Parotid Gland Tumors: A Multicenter Analysis of 1020 Cases. Increasing Incidence of Warthin's Tumor.

We assessed the frequency of the parotid gland tumor entities and correlated sex and age in different tumor types. Retrospective data were obtained from three major otorhinolaryngology clinics in Karlsruhe and Pforzheim, Germany within a 10-year period. In total, 1020 cases of parotidectomy for benign and malignant lesions were identified. We found 864 (84.7%) and 156 (15.3%) patients with benign and malignant tumors of the parotid gland, respectively. The most common benign parotid tumor was Warthin's tumor, followed by pleomorphic adenoma. The most common primary malignant tumor types were acinic cell carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Secondary malignant tumors of the parotid gland included lymphoma and metastatic, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The frequency of Warthin's tumors was higher than that of pleomorphic adenomas. A large proportion of the malignant parotid tumors represent metastases from squamous cell carcinoma of the skin of the head and neck.

Diagnostic value of computed tomography in Eustachian tube dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate radiological findings on temporal bone computed tomography, which are associated with obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction and determine its diagnostic validity. METHODS: The present study was conducted as a prospective, cross-sectional case series study in a tertiary referral center. Forty patients with clinically diagnosed unilateral Eustachian tube dysfunction and older than 16 years old underwent pre interventional radiological assessment by temporal bone computed tomography while performing a Valsalva-maneuvre to enhance visualization of Eustachian tube lumen. The Eustachian tubes were assessed for intersite morphological differences, presence of mucus in the lumen or middle ear cleft and secretion retention or mucosal swelling in the adjacent sinuses. Image analyses and radiological statements about the side of pathology were delivered blinded to the clinical diagnoses. RESULTS: The radiologic detection of mucus/mucosal edema in Eustachian tube or adjacent middle ear cleft structures was associated with the pathological side (t (1, N = 40) = 3.60, p = 0.001 < 0.05). On the contrary, there is no association between radiological findings of sinonasal disease and side of Eustachian tube dysfunction (x2 (1, N = 40) = .00, p = 1.00 > 0.05). The diagnostic value of radiologic assessment in Eustachian tube dysfunction has a sensitivity and specificity of 52,5 and 97,5% respectively. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of radiologic assessment is rather low, and hence it is inappropriate as a screening tool for Eustachian tube dysfunction in routine clinical practice. In the case of present CT-scans of the temporal bone, the focus should be laid on the detection of mucus in the Eustachian tube or adjacent structures, as a predictor of disease.

Inflammatory Pseudotumor in the Parapharyngeal Space: Is It Possible to Diagnose by Exclusion?

Inflammatory pseudotumor (IP) is a rare pathologic condition that easily can be confounded with malignancy. The clinical presentation depends on the site of occurrence and the radiological or laboratory findings are not specific. Diagnosis can be established only with histology. We report a case of a 64-year-old woman with IP in an uncommon localization, the parapharyngeal space extending to skull base. Although the diagnosis was not certain after histopathological examination, broad diagnostic workup helped to exclude malignancy or bacterial infection and led to diagnosis of an IP by exclusion. We observed a good clinical and radiological regression of symptoms after administration of oral immunosuppressants, confirming the immunological mechanism of the disease.

Subcutaneous Emphysema as a Complication of Tonsillectomy: A Systematic Literature Review and Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema is a rare complication after tonsillectomy. This case presentation and literature review summarizes the existing literature on this unusual complication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study presents a case of a 21-year-old man who developed a cervical subcutaneous emphysema 6 days after tonsillectomy, whereby conservative treatment produced spontaneous resolution. A proper analysis of this case also required undertaking a systematic search in MEDLINE/PubMed and SCOPUS electronic databases concerning this rare complication, without language restrictions. RESULTS: Based on our criteria, we identified 41 reports including 43 individual cases, in which patients were mostly young and equally distributed between the genders (18 males and 23 females, two unknown). The treatment was mainly conservative and consisted of observation and/or antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous or mediastinal emphysema is an uncommon complication after tonsillectomy. It is important that clinicians become aware of this rare complication, which requires a close monitoring of the patient.

Anterior Cervical Disc Fusion Does not Affect the Presence of Cervical Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential.

OBJECTIVE: Cervical spondylosis and cervical disk herniation are the most frequent forms of degenerative disease in the cervical spine. Surgical treatment mainly includes anterior cervical disk fusion. However, information concerning vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) recording in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery is limited. The present prospective study aimed to investigate the effect of anterior disk fusion surgery on cervical VEMP (cVEMP) parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients were enrolled in this study, and 20 patients (10 men and 10 women) completed cVEMP testing. Patient ages ranged from 29 to 76 y (mean, 52 y). Patients with conductive hearing loss or vestibular dysfunction were excluded. The cVEMP test was recorded preoperatively and 1 and 4 months postoperatively. Air-conducted tone-bursts of 500 Hz were used. RESULTS: We found no statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative cVEMP values. CONCLUSION: Cervical spine surgery (anterior cervical disk fusion) for treating cervical spondylosis does not appear to affect the presence of cVEMP or the parameters of cVEMP, when using air-conducted tone-bursts of 500 Hz. Moreover, cVEMP testing can be used in the postoperative phase for evaluating vertigo in patients who have undergone anterior cervical disk fusion.

[Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) in children]. / Laryngopharyngeale Refluxerkrankung (LPRD) bei Kindern.

LPRD in children is characterized by symptoms, clinical findings, and sequelae caused by the reflux of gastric acid, bile acid or refluxate containing pepsin beyond the esophagus. For diagnostic procedures and therapy of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in children and adults widely accepted guidelines have been established. However, diagnosis and therapy of LPRD in children remains a continuous issue of inter- and intradisciplinary discussions. Although both GERD and LPRD in children are reflux-induced diseases, these two entities are different in symptoms, cause, diagnostic procedures, and therapy. Thus, the terms GERD and LPRD are not eligible to be used as synonyms.Otorhinolaryngologists are becoming more and more involved in the management of children with suspicious LPRD. With flexible transnasal laryngopharyngoscopy being one of the most important diagnostic tools for LPRD detection, otorhinolaryngologists play an important role in the interdisciplinary diagnostic network of physicians treating children with suspected LPRD. The present article highlights age-dependent clinical symptoms, diagnostic tools, differential diagnoses, and adequate therapy for pediatric LPRD.

Primary unclassified sarcoma of the parotid gland: a case of diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

Malignant salivary gland sarcomas represent a clinically and histologically diagnostic challenge. Primary unclassified sarcomas of the parotid gland consist a rare salivary gland tumor. We report an unusual case of such a tumor, which occurred in the right parotid gland of a 54-year-old male and presented as an asymptomatic painless mass. The pathologoanatomical examination revealed a rhabdoid large-cell unclassified sarcoma. The patient was treated with superficial parotidectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy. No recurrence was noted in a 10-year follow-up period. Due to the rare occurrence of primary unclassified sarcomas, there is no evidence-based treatment of choice. An optimal approach is best planned in a multidisciplinary setting, taking into consideration the resectability of the tumor, individual patient characteristics, presence of local or distant metastatic activity, local infiltrative behavior and tumor stage. A close follow-up of the patient is strongly recommended.

Surgical technique and post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage: a single institution's retrospective study.

Post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage is one of the most common complications of tonsillectomy. The rate varies with different methods. We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent tonsillectomy in a period of two years. Two surgical methods, cold dissection and microscopically assisted bipolar tonsillectomy, were compared. 1007 patients were included in the study. Postoperative hemorrhage occurred in 116 patients (11.5 %). By the cold dissection method, postoperative bleeding was noted in 86 patients (10.9 %), while by the microscopic bipolar method in 30 patients (13.9 %). A surgical hemostasis was required in 47 patients (5.9 %) and 17 patients (7.9 %), respectively. Concerning the time of occurrence of the first postoperative bleeding episode, we found that it occurred mainly on day 6 by the cold dissection technique (median = 6, mean = 5.84, SD = 3.30), whereas by the bipolar technique the first episode occurred on day 5 (median = 5, mean = 5.27, SD = 2.85). However, a statistical analysis did not show a significant difference. In conclusion, our study did not show a significant difference concerning the prevalence or the postoperative day of occurrence of the first bleeding episode after tonsillectomy when comparing the two methods, but recommendations concerning the duration of the in-hospital stay could be made. Each institution should perform its own individualized statistics concerning the occurrence of postoperative bleeding and should use a standardized documentation protocol. Level of evidence 3b.

Primary Lymphangioma of the Palatine Tonsil in a 9-Year-Old Boy: A Case Presentation and Literature Review.

Primary lymphangiomas or lymphangiomatous polyps of the palatine tonsil are rare benign lesions that are described infrequently in the literature. The majority of the published cases concern adults. We report a case of a lymphangiomatous lesion of the right palatine tonsil of a 9-year-old boy. Our clinical suspicion was confirmed by the histological examination after tonsillectomy and the diagnosis of primary lymphangioma of the tonsil was made. In this case we discuss the clinical and histopathological features of this lesion and present a short review of the current literature.

Ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials using air-conducted sound: test parameters and normative data in healthy children; effect of body position on threshold.

In the present prospective study, we both investigated positioning techniques for the enhancement of oVEMP procedures and the viability of oVEMP testing in a healthy children population. A total of 41 healthy children were enrolled in this study. 21 were boys and 20 were girls, with their ages ranging from 4 to 16 years. All children underwent audiometry and tympanometry prior to oVEMP test in upright and supine position. All subjects had normal hearing. The procedure was well tolerated by all children. Typical biphasic oVEMPs presented in 97.56 % in upright position and 90.25 % in the supine position. No statistically significant difference could be found concerning which position elicits the best or worst responses. However, a trend towards the supine position was noticed. It may be concluded that oVEMP test proved to be a well-tolerated examination of the vestibular system in children aged above 4 years old. Our results did not show a statistical difference on the oVEMP thresholds between the two body positions. However, further larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Sialoblastoma of the parotid gland in a 13-year-old girl with multiple recurrences and long-term follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Sialoblastoma is an extremely rare congenital salivary gland tumor of epithelial origin. It is usually localized in the parotid or submandibular gland and presents primarily at birth or in early childhood. METHODS: We report a case of a 13-year-old girl with a sialoblastoma of the parotid gland presenting as an asymptomatic painless mass. RESULTS: The patient showed multiple recurrences and, based on the histopathological finding of facial nerve infiltration, was treated surgically with total parotidectomy and facial nerve reconstruction. CONCLUSION: Because of the rare occurrence of sialoblastoma, there is no evidence-based treatment of choice. The treatment should be individualized, taking into consideration the patient's age, the high locoregional recurrence rate, the local aggressive characteristics, and the potential metastatic activity of this rare tumor. A close follow-up of the patient is strongly recommended.

Cystinuria: current diagnosis and management.

Cystinuria is an inherited disorder of the dibasic amino acid transport system in the proximal tubule and the small intestine. Two responsible genes have been identified, the SLC3A1 on chromosome 2 and the SLC7A9 on chromosome 19. The inability of renal tubules to reabsorb cystine and the relative insolubility of cystine at physiological urine pH lead to stone formation. Cornerstone of the treatment remains stone prevention with hyperhydration, urinary alkalization, and pharmacologic therapy. Repeated stone formation necessitates urologic interventions, which mainly include minimally invasive procedures. The appropriate management of cystinuria is often challenging and requires close follow-up of the patient.

Acute myocardial infarction manifested with headache.

We report a very rare case of a patient who presented with headache as the sole symptom of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The patient underwent primary percutaneous coronary angioplasty followed by drug-eluting stent implantation and the headache was immediately relieved. The pathophysiologic explanation of the occurrence of headache as a sole manifestation of an AMI is discussed.