Trans-oral, Carbon Dioxide-Assisted Excision of an Unusual Schwannoma of the Tongue Base: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract Introduction Schwannomas are benign, solitary, encapsulated tumors that may originate at any site of the peripheral nervous system, with the exception of the olfactory and optic nerves. Schwannomas of the base of tongue are very rare, and only sporadic cases are documented. The tongue base represents a challenge for surgeons. Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser might provide an effective surgical option for such lesions because of the easy access to the lesion, the bloodless surgical field and optimum epithelization of wounds. Objective We present an unusual case of pedunculated schwannoma of the tongue base treated via transoral CO2-assisted excision. We also provide a review of the available literature, in English language, on humans. Data synthesis The authors searched the PubMed database and Google up to July 2018. The following search terms were applied: tongue and lingual, combined with schwannoma and neurilemmoma. Titles and abstracts were screened, and, then, only supraglottic (hypopharyngeal) tongue base masses were considered. Fourteen articles were included in this review, reporting 17 cases. The age of the patients ranged from 9 to 39 years, affecting predominantly females. Dysphagia and lump sensations were the most common presenting symptoms, and the mean follow-up period range was 1.5 to 60 months (mean = 13 months). There was no evidence of recurrence in any of the cases. Conclusion We could conclude that tongue base schwannomas are rare. Transoral complete excision of the tumor is the treatment of choice. CO2 laser surgery is a minimally invasive treatment option that has been performed in few reports with no recurrence and with favorable outcomes.

Analysis of Obstruction Site in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients Based on Videofluoroscopy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Upper airway obstruction can occur at the soft palate, tongue base, or epiglottis among obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Detection of these obstruction sites is very important for choosing a treatment modality for OSA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the obstruction site of OSA patients and its association with mouth opening and head position. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Forty-eight consecutive patients with suspicion of OSA were enrolled and underwent videofluoroscopy to evaluate the obstruction site, as well as polysomnography. Obstruction site, mouth opening, and head position were evaluated on videofluoroscopy, and their association was analyzed. RESULTS: According to the videofluoroscopy, 47 (97.9%) of 48 patients showed an obstruction in the soft palate, while 24 (50.0%) were located in the tongue base and 14 (29.2%) in the epiglottis. Multiple obstructions were observed in many patients. Mean apnea-hypopnea index was higher among patients with tongue base obstruction (42.3±26.7) compared to those without obstruction (26.4±21.2, p=0.058). However, epiglottis obstruction did not influence apnea-hypopnea index. Mouth opening did not show any association with tongue base obstruction (p=0.564), while head flexion was highly associated (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Half of patients with OSA have tongue base obstruction, which worsens the apnea-hypopnea index. Head flexion is associated with tongue base obstruction, while mouth opening is not.

A Case of Schwannoma of the Tongue Base / 대한이비인후과학회지

Schwannomas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors. It is found rarely in the oral cavity but most commonly in the tongue followed by the palate, floor of mouth, buccal mucosa, and mandible. Because schwannoma of the base of tongue is exceedingly rare, it is often not immediately included in the differential diagnosis, causing delay in identification and treatment. We report here, with a review of the literature, a case of schwannoma of the base of tongue, which was misdiagnosed as a lingual thyroid. A 28-year-old man presented with a base of tongue mass, which was first detected a month ago. The preoperative diagnosis was lingual thyroid on the basis of the physical findings and computerized tomographic findings. The permanent pathologic report of the mass was schwannoma. Postoperatively, the patient showed no problem with tongue function and wound healing.

Efficacy of microlaryngoscopy radiofrequency in treatment of patients with tongue base cysts / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of microlaryngoscopy radiofrequency in treatment of patients with tongue base cysts. Methods 42 patients with tongue base cysts from January 2013 to December 2014 were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, the treatment group underwent microlaryngoscopy radiofrequency treatment, the control group underwent direct laryngoscopy under the tongue cystectomy, then the operation time, blood loss and postoperative recurrence rate were observed and recorded, and self-evaluation method using visual analog (VAS) to evaluate the effect of surgery. Results The operative time of treatment group was significantly shorter, and the blood loss was significantly less than the control group, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P 0.05); 12 months, the recurrence rate was 28.57% in the control group, the treatment group, the recurrence rate was 4.76%, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05); Preoperative VAS score of the two groups have no significant difference, while after surgery, the VAS scores' difference was statistically significant, even treatment group compared with the control group VAS scores after surgery was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Conclusion Microlaryngoscopy radiofrequency in treatment of tongue base cysts have advantages of significant efficacy, safe and reliable, It's worthy of clinical promoting.

A Prospective Study of the Surgical Outcome of Simple Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), UPPP Combined With Genioglossus Advancement or Tongue Base Advancement for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome Patients With Multilevel Obstruction

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the surgical outcomes of different uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). METHODS: All subjects underwent overnight polysomnography and were evaluated using the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), the Quebec sleep questionnaire and the snoring scale at the baseline and 3 and 12 months following operation. The primary endpoint was the overall effective rate representing the sum of the surgical success rate and effective rate. RESULTS: The overall effective rate at 12 months post surgery was 55.6% for simple UPPP, 95.8% for UPPP+GA, and 92.3% for UPPP+TBA. The surgical success rate at 3 and 12 months postoperation for UPPP+GA or UPPP+TBA was significantly higher than simple UPPP (P<0.05). Marked improvement was observed in all patients in the snoring scale score and the ESS score 3 and 12 months following surgery compared to the baseline (P<0.05 in all). CONCLUSION: UPPP, UPPP+GA, and UPPP+TBA are all effective in improving the surgical outcome of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients with multilevel obstruction. UPPP+TBA appears to be the most effective in treating OSAHS patients.

A Case of Adenosquamous Carcinoma Arising from the Base of Tongue / 대한이비인후과학회지

Adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) of the head and neck is a rare malignancy. This entity was first described in 1968 by Gerughty, et al. Nowadays, ASC is defined in the World Health Organization classification of tumors of the upper respiratory tract and ear as a malignant tumor with histological features of both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. We report a case of adenosquamous carcinoma arising from the base of tongue salvaged by transoral robotic surgery with review of literature.

Channel radiofrequency volumetric reduction of tongue base a vitro porcine three-dimensional reconstruction experiment for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To investigate lesion size caused by channel radiofrequency volumetric reduction of por-cine tongue base in vitro using the technique of three-dimensional reconstruction. And to evaluate safety about channel radiofrequency volumetric reduction of tongue base. Method: Eighteen fresh porcine tongues were randomly separated into six groups,and each group had three ones. The tongue bases were designed six points according to description of Powell. Tongues base were acted on 10 s and 6 level by Coblation radiofrequency system and were cut into serial freezing histological sections. These segments were sectioned at 20 μm on the injury lesion and stained with H & E. Collected 2D digital imagine of order histological sections, drawn and cut apart part of the le-sion of these sections. Images were procesed IPS and were taken three-dimensional reconstruction and statistics an-alyzes with SPSS10. 0. Result: The mean value of tongue base lesion volumes among points was (359. 5± 5. 6)mm~3 ,(364. 3±7. 0)mm~3 ,(363. 7±7. 2)mm~3, (354. 1±11. 8)mm~3, (349. 4±17. 2)mm~3 ,(353. 5±7. 9)mm~3 separately. Statistic analysis by one-way ANOVA showed that there was a insignificant difference between the groups(P>0. 05). Conclusion:These results demonstrated no significant effect lesion size in channel radiofrequency volumetric reduction in the different points of the tongue base. These data also indicated that coblation radiofre-quency system is a safe method for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.

Current Trend of Early Glottic and Tongue Cancer Management in Korea / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The management of early glottic, tongue and tongue base cancer remains controversial and the trends in the treatment rationale can be influenced by the clinician and/or the patient factors. This study assesses the current treatment trend in the management of glottic, tongue and tongue base cancer among the Korean Society of Head and Neck Surgeons membership. We want this data to give more information in regards to better selection of treatment against specific individual factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey instrument in the form of a questionnaire was designed by authors. The questionnaire was distributed to 91 members with 46 responses. After the data from these surveys were computerized, the analysis was performed using SAS software. RESULTS: The two most frequently used treatment regimens of T2N0 glottic cancers were conservation laryngeal surgery (45.7%) and radiation therapy alone (19.6%). T2N0 tongue cancer was usually treated with surgery (56.5%) and surgery with radiation therapy (26.1%). The treatment patterns for tongue base cancer were varied as follows: surgery, 23.9%; radiation therapy only, 21.7%; combined therapy, 30.4%; and patient choice, 23.9%. In situations where an unclear resection margin is found, participants usually underwent adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy. A trend toward lower application rates was noted from positive margin (82.6%) to close margin (67.4%) and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.020). Important factors to determine which patient should be entered into a combined therapy program after neck dissection were the N-staging system and the histological extracapsular spread of lymph node metastases. Examination of treatment rationale demonstrated that the most preferred form of treatment was based on the perception of superior oncologic outcomes (87.0%). Treatment recommendations were usually decided by the operator (52.3%) and the tumor board (25.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment modalities were not significantly influenced by varied individual factors of participants. But a standard therapy has never been well defined. These varied factors in the management of early glottic, tongue and tongue base cancer and treatment rationale reflect that there are multiple influencing factors.

A Case of Choristoma of Tongue Base / 대한이비인후과학회지

The choristoma is a tumor like mass of normal cells in an abnormal location. Intraoral osseous and cartilaginous choristoma is distinctly uncommon. The etiology of choristoma is unknown. It is suggested that the intraoral choristoma is a developmental lesion. Correct diagnosis can be obtained only after histopathologic examination. The treatment of choice is surgical excision. We present a case of osseous and cartilaginous choristoma, occurred on the tongue base and treated by peroral excision, with review of the literatures.