Capillary hemangioma of the middle ear: one case report and review of the literature.

Hemangiomas are rare benign vascular tumors; there are several types including the capillary hemangiomas, we present the case of an exceptional localization of capillary hemangioma in the middle ear. We report the case of a 60-year-old female which consults for episodes of pulsatile tinnitus, otorragies, and hearing loss of the left ear. The clinical examination revealed a reddish polypoid mass in the left external auditory canal, the radiological tests showed a vascular mass in the middle left ear. The tumor was surgically removed, the histological study revealed a capillary hemangioma. The incidence of hemangiomas in the temporal bone, especially in the middle ear, is exceptional. Medical imaging guides to the vascular nature of these tumors that make confusion with other vascular tumors such as tympanic paragangliomas. The management is often surgical and the final diagnosis is histological.

[Hydatid cyst of the thyroid in a child]. / Kyste hydatique de la thyroïde chez l'enfant.

INTRODUCTION: Hydatidosis is an anthropozoonosis due to the development of the Echinococcus granulosus in humans. Thyroid gland involvement is rather rare. The authors report a very rare case of thyroid gland hydatidosis in a child. OBSERVATION: A 6-year-old male child presented with an isolated neck mass. Cervical ultrasonography suggested a cystic thyroid nodule. No invasive investigation was performed. Hepatic ultrasound and chest radiography were normal. Hydatid serology was negative. The tumor was en-bloc removed by cervicotomy. Its content was fluid, crystal clear, with membranes confirming the hydatid origin. There was no recurrence after 9 months. DISCUSSION: Even though hydatidosis in the thyroid is rare, it should be considered in case of anterior cervical tumor, for patients living in endemic zones. The only radical treatment is surgery. An en-bloc resection must be performed with a cystectomy, isthmolobectomy, or total thyroidectomy.

Retropharyngeal abscess in adults: five case reports and review of the literature.

Retropharyngeal abscesses are rare in adults. They occur mostly in immunocompromised patients or as a foreign body complication. We report 5 cases of retropharyngeal abscess collected in the ENT Department of CHU Mohammed VI of Marrakech, during a two-year period (December 2008 to December 2009). Local trauma by foreign body ingestion was the aetiology in four patients. The presenting symptoms, for all patients, were fever, odynophagia, torticollis, and trismus, and the clinical examination showed bulging of the posterior wall of the oropharynx. The radiography of cervical spine showed prevertebral thickening in all cases, this thickening was associated with an aspect of vertebral lysis of the fourth cervical vertebra in one case. A CT scan was performed in all our cases and showed features of retropharyngeal abscess which was associated, in one case, with spondylodiscitis. The biological assessment found one case of diabetes. The intradermal reaction to the tuberculin was clearly positive in one case. Endobuccal abscess puncture was practiced in 4 cases; only one organism was identified by culture: Staphylococcus aureus treatment was based on triple intravenous antibiotics and anti-Koch's therapy (in one case), and the surgical drainage under general anesthesia was also performed in the case of the diabetes patient which required also the correction of hyperglycemia in intensive care unit. The outcome was good in all our patients. The diagnosis of retropharyngeal abscess can be difficult and one must seek a comorbidity; a tuberculosis aetiology must be considered in countries with a high prevalence. The management of these cases is based on antibiotics and surgical drainage.