremia, accidental turbinectomy, and some other structural damages. Retropharyngeal dissection is reported as a very rare complication of nasotracheal intubation, mostly encountered in elective surgery patients. A case with traumatic subcondylar fracture of the mandible is presented here, which is suspected to be the cause of the nasopharyngeal dissection that was observed during attempted nasotracheal intubation.

Quiste óseo aneurismático simulando tumoración de rinofaringe / Aneurismatic bone cyst simulate rhino pharyns tumor

Los quistes óseos aneurismáticos del área de cabeza y cuello representan menos del 5% de todos los tumores óseos. Son lesiones benignas, que comúnmente afectan las metáfisis de los huesos largos y las vértebras como en el caso que se describe a continuación, simulando una lesión de la rinofaringe. Se describe su manejo y tratamiento.

The aneurismal of bone cyst of the head and neck localization, represent less than the 5% of the all bone tumors. They are benign lesions, and commonly affecting the metaphysis of the long bones and vertebrae, like in the case we described below, it simulating the rhino pharynx lesion. We describe the management and treatment.

Reducing nasopharyngeal trauma: the urethral catheter-assisted nasotracheal intubation technique.

Nasal intubation is an advantageous approach for dental procedures performed in the hospital, ambulatory surgery center, or dental office, when possible. Although many who provide anesthesia services are familiar and comfortable with nasal intubation techniques, some are reluctant and uncomfortable because of lack of experience or fear of nasopharyngeal bleeding and trauma. It has been observed from experiences in various settings that many approaches may be adapted to the technique of achieving nasal intubation. The technique that is described in this paper suggests a minimally invasive approach that introduces the nasoendotracheal tube through the nasopharyngeal pathway to the oropharynx in an expedient manner while preserving the nasopharyngeal structures, thus lessening nasal bleeding and trauma to soft tissues. The technique uses a common urethral catheter and can be incorporated along with current intubation armamentaria. As with all techniques, some limitations to the approach have been identified and are described in this paper. Cases with limited mouth opening, neck injury, and difficult airways may necessitate alternative methods. However, the short learning curve along with the many benefits of this technique offers the anesthesia professional additional options for excellent patient care.

Death by complete decapitation of motorcyclist wearing full face helmet: case report.

We describe a case of complete decapitation following a motorcycle accident in which the victim was wearing a full face helmet. A young man lost control of his motorcycle and was thrown about 20 m, hitting his head against the barrier separating a tramline from the road. The resulting trauma caused his decapitation, the only fatal wound ascertained by the various forensic investigations. The authors present this rare case and compare it against the other two cases reported in the literature, providing some observations on the ways in which this injury can come about. The absence of abrasions or signs that the wound edges came into contact with a metal structure, the presence of signs of impact on the side of the helmet and the finding of a transversal fracture at the base of the skull point to the violent action of a side-to-side opposite force, due to the resistance provided by the lower edge of the protective helmet.

Successful tracheal intubation through an intubating laryngeal airway in pediatric patients with airway hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: This case report describes the use of the air-Q intubating laryngeal airway (air-Q ILA; Cookgas LLC, St. Louis, MO) for airway rescue and a conduit for blind tracheal intubation in two pediatric patients with failed rapid sequence intubation and difficult airways secondary to airway bleeding in the emergency department (ED). OBJECTIVES: To describe the use of a new supraglottic rescue device in the management of the pediatric patient's difficult airway in the emergency setting. CASE REPORT: Case 1 was a 5-year-old boy who presented to the ED for bleeding one day after his tonsillectomy. After a rapid sequence intubation, direct laryngoscopy was difficult, with copious bleeding in the oropharynx and inability to visualize the glottis. After two failed direct laryngoscopic attempts to intubate, a size-2 air-Q ILA was inserted. A cuffed 5.0-mm inner diameter (ID) endotracheal tube (ETT) was blindly inserted through the lumen of the air-Q ILA into the trachea successfully. Case 2 was a 13-year-old boy who presented to the ED with a large nasopharyngeal laceration from a motor vehicle accident. After a rapid sequence intubation, direct laryngoscopy showed copious blood with no glottic visualization. A size 3 Laryngeal Mask Airway Classic™ (cLMA; LMA North America Inc., San Diego, CA) was inserted with a large airway leak, and blind ETT insertion via the cLMA was unsuccessful. Subsequently, a size-2.5 air-Q ILA was inserted and adequate ventilation was restored. A cuffed 6.0-mm ID ETT was blindly inserted through the air-Q ILA into the trachea successfully. CONCLUSION: Two cases of failed laryngoscopy in pediatric patients with blood in the airway are described. In each case, insertion of an air-Q ILA was followed by successful blind tracheal intubation via the lumen of the air-Q ILA.

[Diagnostic endoscopy of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx in premature newborn infants].

Disturbed nasal breathing in the children always was a topical socio-medical problem and has remained such up to now. The objective of the present investigation was to estimate the potential of modern endoscopic techniques for diagnostics of disturbed nasal breathing in the premature infants and to develop therapeutic measures aimed at the prevention of destructive changes in the nose during therapy with the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The study included 43 children ranging in the age from 1 month to 2 years (24 boys and 19 girls). All the newborn babies were transferred to the department of resuscitation and intensive therapy for the urgent treatment including respiratory support with the use of the CPAP technique. The endoscopic surveillance made it possible to exactly determine the causes responsible for the disturbances of nasal breathing in the children who survived the critical conditions, to estimate the anatomical and functional conditions of the nasopharyngeal structures, and to develop therapeutic and preventive measures to protect the nose from further destructive changes.

Cervicofacial emphysema.

The case describes a young girl developing cervicofacial emphysema after fall. She presented in emergency with gradually worsening upper body swelling without any sign of distress. Swelling was found on the right side of the face, all around the neck and right arm with crepitus in all these areas. CT scanning of head, neck and chest were performed and a small area of communication between nasopharynx and the trapped air of subcutaneous emphysema was seen. Video-endoscopy of the pharynx showed a tear in the nasopharyngeal mucosa acting as a one way valve leading to the development of cervicofacial emphysema.

Retained knife blades in the ear, nose and throat: three cases.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the management and to review the literature regarding retained knife blades in the head and neck. CASE REPORT: We present three cases in which patients presented with retained knife blades in the head and neck region; in two of these, the diagnosis was delayed by more than eight weeks. In all patients, the retained knife blade was removed through the pathway of insertion, without significant sequelae. DISCUSSION: The methods of removal, appropriate radiological investigations and patient profiles are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that radiography be performed on all patients presenting with facial stab injuries which are anything more than superficial. We further suggest that the direct extraction of sharp objects through the pathway of insertion is safe if radiological studies show no risk of vascular injury.

Determinación genómica de virus de epstein-barr: en tumores del tracto aerodigestivo superior / The genomic determination of ebstein-barr virus: in aerodigestive superior tract tumors

El virus de Epstein-Barr se encuentra en relación directa con algunas neoplasias como los linfomas y el carcinoma indiferenciado de nasofaringe. Más recientemente se han reportado la presencia del genoma viral en tumores similares a linfoepiteliomas de otras localizaciones como estómago, hígado, mama y pulmón. Fueron tomadas muestras en fresco de pacientes con tumores localizados en tracto aerodigestivo superior entre enero y junio de 2006. Se determinó el genoma viral. Dieciocho de 41 muestras eran positivas para virus, 23 negativas. Trece de los tumores malignos resultaron positivos para el genoma del virus mientras que el 48,1 por ciento restante resultaron negativos. La presencia del genoma viral fue encontrada en 8 muestras de laringe, 4 de nasofaringe, 2 de senos piriformes y en 1 de cada una de los siguientes sitios: fosas nasales, mucosa yugal, amígdala, y antro maxilar. A pesar del número limitado de muestras tomadas en algunas de las localizaciones mencionadas en este trabajo, pudimos encontrar el genoma viral en sitios como laringe, fosas nasales y cavidad oral. La mayor parte de los tumores malignos eran carcinomas escamosos, sólo 2 muestras correspondían a linfoepiteliomas. El genoma del virus puede ser identificado en muestras tomadas en fresco de tumores del tracto aerodigestivo superior tales como en carcinomas escamosos de laringe, fosas nasales, cavidad oral y faringe. Es necesario realizar más estudios para poder identificar la posible relación que existe entre este virus y dichos tumores.

The Epstein-Barr virus is been related with many malignancies as lymphoma and nasopharyngeal undifferentiated carcinoma. More recently, the presence of viral genome had been reported in some similar tumors how the lymphoepithelioma in other localizations for example the stomach, the liver, the breast and lung. From January to June 2006, we had taken fresh from the patient’s superior aero digestive tumors samples. The Epstein-Barr viral genome was determined by the Polymerasa Chain Reaction. From 41 samples of tumors, 18 were viruses positive and 23 of them were viruses negative. Thirteen malignant tumors were positive for the viruses genome and the rest ant other 48.1 % were negative. In eight larynxes, 4 nasopharyngeal, 2 piriform sinuses and some of this localization: nasal cavity, oral yugal mucosa, tonsil and maxillary sinus, and samples the viral genome of Epstein Barr was present. Although, we had a limited number of sample in some regions mentioned in these work, we could determine the viral genome of Epstein Barr in some sites how larynx, nasal and oral cavity. The majority of malignant tumors were squamous cell carcinoma, only two of them were correspondent to lymphoepithelioma. The Epstein-Barr viral genome may be identified in fresh superior aero digestive tumors samples, like in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, the oral cavity, nasal cavity and in the pharynx. Further studies are necessary to identify the probability relation between this virus and these tumors.

Endoscopic removal of an unusual foreign body in the nasopharynx of an adult.

We report a rare case of sewing needle impaction in the nasopharynx of an adult patient after sneezing. The impacted foreign body was removed using nasal endoscope. To the authors' knowledge, such a case has not been previously reported in medical literature.