ABSTRACT
Traumatic retropharyngeal hematoma is a rare condition and may be lethal in some cases. In patients with this condition, the absence of a vertebral fracture or a major vascular injury is extremely rare. We present the case of a 92-year-old man who hit his forehead by slipping on the floor in his house. He had no symptoms at the time; however, he experienced throat pain and dyspnea at 6 hours after the injury. On arrival, he complained of severe dyspnea; therefore, an emergency endotracheal intubation was performed. A lateral neck roentgenogram after intubation showed dilatation of the retropharyngeal and retrotracheal space and no evidence of a cervical vertebral fracture. Cervical computed tomography (CT) with contrast medium revealed a massive hematoma extending from the retropharyngeal to the superior mediastinal space but no evidence of contrast medium extravasation or a vertebral fracture. However, sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an anterior longitudinal ligament (C4-5 levels) injury. We determined that the cause of the hematoma was an anterior longitudinal ligament injury and a minor vascular injury around the injured ligament. Therefore, we recommend that patients with retropharyngeal hematoma undergo sagittal cervical MRI when roentgenography and CT reveal no evidence of injury.
Subject(s)
Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Humans , Male , Hematoma , Diagnosis , Longitudinal Ligaments , Wounds and Injuries , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Pharyngeal Diseases , Diagnosis , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Performing angiography in the prone position is a difficult technique; however it is useful in some emergency situation. We experienced a 60 years old male who was performed lipoma excision on his back in his family doctor's clinic. Since massive arterial bleeding could not be controlled with manual astriction, he transferred to our hospital in prone position with hemodynamic instability. Operating field was not kept because of massive bleeding; therefore surgical treatment was impossible. We planed emergency arterial embolization (AE) in prone position. Hence we chose the left radial artery for vascular access. The left subclavicle arteriography showed many major and minor feeding arteries from left subclavicular and axillary arteries and a massive extravasation of the contrast medium. Three major feeding arteries were performed AE with gelatin sponge and steel coils. After AE, massive bleeding was controlled. He could discharge from our hospital on the 5th hospital day without any complication. Arterial embolization for life-threatening bleeding from subcutaneous hypervascular tumor in the prone position is first report to our knowledge, and it is extremely rare. However we thought that this technique is useful for patients who could not turn in the supine position, e.g. massive bleeding during renal biopsy and penetrating trauma from back.