ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to discuss the various neurological complications after middle face fractures. The study is based on 186 patients with injuries of the middle face region, admitted to the ENT Department for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Only patients with apparently minor head injury (SHT I. degree) were included in this study. The neurological complications are divided into extracranial and intracranial neurological impairments. It was evident that extracranial neurological complications are frequent and that they decisively influence the surgical treatment (decompression of the N. infraorbitalis or N. opticus). The intracranial neurological complications, however, are rare, but most important for the prognosis quoad vitam, because a small number of patients with middle face fractures can develop a life-threatening intracranial haematoma that must be rapidly detected and removed.
Subject(s)
Brain Injuries/surgery , Cranial Nerve Diseases/surgery , Facial Bones/injuries , Nerve Compression Syndromes/surgery , Skull Fractures/complications , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Cranial Nerve Injuries , Humans , Middle Aged , Multiple Trauma/complications , Optic Nerve Diseases/surgeryABSTRACT
Neurilemmoma is an extremely rare tumour of the larynx. A case of a 75-year-old woman who complained of increasing hoarseness for several months is reported. Clinically the tumour looks like a polyp of the left vocal cord. The tumour was completely removed endoscopically. Histological examination, however, revealed a neurilemmoma. To the present day only two cases of neurilemmoma of the vocal cord have been reported in the literature.
Subject(s)
Laryngeal Neoplasms/pathology , Neurilemmoma/pathology , Vocal Cords/pathology , Aged , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Laryngeal Neoplasms/surgery , Laryngoscopy , Neurilemmoma/surgery , Vocal Cords/surgeryABSTRACT
The possible association of some viral infections with the onset of Bell's palsy was examined in a study of 29 patients. The results were compared with a sex- and age-matched control group. The number of probable recent viral infections, as judged by a fourfold increase in antibody titers or the presence of specific IgM antibodies, differed statistically from that found in the control group. In seven patients with Bell's palsy the enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) indicated an acute viral infection (herpes simplex 4; varicella zoster 2; cytomegalovirus 1). All these infections were due to viruses belonging to the herpesvirus group. Clinical evidence of herpesvirus infection was found in three cases (Herpetic eruption). The aetiological relationship between the virological findings and Bell's palsy is discussed. Reactivated herpes simplex virus and transient demyelination of the facial nerve could be one cause of an idiopathic facial palsy.
