A Case of Recurred Herpes Zoster Oticus Concomitantly Occurred with Zoster Laryngopharyngitis Without Vocal Cord Palsy

Herpes zoster oticus is one of complication of varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation in the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve, which is the most common presentation of herpes zoster in the head and neck region. However, VZV infection of the larynx has rarely been described in the literature compared with Herpes zoster oticus. Moreover, zoster laryngopharyngitis simultaneously occurred with recurred Herpes zoster oticus which has no newly developing motor dysfunction has not been reported yet. Therefore, these diseases are difficult to diagnose due to its rareness. However, distinctive appearances such as unilateral herpetic mucosal eruptions and vesicles are useful and essential in making a quick and accurate diagnosis. Thus, we report a characteristic case of zoster laryngopharyngitis simultaneously occurred with recurred Herpes zoster oticus not accompanied by any newly developing motor palsy.

Bilateral Vocal Cord Palsy after Thyroidectomy Detected by McGrath Videolaryngoscope / 대한내분비외과학회지

Bilateral vocal cord palsy (BVCP) is a rare complication of thyroid surgery, and it is confusing and frustrating for both patients and medical staff. We found postoperative vocal cord dysfunction using a McGrath videolaryngoscope from a patient with stridor and dyspnea after thyroidectomy performed with intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring. Soon after, the patient was diagnosed with BVCP by an ENT otolaryngologist using a laryngeal fiberscope. The patient underwent exploration and received a permanent tracheostoma. The possibility of false negative findings from intraoperative nerve monitoring should considered if there is suspicion of BVCP in a high risk patient after thyroidectomy. The McGrath video-laryngoscope can be useful for early discovery of postoperative vocal cord dysfunction.

Ortner's Syndrome: Secondary Laryngeal Paralysis Caused by a Great Thoracic Aorta Aneurysm

Introduction Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury caused by cardiovascular disease is a rare condition, and often it is the only prominent sign of an imminent break of an aortic artery aneurysm. Objective To report left laryngeal paralysis caused by a great aortic arch aneurysm and to highlight the importance of an otorhinolaryngologic evaluation along with a thoracic radiologic study. Resumed Report A 42-year-old man complained of thickness of his voice and dysphagia for 3 months, but no thoracic pain or other relevant complaints. Video laryngoscopy revealed immobility of his left vocal fold in the paramedian position. Imaging was obtained for investigation, including magnetic resonance imaging of his thorax, which showed a fusiform aneurysm in the aortic arch, leading to recurrent compression of the left laryngeal nerve. The patient was successfully treated with endovascular repair of the aneurysm. At 2-month follow-up, there was still no recovery of the laryngeal mobility. Conclusion An aortic artery aneurysm can suddenly break, requiring emergency heart surgery, and the results can be fatal in many cases. We suggest routine exam of the vocal folds in all patients with a heart condition, and we review the literature and suggest the use of imaging to reduce the number of emergency procedures. .

A Case of Primary Papillary Thyroid Cancer That Caused Vocal Cord Palsy Arising from Thyroid Rest

Thyroid rest is isolated deposit of normal thyroid tissue arising in the thyrothymic tract below the lower pole of thyroid gland. Malignant transformation of thyroid rest is very rare. We report an extremely rare case of papillary carcinoma arising from thyroid rest in a 56-year-old male. He presented with hoarseness due to vocal cord palsy. Paratracheal mass in the upper mediastinum was identified by the cause of vocal cord palsy on CT. During surgery, we identified that the mass invaded recurrent laryngeal nerve but had no connection to thyroid gland. Histopathologic examination revealed that the mass was primary papillary thyroid carcinoma and there was no evidence of malignancy in thyroid gland. The post-therapeutic I-131 whole body scan detected several focal hot uptake in lung and mediastinum, suggesting distant metastasis. We should have knowledge of developmental variations of thyroid gland such as thyroid rest and its malignant transformation.

Hoarseness as the sole symptom of an impending thoracic aneurysm rupture?

Unilateral vocal cord palsy secondary to thoracic aortic aneurysm is a rare occurrence. Direct compression of the enlarging thoracic aneurysm on the left recurrent laryngeal nerve causes neuronal injury of the nerve, which is manifested as hoarseness. We present a rare case of unilateral vocal cord palsy in a 60-year-old healthy gentleman caused by a large thoracic aortic aneurysm. This rare presentation, with a serious underlying pathology might be misdiagnosed or delayed. Therefore, it is important for us to have high index of suspicion in cases with a rare presentation such as this.

Autologous Platelet-Poor Plasma Gel for Injection Laryngoplasty

PURPOSE: To overcome the potential disadvantages of the use of foreign materials and autologous fat or collagen, we introduce here an autologous plasma gel for injection laryngoplasty. The purpose of this study was to present a new injection material, a plasma gel, and to discuss its clinical effectiveness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2 mL of blood, the platelet poor serum layer was collected and heated at 100degrees C for 12 min to form a plasma gel. The plasma gel was then injected into a targeted site; the safety and efficacy thereof were evaluated in 30 rats. We also conducted a phase I/II clinical study of plasma gel injection laryngoplasty in 11 unilateral vocal fold paralysis patients. RESULTS: The plasma gel was semi-solid and an easily injectable material. Of note, plasma gel maintains the same consistency for up to 1 year in a sealed bottle. However, exposure to room air causes the plasma gel to disappear within 1 month. In our animal study, the autologous plasma gel remained in situ for 6 months in animals with minimal inflammation. Clinical study showed that vocal cord palsy was well compensated for with the plasma gel in all patients at two months after injection with no significant complications. Jitter, shimmer, maximum, maximum phonation time (MPT) and mean voice handicap index (VHI) also improved significantly after plasma gel injection. However, because the injected plasma gel was gradually absorbed, 6 patients needed another injection, while the gel remained in place in 2 patients. CONCLUSION: Injection laryngoplasty with autologous plasma gel may be a useful and safe treatment option for temporary vocal cord palsy.

Clinical Usefulness of Cepstral Analysis in Dysphonia Evaluation / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: With the present methods for assessing speech, there are procedures that make effective diagnostics possible for voice disorders. One such procedure is cepstrum. Spectrum is produced by Fourier transformation of sound waves, and if Fourier transformation is performed again about the spectrum, cepstrum is produced. This study compared cepstrum to jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR) for assessment of its usefulness. Cepstrum was measured by Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPP) calculated by the Hillenbrand method and Cepstral Mean Values (CMV) calculated using the Computerized Speech Laboratory software. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We included in the study 30 patients with vocal nodule and unilateral vocal cord palsy who were diagnosed in Kangbuk Samsung Hospital between March 2010 and May 2011, and 30 normal controls. Phonation of sustained vowel /a/ sample and running speech was subjected to acoustic analysis using CMV and CPP. Then we compared the correlation of cepstrum with other acoustic methods. RESULTS: The measured values of CPP-a were 14.16, 17.25, 20.00 and the age adjusted CPP-s values were 11.21, 12.85, 15.00 for vocal cord palsy, vocal nodule and normal group, respectively. There was significant correlation with perceptions of dysphonia (p<0.001), but in CMV-a, CMV-s, there was no significant correlation. When jitter, shimmer, and NHR were compared with cepstrum, the result showed negative correlation among the three groups but CPP values showed significant difference (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In the assessment of voice disorders, cepstrum may be used as a reliable method for comparing other complementary analysis tools. For the acoustic analysis of voice by cepstrum, however, CPP has more reliable correlations with dysphonia than CMV.

Endoscopic Thyroidectomy via an Axillo-Breast Approach without Gas Insufflation for Benign Thyroid Nodules and Micropapillary Carcinomas: Preliminary Results

PURPOSE: To examine the feasibility of endoscopic thyroidectomy (ET) via an axillo-breast approach without gas insufflation for large thyroid tumors and micropapillary carcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients in the benign group were separated into groups 1 (n=95, or =4 cm in tumor diameter). Also, 57 patients in the micropapillary carcinoma group underwent an endoscopic hemithyroidectomy (HT) (group 3) and were compared with 60 patients who received conventional open HT (group 4). Postoperative functional outcome, local complications, surgical outcomes, and pathological outcomes were compared between the groups. RESULTS: In the benign group, there was no significant difference in mean operating time, hospital stay, or overall perioperative complications between the two groups. In the micropapillary carcinoma group, mean operating time and hospital stay in group 3 were significantly longer than in group 4 (p=0.015 and p or =4 cm and micropapillary carcinomas. Although it has the advantage of better cosmetic results over open thyroidectomy, there is room for improvement in terms of lessening its invasiveness and shortening the operative time.

A Case of Arteriovenous Malformation Presenting as Wallenberg Syndrome / 대한이비인후과학회지

Lateral medullary syndrome, also known as Wallenberg syndrome, is characterized by sensory deficits affecting the trunk and extremities on the opposite side of the lesion, and the face and cranial nerves on the same side of the lesion. Other clinical symptoms and findings are dysphagia, slurred speech, ataxia, facial pain, vertigo with nystagmus, Horner's syndrome, diplopia, and possibly palatal myoclonus. The cause of this syndrome is usually occlusion of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery or vertebrobasillar artery. We observed a case of Wallenberg syndrome occuring secondary to the cavernous malformation and initially presenting as unilateral vocal cord palsy. The centrally-medicated vocal cord palsy is a rare cause of hoarseness, but should be considered in cases where no other local cause can be found.

Bilateral vocal cord palsy after removal of falx meningioma in the hyperflexion of the neck: A case report

We experienced a case of bilateral vocal cord palsy following general anesthesia for craniotomy. The patient was a 43-year-old woman undergoing tumor resection for falx meningioma on frontal lobe. She had no laryngeal symptoms prior to operation. Spontaneous ventilation resumed after reversal of neuromuscular blockade. Following extubation, she showed signs of airway obstruction and dyspnea. Reintubation was done and symptoms improved. Three days after operation, we confirmed bilateral vocal cord palsy by fiberoptic laryngoscopy. We suggested that possible causes of bilateral vocal cord paralysis were hyperflexion of neck and long operating time.

Relationship between the Incidence of Vocal Cord Palsy and Aspiration Risk in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of vocal cord palsy (VCP) in acute ischemic stroke patients and its influence on aspiration risk. METHOD: Fifty patients with first-ever acute stroke were enrolled. The mean age was 68.3 years and there were 21 men and 29 women. Based on clinical and neuroimaging findings, their stroke subtype was categorized into cortical/ subcortical (Group A), lateral medulla (Group B) and other brainstem (Group C). We examined them by using flexible fiberoptic rhinolaryngoscope and videofluroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) within 2 weeks after stroke onset. The Penetration - Aspiration Scale (PAS) was used to score each VFSS. RESULTS: Among the 50 patients, VCP was found in 15 (30%): 15.8% of group A, 100% of group B and 40% of group C. VCP was contralateral to the brain lesion in group A and ipsilateral in 85.7% of group B. Aspiration risk was found in 38% of the all patients and 53% of VCP had aspiration risk. No differences in the incidence of aspiration risk were noted according to VCP (chi-square=2.138, p=0.144). CONCLUSION: There was no relationship between VCP and aspiration risk in acute ischemic stroke patients. Although VCP is a known risk factor for aspiration, other factors are important in determining an effective swallowing.

A Case of Herpes Zoster Laryngitis with Isolated Vagus Nerve Paralysis / 대한이비인후과학회지

Varicella zoster virus may cause a single presence or a combination of various types of cranial nerve palsy depending on the invasion site of head and neck region. Herpes zoster laryngitis has an extremely low incidence particularly in the head and neck region when compared to varicella zoster oticus. Moreover, it has also been reported to occur rarely from a worldwide perspective. The current case is a 63-year old man who visited us with a chief complaint of laryngopharyngeal pain. Flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy revealed complete right vocal cord palsy fixed at the intermediate position. We experienced a case of Herpes Zoster Laryngitis which was accompanied by a single presence of vagal nerve paralysis. Here, we report our case with a review of literature.

Bilateral Vocal Cord Palsy as the Sole Presentation of Acquired Syphilis

Bilateral vocal cord palsy is almost always caused by neck surgery, particularly surgery of the thyroid. We report a case of bilateral vocal cord palsy requiring emergency surgery to relieve the airway obstruction as the sole presentation of acquired syphilis. As the incidence of syphilis worldwide is rising, this unusual presentation may give clinicians a different perspective on the disease.

Meta-Analysis on the safety of total thyroidectomy combined with central lymph node dissection / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the safety of performing thyroidectomy together with central lymph node dissection(CLND). Methods Meta analysis was performed on 7 selected clinical papers using MantelHaenszel method and relative risk was calculated. Results A total of 1524 patients were eligible to be included,among whom 904 cases underwent thyroidectomy alone and 620 cases underwent total thyroidectomy combined with CLND. The risk rate of temporary hypocalcemia and temporary vocal cord palsy for CLND was 24. 77% and 9. 12% respectively, which was higher than that in performing thyroidectomy alone. However, the risk of permanent hypocalcemia and permanent vocal cord palsy had no statistic difference between the two groups. Conclusion As there is no increased morbidity of CLND, it is prudently suggested to give a prophylactic CLND for patients with high risk of thyroid papillary carcinoma.

Bilateral vocal cord palsy in a post-anesthesia care unit after total thyroidectomy: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

A patient had respiratory difficulty and hoarseness following total thyroidectomy due to bilateral vocal cord palsy. The patient was a 60-year-old man who underwent total thyroidectomy for papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. He had no laryngeal symptoms prior to the operation. Anesthesia lasted 3.5 hours and was uneventful. Spontaneous respiration resumed after reversal of the neuromuscular blockade. After arriving at the post-anesthesia care unit, he complained of respiratory difficulty and hoarseness. We confirmed bilateral vocal cord palsy by fiberoptic laryngoscopy. It is necessary to perform a complete and thorough search for the underlying cause of vocal cord palsy.

Unilateral vocal cord palsy occurred after difficult endotracheal intubation using intubating laryngeal mask airway: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Airway management is important during general anesthesia. Difficulties with a direct laryngoscopy can be managed successfully in a routine manner using a laryngeal mask airway. A 65-year-old woman was scheduled to undergo gynecologic surgery. After injecting the intravenous induction agents and muscle relaxants, intubation was attempted with a direct laryngoscope. However, the vocal cords could not be observed with only the epiglottis being slightly visible. Although intubation was re-attempted by another anesthesiologist, it failed. Intubation was successfully performed via an intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA) after additional 100% oxygen mask ventilation. We report a case of vocal cord palsy subsequent to tracheal extubation after endotracheal intubation via ILMA.

A case of Nasogastric Tube Syndrome in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patient

No abstract available.

A case of bilateral vocal cord palsy following short term endotracheal intubation / 대한내과학회지

Bilateral vocal cord paralysis may occur as a result of thyroid and cervical surgery, tracheal intubation, trauma, and neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. However, there are only a few reported cases of bilateral cord paralysis associated with short-term endotracheal intubation. We report a case of bilateral vocal cord palsy leading to respiratory obstruction following short-term endotracheal intubation.

Analysis of 32 Cases of Acute Laryngeal Trauma / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Laryngeal trauma occurs uncommonly, but when it does, it can cause acute airway obstruction and longterm voice and airway problems. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical presentation of larynx trauma and to assess the outcome of the treatment. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We analyzed the medical records of 32 patients with acute laryngeal trauma from 1992 to 2006, retrospectively. RESULTS: The most common cause of injury was traffic accident. Voice change was the most common symptom. Vocal cord palsy in patients with redistributed in minor injury was improved in all of the group that received conservative management. If there are significant endolaryngeal laceration or arytenoid disruption, which can occur with major trauma, consideration should be given to placing an endolaryngeal stent. But there was no difference in improvement rates between those receiving treatment with stent and those without stent. Thus, consider severity, treatment with stent is likely to yield to significant benefit. CONCLUSION: Vocal cord palsy in patients with redistributed in minor trauma may be managed conservatively. We conclude that patients with major trauma of endolaryngeal mucosa should use a stent in their treatment.

Bilateral Vocal Cord Palsy Associated with Multiple Symmetrical Lipomatosis(Madelung's Disease) / 대한이비인후과학회지

Multiple symmetrical lipomatosis (MSL) is a rare disorder characterized by the presence of multiple, symmetric, unencapsulated fat masses in the face, neck, and other areas. Typically, this entity has been related to the presence of three anterior bulges in the neck. MSL is usually described in adults from 30 to 60 years old, with an incidence of about 1 in 25,000 and a male-to-female ratio of 15 : 1 to 30 : 1. More than 90% of the patients have associated alcoholism. The etiology of MSL remains unknown, but an abnormal lipogenesis induced by catecholamines has been observed. The accumulation of fat prevents accurate clinical assessment of the neck and obscures other underlying abnormalities. In the current report, the authors described one case of MSL associated with bilateral vocal cord palsy and reviewed the associated literature.