ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), which is a disorder that occurs after injury or surgery on the extremities, has not been reported as a complication of neck dissections until now. A group patients with head and neck cancer have been examined to determine the incidence of RSD in neck dissections. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-six patients with head and neck cancer, who had undergone neck dissections together with the removal of the primary tumor, were evaluated for RSD on their routine controls. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The presentation of RSD in two patients who were treated with radical neck dissection is probably a result of sympathetic hyperactivity that is secondary to surgical trauma.
Subject(s)
Neck Dissection/adverse effects , Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/etiology , Accessory Nerve/physiology , Accessory Nerve/surgery , Adult , Female , Head and Neck Neoplasms/surgery , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/epidemiology , Reflex, AbnormalABSTRACT
Metastasis to the oral cavity from melanoma arising in distant sites is very rare. The authors present three cases of melanoma metastatic to the palatine tonsil: two were cutaneous melanomas and one arose from the mucous membrane of the hard palate. Fewer than 30 cases of metastatic melanoma to the palatine tonsil have been reported, and none have been from mucosal melanoma originating from another mucosal primary site in the head and neck. From this perspective, one of the cases in this article is unique. The authors present clinical histories of the three cases of melanoma metastatic to the palatine tonsil. Two patients were still alive a substantial time after treatment. The case presentations indicate that careful examination of the head and neck should be part of the routine follow-up examination in all melanoma patients.
