Repair of Tracheoesophageal Fistula under Laryngeal Microsurgery Approach: Case Report and Literature Review

Patients with tracheoesophageal fistula show signs of aspiration, possibly leading to pneumonia, which could be fatal to bed-ridden patients. Tracheoesophageal fistula occurs as a complication of intubation, tracheostomy tube insertion and nasogastric tube insertion. Possible etiology is pressure and ischemic necrosis given by tracheostomy tube and nasogastric tube to trachea and esophagus; or in some cases, larynx and hypopharynx. Meanwhile, for repair of tracheoesophageal fistula, transcervical approach can be considered but takes relatively long operation time and is not appropriate for patients with underlying diseases. We report a case of tracheoesophageal fistula complicated several years after tracheostomy tube and nasogastric tube insertion who came to medical attention with signs of aspiration. Authors successfully performed repair of the fistula under laryngeal microsurgery approach without skin incision and dissection, and thereby report the experience with review of literature.

Repair of Tracheoesophageal Fistula under Laryngeal Microsurgery Approach: Case Report and Literature Review

Patients with tracheoesophageal fistula show signs of aspiration, possibly leading to pneumonia, which could be fatal to bed-ridden patients. Tracheoesophageal fistula occurs as a complication of intubation, tracheostomy tube insertion and nasogastric tube insertion. Possible etiology is pressure and ischemic necrosis given by tracheostomy tube and nasogastric tube to trachea and esophagus; or in some cases, larynx and hypopharynx. Meanwhile, for repair of tracheoesophageal fistula, transcervical approach can be considered but takes relatively long operation time and is not appropriate for patients with underlying diseases. We report a case of tracheoesophageal fistula complicated several years after tracheostomy tube and nasogastric tube insertion who came to medical attention with signs of aspiration. Authors successfully performed repair of the fistula under laryngeal microsurgery approach without skin incision and dissection, and thereby report the experience with review of literature.

A Case of Tracheal Cancer Arising 3 Years after Radiation Therapy for Laryngeal Cancer

Tracheal cancer is rare and accounts for approximately 0.03% of all malignancies. Because of atypical symptoms, tracheal cancer can be misdiagnosed as obstructive lung disease, or tumors of thyroid or lung. Among patients of previous head and neck cancer, other primary cancer may accompany which called “second primary cancer”. We report a case of patient with tracheal cancer 3 years after definite radiation therapy of laryngeal cancer with a review of related literatures.

Short-Term Outcomes of Acute Low-Tone Sensorineural Hearing Loss According to Treatment Modality

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We compared improvements in hearing thresholds in acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss (ALHL) patients after two different treatments: steroid alone and steroid and diuretic combined. We analyzed how the duration between the onset of symptoms and the initiation of treatment affected hearing loss improvement and investigated the relation between presence of vertigo in ALHL patients and ALHL progression to Ménière's disease (MD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 47 ALHL patients aged 21 to 76 years. Patients received either orally administered steroid alone (n=12) or steroid and diuretic combined (n=35). We compared improvements in the two groups' hearing thresholds at three lower frequencies (125, 250, and 500 Hz) after participants had received one month of each respective treatment. RESULTS: Our two treatments did not show any statistical difference in hearing loss improvement after one month. Forty percent of ALHL patients with vertigo developed MD, which was a significantly higher rate than the 12.5% of ALHL patients without vertigo who developed MD. The shorter duration between the onset of symptoms and the initiation of treatment significantly increased improvement in the sum of lower frequency hearing threshold after one month. CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that steroid and diuretic administered together and steroid alone similarly improve the hearing threshold in ALHL patients after one month. We concluded that patients should initiate ALHL treatment as soon as they experience symptoms. ALHL patients should also be notified of their higher risk of developing MD.

Tuberculous Otitis Media with Facial Paralysis Combined with Labyrinthitis

Tuberculosis otitis media is a very rare cause of otorrhea, so that it is infrequently considered in differential diagnosis because clinical symptoms are nonspecific, and standard microbiological and histological tests for tuberculosis often give false-negative results. We present a rare case presenting as a rapidly progressive facial paralysis with severe dizziness and hearing loss on the ipsilateral side that was managed with facial nerve decompression and anti-tuberculosis therapy. The objective of this article is to create an awareness of ear tuberculosis, and to consider tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of chronic otitis media with complications.

Two Cases of Skull Base Osteomyelitis in Elderly Patients after Mastoidectomy

Skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) is a rare disease and may develop as a complication of paranasal sinusitis or other regional infectious process. The characteristic symptom of SBO is headache and paralysis of cranial nerve. A potentially life-threatening disease, it requires aggressive antibiotic treatment. We present 2 cases of SBO. One case who were not immunocompromised or diabetics had paralysis of lower cranial nerves. The patient was effectively treated with complete mastoidectomy and antibiotics, so had a complete recovery. But, the other patient who were insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was died due to meningitis and pons palsy.