RESUMO
COVID-19 has taken the world by storm: since the first few cases appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and by June 2020 there were more than 10 million cases of COVID-19 cases worldwide. Malaysia had its first case in January 2020 and acted promptly by implementing several drastic measures to contain the disease. Subsequently, the Ministry of Health Malaysia has implemented guidelines and recommendations on the management of COVID-19. The Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) provides services for patients with ear, nose, throat, head and neck diseases and provides audiology, speech and language therapy, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate training. As the department's staff is heavily involved in examinations and interventions of upper aerodigestive tract problems, the challenges are distinctly different from other specialties. This article discusses how COVID-19 affected ORL-HNS services and what measures were taken in Hospital Melaka, Malaysia.
RESUMO
Foreign body (FB) aspiration in children can result in serious complications that can lead to even death. We present a case of a one-year-old girl child with a history of choking one month prior while she was feeding. A bolus of rice was removed at a local clinic. Consequently, within 24 hours, she developed hoarseness and noisy breathing which was treated as an upper respiratory tract infection at two different clinics. This case report aims to highlight the need for otolaryngology consultation in a child with non-resolving respiratory symptoms following episodes of choking. This will prompt an immediate surgical intervention that could prevent potential morbidity and mortality as a result of a compromised airway.
RESUMO
Differential diagnosis of vision loss in a space-occupying lesion can be exhaustive. Olfactory groove meningioma (OGM) is a rare, benign, slow-growing tumour originating from the anterior cranial base. OGM is one of the differential diagnoses of intracranial tumours. We report a case of an OGM compressing the optic nerve and frontal lobe causing bilateral vision loss for six months. Multidisciplinary management by ophthalmologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, and pathologists led to the diagnosis and tumour resection of OGM in the patient. Possible mechanisms of vision loss, imaging features, and treatment are discussed in this report.
RESUMO
A 36-year-old man presented with an acute onset of a right eye monocular altitudinal defect associated with pain on eye movement upon waking up from sleep. His right eye subsequently developed outward deviation and a total loss of vision. Clinical examination of the right eye revealed a visual acuity of no light perception (NLP) with the presence of relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) and involvement of cranial nerves II, III, IV, and VI. A marked optic disc swelling and peripapillary hemorrhages were seen in the right fundus. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the brain and orbit showed a unilateral enlargement and enhancement of the right intraorbital and intracanalicular segments of the optic nerve with surrounding fat stranding and orbital apex crowding. Magnetic resonance imaging showed T2/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensity and enhancement of the optic nerve and the myelin sheath. Serum anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies were detected. He was treated with corticosteroids, plasma exchange, and intravenous immunoglobulin. His vision improved slowly after treatment. This case report shows the diverse manifestations of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease, which includes the orbital apex syndrome.
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Sinonasal inverted papilloma (SNIP) is a rare benign tumor of paranasal sinuses. SNIP is known to be locally aggressive, with high rates of recurrence and a high potential for malignant transformation. We present a patient who presented with right-sided cheek pain and swelling for two weeks. The initial biopsy revealed SNIP. However, postoperative histopathology examination results revealed synchronous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with sinonasal inverted papilloma. Although the initial biopsy result showed a benign lesion, the aggressive features such as bony destruction and orbital involvement in computed tomography scan should raise a suspicion of a malignant lesion. Imaging features of SNIP from synchronous SCC are discussed.
RESUMO
Differential diagnosis of neuropsychiatric symptoms in a patient with an underlying malignancy is exhaustive. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the most widely used chemotherapy agents and it is often used as the first-line regimen in head and neck malignancies. We present a case of an elderly female with an underlying locally advanced p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue who presented with manic symptoms for one week after cycle 2 of chemotherapy. Multidisciplinary management by otorhinolaryngologists with psychiatrist and oncologist led to the cessation of 5-FU, administration of antipsychotics, and replacement with a different chemotherapy agent, leading to complete resolution of manic symptoms. Possible mechanisms of the 5-FU-induced manic episode with its treatment are discussed in this report.
RESUMO
Schwannomas are a benign and rare entity that originates from Schwann cells. The majority of schwannomas are found in the head and neck regions and usually involve the intratemporal course of the facial nerve (FN). Isolated extratemporal intraparotid involvement is very rare. It is very challenging to diagnose intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma (PFNS) based on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) preoperatively. We report a case of an intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma masquerading as pleomorphic adenoma. The diagnostic challenges and imaging features along with its management are discussed.