Management of upper aerodigestive tract amyloidosis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to discuss the treatment options for upper aerodigestive tract amyloidosis. METHODS: Four patients with histologically confirmed amyloidosis were included in the study. All patients underwent surgical treatment. Three patients had laryngeal amyloidosis, and 1 patient had tonsillar amyloidosis. RESULTS: Two of the cases of laryngeal amyloidosis were successfully treated with a combination of surgery and radiation therapy. One case of laryngeal amyloidosis was treated with surgery alone. The tonsillar amyloidosis was removed by tonsillectomy. None of the cases showed systemic involvement. Long-term follow-up of the patients showed no recurrence or evidence of systemic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical resection is the primary treatment for patients with upper aerodigestive tract amyloidosis. Radiation therapy is especially effective in cases of recurrent amyloidosis with submucosal involvement. Pedunculated polypoid lesions may be treated with surgery alone, and in cases of recurrence, irradiation following the surgical removal should be considered. Tonsillectomy is usually sufficient for treating tonsillar amyloidosis.

Pediatric endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy.

OBJECTIVE: Nasolacrimal duct obstruction is a relatively common problem among children. Although spontaneous resolution is possible and various conservative treatment options are available, dacryocystorhinostomy is recommended for persistent epiphora. The aim of this study was to report our experience of performing 83 procedures of pediatric endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. METHODS: This retrospective study included 71 children who underwent endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy between 2000 and 2011. Thirteen of these children had bilateral procedures. The diagnosis of nasolacrimal duct obstruction was based on the presence of eye discharge, the patient's history obtained from his or her parents and the results of testing the patency of the nasolacrimal canal by irrigating the lacrimal sac. The procedure was considered to be successful if the patient's eye discharge was completely resolved and the dacryocystorhinostomy ostium was patent at end of the postoperative first year. RESULTS: Eighty-three dacrycystorhinostomy procedures were performed in 71 children. There were 35 (49.3%) male and 36 (50.7%) female patients. The age of the patients ranged between 11 months and 14 years, with a mean of 8.9 years. The mean follow-up period was 27.1 months (range of 14-84 months). The overall success rate for primary endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy was 92.7%. No major complications were encountered in any of the surgical procedures. CONCLUSION: Pediatric endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy is a safe and effective procedure to correct nasolacrimal system obstruction in cases that are unresponsive to conservative treatments. It has a high success rate and a low incidence of complications.