Are maxillary mucosal cysts a manifestation of inflammatory sinus disease?

BACKGROUND: The aetiology of maxillary mucosal cysts is uncertain. Chronic rhinosinusitis has been proposed as a probable aetiological explanation for their formation. METHOD: We recruited 500 consecutive patients who had undergone computed tomography scanning of the paranasal sinuses for possible chronic sinus disease. We identified 110 (22 per cent) cases of maxillary mucosal cysts. RESULTS: Patients' mean age was 42.65 years, with a female to male ratio of 0.69:1 (45:65). The mean cyst size was 14.27 mm, and most were located on the inferior surface of the antrum. Only in two cases did the cyst obstruct the sinus ostium. Of patients with antral cysts, 52.7 per cent had computed tomography evidence of sinus disease, whereas only 41.3 per cent of noncyst (control) patients had sinus pathology. The total Lund-Mackay score was significantly greater in the cyst group (n=390) compared with the noncyst group (Mann-Whitney; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Chronic rhinosinusitis plays an important role in the aetiology of maxillary mucosal cysts.

Bilateral tension pneumothorax following rigid bronchoscopy: a report of an epignathus in a newborn delivered by the EXIT procedure with a fatal outcome.

We describe a case of a newborn baby with a prenatal diagnosis of an epignathus (oropharyngeal teratoma). With the potential for airway problems at birth, he was delivered by an elective EXIT (Extra Utero Intrapartum Treatment) procedure at 38 weeks of pregnancy. The airway was secured and rigid bronchoscopy performed. Initially he was stable, but developed cardiorespiratory difficulties 40 minutes after birth and died from a cardiac arrest 17 minutes later. Tension pneumothorax is a devastating complication that can occur with lower airway manipulation for anaesthesia and rigid bronchoscopy. The addition of positive pressure during mechanical ventilation converts the pneumothorax into a tension pneumothorax. The possibility of tension pneumothorax should be entertained in a mechanically ventilated patient whose ventilatory pressures are increasing, with diminishing cardiac output. A complicated case is presented, where the diagnosis was missed with a fatal outcome.

The role of septal deviation in adult chronic rhinosinusitis: a study of 500 patients.

Septal deviation is a common finding and its role in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of septal deviation in the region of the ostiomeatal complex with regards to sinus disease, as staged by the Lund-Mackay scoring system in a group of adult patients with symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis. Five hundred consecutive patients who had undergone CT scanning of the paranasal sinuses for possible chronic sinus disease between Sept. 2002 and Dec. 2003 were recruited. Septal deviation at the ostiomeatal complex on coronal CT scan was evaluated using Radworks diagnostic 5.1 software (Applicare Medical Imaging BU). There were 219 patients with CT positive sinus disease. 281 of the patients had normal sinus CT scans (control group) and were therefore patients with rhinitis rather than rhinosinusitis. Our study showed no significant difference between the chronic rhinosinusitis group and the control group with regards to septal deviation. Nor were we able to demonstrate any correlation between the severity of septal deformity at the ostiomeatal complex region and the severity of sinus disease or OMC disease.

Management of globus pharyngeus: review of 699 cases.

The principal reason for performing investigations in patients with globus pharyngeus is to detect a pharyngeal or upper oesophageal malignancy presenting this way. There is uncertainty regarding both the necessity for investigation in globus patients and the first line investigation of choice in the screening of such patients. The authors therefore undertook a retrospective study of 699 patients who presented with globus sensation. Of these, 451 patients (64.5 per cent) had a typical history and in these patients, outpatient examination, including fibre-optic nasendoscopy was able to detect all pathologies, except one insignificant pharyngeal pouch, which required no intervention and one patient with a distal peptic stricture. In patients with atypical symptoms the combination of fibre-optic nasendoscopy and barium swallow identified all pathologies (five aerodigestive tract malignancies) except one distal peptic stricture. The authors concluded that if out-patient examination is adequate, no further investigation of typical globus symptoms is required. Such a policy would produce significant savings for both out-patient and radiology services.

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis: report of a case following steroid neck injection.

Cervical necrotizing fasciitis is a rare, rapidly progressive, severe bacterial infection of the soft tissues of the neck. Uncommonly, it may descend into the mediastinum. We describe a case of descending necrotizing mediastinitis in a young man, where there was diagnostic confusion and delay, with an eventual fatal outcome. A steroid injection for neck pain is thought to be the source of infection. In this case, the signs of mediastinitis were initially masked, and the diagnosis delayed until cardiopulmonary arrest occurred. Early recognition with a low threshold for computed tomography (CT) scanning is essential. Aggressive multidisciplinary therapy with mediastinal drainage is mandatory.

Haemangioma of the frontal sinus.

A 71-year-old lady underwent successful excision of a haemangioma of the frontal sinus, via an osteoplastic flap approach. Haemangioma of the paranasal sinuses is an extreme rarity. A case is presented and the literature reviewed.

Improving the reproducibility of acoustic rhinometry in the assessment of nasal function.

Acoustic rhinometry readings are very position dependent, and it was hypothesized that this accounts for its relative lack of reproducibility on a day-to-day basis. Multiple readings on each visit were taken to investigate their impact, if any, on improving the day-to-day reproducibility of the method. Measurements of the minimal cross-sectional area of the nose as measured by acoustic rhinometry were studied in 10 subjects following nasal decongestion. For each individual, acoustic rhinometry was performed ten times. The ten recordings were repeated again, in an identical manner on a separate day. The subjects were repositioned and the nasal probes reinserted between each measurement. The mean coefficient of variation for minimal cross-sectional area readings in all 10 subjects was calculated as 9.92%. This is comparable to the day-to-day variability of acoustic rhinometry as measured by other workers and thus supports the hypothesis that the high measurement error of the device (rhinometer) is a function of positional variation during data acquisition. We were able to demonstrate a minimal gain in intervisit reproducibility by doing multiple recordings per person, with a plateau effect of reproducibility after 7 repeat readings.

Assessing the reproducibility of nasal spirometry parameters in the measurement of nasal patency.

The reproducibility of nasal spirometry was assessed in ten subjects at two visits. Topical nasal decongestion was applied to minimise mucosal variation. Eleven parameters of flow volume were measured. Data analysis using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients revealed peak inspiratory flow rate (PIFR) followed by forced expiratory volume in first one second (FEV1) to be the most reproducible measures, yielding significance values of < 0.05. For all other spirometric parameters significance was not reached. Analysis revealed that using a naso-pulmonary index (a ratio of nasal to pulmonary flow) was detrimental to reproducibility. We conclude that future nasal spirometric studies should use PIFR and FEV1 as their derived variables of flow-volume loops in the assessment of nasal patency, and the naso-pulmonary index is of no value.

Invasive laryngeal candidiasis: a cause of stridor in the previously irradiated patient.

Upper airway obstruction is always a serious condition. In patients who have previously been irradiated for a laryngeal malignancy, it normally implies either residual or recurrent disease. We report a case of stridor due to invasive laryngeal candidiasis in a patient who had undergone radiotherapy for a T1a N0 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottis eight months earlier. Extensive investigation failed to identify recurrence of disease and the patient responded to prolonged topical antifungal therapy. Infection with Candida species is most frequently found in debilitated or immunocompromised patients. Although cases of upper airway obstruction in children secondary to idiopathic laryngeal candidiasis have been reported, to our knowledge no such presentation has been described in adults. This report highlights the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment. Familiarity with candidal infection is important for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

An unique tumour of the geniohyoid muscle: an intramuscular haemangioma.

We present the first case report in the English literature of an intramuscular haemangioma of the geniohyoid muscle. This occurred in a 24-year-old female and the diagnosis was not made prior to resection. Haemangiomas are uncommon tumours of the head and neck and intramuscular haemangiomas account for fewer than one per cent of the total. Diagnosis of the vascular nature of the tumour is often missed. Recurrence is common and usually due to incomplete excision. A review of the literature and a case report of these locally destructive lesions is presented.

Horner's syndrome: a rare presentation of cervical sympathetic chain schwannoma.

We describe a cervical sympathetic chain schwannoma in a 77-year-old woman who presented with a neck mass and Horner's syndrome. Such schwannomas are rare and this is the first documented case of a Horner's syndrome at presentation. The mass was excised via a cervical approach and her post-operative course was uneventful. The prognosis is excellent, with recurrence being rare. A brief discussion of the pathology, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition is made in this paper. The relevance of the uncertainty in diagnosis is discussed with the message that a pre-operative Horner's syndrome may guide the surgeon in the care of the patient but we suggest that in all cases proper counselling of the possible neurological consequences of this surgery be conducted.

Spontaneous internal jugular vein thrombosis and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy: a rare simultaneous presentation of an occult malignant neoplasm.

Internal jugular vein thrombosis is an uncommon potentially life-threatening disorder caused by various conditions. Non-spontaneous internal jugular vein thrombosis is an uncommon condition associated in the pre-antibiotic area with deep-neck infections. Currently iatrogenic trauma to the internal jugular vein from catheterisation and repeated intravenous injections by drug abusers are the leading causes of thrombosis. Spontaneous internal jugular vein thrombosis may occur when there are no apparent pre-disposing mechanical or inflammatory causes although a few of these patients may harbour an occult malignant neoplasm. Hence, careful investigation and follow-up are vital. Thrombosis in Trousseau's syndrome is usually confined to the vascular system of the extremities and the viscera. However, secondary to the paraneoplastic hypercoagulable state, thrombosis can occur in the large veins of the head and neck region. We understand this to be the first case where spontaneous internal jugular vein thrombosis and ipsilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis were the only initial manifestations of an occult malignancy.

Lemierre's syndrome: are we underdiagnosing this life-threatening infection?

Over a period of 12 months 3 patients presented with severe tonsillitis and subsequently grew Fusobacterium necrophorum (literally-spindle-shaped rod which brings death!) from blood cultures. Two patients responded well to antibiotics and were discharged within 4 days of admission. The third case had a longer history of symptoms and following investigations of a minor but unusual neck swelling was found to have thrombosis of the external and internal jugular vein. This is the first stage in the potentially fatal dissemination of this virulent organism which manifests clinically as Lemierre's syndrome. We describe the clinical histories and discuss whether cases are unrecognised because of the prompt clinical response to penicillin and metronidazole. We stress the importance of taking blood cultures and careful examination of the neck in all patients presenting with a severe tonsillitis.